Abraham & Isaac: God's Substitution

Title: Abraham & Isaac – God’s substitution

Theme: To show the purpose & symbolism of salvation by faith in Genesis 22

Text: Genesis 22

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." (1) Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (2) So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (3) Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. (4) And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." (5) So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. (6) But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (7) And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. (Gen 22:8) Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. (9) And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. (10) But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." (11) And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (12) Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. (13)

And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided." (14)

Introduction

This is one of the most unique stories in scripture. Abraham was man who pick up his wife and left from the Ur of Chaldeans to follow the calling of God. God never told him where to go but told him what direction to go in. He is often time called a man of faith because of his blindly following the Lord.

Abraham was at the pinnacle of his life. Everything God had promised to him had began to take place. After many years his legacy had been set into place with the birth of his son.

Purposes of this story

1) To show Abraham’s true commitment to the Lord. If he was willing to give up everything to follow God.

He tells us from the beginning “God tested Abraham”. As we know from James that God does not tempt people but will often times test them according to their faith.

He tests him with the one thing he loves more than anything in the world. This is his son Isaac that was promised to him by God from Genesis 12. This is the son Abraham had waited decades for. This is the son that would perpetuate his seed.

Yes, Abraham had a son before, Ismael. He would have children afterwards. But this was the only son born between him and Sarah and Abraham loved him deeply as was noted in the passage.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

"This is a real crisis in Abraham's life. God has brought this man through four very definite crises, each of which was a real exercise of his soul, a real strain upon his heart.

? "First of all, he was called to leave all of his relatives in Ur of the Chaldees. He was just to leave the whole group. That was a real test for Abraham. He didn't do it very well at the beginning, but, nevertheless, the break finally came.