Genesis 22: Sacrifice of Isaac
When God Asks the Unthinkable – Which He Does!
Review:
• Abraham - 75 yrs old when he left Haran (Gen 12:4);
• 11 years later: Still no son. Abe figures he has to take up the matter himself; fathers Ishmael at 86 yrs old (Gen 16:16); God says Ishmael is not the promised son – will be a son God and God alone provides
a lesson of great spiritual significance here, but no time! (Gal 4:21-31)
• Years of more waiting; gets to the point of seeming ridiculous - Sarah laughs
• 14 years later, when Abe is 100 – the promise fulfilled! (Gen 21:5) Names child “he laughs” (reflection of joy, but also irony of the fact that they laughed & scoffed at God’s promise) 25 years!
brings us today to...
Genesis 22: Sacrifice of Isaac
A disturbing story. There are in fact R-rated passages in the bible (sexual content, violence).
Isaac probably in his teens at this point.
READ v.1-2 Whoa! So many questions! These verses seem to confirm some of our worst suspicions about God.
v.1 First of all, Why would God need to “test” anyone? Doesn’t he know the heart?
“testing” like this conjures image of a capricious God who gets some strange enjoyment from afflicting his subjects with arbitrary trials
• This testing is not for God’s benefit – he knows Abraham’s faith
• Reasons for “testing”:
- to “reveal” what’s inside. Not to God, but to everyone else (often including ourselves!). Abraham had faith, but it’s invisible to others until it’s acted out.
- to “purify” – not only reveals what’s inside but acts on what is inside
In NT: these tests are often referred to as trials
For example, 1 Peter 1:7:
“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.”
This verse speaks of the revealing aspect - “to show”. But Peter says testing also “purifies” - gold melted in crucible - impurities rise as gold sits on the flame. When cools, gold far more pure than before. An analogy for God purifying faith. He brings the heat, but his goal is to invest and refine your character, your faith. So precious to him to find someone who trusts him even when they don’t get what he’s up to, even when they are in pain. More precious, rare than gold!
v.2 Why would God suggest that he offer his own son in human sacrifice??
• As we read this, knowing the Bible, seems obvious to us that God would never really want him to do this...
Deut. 18:10 “...be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering…”
This actually was a common aspect of ancient religions; certainly in this part of the world. God warns his people never to do this.
• Then again, Abraham didn’t know this! Couldn’t open his bible and read that. Written hundreds of years after these events. Simply didn’t know as much about God as we do – not as much revelation. Very possible in his mind that God wanted him to do this, like all the other cultures in the area were doing for their deities.
READ 22:3
• Sunday school version: Abraham up early with a smile on his face, said "It’s a beautiful day--I can wait to get going!" and whistled as he made the preparations... This is the way you feel when you trust God!
• Not so. No indication Abe is happy about this
• Made no sense: all God’s promises dependent on Isaac!
READ 22:4
• God could have told him to do this in the back yard, but sends him on a 3-day, 50 mile trip. To a specific place. Wonder why?...
• Imagine how agonizing this journey must have been. Imagine Abraham’s response as the two servants and Isaac chit-chatted.
READ 22:5-8
• Just the two of them: Abe with fire & knife, Isaac with wood on his back. Up the hill.
• Then the dreaded question: “Where is the lamb?” Good question Isaac!
“God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering..." He was expressing his trust in God, but he was probably also being deliberately ambiguous because he doesn’t want to freak Isaac out.
READ 22:9-10
• Text is mercifully concise, but scene may have taken hours. Abraham breaking news. Shock and horror of Isaac. The confusion, questions Isaac must have had.
ILLUSTRATION: As some of you know I’ve spent time in the ER at children’s hospital recently with my 6yrold boy. I told him I’d be straight up with him & tell him what is going to happen. At times I’d wait til the last minute, but eventually would have to break news – some docs and nurses are going to come though that door in a minute and here’s what is going to happen... And the panic in his eyes; begging “take me home, take me home!” Breaks your heart. But this was to heal him, for his good. Abe’s situation is in a completely different category – not a hospital, but an altar on which sins are paid for with blood!
Need to realize that if Isaac were strong enough to carry the wood up the mountain, he was strong enough to resist a 100 yr old man and run away.
• Eventually, they decide together to go through with it. Said goodbyes, piled wood, Isaac crawls up on the wood, Abe binds him, picks up torch and knife,... raises the knife
READ 22:11-19
• What a coincidence: a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. That happens alot! Clearly, a provision from God; a substitute for his son.
• Abraham recognizes this: names the place “the Lord will provide” (...a substitute)
v. 14 Becomes a proverb – on that mountain God will provide
Imagine the joy as he held his son, safe from the fire blazing on the altar...
But also imagine the sobering realization – that should be my son there. The problem of sin is so serious to God. He has the right to demand such payment. But God mercifully provided another to take his place.
Then God reaffirms his covenant (which we’ve already studied)
but notice v.18: “through your descendant”. God keeps using this term “descendant”. Why doesn’t He name him as Isaac? Does the promise refer to Isaac, or another future descendant of Abraham?? Ambiguous!
So there is the story. Now let’s take a few minutes and find out what the Bible says it all means...
READ Hebrews 11:17-19
1. v.19 Interesting: We find out what Abe was thinking as he raised the knife: God will raise Isaac from the dead. (see also Romans 4:17)
Abraham was happy that he finally had a son. Abraham must have loved that kid so much! After waiting so long.
Then he gets this bizarre, contradictory request.
So as he lies awake at night, along the journey, Abraham considers God’s record:
• "It was God who initiated with me in Mesopotamia, not me begging him for blessing, a place in his plan."
• "God was faithful to me in Egypt despite by lying and weakness."
• "God was faithful to me in my failed attempt with Ishmael"
• "And despite all my doubts he fulfilled his promise of a son."
"While its true that I don’t always understand what he’s up to, God has proven his faithfulness and care for me at every point! I guess its too late to stop trusting him now!!"
So I will hand back the blessing he gave to me. (I really don’t have a right to hang onto it since I didn’t earn it.)
• God must have a reason. And somehow, even if I lose my son, God will still fulfill all his promises.
• So Abraham deduced that God would raise Isaac from the dead – not that far fetched after what he’s seen God do!
Believers: Get ready, because God will at some point ask you to hand back to him some of the things you love the most. Blessings you really didn’t earn – He gave them to you.
Sometimes believers become more focused on the gifts of God than on the giver.
God gives us some pretty cool things (relationships, health, wealth, appreciation,...), and often our focus starts to be on enjoying what God has given us more than on God himself.
This is one reason God might “test” or purify our faith by calling on us to hand back a gift he’s given to us.
• Relationships: circumstances may turn in such a way that in order to serve God you have to lose a key relationship. (Moving out of town, involvement in another ministry,...) You’re so thankful for this friend. To surrender that purely on the theory that God wouldn’t ask me to give it up if he didn’t have something better? You’ll need to wrestle with that one.
• Ministry: Sometimes God brings all these people around us who we have spiritual influence on. Once you get a taste for it, you realize what a blessing from God that is! But then God asks us to hand back over - you won’t have that ministry anymore.
Example: a small group that fails – leaders have to step down. Some go ballistic; a tantrum. Others willing to hand it over in an attitude of grace: the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. And lo and behold later they have an increased ministry.
• Financial blessing: God may bless in this way. But it’s amazing how white our knuckles get holding onto our wealth. Are you willing to hand it back to God, since he gave it to you in the first place? This is where most believers resort to some spiritualized spin to justify their greed. “I’m just doing this for my family.”
• Personal health: Health is such a blessing from God that we take for granted. Then, as happens to all of us, it fades away. And then we realize it was such a blessing. Do we get bitter at God at that point, or choose to trust that God has something better that will result?
• Career: God may have blessed you with a successful career. You receive alot of respect and admiration. But if an accepting an opportunity to serve God necessitated your career taking a hit, is it an automatic no? Is your career what you are really in love with? Don’t be a fool and fall in love with the gift instead of the giver.
Testimony: Don D. (severe depression after wife’s cancer diagnosis; always thought she’d outlive him & had everything prepared; got counsel from Christian friend: you need to give her to God & trust that whatever happens, she’s in God’s hands; Don’s new practice of daily in prayer giving over all his loved ones to God’s care and the resulting peace & freedom from anxiety.)
Like Peter says, these tests transform and purify our faith - from superficial mental assent to a living faith that animates every part of our lives.
The result is always the same: I find out God is far more faithful than I thought he was.
But the author of Hebrews tells us something else about this event that will blow you away...
Heb 11: 19: “Received him back as a type...”
Greek: parabole - a metaphor, a comparison of one thing with another, likeness, similitude. In other words, a symbol (NLT translation misses this).
How is Isaac a type or symbol?? Abraham apprehended some great spiritual truth here.
Well, what is true of Isaac in this story?
- Sacrificed on Mt. Moriah.
- Was his father’s only cherished son
- Carried the wood he was to be killed upon
- offered himself voluntarily
- delivered from death
- was the promised one, the offspring of Abraham
Now here is the amazing thing the author of Hebrews was referring to: eerily, this list is also true of someone else – another descendant of Abraham: JESUS CHRIST!...
- Sacrificed on Mt. Moriah (2 Chron 3:1 identifies Mt Moriah as the mountain Jerusalem eventually sat on, the same place where Jesus was crucified)
- Was his father’s beloved son (read John 3:16)
- Carried the instrument of his death (just as Isaac carried the wood he was to be killed upon up the hill, so did Christ!)
- offered himself voluntarily (read John 10:17)
delivered from death (Isaac figuratively, Jesus literally)
- was the promised one, the offspring of Abraham (Galatians 3:16 names Jesus as the true “descendant” promised to Abraham)
WOW!! In other words, God never intended Isaac any harm. Rather, God was giving a striking and horrific picture of what HE HIMSELF would go through in sacrificing his own son.
God was giving a clear signal here of how he would rescue humanity. He gave other signals – the OT sacrificial system, the writings of the prophets (Is 53). But this was one of the earliest and most striking.
He would provide a substitute for you. Your sin is serious enough to warrant the full wrath of God falling upon you – eternal death. But God provides a substitute, Jesus Christ.
John 1:29 – “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Or, there’s the ram caught in the thicket! – Jesus!
Salvation is not something you have to earn or plan or accomplish for yourself.
READ Rom 4:23-25 – the gospel message of salvation by faith in Christ.
I think this story also should evoke a sense of gratitude toward God.
Do you have an appreciation for what it cost God to provide forgiveness for you?
Its hard to read this story and not put yourself in Abe’s shoes – the thought of plunging a knife into your own child??!! Its enough to make any parent wretch at the thought of it.
We’re supposed to be gripped by the horror of Abe’s experience – because that’s what God went through, but no one stopped him!
The pain at hearing Jesus cry from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?!!”
Read John 3:16. What moved God to do such a thing? There is only one reason given: because he so loved the world. I can’t explain this. But the bible is clear. God’s heart broke as he considered our plight, destined for eternal judgment. Destined for the sacrificial altar.
And the father & son agreed together to do something about it.
In other words, this story seems to be about God asking the unthinkable of us, but it really is about him doing the unthinkable FOR us.
Conclusion
John 8:56 Jesus said, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day.” Abraham got a glimpse of the substitute God would provide, and he rejoiced. His faith looked forward. Ours looks backward. But the object is the same – Jesus Christ.
For further reading:
Romans 4
Galatians 3-4
