Genesis 22:1-19
Verse 1 …God tempted Abraham and said to him, “Abraham.”
Abraham said, “Here I am.”
“Tempt” means to test, try, prove
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
The Lord called Abraham, and Abraham responded, “Behold, Here I am,” meaning Lord, I’m ready. Lord, I’m willing.
How do you response when the Lord lays on your heart something for you to do?
When He calls you for a service/ministry, do you say “here I am” or do you try to hide or say “I can’t”?
I heard a preacher talking about lazy Christians. He said we can do anything we want to do. But if it isn’t convenient, if it isn’t on our way, if it takes some time or some effort, we use the “I can’t.” “I don’t have the ability.” “I am not talented, gifted in that way” excuses.
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Verse 2 - And God said, Now take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
Abraham was to offer Isaac as a burnt offering.
The ceremony of the burnt offering is described in Leviticus 1.
The name of the mountain was Mount Moriah.
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Verse 3 - Abraham rose up early in the morning, saddled his donkey. chopped the wood for the burnt offering Abraham took with him two of his young men, Isaac his son, and went to the place of which God had told him.
Abraham rose up early to carry out what the Lord had told him.
He didn’t put if off.
He didn’t pray about it for a year or two.
He obeyed immediately.
Maybe you are willing to do what the Lord has asked you, but you say "not now, I need to prepare. I don’t feel like I’m ready."
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Verse 4 - On the third day of the journey, Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place far off.
Three days’ journey. It wasn’t convenient, and it wasn’t on his way somewhere else.
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Verse 5 - Abraham said to his young men, “You stay here with the donkey. I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.
The lad and I will go worship and come again to you.
I have heard sermons saying this statement shows Abraham’s faith.
He tells the two young men that he and Isaac will go and they will come again.
Both of them would come again.
He believed even if he sacrificed Isaac, God would resurrect Isaac.
The Lord had promised Abraham that through Isaac there would be a great nation.
Abraham believed God's promise.
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Verse 6 - 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 they went both of them together.
Abraham took the wood and laid it upon Isaac’s back.
Isaac wasn’t just a small child.
He may have been as old as thirty, but for sure, he was at least in his late teens.
He was at least strong enough to carry the load of wood to “the place far off.” (verse 4)
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Verses 7-8 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father.”
Abraham said, “Here am I, my son.”
Isaac said, We have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Abraham said, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”
So they both of them went together.
My Father “Here am I.”
Where is the lamb? “God will provide a lamb.”
They had offered sacrifices before. Isaac knew the routine.
He realized the sacrifice (the lamb) was missing.
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Verse 9 - They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built an altar there, laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on the wood.
They came to the place which God had told him of…
What if Abraham had not gone to the place where God would have him be?
You know the story, so it won’t ruin the ending when I tell you that God provided a ram.
If Abraham had not gone to the place where God had told him to go, the ram would have been provided but Abraham wouldn’t have found it because he would not have been where the ram was.
Are you in the place where God wants you to be in your life?
What blessings might you be missing by not being in God’s will?
What situations could be resolved by God’s provision if only you were in the right place – the place God wants you to be?
Abraham tied Isaac and laid him on the altar.
Abraham was an elderly man but by no means feeble.
He sees the place far off and said “The lad and I will go yonder.”
Isaac was obviously a strong lad.
He could have overpowered his father and gotten away.
But he was willing. He was obedient (even to death).
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Verses 10-11 Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
And the angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven,
“Abraham, Abraham”
Abraham said, “Here am I.”
Abraham stretch forth his hand and took the knife and the angel called to him.
We all have seen the beautiful picture of Abraham with the knife raised to kill Isaac.
It is a beautiful image and it is filled with suspense and emotion.
But that is someone’s artistic interpretation.
The Bible doesn’t say that Abraham had the knife raised.
It says that Abraham reached out and took the knife and the angel called to him.
For the third time Abraham says “Here am I.”
Here am I, I’m willing to go.
Here am I, I’m willing to answer questions.
Here am I, I’m willing to listen.
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Verses 12 - The angel said, Don’t lay your hand on the lad, nor do any thing to him: because now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.
Now I know.
But didn’t God already know?
Yes, God knows everything.
He knows the beginning and the end.
He knows our actions, our emotions and the intents of our heart.
But now Abraham knew.
Now Isaac knew.
Maybe Sarah needed a faith booster to see her through.
The Bible says it was her faith that gave her the strength to conceive. Hebrews 11:11
Did Isaac need this example of his father’s faithfulness, this testing of his own obedience,
this faith-booster to see him through the things that he would face in his lifetime?
To experience Abraham’s faith firsthand.
You know that Isaac knew how very much his father loved him.
He knew Abraham loved God.
Later, Abraham and Isaac may have talked.
Maybe Isaac asked, “Father, would you do anything the Lord told you?”
Abraham would say, “Yes anything,” and he would testify to the faithfulness of God.
Maybe Abraham told Isaac how proud he was of him for being obedient even when he didn’t fully understand.
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Verse 13 - And Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and saw behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. Abraham went and got the ram, and offered him as a burnt offering instead of his son
A ram caught by his horns –
If the ram had been caught by any other part of its body,
it would have injured itself by struggling and trying to get free.
If it had been injured, it wouldn’t have been an acceptable offering to God.
God would only accept a healthy, strong animal as a sacrifice.
God provided an acceptable sacrifice in place of Isaac.
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Verse 14 - Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day. In the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen. Jehovah-jireh – The Lord will see, or provide.
This is the name of God that the Jews use when they are talking about God, The Provider.
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Verses 15-18 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham out of heaven the second time,
The angel said, By myself have I sworn, said the Lord,
for because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son:
in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven,
and as the sand which is on the sea shore; and your seed will possess the gate of his enemies; And in your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice.
The angel speaks a second time and reaffirms God’s promises to Abraham.
Notice verse 18 “in your seed all nations shall be blessed.”
Jesus is the seed of Abraham.
Through Jesus all nations are blessed.
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Verse 19 - So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Abraham returned and went to Beer-sheba and dwelt there.
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ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
Genesis 22:1-19
Read the Scripture focus and ponder the sequence of events.
Consider Abraham’s readiness to do the Lord’s will.
Question whether you are obedient when the Lord calls you to do a task.
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In some ways Isaac is a picture of Christ.
As you read, think about what Isaac has in common with Christ.
1) Three days travel – For three days, Abraham knew Isaac would die –
In essence Isaac was three days in the grave from Abraham ‘s point of view.
Jesus was in the grave for 3 days.
2) Only begotten son with Sarah –
Take your son, your only son.
Abraham had already sent Hagar and Ishmael away.
Jesus is the only begotten of the Father. John 3:16
3) Isaac carried the wood – Jesus carried the cross
4) Isaac was willing –
Isaiah 53:7 says of Jesus, “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.”
5) Isaac was obedient to death – Philippians 2:8 says of Jesus, “He humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.”
6) Isaac submitted to the will of the father.
Jesus prayed, “Not my will but Your will.” Luke 22:42
7) The same place
Mt. Moriah and the Hill of Golgotha were the same hill.
Isaac and Abraham may have walked the very steps that Jesus would later walk on his way to the cross.
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In another way Isaac represents us as sinners.
What does Isaac have in common with every sinner?
1) Helpless – once tied, Isaac was helpless to save himself. So are we.
2) Bound – Isaac was physically bound; we are bound by sin
3) God provided an acceptable substitute – (the ram for Isaac/the Christ for us)
God provided an acceptable substitute for Isaac and for us — a perfect ram for Isaac and a Lamb without blemish and without spot for us: Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
We were bound by sin and facing certain death — eternal separation from the presence of God.
We were not able to free ourselves, then God stepped in.
God provided a suitable sacrifice to take our place.
That sacrifice was Jesus.
Jesus took our place on the cross,
and we are free from certain death.
Free to live forever in the presence of our Lord.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
We have all sinned.
We have all done wrong.
Even when we try to be as good as we can be, our righteousnesses are as filthy rags before a holy God.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death…
Wages are something you have earned, something you deserve.
Because of our sin, we have earned death.
We deserve death.
But the verse continues:
Romans 6:23b …But the gift of God is eternal life.
God has a gift for us.
Eternal life.
We deserved death, but he was wants us to have life forever with Him.
Still the verse continues: How do we receive this gift?
Romans 6:23c …Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
How is it possible that we can have life when we deserve death?
Just like in the story of Isaac,
God provided a suitable substitute to take our place – one without blemish and without spot.
1 Peter 1:18-19 You were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold… but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Acts 16:30-31 The jailer asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?”
And they answered “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”
Believe today.
The sacrifice has been provided.
The gift has been offered.
1 Corinthians 15: 3-4 Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Christ’s death on the cross is the payment for our sins.
His resurrection is the promise of eternal life.
He defeated death so that we can have life.
Jesus said I am the way.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father but by me.”
He said, “I am the door.” John 10:9 (KJV)
I am the door, by me if any man enters in, he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture.
God’s word is full of the message of One way, one door.
Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father but by me.”
You must go through Jesus, through the door, to enter heaven.
