Genesis 22:1-19
Purpose: To exalt God as the great provider.
Aim: I want the listener to rejoice in God's glorious provision of salvation.
INTRODUCTION: As I mentioned last week, Genesis Chapter 22 contains four important words that are used for the very first time in the Bible.
Last week we looked at this text with two of these words in mind. The first one is the word TEST in verse one. God will never do anything to tempt us to sin, but He does allow circumstances that will reveal what is in our heart.
Another word that is mentioned in our text for the first time in the Bible answers why God gave Abraham a test. It is the word OBEY in Genesis 22:18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (NAU)
Those two words highlighted one important truth:
REVIEW:
I. Offering Isaac Proved Abraham's Faith
Vs.1-2 A. God's instructions "Take...go...offer"
Vs.3 B. Abraham's response "arose early...and went"
Vs.4-8 C. Abraham's faith "we will worship and return...God will provide"
Vs.9-10 D. Abraham's works "took the knife to slay his son"
In Chapter 15 Abraham was declared forgiven in God's eyes: Genesis 15:6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. (NAU)
In Chapter 22 Abraham proved he was forgiven in man's eyes: James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (NAU)
Vs.11-19 E. God rewards Abraham for his faith "do nothing to him... I will greatly bless you"
LESSON: Today I want to center our thoughts around the other two words that are used for the first time in Genesis 22. The first one is the word LOVE in Genesis 22:2 He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." (NAU)
The last word in our text that is used for the first time in the Bible is the word WORSHIP. Genesis 22:5 Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." (NAU)
LESSON:
II. Offering Isaac Pictured God's Love
We have to be careful about reading New Testament truths into Old Testament stories, but the NT tells us that this story is a picture, or a foreshadowing of Christ's death and resurrection. Hebrews 11:19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. (NAU)
Look at Vs.l8. Paul refers to this verse and then says in Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. (NAU)
It is fascinating that the first mention of the word LOVE in the Bible does not refer to a husband's love for his wife, or of a mother's love for her child, or a love of country, or a person's love for God, or even God's love for man. The first mention of LOVE refers to a father's love for his son. Genesis 22:2 He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, ... (NAU) Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; (NAU)
►"God only knows the love of God." Charles Spurgeon [1]
John 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. (NAU)
The first time that the word LOVE is used in Matthew is Matthew 3:17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (NAU)
The first time that the word LOVE is used in Mark is Mark 1:11 and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." (NAU)
The first time that the word LOVE is used in Luke is Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." (NAU)
The first time that the word LOVE is used in John is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (NAU)
1 John 4:9--11 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (NAU)
Abraham's offering of his son teaches us at least four things.
A. The sacrifice was unfair
There is no indication that Isaac had done anything that required punishment.
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (NAU)
Look at verse 6: Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. (NAU)
The loving father made his son carry the wood and he took the instruments of death (fire and knife). Think about Calvary. Jesus carried the Cross and His Father poured out His wrath against sin on Jesus. Isaiah 53:10--11 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, ... As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. (NAU)
B. The sacrifice was voluntary
Isaac was young and strong. Abraham was very old, and yet Isaac did not resist when his father began to tie his hands.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. (NAU)
John 10:17--18 "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (NAU)
C. The solution was an innocent substitute
Just as an innocent ram that was trapped in some branches would die in Isaac's place, so a perfect and innocent Christ was arrested (trapped) by the Romans and executed for our sins.
1 Peter 1:18--19 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (NAU)
When John the Baptist saw Jesus for the first time he said,John 1:29 "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (NAU)
Charles Spurgeon explained the importance of Christ's death to us this way: "We shall never perish, for He has suffered in our place! We were bound on the altar--we were laid on the firewood and the fire was ready for our consuming--but no knife shall touch us, now, for the Sacrifice is offered once and for all. No fire shall consume us, for He who suffered in our stead has borne the heat of the flame on our behalf! We live and we shall live. 'There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.'" [2]
D. The place was Jerusalem
Look again at the last part of verse 14: Genesis 22:14 Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided." (NAU)
"Moriah is the mountain range where Jerusalem is situated (2 Chron. 3:1) and also where Calvary stood." [3] 2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah.... (NAU)
This is a clear foreshadowing of what Jesus would do in Jerusalem many years later. The blood of animals could not take away sin, but their blood was a way to picture the coming of a perfect sacrifice.
Vs.l4 God is the One who provides salvation. ►"In order to save us God provided God." Charles Spurgeon [4]
Isaiah 53:4--6 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. (NAU)
III. Offering Isaac was a Picture of Worship
Genesis 22:5 Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." (NAU) Remember that this is the first use of the word WORSHIP in the Bible.
What is worship? Today we often think of it as a ceremony. We even call what we are doing here this morning "a worship service" but are we really worshiping God?
Charles Stanley once said that he believed that most Christians in most churches have never worshiped God. We go to church, but we don't worship. We sing songs, but we don't worship. We listen to sermons, but we don't worship. All of these things are elements of worship but they are not worship in and of themselves which means that you can do all of them and yet have failed to truly worship God. We Christians often mistake the means of worship for worship itself.
There are many things that can accompany worship, but there are two things that are required:
A. Worship is total submission to God
The Hebrew word for WORSHIP simply means to "bow down" and we will only bow to something that we feel is greater than we are.
Abraham acted in total submission to God. The worship that Abraham was anticipating had nothing to do with good feelings. It had everything to do with submitting to an all-powerful God.
Remember that Abraham had just declared that God was El-Olam "The Everlasting God" in Genesis Chapter 21.
Abraham knew God so well that he could confidently say: Genesis 22:5 ... I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." (NAU) Genesis 22:8 "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." .... (NAU)
God is worthy of our submission to Him because of His sacrifice for our sins. Revelation 5:11--13 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." (NAU)
B. Worship always costs us something
Abraham was willing to give up his greatest earthly treasure in order to worship God.
All worship requires sacrifice and the sacrifice that God expects and deserves is a close walk with Him. Micah 6:6--8 With what shall I come to the Lord And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? (NAU)
Deuteronomy 10:12--13 "Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? (NAU)
Listen to what worship looked like when Solomon dedicated the Temple. 2 Chronicles 7:1--6 Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. The priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, "Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting." Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites also, with the instruments of music to the Lord, which King David had made for giving praise to the Lord--"for His lovingkindness is everlasting"--whenever he gave praise by their means, while the priests on the other side blew trumpets; and all Israel was standing. (NAU)
When we are really worshiping God we will praise Him and that requires that we sacrifice our selfishness. We must get our eyes off of ourselves and on to God. Hebrews 13:15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (NAU)
Notice how Paul described how he prayed for the Christians in Ephesus: Ephesians 3:14--15 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, (NAU)
What have we learned about worship? #1 Worship is complete submission to God. #2 Worship is giving God our best. #3 Worship requires complete faith in God's power.
A. W. Tozer said, "So I've got to tell you that if you do not worship God seven days a week, you do not worship Him on one day a week. There is no such thing known in heaven as Sunday worship unless it is accompanied by Monday worship and Tuesday worship and so on...."
CONCLUSION: Have you been worshiping God today? If you are not really worshiping God then you may be closer to hell than Isaac was to death when under Abraham's knife.
Spurgeon: "...as a rule, men do not see Christ to be their Substitute nor accept Him as their Redeemer till they feel that they lie at Hell's door--and until their anguish on account of sin has become exceedingly great. I remember well when I first beheld the Lamb of God who suffered in my place. I had often heard the story of His death. I could have told it out to others very correctly, but then I did not know my own pressing need--I had not come to feel the knife at my throat, nor was I about to die and, therefore, my knowledge was a cold, inoperative thing." [5]
We must have the same kind of faith that Abraham had or we cannot have Christ's righteousness covering our sin. Worship begins when we cry out:
►How can I have my sins forgiven? Jehovah-Jireh: The eternally self existent One will provide!
[1]“Jehovah-Jireh” - Sermon No. 1803 - Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. Sermon Delivered on Lord's Day Morning, October 12, 1884, By C. H. Spurgeon, At Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.
[2]“Jehovah-Jireh” - Sermon No. 1803 - Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. Sermon Delivered on Lord's Day Morning, October 12, 1884, By C. H. Spurgeon, At Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.
[3]William MacDonald and Arthur Farstad, Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments, Ge 22:1–10 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).
[4]“Jehovah-Jireh” - Sermon No. 1803 - Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. Sermon Delivered on Lord's Day Morning, October 12, 1884, By C. H. Spurgeon, At Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.
[5]“Jehovah-Jireh” - Sermon No. 1803 - Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. Sermon Delivered on Lord's Day Morning, October 12, 1884, By C. H. Spurgeon, At Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.
