Genesis 22:2 - The Father of Faith Revealed! (updated)
Genesis 22:2 - The Father of Faith Revealed! (updated)
Genesis 22:2 (KJV) And he said, Take now thy son, thine only
son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah;
and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
which I will tell thee of.
CONTEXT/OVERVIEW
This is one of the most unusual and, at the same time, most
exciting stories in the Bible. Isaac, the promised heir, had been born.
The old man had grown to dearly love this child for whom he had
waited so long with such eager expectation. Suddenly, as if to shatter
the old man's world, God spoke to him again. "Take your son, your
only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will
tell you about" (v. 2).
Then the Bible tells us an amazing thing: "Early the next
morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of
his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the
burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about" (v.
3).
There was no hesitation.
Abraham obeyed.
We can't know how Abraham felt on the three-day journey, or
the doubts and fears that may have filled his heart and mind. But we
do know that before he arrived, Abraham had worked the problem
through. "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead" (Heb. 11:19).
Abraham knew that God had promised, "through Isaac . . . your offspring
will be reckoned" (v. 18). God would not go back on His stated word.
If God chose to accept Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham would give
him, sure that the Lord would give the child back again.
And so the Genesis text reveals, in a Hebrew plural: "Stay
here," Abraham told the servants who accompanied them. "I and the boy
[will] go over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to
you" (Gen. 22:5). Abraham did not know the means. But he did know
that God would provide.
God did. As Abraham was about to plunge the knife into the
bound body of his son, the Lord stopped him and pointed out a ram
whose horns had been caught in a thicket. The ram was slain; the boy
was freed. God Himself had provided a substitute.
And then God spoke again. The test was complete. God's
promises to Abraham were reconfirmed and Abraham, his trust also
confirmed by the events, returned with Isaac to their tents. [Victor
Teacher's Commentary]
INTRODUCTION
God's request that Abraham sacrifice his son was a great test of
faith, perhaps the greatest such test in history. [Life Recovery SB]
The Lord put his servant's faith and loyalty to the supreme
test, thereby instructing Abraham, Isaac and their descendants as to
the kind of total consecration the Lord's covenant requires. The
test also foreshadowed the perfect consecration in sacrifice that
another offspring of Abraham would undergo (see note on v. 16) in order
to wholly consecrate Abraham and his spiritual descendants to God
and to fulfill the covenant promises. [NIV SB]
FIRST VERSE OF THIS NARRATIVE IS CRITICAL FOR UNDERSTANDING
The first verse of this narrative provides a necessary
preliminary understanding of the events of the chapter. Without it God's
request that Abraham offer up Isaac as a "burnt offering" would be
inexplicable. By stating clearly at the start that "God tested Abraham" (v.
1), the writer quickly allays any doubt about God's real purpose.
There is, then, no thought of an actual sacrifice of Isaac in the
narrative,... The whole structure of the narrative focuses so strongly on the
Lord's request that the writer apparently sensed the need to dispel any
suspense or suspicion about the Lord's real intention. [Expositors Bible
Commentary]
There is an advance notice to the reader that God did not insist
on the death of Isaac but tested Abraham to see how great his faith
was. [Cambridge Annotated SB]
God's directive in no way was meant to condone infant sacrifice,
which was practiced in Canaan in the second and first millennia.
[Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown Commentary]
God's commands to Abraham to offer Isaac did not mean that God
was condoning human sacrifice (a common pagan practice in Abraham's
day). Rather, God was testing Abraham's faith in His covenant
promises. [Your Daily Walk SB]
God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to offer Isaac as a
sacrifice. God did not seek to make Abraham sin. He presented Abraham an
opportunity to clarify his loyalty to God. Did Abraham love Isaac more than
God? Sometimes our suffering is not due to God punishing us but to
God placing us in a situation where our faith is challenged and can
grow. [Disciple SB]
God did not intend for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. The command
was a test: a test of how far Abraham would trust the Lord with his
most precious possession. Yet the story is also prophetic. God, who
was too kind to take Abraham's son, was willing to surrender His
Son, His only Son, whom He loves, to win our salvation. In the test
of Abraham we see foreshadowed the ultimate test of God's own love.
And the proof that God's love for us is real. [Victor Bible Reader's
Companion]
TEMPTING VS TESTING
In Hebrew, to tempt, and to try, or to prove, are expressed by
the same word. Every trial is indeed a temptation, and tends to show
the dispositions of the heart, whether holy or unholy. But God
proved Abraham, not to draw him to sin, as Satan tempts. Strong faith
is often exercised with strong trials, and put upon hard services.
[Matthew Henry Commentary]
To tempt is originally to try, prove, put to the test. It
belongs to the dignity of a moral being to be put to a moral probation.
Such assaying of the will and conscience is worthy both of God the
assayer, and of man the assayed. (Barnes' Notes)
We read that God tempted Abraham, that He tempted the children
of Israel. This means that He permitted circumstances to occur to
test their faith, and lead them to look to Him for help. God permits
temptation to come to His people today, that they may realize that He is
their helper. If they draw nigh to Him when they are tempted, He
strengthens them to meet the temptation. But if they yield to the enemy,
neglecting to place themselves close to their Almighty Helper, they are
overcome. They separate themselves from God. They do not give evidence
that they walk in God's way (ST March 12, 1912).
True faith is always tested. Of course, God did not want Isaac's
life; He wanted Abraham's heart. Isaac was dear to Abraham, and God
wanted to be sure that Isaac was not an idol standing between Him and
Abraham. It was possible that Abraham was trusting Isaac to fulfill the
promises and not trusting God.... "Never doubt in the dark what God has
told you in the light."... If we do the one thing God tells us to do,
He will reveal the next step when the right time comes. God's
answers never arrive a minute too late! [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
PURPOSE OF TESTING
Tests are intended to make us, not break us. Character is
developed through challenges. God tested Abraham, not to trip him and
watch him fall, but to deepen his capacity to obey God and thus to
develop his character. Just as fire refines ore to extract precious
metals, God refines us through difficult circumstances. When we are
tested, we can complain, or we can try to see how God is stretching us
to develop our character. [Life Application SB]
Our difficulty is not that we don't know God's will. Our
discomfort comes from the fact that we do know His will, but we do not want
to do it!
When God first spoke to Abraham, His commands were
straightforward. "Go to a land I will show you" (Ge 12:1). Then God led Abraham
through a number of tests over the years. Abraham learned patience as he
waited on God's promise of a son, which took twenty-five years to be
fulfilled. Abraham learned to trust God through battles with kings and
through the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The pinnacle of Abraham's
walk of faith was when God asked him to sacrifice the one thing that
meant more to him than anything else. Abraham's previous obedience
indicated that he would have quickly and decisively sacrificed anything
else God asked of him, but was he prepared for this? God did not ask
Abraham to make such a significant sacrifice at the beginning of their
relationship. This came more than thirty years after Abraham began walking
with God.
As the Father progressively reveals His ways to you in your
Christian pilgrimage, you, like Abraham, will develop a deeper level of
trust in Him. When you first became a Christian, your Master's
instructions were probably fundamental, such as being baptized or changing
your lifestyle. But as you learn to trust Him more deeply, He will
develop your character to match bigger tests, and with the greater test
will come a greater love for God and knowledge of His ways. Are you
ready for God's next revelation? [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry
and Richard Blackaby re Gen. 22:1, 2]
Testing brings our real priorities out into the open. Why did
God ask Abraham to perform human sacrifice? Pagan nations practiced
human sacrifice, but God condemned this as a terrible sin (Leviticus
20:1-5). God did not want Isaac to die, but he wanted Abraham to
"sacrifice" Isaac in his heart so it would be clear that Abraham loved God
more than he loved his promised and long-awaited son. God was testing
Abraham. The purpose of testing is to strengthen our character and deepen
our commitment to God and his perfect timing. Through this difficult
experience, Abraham strengthened his commitment to obey God. He also learned
about God's ability to provide. [Life Application SB]
Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but God tests us
to help bring out the best. See James 1:12-15. The most severe
tests do not come from people, but from the Lord, and yet the greatest
blessings always accompany them. God never tested Lot in this way. Lot
lived on such a low level that Sodom and the world tested him. It is
the saint that walks closest to the Lord that God tests the greatest
for His glory. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
The person whose faith has been severely tested yet who has
come through the battle victoriously is the person to whom even
greater tests will come. The finest jewels are those that are the most
carefully cut and polished, and the most precious metals are put through
the hottest fires. You can be sure Abraham would never have been
called the Father of Faith had he not been tested to the utmost.
Read Genesis 22. In verse 2 God said to Abraham, "Take your
son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and . . . sacrifice him."
We then see him climbing Mount Moriah with his heart heavy and
yearning yet humbly obedient. He climbed with Isaac, the object of his
great love, who was about to be sacrificed at the command of God - the
One whom Abraham faithfully loved and served!
What a lesson this should be to us when we question God's
dealings in our lives! Rebuke all explanations that try to cast doubt on
this staggering scene, for this was an object lesson for all ages!
Angels also looked on in awe. Will Abraham's faith not stand forever as
a strength and a help to all God's people? Will his trial not be a
witness to the fact that unwavering faith will always prove the
faithfulness of God? [Streams In The Desert By Cowman]
God's intention here was to see if Abraham loved Him more than
he loved Isaac and to try Abraham's faith in His promise concerning
descendants. [Ryrie SB]
In this frightening event, God was sending two messages to
Abraham and to all of us. One, God does not want anything to be more
important to us than our relationship to him, not even our children. Two,
God does not expect us to sacrifice the life or health of our
children to follow him. This twofold message may have special
significance to those of us who have become Christian service addicts, doing
great things for God while doing very little for our children. [Life
Recovery Devotional SB]
It was to impress Abraham's mind with the reality of the
gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his
son. The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful
trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience
something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for
man's redemption. No other test could have caused Abraham such torture
of soul as did the offering of his son. God gave His Son to a death
of agony and shame. The angels who witnessed the humiliation and
soul anguish of the Son of God were not permitted to interpose, as in
the case of Isaac. There was no voice to cry, "It is enough." To
save the fallen race, the King of glory yielded up His life. What
stronger proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love of God?
"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,
how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Romans
8:32. {PP 154.2}
The sacrifice required of Abraham was not alone for his own
good, nor solely for the benefit of succeeding generations; but it was
also for the instruction of the sinless intelligences of heaven and
of other worlds. The field of the controversy between Christ and
Satan--the field on which the plan of redemption is wrought out--is the
lesson book of the universe. Because Abraham had shown a lack of faith
in God's promises, Satan had accused him before the angels and
before God of having failed to comply with the conditions of the
covenant, and as unworthy of its blessings. God desired to prove the
loyalty of His servant before all heaven, to demonstrate that nothing
less than perfect obedience can be accepted, and to open more fully
before them the plan of salvation. {PP 154.3}
Heavenly beings were witnesses of the scene as the faith of
Abraham and the submission of Isaac were tested. The trial was far more
severe than that which had been brought upon Adam. Compliance with the
prohibition laid upon our first parents involved no suffering, but the
command to Abraham demanded the most agonizing sacrifice. All heaven
beheld with wonder and admiration Abraham's unfaltering obedience. All
heaven applauded his fidelity. Satan's accusations were shown to be
false. God declared to His servant, "Now I know that thou fearest God
[notwithstanding Satan's charges], seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son from Me." God's covenant, confirmed to Abraham by an oath
before the intelligences of other worlds, testified that obedience will
be rewarded. {PP 155.1}
It had been difficult even for the angels to grasp the mystery
of redemption--to comprehend that the Commander of heaven, the Son
of God, must die for guilty man. When the command was given to
Abraham to offer up his son, the interest of all heavenly beings was
enlisted. With intense earnestness they watched each step in the
fulfillment of this command. When to Isaac's question, "Where is the lamb
for a burnt offering?" Abraham made answer, "God will provide
Himself a lamb;" and when the father's hand was stayed as he was about
to slay his son, and the ram which God had provided was offered in
the place of Isaac--then light was shed upon the mystery of
redemption, and even the angels understood more clearly the wonderful
provision that God had made for man's salvation. 1 Peter 1:12. {PP
155.2}
QUESTIONS
Why did testing come to Job? (23:10)
Why believers undergo prolonged and difficult suffering has no
one, simple explanation: But the Bible offers several reasons.
First, testing strengthens our character. James says, the
testing of your faith develops perseverance (James 1:2-3). Painful
situations produce character the same way regular exercise builds muscle
tone.
Peter adds that testing proves our faith is genuine (1 Peter
1:7). When the heat is on, who we actually are, and what we truly
believe are revealed. He also suggests that this tested faith gives
honor to God. Remaining faithful despite prolonged agony testifies to
others how much we value God.
Job notes that testing can get rid of unrefined qualities in
our lives (23:10). Much the way a blast furnace brings out
impurities in metals, testing removes sinful attitudes in us, and we come
forth as gold.
The writer of Hebrews (12:6-8) says that testing proves we are
God's children. Every parent disciplines a child, in love, to help the
child develop. When God brings testing, it reminds us that we are his
children.
Why did testing come to Job? Job never realized that God
allowed it because he was proud of him: Have you considered my servant
Job? There is no one on earth like him (1:8). There may be no reason
behind our testing other than that God is proud of us. He may want to
demonstrate to others that our devotion to him is real and unshakable.
[Quest SB re Job 23:10]
Why does God test us? (81:7)
God was testing the Israelites' faith, whether they trusted in
his ability to provide for them. They had seen his incredible power
in the plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea, the manna and quail
and in so many other ways. Yet they were still grumbling and
complaining. In this way they failed their test.
Life is a laboratory of faith. God tests us to confirm the
strength of our faith and the sincerity of our commitment to him. Another
example of this was when God tested Abraham (Gen. 22:1.). Would he trust
God even if it required the sacrifice of his beloved son?
It's important to distinguish between testing and temptation.
We know God tempts no one (James 1:13). Rather, Satan is the
tempter (Matt. 4:3; 1 Cor. 7:5). Yet God can use Satan's temptations to
test us; God redeems what Satan intended for evil and uses it to
accomplish something good. [Quest SB re Psa.81:7]
And Paul gives another reason in 2 Corinthians 1:8, 9 (NIV) .....
We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so
that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the
sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves
but on God, who raises the dead.
Would God Ever Ask Us To Do Wrong?
No. But he will push to the limit the boundaries of our
commitment to him. The first words of this chapter - Some time later God
tested Abraham - suggest that God never really intended the sacrifice
to take place. The point was the test: Did Abraham really trust
God?
We are shocked by this today because we know of the Bible's
strong warnings against child sacrifice (Lev. 20:1-5; 2 Kings 23:10;
Jer. 32:35). That's what pagan gods demanded, not the holy God of
Israel.
Because the Biblical laws against child sacrifice came later,
we can't be sure what Abraham understood about it. Still, God had
shaped Abraham's sense of values. And this request would not have been
consistent with God as he had known him to this point. So perhaps Abraham
was somewhat confused or puzzled by the nature of God's command.
Abraham's primary concern however was crystal clear: He was being asked to
give up the son promised to him.
God's command was harsh (even for the ancients). It raises for
us a poignant question: Will we entrust our futures unreservedly to
the One who calls us? Or will we doubt God and place our trust in
our own understanding?
Our God does not require human sacrifice, but heart sacrifice.
God desires in us an obedient heart willing to do what he asks.
[Quest SB]
Because we know God is good, we do not ask questions here about
the morality of God in asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son, the
son of promise. Rather, we ask if we are trusting enough to obey our
good God's most radical demands on us. Ultimately, God alone required
the sacrifice of an only Son of Himself. [Disciple SB]
Does God have to test us to find out what's in our hearts?
(2Ch.32:31)
No, he doesn't. But tests of faith are not to enlighten God;
they're to teach us. Tests help uncover our real motives, clarify our
deep loyal ties, eliminate deceit and nurture genuine faith. [Quest
SB re 2Ch.32:31]
THE EIGHTH VERSE PROVIDES FURTHER INFORMATION FOR FULLER
UNDERSTANDING
When Abraham finally ends his narrative silence and speaks in
his reply to Isaac, for the first time, a hint at an answer is
given: he said, "God himself will provide ['elohim yir'eh-llo] the lamb
for the burnt offering, my son" (v. 8). Such a reply is not
anticipated within the narrative thus far, but the reply itself anticipates
precisely the final outcome of the story: "The LORD will provide" (yhwh
yir'eh v. 14). Thus midway through the narrative, the writer allows the
final words of the story to appear and foreshadow the end. [Expositors
Bible Commentary]
When God called, the patriarch responded promptly. Even when he
knew what was ahead, he calmly spoke to his servants: "Abide ye here
... I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you"
(v. 5). His faith in the God who sees and "sees to it" assured him
that all would be well. He trusted Jehovah to carry out his promises.
"By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had
gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
even he to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called:
accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he
did also in a figure receive him back" (). Faith saw
beyond the sacrifice and was willing to obey. (Wycliffe Commentary)
READING BETWEEN THE LINES FOR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
A person's character determines how he interprets God's will
(see Psalm 18:25-26). Abraham interpreted God's command to mean that
he had to kill his son, and he could only leave this traditional
belief behind through the pain of a tremendous ordeal. God could purify
his faith in no other way. If we obey what God says according to our
sincere belief, God will break us from those traditional beliefs that
misrepresent Him. There are many such beliefs which must be removed--for
example, that God removes a child because his mother loves him too much.
That is the devil's lie and a travesty on the true nature of God! If
the devil can hinder us from taking the supreme climb and getting
rid of our wrong traditional beliefs about God, he will do so. But
if we will stay true to God, God will take us through an ordeal
that will serve to bring us into a better knowledge of Himself.
The great lesson to be learned from Abraham's faith in God is
that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey
God, no matter what contrary belief of his might be violated by his
obedience. Abraham was not devoted to his own convictions or else he would
have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was actually
the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic. If you
will remain true to God, God will lead you directly through every
barrier and right into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself.
But you must always be willing to come to the point of giving up
your own convictions and traditional beliefs. Don't ask God to test
you. Never declare as Peter did that you are willing to do anything,
even "to go ..... both to prison and to death" (Luke 22:33). Abraham
did not make any such statement--he simply remained true to God, and
God purified his faith. [My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald
Chambers]
Oh, the wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did
not "confer with flesh and blood" (Galatians 1:16). Beware when you
want to "confer with flesh and blood" or even your own thoughts,
insights, or understandings--anything that is not based on your personal
relationship with God. These are all things that compete with and hinder
obedience to God.... If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; or
even if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the
providential will of God means a hard and difficult time for you, go through
it.... by going through the trial you learn to know God better. God is
working in us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and our
purpose become one. [My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers]
APPLICATION
Abraham: Faith In Action; Gen.22; Step 3
Abraham's test of faith was monumental. No one in the Bible
was ever tested by God in quite the same way. Isaac was Abraham's
miracle child, born long after his wife, Sarah, had passed childbearing
age. When Abraham first heard God's promise of a child, he had
accepted it without wavering, though it seemed physically impossible.
But now, the God who had given Isaac to Abraham was ordering
Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice. Again, Abraham followed God's
instructions, not understanding why, but going forward in faith. When Isaac
questioned his father about the offering, Abraham's faith answered, "God
himself will provide the lamb."
At times we have to follow God down pathways we do not like or
understand. We may want to avoid his path, opting for shortcuts or smoother
roads. Working the Twelve Steps, going to meetings, staying accountable
to a sponsor and changing friends will challenge our natural
thinking, but they will also assure our recovery. By choosing to have
faith when facing the possibility of losing his son, Abraham brought
blessings upon himself and on many generations.
When we hold on too tightly to people, things, or habits, they
become stumbling blocks to our recovery. But when we are willing to
"sacrifice" them for our recovery and our faith, we too will be blessed.
-Barbara Stephens
Prayer: Father, help me remember that everything precious to
me has come from you and ultimately belongs to you. Teach me to
trust you even when I don't understand. [Life Recovery Devotional SB]
James 2:14-26 discusses the relationship between faith and
works, and James uses this event to illustrate his main point: true
faith is always proved by obedience.... James is not telling us that we
are saved by works or by sacrifices, but that the proof of saving
faith is an obedient life. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
Only in obedience can we discover the great joy of the will of
God. [Your Daily Walk SB]
ILLUSTRATION
Priorities: Worth a Sacrifice
Jesse Poling couldn't sleep. He tossed restlessly in bed,
wondering what to do. He had been planning to take a summer job at a local
machine shop. The pay and hours looked great, and the work didn't sound
bad.
But then, last week at school, he had seen a poster about a
camp for disabled kids that needed someone to teach swimming and
canoeing. He loved water sports, and his youth minister had encouraged him
to consider volunteering to help at the camp.
Jesse wasn't prepared for the reaction when he mentioned the
camp possibility to his dad, "That's the craziest idea you've come up
with in a longtime, Jesse," his dad fumed. "Why would you want to
work for free when you could get paid? It's not like you're
independently wealthy. And then you'll come running to me to pay your college
tuition."
His dad had a point, Jesse reasoned as he stared up at the
dark bedroom ceiling. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't
forget about the camp - or those kids.
When Jesse's alarm woke him the next morning, he knew what he
had to do. "Dad," he explained at breakfast,. "some things are worth
sacrificing for. Helping at that camp is important to me." His dad didn't
understand, but he agreed to let Jesse stick with his priorities. So Jesse
called the camp director.
Like Jesse, Abraham had tough decisions, but he also stuck
with what he believed was right.
Consider writing out the issues involved in a tough decision.
Keep the list by your bed or on your desk for a few days. Whenever
you think of an option, benefit, or disadvantage, write it on the
paper. Pray about your decision through the week and then make the
decision, sticking to what you know to be right. [Youth SB]
SYMBOLIC AND PROPHETIC OF CHRIST AND THE CROSS
Centuries later covenant love would cause God to give His own
Son as a blood sacrifice. Jack Hayford and Sam Middlebrook [Spirit
Filled Life Devotional SB]
The offering of Isaac was designed by God to prefigure the
sacrifice of His Son. Isaac was a figure of the Son of God, who was
offered a sacrifice for the sins of the world. God desired to impress
upon Abraham the gospel of salvation to men; and in order to make the
truth a reality, and to test his faith, He required Abraham to slay
his darling Isaac. All the agony that Abraham endured during that
dark and fearful trial was for the purpose of deeply impressing upon
his understanding the plan of redemption for fallen man (YI March 1,
1900). 1BC1094
This event is a wonderful type of Christ, the only Son who was
willing to give His life to please His Father. Both Isaac and Christ
were promised sons; both were born miraculously (of course, Christ
was born of the Virgin Mary and was sinless); both brought joy to
the heart of the father; both were born at the set time. Both were
persecuted by their brethren and both were obedient unto death. Christ was
crucified between two thieves, and the two young men went with Isaac (v.
3). Isaac questioned his father, and Jesus asked, "My God, why have
You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46, NKJV) Of course, Christ actually
died, while Isaac was spared. However, in God's sight Isaac had
"died." Hebrews 11:19 says that "in a figure" (that is, symbolically)
Isaac was raised from the dead. Verse 19 indicates that Abraham
returned to the waiting servants, but nothing is said about Isaac. This
too is a type; for the next time we see Isaac, he is receiving his
bride! (24:62ff) Even so Christ gave Himself on the cross and went back
to heaven, and one day will come forth to receive His Bride, the
church. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
Isaac was a figure of the Son of God, who was offered a
sacrifice for the sins of the world. God would impress upon Abraham the
gospel of salvation to man. In order to do this, and make the truth a
reality to him as well as to test his faith, He required him to slay his
darling Isaac. All the sorrow and agony that Abraham endured through
that dark and fearful trial were for the purpose of deeply impressing
upon his understanding the plan of redemption for fallen man. He was
made to understand in his own experience how unutterable was the
self-denial of the infinite God in giving His own Son to die to rescue man
from utter ruin. To Abraham no mental torture could be equal to that
which he endured in obeying the divine command to sacrifice his son.
God gave His Son to a life of humiliation, self-denial,
poverty, toil, reproach, and to the agonizing death of crucifixion. But
there was no angel to bear the joyful message: "It is enough; You need
not die, My well-beloved Son." Legions of angels were sorrowfully
waiting, hoping that, as in the case of Isaac, God would at the last
moment prevent His shameful death. But angels were not permitted to
bear any such message to God's dear Son. The humiliation in the
judgment hall and on the way to Calvary went on. He was mocked, derided,
and spit upon. He endured the jeers, taunts, and revilings of those
who hated Him, until upon the cross He bowed His head and died.
Could God give us any greater proof of His love than in thus
giving His Son to pass through this scene of suffering? And as the gift
of God to man was a free gift, His love infinite, so His claims
upon our confidence, our obedience, our whole heart, and the wealth
of our affections are correspondingly infinite. He requires all
that it is possible for man to give. The submission on our part must
be proportionate to the gift of God; it must be complete and
wanting in nothing. We are all debtors to God. He has claims upon us
that we cannot meet without giving ourselves a full and willing
sacrifice. He claims prompt and willing obedience, and nothing short of
this will He accept. 3T368-370
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