I’ve entitled our message this morning, “A Foreshadowing Sacrifice,” which indicates that we’re going to be looking at something foretold long before it happened. I wish to begin our message this morning by sharing something out of the book of Acts. In Acts 8:31-35, we find the account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch was reading out of Isaiah chapter 53, when he asked an important question; and the Bible shares the account as follows:
[The eunuch] asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
The eunuch asked Philip who this person was in Isaiah 53:7 who was led as a sheep, or lamb, to the slaughter; and Philip taught him that the “man” was “Jesus.” This morning, we will discuss the lamb being led as a sheep to the slaughter, with Genesis chapter 22 being our focal text; and a hidden analogy will be brought to light – one that foreshadows Jesus being led to the cross for the ultimate sacrifice.
The Lord began His work of salvation as soon as mankind committed the very first sin. The reason why is because the Lord desires a relationship with us. God knew ahead of time that He would – and “must” – sacrifice His one and only Son in order to atone for the sins that separate people from Him.
In Genesis chapter 22, we see a glimpse into the future of God’s plan of salvation. It contains the account of Abraham attempting to sacrifice his only son Isaac at God’s request; and many similarities to the passion story are contained within this account, and will be highlighted this morning. The ultimate purpose in having us look at Genesis chapter 22 is to understand how to enter into a relationship with the heavenly Father to be saved from our sins.
A Sacrifice Was Required (vv. 1-2)
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 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.”
Verses one through two speak about Abraham’s only begotten son. In Genesis 12:2, the Lord had made a promise to Abraham that He would bless him and make of him a great nation. But here, God asked him to sacrifice his only son; to give up the way through which a great nation would come from his lineage.
I want you to notice how verse two actually contains a parallel to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, for it states that Abraham was to take up his “only” son for a sacrifice. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” So, like the heavenly Father who gave His one and only Son as a sacrifice for all mankind, we’re going to see that Abraham was willing to give up his one and only son.
I want to show you another possible parallel. In 2 Chronicles 3:1, we read this: “Now Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah.” Genesis 22:2 reveals that the mountain of Isaac’s potential sacrifice was located in the land of Moriah; therefore, this mountain was possibly located at Jerusalem, the very city in which Jesus was crucified. Mount Moriah is the temple mount, but since Moriah was described as a land, Isaac could have been taken to any mountain in that land, including Mount Moriah or even Golgotha, for all we know. But the possible parallel is intriguing!
Verse one says that the Lord tested Abraham, and He tested him for a reason. This test would result in Abraham demonstrating the way to having a relationship with God. Hebrews 11:17 says, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.” Abraham was used to demonstrate how “faith” is the way to God. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Salvation comes by grace through faith; so faith plays a huge role in coming to know God, finding the forgiveness of our sins, and being reconciled unto Him.
Isaac Carried His Wood (vv. 3-6)
3 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. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 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.” 6 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.
Notice in verse five the unwavering faith that Abraham demonstrated. He said, “The lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” Abraham was told to offer up his only son; but yet, he said that he and Isaac would return unto the young men. Abraham had great faith that the Lord would not allow his son to be harmed. He wasn’t lying or being deceptive to the men, or putting on a show. He really believed that he and Isaac would come back.
In verse six, Abraham had Isaac to bear the wood of his own sacrifice, just as Jesus bore the wood of the cross. John 19:17 holds the account of Christ bearing His own cross, telling us this: “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.” Luke tells us that Jesus carried His cross part of the way; and then afterwards, Simon stepped in (Luke 23:26).(1) But let’s not miss the fact that both Isaac and Jesus bore the wood of their own sacrifice.
Now, Abraham carried the instruments of the sacrifice in his own hands, showing how he held the power of life and death as Isaac’s father. The heavenly Father holds the power of life and death in His hands; and He could have rescued Jesus from the agony He faced, but He didn’t, for there was a plan and a purpose.
Abraham was faithful to the Lord because God promised that a great nation would come from his seed and lineage; one which would become a blessing unto all the peoples of the earth (Genesis 22:18). When the heavenly Father sacrificed His only Son, He was being faithful – faithful to keep His promise – by providing a way for people to come into fellowship with Him.
God Will Provide a Lamb (vv. 7-8)
7 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?” 8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So, the two of them went together.
In verses seven through eight, we observe a conversation between a father and son; one revealing a relationship of great trust and affection. Isaac innocently and respectfully addressed his dad with the words “My Father.” And at this trying moment these words could have melted Abraham’s heart and persuaded him not to sacrifice Isaac, but Abraham replied with the calm and reassuring words “My Son” – calm and reassuring, because Abraham trusted the Lord.
God, too, has tender affections for His only Son, Jesus Christ; for in Hebrews 1:5, we read where the Lord declared of Him, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You . . . I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son.” God could have been persuaded not to sacrifice His Son, for Jesus declared in Matthew 26:53, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels” to rescue Me? But in Matthew 26:53, Jesus continued to say that if He wasn’t crucified, “How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen?” How then could the salvation of mankind be accomplished?
In verse seven, we see the big question: “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham didn’t have the heart to tell his son that he was the offering. He just replied, “God will provide for Himself the lamb.” John 1:29 reveals that the “Lamb of God” is Jesus Christ. We read this: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” What Abraham spoke concerning the lamb fulfilled prophecy, identifying the Messiah as Jesus Christ.
A Substitute Was Discovered (vv. 9-14)
9 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. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” 12 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.”
13 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. 14 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.”
In verse nine, we see that Abraham “bound” his only son Isaac. Why would Abraham have needed to bind his son to the altar? We’ve already seen how Isaac trusted his father. The answer is that the action of binding him was symbolic of Christ being nailed or bound to the cross.
Look at verses eleven through fourteen. Notice that just as Abraham raised the knife and was getting ready to plunge it into Isaac’s heart – or perhaps, cut his throat in order to drain the blood – the angel of the Lord stepped in at the last second to stop Abraham from taking Isaac’s life. Abraham then looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket, and he took it and offered it in Isaac’s place.
Abraham had earlier said in verse eight that “God will provide a lamb.” The Lord did indeed provide a lamb. He did it for Abraham and He did it for us. Later on, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed in the place of all mankind, similar to the account portrayed here.
In verse fourteen, Abraham named the place of this near-sacrifice Jehovah-jireh. This name means “the Lord will provide.” The Lord truly did provide a way out for Abraham when he was ready to take the life of his only son Isaac; and today, the Lord has provided a way out for all mankind.
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We’re all sinners from birth; and Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.” The penalty for sin is spiritual death; or rather, separation from God, by spending eternity in hell. However, there is a Lamb for us who will take our place when we are condemned to death. This One who will take our place is the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23 tells that the wages of sin is death; however, it continues to declare, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The apostle Peter tells that you were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:10-11, 19-21).
A Blessing unto All People (vv. 15-18)
15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son - 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
Now, in verses fifteen through eighteen, we’re told of a great blessing. Because Abraham was faithful in attempting to carry out God’s request, he was to be given a great nation through his offspring. His seed would be so numerous that they would become as the stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore, and could not be numbered. Verse eighteen tells us that Abraham’s seed would bless all nations; and the blessing spoken of here is ultimately a reference to the blessing of eternal life given to all people by one of Abraham’s descendants, Jesus Christ.
Time of Reflection
Just as the Lord provided a lamb to take the place of Isaac, He provided a Lamb to take the place of all mankind, for people who are destined to die for their sins. In order for an individual to be spared from spiritual death, he or she must do as Abraham did, and reach out and “take the lamb” (v. 13). 1 John 4:9 says, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” Christ freely offered Himself in our place that we might have eternal life through Him. So, I want to encourage you this morning to reach out and take hold of the Lamb of God, by confessing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life.
NOTES
(1) “Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus” (Luke 23:26). The word “after” could mean that Simon carried it “behind” Jesus; but if John says that Jesus bore His cross, then I think the word “after” means that Simon bore it “afterwards,” or after Jesus had borne it for a while.
