Abraham and Isaac

Two weeks ago my pastor preached on Genesis 22, where Abraham is commanded to offer Isaac up to God as a sacrifice. He made a number of great points about the facts of the story that are often overlooked, and I would like to talk about them, since the implications of Abraham’s actions are huge for those who count themselves as sons and daughters of Abraham.

Abraham and his wife Sarah were old and had no children when God promised him a son. Not just a son, but that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the night sky. Genesis 15:7 states that “…he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Again, Abraham is old, Sarah is old, and God makes a crazy promise to his faithful servant. Believing in God’s promises and living in light of them is righteousness.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Abraham and Sarah have their promised son at the ripe old age of 100. Then, when Isaac is probably 8 or 10 years old, God tested Abraham. “Take you 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?!? The shock of this command for most people is that God is asking Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son. We completely overlook the fact that God hasn’t really given Abraham very good directions. Essentially, all Abraham knows is that he is supposed to head off, that way, to the mountains in the land of Moriah, and sacrifice your son. We also overlook the fact that Abraham was faithful, and believed that God will be faithful to His promises.

When Isaac asks Abraham in Genesis 22:7, where the sacrificial lamb is, Abraham replies that God will provide it. And God does provide. Abraham is stopped at the last moment from sacrificing his son, and God provides a ram caught in a thicket for the sacrifice instead. God then declared to Abraham that because of his great faithfulness, truly his descendants will be as great as the stars in the heavens or the sand upon the seashore. More than that though, through Abraham’s descendants all nations on earth will be blessed because of His obedience. In God’s words lay the truth of the Christian life. Often times we wonder how we will be blessed, not how we will be a blessing to others. Abraham’s blessing was never realized in his lifetime. He did not seek to be great, he sought to be faithful and righteous and God made him great because of these things. Do we do the same?

There is a lot in this story. But perhaps, the biggest thing we overlook in it comes from Genesis 22:14. “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.’” In the mountains of Moriah, there is one where the Lord provided for Abraham, and provided for all of us today. Centuries after Abraham was tested, his descendants would be led out of Egypt by Moses. Forty years after being led out, they would be led into the land of Canaan; the land God promised Abraham. They would conquer the town of Jerusalem, nestled in the mountains of Moriah (Joshua 10:1-15). Centuries after the conquest, a wise king would build a temple for the Lord on the Mount of Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1). Finally, after years of faithlessness, disobedience, exile and return, God would once again provide for His people. He would send his one and only son, whom He loved (Matt 3:17), to die for the sins of the world, on the mountain where he once provided for His faithful servant, Abraham.

When God tested Abraham, he did so, knowing that he would not cause Isaac’s blood to be spilt on the mountain of Moriah, because He would, one day, send His own son to be the atoning sacrifice and redemption for the sins of His people, and the world. Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience to God thousands of years ago put into motion a plan to redeem all of creation. Truly, through Abraham, we are blessed with the salvation and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.