On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary planted the British flag on the top of Mount Everest. He and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay were the first to conquer that mountain, and in doing so, they had climbed to the very top of the world because there is no mountain higher than Everest. Higher in elevation above sea level that is. To make it to the top of the world, Hillary, Norgay and the many others who followed since then, had to face discouragement, great danger, disasters, and death. More than 340 people have died in the attempt to climb that mountain, and 200 of those are still up there. Most of the time, if you die on Everest you stay on Everest because it’s just too dangerous for anyone to bring you down.
Hillary, Norgay, and the many that followed them have climbed higher than anyone else in the world, but what I see in our text today are two other men, two mountaineers named Abraham and Isaac, who will climb higher spiritually than any other man had climbed up to this point, or maybe ever will climb upon this earth, other than the Son of God Himself, as they climb to this spiritual pinnacle that is described here in Genesis 22.
Abraham climbed the highest mountain of submission, and Isaac climbed the highest mountain of sacrifice. You see, Abraham was a man of faith and recognized as a friend of God. God had promised him a son, and it would be through this son that he would become Gen 17:4 …the father of a multitude of nations. And now, in our text today, God has come to Abraham and said, Gen 22:2 …"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."
Take this only son of yours, this son of the promise, and sacrifice him—put him to death. Now, can you imagine the thoughts that might have been going through Abraham’s head? We have to use our imagination because the scriptures don’t give us many clues here. So, we put ourselves into his place and think, “Lord, huh? What are you thinking? This is the son you promised me. He is the one you said would make me the father of many nations. If I kill him, then that’s the end of the promise.”
But Abraham by this time in his life has learned obedience when it comes to the commands of God. He has learned to say “yes” when God speaks. Just like he said in the first verse after the Lord called out to him, Gen 22:1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
Here I am! You know that’s something all of us need to learn, isn’t it? When the Lord calls, we immediately say, “Here I am.” That’s the language of obedience, “Here I am.” We see that obedience in the servants of God throughout the Bible. For example, years later in Exodus, God will appear to Moses in a burning bush. Exo 3:4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then in the middle of the night 1Sa 3:4 …LORD called Samuel; and he said, "Here I am." In our chapter today, Genesis 22, Abraham said the same thing, at three different times, “Here I am.”
The language of obedience given before even knowing what the Lord is going to say or ask of them. That’s obedience, but it’s also trust. Trusting the One who is trustworthy!
So, God has asked Abraham to go to a very specific place and offer up his only son in sacrifice. What kind of God would ask such a thing? Now, we know that this is a test for Abraham, but Abraham didn’t know that at the time. He was old and pretty mature in his faith. He might have thought that the days of God testing him were over; that he could kick back and coast. But it would appear that God keeps those refining fires going throughout the lives of His people. Being mortal and messing up as often as we do, God stays busy with the task of growing us and maturing us. He doesn’t let up in this.
Look at Abraham. He’s known as a man of faith, but his faith is far from perfect. Twice we see him leaving the land God brought him to because of famine and deceiving people concerning his wife because he’s afraid they’ll kill him and take her. He surely wasn’t walking in faith at those times. He left the land, and he lied to those people. So, God tested Abraham to see where he was at spiritually. And you know, it’s important to know the difference between when it’s God, Satan, this world, or just our own flesh that’s tempting us because it’s not often that God tests a person and they know they’re being tested. He doesn’t come to us and say, “Hey Terry. I’m going to test you now.”
In our times of testing, it’s important that we remain humble because it may not be a test at all; it may be because life is hard, and sometimes hard things happen to good people. But whatever ordeal we’re going through, we can be assured that God’s goal for us is our becoming mature, faithful, and obedient children. Whatever trials we may be experiencing, they offer us an opportunity to grow in our faith. To become better than we were before, like James said…
Jas 1:3-4, 13 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (4) And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (13) Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
God doesn’t tempt us, He tests us. That’s an important distinction. Temptation can lead us to sin, but testing grows and strengthens us against the temptation. So, looking at our text today and searching for an answer to the question “What kind of God would require such a test?” Let’s begin with…
1. The Crushing Command
Gen 22:1-2 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." [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."
Like I said, Abraham doesn’t know that he’s being tested. We have the advantage of hindsight, but he didn’t. We know that the Lord won’t allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, but this wasn’t as clear to Abraham as it is to us. And because it wouldn’t have been clear to Abraham, we can’t move too quickly past the severity of this test of Abraham and how unreasonable God’s request appears to be.
Thirteen times the words “son” and “only son” appear in our text. In writing this episode in the life of Abraham, Moses emphasizes the fact that Isaac is a miracle child. Abraham did have another son at this time, but Isaac, not Ishmael was the son of the promise. Even so, Abraham loved Ishmael, and I believe that even though him and his mother were driven off by Sarah, it was hard for Abraham to watch his firstborn son disappear into the desert. God let him know that they would be fine, but it would still break his heart to see him leave. And now, to be commanded by God to take the life of his only remaining son, to anyone else, it would call the goodness and faithfulness of God into question. It would destroy the family, and their entire future would be in question.
After so many years of walking with God, why would He test Abraham like this? Abraham and his household had obediently received the sign of circumcision; does God still doubt Abraham’s heart? I don’t think so, because as we read in James, God’s tests are always meant to refine and strengthen our faith. Like precious metals, gold or silver is heated to its melting point so the dross, the impurities will rise to the surface to be skimmed off, leaving the metal purer than it started out. This is the intent of God’s testing. He’s not doubting us or wanting to hurt us—he’s wanting us to keep growing, to be better than we are. And get this—His testing doesn’t stop as we get older.
As a matter of fact, the older we get the more we tend to slow down or look for the easy way out. We’re tired and aching and we want to bask in our physical and spiritual retirement. Let others, the younger ones do the work, right? I want to take a nap! But friends, there ain’t no napping in the kingdom of God. We are to keep going until He brings us home. Our death is our retirement. That’s when this part of our journey is done, and then we step into the next part.
So, God’s testing continues throughout our lives. The Christian life isn’t about making things easier it’s about growth and maturity. The more we grow and the more mature we become, the harder the tests will be. It’s kind of like weightlifting. To get stronger and larger muscles the resistance needs to keep increasing. You don’t go lighter and lighter you go heavier and heavier and it gets harder and harder. Now, how’s that for something to look forward to as we get older? Harder tests?
Christianity isn’t easy, and we need to quit talking about it as if it is. And after we see the crushing command God gave to Abraham, we can be all the more impressed by his…
2. The Devoted Dependence
Gen 22:3-10 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 wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. [4] On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. [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." [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. [7] Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" [8] Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. [9] Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. [10] Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
You know, it’s interesting to see that Abraham didn’t question or try to barter with God like he did when God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He didn’t try to change God’s mind. He simply and immediately put things into motion to do what he had been commanded to do. And this section of our text gives us a detailed, step-by-step summary of his preparation for the journey to Mount Moriah and his preparation to sacrifice his son upon the altar he had made.
Something that’s worthy of special mention is the fact that before leaving his servants behind, Abraham told them, Gen 22:5 …"Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." I and the lad will go…and return to you. It’s clear that Abraham believed that he would be returning with Isaac. Isaac wouldn’t be left behind in a pile of ash lying on top of a pile of rocks. He would be coming back with his father. That was Abraham’s faith. He told his son that “God would provide for Himself the lamb.”
Abraham knew that either he wouldn’t have to kill his son or that if he did, God would do the miraculous and raise his son from the dead. The writer of letter to the Hebrews wrote that Abraham Heb 11:19 …considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, That was Abraham’s faith. He had a devoted dependence on His God and knew that regardless of what happened, God was faithful and would honor His promise of a heritage through Isaac and no one else.
But let’s take a minute to look at Isaac’s faith. The Jewish historian, Josephus says that Isaac was around 20 years old at this time. Other Jewish traditions claim that he was in his 30’s. But even if he were a teenager, it’s almost inconceivable that a young man like this would willingly submit to being tied and laid upon that altar. But that appears to be exactly what he did. He submitted to his father’s will which shows me that when our faith is tested, the testing doesn’t affect just us, it also affects the people around us. Our loved ones, our families are also being tested. Abraham’s faith was Isaac’s faith, and Isaac’s faith was being tested just as much as Abraham’s was.
So, think about this for a second—when you’ve been tested, what sort of legacy have you left your children? Is their faith in your God as strong as your faith is? Have you lived in front of them as an example to follow or as an example to run from, to hide from? Isaac was probably able to overpower his father, but he carried his own wood like Christ carried his cross. Isaac submitted to his father’s will in all things like Christ submitted to His Father’s will. Isaac would have died at his father’s hand if God hadn’t intervened and provided another Christian symbol of substitutionary atonement in the ram. That animal died in Isaac’s place just as Jesus died in our place.
3. The Promised Possession
Gen 22:11-19 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." [12] He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing 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 raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. [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." [15] Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, [16] and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed 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." [19] So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.
Once again in this story God calls to Abraham, and Abraham responds, “Here I am.” Right before the knife begins its downward plunge into Isaac’s heart, God called, and Abraham responded. You know, I can only imagine that Abraham and Isaac both probably breathed out a sigh of relief. I know I would have. God intervened. God provided a substitute. The very first mention of substitution in the Bible is right here, when a ram was provided as a substitute for Isaac.
Throughout this whole story right up to the point that Abraham raises that knife into the air, Isaac can be seen as a type of Christ. Right up to this point, Isaac is an illustration, but then God did something strange and wonderful. He told Abraham, “Don’t do it. I know you love me.” And then Abraham saw that ram stuck in the bushes, oddly enough, caught in the thicket by his horns as if he were wearing a crown of thorns. You know, God always knows what’s going on. I’d be willing to bet that the moment Abraham and Isaac started their ascent up that mountain, that ram started up other side.
Then, when Abraham saw that ram, he untied his son and slaughtered the ram in his place. Earlier, Abraham told his son that “God would provide a lamb for Himself,” but at this time, instead of a lamb, a ram. The lamb, God would provide one day in the future when He would send His only begotten Son into the world as Jhn 1:29 …the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! One day a substitute for the world, but on this day, a substitute for Isaac.
Abraham, filled with relief and joy would give this place a special name as a commemoration to what has come to pass. Gen 22:14 And 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 Provide.” The Lord will Provide.
The Lord will provide for Abraham’s Promised Possession. His family will grow into the mighty nation through which all the nations of the earth will be blessed. And the Lord will provide for you as well, because friends, as believers in the Son of God, we have been born again into the family of God, and we are joint heirs with Christ. All that He has, has been given to us as well through faith in God’s only begotten Son, eternal in the heavens.
And you can become one of God’s family as well by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you haven’t done that yet, then do it today.
