This article is part of a series of articles that resulted
from my time preaching through the book of Genesis. The commentary on the
passage is my own, resulting from hours of research and exegetical study. It is
my intent to draw a biblical theology chapter by chapter through the book of
Genesis that places the events of the narratives into the broad picture of the
entire Bible, demonstrating the progressiveness of theology and the sufficiency
of every Word of Scripture. It is my prayer that these articles are helpful to
those seeking a better understanding of the book of Genesis and of the Bible as
a whole. The sermon series and other resources can be found at www.fbcroxana.com.
It is of the utmost importance to
keep the covenants in mind when reading and studying the Bible. The covenants
that are detailed in Scripture reveal the intentions of God throughout history.
God made the first covenant with Noah after he got off the ark, and promised
never again to destroy the world by water but to let it continue on in
established cycles of seasons and years. God made the second covenant in the
Bible with Abraham. This is known as the Abrahamic covenant. It is more precise
to say that God made the covenant with Himself on Abraham’s behalf, for God
alone ratified the covenant and God alone is responsible to bring it about.
However, that in no way negates God’s expectation of faithfulness and obedience
on Abraham’s part or on his family’s part. In short, God promised Abraham a
kingdom full of his own descendants that would be a blessing to all the nations
and families of the earth. This covenant included the cursing of their enemies
and the blessing of their allies.
By Genesis 22, only a small
percentage of the covenant had been fulfilled. Abraham had received from God a
child in his old age through his wife, Sarah. This child, Isaac, would multiply
exceedingly into the promised great nation. Abraham had pondered the covenant
promises for decades, had been chastened for the times where he did not trust
God, and had seen the miraculous birth of Isaac as surety of the rest of the
promises. Now it was time for Abraham’s faith to be tested.
1 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.”
What an incredibly hard thing for God
to ask of Abraham! This was the son of the covenant that they had awaited for
twenty five years. Now God was asking him to sacrifice him upon an altar. It is
amazing to see Abraham’s growth in his walk with the LORD. He trusted that God
would keep His covenant to bring about a great nation from Isaac. He knew that
God would never go back on that word, even to the point that he believed that
God would raise him from the dead if necessary.
Abraham did not argue. There is no
response recorded. He simply obeyed God.
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 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.”
We are given very little information
about Abraham’s mindset. Like Jesus many years later, he was determined to go
to obey the command of the LORD. There was surely a sadness and an inner
turmoil about sacrificing his son, yet Abraham exhibits a restful confidence in
God’s promise. Thus he told the men that he and Isaac would return after they
worshiped.
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.
Isaac is often depicted as a young
boy at this time, but he must have been quite older. It is impossible to be
precise about his age at this point, but he could have been no older than 37
since this occurred before his mother died. He could not have been too young,
because he carried the wood for the offering quite a ways. Since we are to see
this as a type of the sacrifice of Christ, it may be safe to surmise that Isaac
was close to thirty. However, it is impossible to know exactly. The point is
that he was not a young boy at this time.
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. 11
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.”
What a relief it must have been for
Abraham that he did not have to slay Isaac for a sacrifice. God intervened
before the knife fell, but after it was clear that Abraham was going to go
through with it. Abraham had passed the test, showing that he trusted God
enough to obey Him even when he did not understand fully. And what benefit
Abraham’s obedience has for us, that we have a wonderful picture of the
sacrifice God made when He offered His own Son for the forgiveness of sins.
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.”
Mount Moriah is one of the mountains
that Jerusalem is built upon. It is where the threshing floor was that David
bought to build an altar after he took the census (2 Sam 24; 1 Chron 21). It is
where Solomon built the temple (2 Chron 3:1). Herod’s Temple was built in the
same place. It seems also that there will be another temple built there at some
point (Dan 9:27). It is also significant that Jesus Christ was crucified near
this same mountain. How wonderful is it that God provided the greatest
sacrifice of all, His Son, upon the mount of the LORD. God did not stay His
hand when He sacrifice Jesus. There was no substitute for Him, for He Himself
was the substitute for us. He died in our place so that we would have life.
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.”
Lest we missed the covenantal
overtones in this passage, it is spelled out. God assured Abraham again after
this incident that nothing had changed. God had sworn by Himself, so it must
all come to pass exactly as He said it would. Yet there is also the need for
Abraham’s obedience.
19 So Abraham returned to his young
men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at
Beersheba.
Abraham continued to live by the well
in the land of Gerar. After some time he received some news:
20 Now it came about after these
things, that it was told Abraham, saying, “Behold, Milcah also has borne
children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn and Buz his
brother and Kemuel the father of Aram 22 and Chesed and Hazo and
Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of
Rebekah; these eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His
concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and
Maacah.
Abraham was probably already thinking
about the need to find a bride for Isaac. It would not be appropriate for the
son of the covenant to marry a woman from the land of Canaan. If he did, there
would be the danger of apostasy and assimilation. The search for Isaac’s bride
will be the focus of chapter 24.
Conclusion
From the descendants of Isaac would
come one called the Messiah. He is the Seed that was promised by God after the
Fall. The Messiah, Jesus, was born in the kingly line of the nation of the
Hebrews. He was no ordinary man. He was the Second Person of the Trinity
incarnated, God in the flesh. Unlike all other people, Jesus never sinned. He
was perfect. He alone was fit to deal with the sin problem that was brought on
by Adam and Eve in the Fall. God gave His Son in the place of sinners to
receive the penalty due their sin: death. He died as a substitute for all who
believe on His name. Those who believe receive everlasting life, being imbued
with the righteousness of Christ. They are heirs with Christ, and will receive
the Kingdom of God as their inheritance. Christ will reign forever, and those
who believe will reign with Him over all the earth.
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