9.
The Sacrifice of
Isaac - Genesis 22
Read 1-2. Notice the four fold description of Abraham’s child –
1. (your son)
2. (your only one)
3. (whom you love)
4. (Isaac) (NO way to reinterpret this – also tug on Abraham’s heart.)
How could God refer to Isaac as “your only son” when Ishmael was alive? (only one in household – only son of promise.)
2 Chronicles 3:1 Solomon
began to build the temple of the LORD in
Think about the significance of this place. (future place where Jesus would go to be sacrificed.)
Sacrifice = (Hebrew word Olah – a complete burnt offering)
The People’s Bible comments: “this testing was not for God’s benefit but for Abraham’s benefit.” How so? (God gave Abraham an opportunity to conscientiously put God first.)
Matthew
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Did Abraham know this was a test? (no.)
Read 3-5. Why would this command have seemed so wrong to Abraham? (it was murder. The promise of SALVATION was supposed to be through Isaac.)
Why couldn’t Abraham have told himself: “God gave me Isaac by means of a miracle; if I kill Isaac, God can miraculously give me another son”? (God could give another son – but link of Savior was specifically through Isaac in 21:7)
The distance to Moriah was about 50 miles. Why would this have been more difficult for Abram? (more time to think about it.)
Yet how did Abram show strong faith in vs. 3? (got up early in morning – didn’t procrastinate or give time to explain to Sarah.)
How did Abram reflect faith in vs. 5? (Hebrew reflects determination that WE will come back – looked at this as an act of worship.)
Abram left the servants behind because . . . (perhaps would have tried to stop him / didn’t know.)
Read 6-8. Note the wealth of detail. Each step must have been agony for Abraham, yet the text says virtually nothing about that. To obey God’s command Abraham had to disregard everything his heart and his reason told him. On what did God’s command therefore compel Abraham to focus his entire attention? (faith – Word of promise.)
Abraham’s answer reflected –
1. (love – considerate of what Isaac would think)
2. (faith – confident of what God would do.)
Note the detail of Abraham’s faith . . . (in a REPLACEMENT LAMB! Foreshadowing of Christ.)
Read 9-12.
Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
How did Abraham reason his way through this? (recall how he earlier used his reason to try and ok calling Sarah his sister / now he uses it under the Word of God.)
PB: If there was a problem between God’s command and God’s promise, resolving that problem was God’s business. (185)
The only way Abraham’s offspring would be reckoned would be if Isaac, Abraham’s one and only son . . (stayed alive – because he was sinful and not God.)
The only way Abraham’s offspring would be reckoned would be if Jesus, God’s one and only son . . (died – because he was the perfect God man.)
Abraham reasoned his way through the sacrifice of Isaac with the hope of RESURRECTION.
Jesus reasoned his way through His own sacrifice of Himself with the hope of REDEMPTION and RESURRECTION.)
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Note the way we can once again identify the “angel of the LORD” in vs. 11-12. (you have not withheld from ME.)
Didn’t the LORD know that Abraham feared Him? Can’t the LORD see in the heart? (he also looks for evidence of faith – then we can see it as well.)
Fear = (fear of angering God and respect of Him as Lord. Unbelievers only have fear.)
Read 13-14. What did the LORD provide, and what does this preclude? (a ram in the thicket caught – the substitute principle – INSTEAD OF his son.)
How did this naming of the place prove to be prophetic? (God provided many sacrifices through temple – which then precluded the sacrifice of JESUS right near the same place / God provided a RAM and not a LAMB – perhaps because JESUS was the Lam.)
Think about the irony of the story when you consider that the “angel of the LORD” is the pre-incarnate Christ! (by keeping Abraham from sacrificing Isaac Jesus was signing his OWN sacrifice years later.)
Read 15-19. How does this once again prove the identity of the angel of the LORD? (I swear by myself.)
How did the LORD reward Abraham’s faith? (reiterating his promise and bound it with an OATH. Last recorded word to Abraham – to make a lasting impression.)
Hebrews 6: When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
Note the added intensity of the promise in vs. 17. (conquer cities of enemies / sand on seashore as well.)
Why do we call this renewal of the promise a “reward of grace”? (not that he earned it – God still decided to give something more.)
Matthew 19:27-30
Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will
there be for us?" 28 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at
the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you
who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of
What is the warning of this in vs. 30? (don’t think that because you do all this you’ll earn it.)
What would the blessed
results of the LORD’S test done for -
1. Abraham’s faith? (trust was deepened)
2. Abraham’s love? (appreciated and purified Isaac’s love all the more.)
Look at 20-24. Why should a brief and incomplete genealogy of Nahor who lived 500 miles away be added here? (vs. 23 – God is planning for the future wife of Isaac.) (pray for future spouses of children.)