Genesis
22:1-14
Abraham
Sacrifices Isaac as Burnt Offering
Genesis chapter 22 records the event that God tested Abraham by giving him a command,
“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of
Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of
which I shall tell you” (Gen. 22:2).
This echoes the first-time God called Abraham, “Go
from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I
will show you.” (12:1)
In the first call, God requested that Abraham gave up
his old identity and culture so that he would embrace a new identity—father of
many nations and the promise of possessing land.
Fast forward twenty-five years to our present story,
God wanted Abraham to give up that very promise. How could Abraham be the
father of many nations if he sacrificed Isaac?
Scripture does not indicate whether Abraham had an
internal struggle. It only documented his actions. We will try to see his
internal condition through his actions.
Abraham “rose early in the morning” (22:3).
This shows that Abraham was determined to act
promptly.
Abraham cut the wood for sacrifice, gathered two
servants and his son, saddled his donkey and set out on the journey.
The narrator details each action here, slowing down
the narrative pace. The “slowing down” heightens the tension of the scene and
alludes to the internal struggle of Abraham.
Father and son travelled for three days.
“Three days” is ample time for Abraham to consider all
the consequences of what he has been asked to do. What kind of conversations
did Abraham have with his son? Along the way, did Abraham waver and think of
turning back? This was a desperate journey!
On third day, Abraham saw Mount Moriah from afar. He
told his servants, “I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again
to you.” (v.5)
Apparently, Abraham’s resolve does not weaken!
And then Abraham placed the wood of the burnt offering
upon Isaac and held the fire and the knife in his own hands.
“Behold, the fire and the wood,” said Isaac to his
father. “But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Abraham could not tell Isaac what he was told by God
but he showed great faith. He said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for
a burnt offering, my son” (v. 8).
The word “provide” means “see” in the Hebrew original.
On the dark road toward sacrificing his own son in response to God’s call, Abraham
used the eyes of faith to “see” that God will “see” him. He is a man of great
faith!
When they finally came to Mount Moriah, Abraham built
an altar, set the wood in place, tied up Isaac, and placed him on the wood of
the altar. He was willing to forgo every aspect of the promised blessing for
the sake of his obedience to God.
So, he raised his arm, then plunged the knife into his
son…
At that instant, an angel of the LORD called out to
him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!
Abraham said, “Here am I.”
“Do not harm your own son! Now I know that you fear
God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket by
its horns. He took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of
Isaac.
Abraham named that place “Jehovah-Jireh”—the LORD will
provide, as a memorial to the God who “sees” humanity so that humanity may see
Him, experience Him, and truly know Him.
Pay Any Price to Cling on God
The story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac tells us that
the greatest test in life does not come from difficulties in life, adversities,
loss, and pain. The greatest test comes from paying a great price in order to
carry out the instruction of God although all that we can see is a gloomy and
grim future.
Or put it in another way: God often leads us into risky,
incomprehensible or impossible situations. Do we then submit to God’s leading
or run away?
Abraham’s sacrificing of Isaac is akin to sacrificing
himself and his own future because Isaac was his only legacy. He is ever ready
to “let go, and let God” in doing God’s will. But this story does not suggest
that we can test God by putting our own or someone else’s life at risk to prove
a point.
Actually, if we truly believe that God is love, just,
and dependable, we will resolutely obey his command.
Abraham told his servants, “I and the boy will go over
there and worship and come again to you.” (v. 5)
Abraham believed that Isaac might not necessarily be
killed. Or, perhaps, God might raise Isaac from the dead. He believed that God
had a way to honor His promises, which was that Abraham would have many
descendants through Isaac.
“We will come again to you” reveals his extraordinary
faith – a faith that believes to the end, a faith that is unafraid of death,
and a faith that even transcends death.
The instructions that God gave to Abraham may seem
unreasonable and appear to contradict His promises. How could Abraham become
the father of many nations through
Isaac if he died? Abraham must now decide between God’s promises and God Himself.
The LORD is both hidden and majestic. Abraham did not
try to solve the mystery. Instead, he strove to accomplish God’s command,
because allegiance to God is the highest manifestation of faith.
Abraham was loyal to God and decided that offering
everything up to God was more important than insisting upon God’s promises. He revered
God and was therefore not fearful of losing his most beloved Isaac.
Today, God is also calling us to obey His command. He
wants us to worship and serve Him reverentially and sacrificially. Are we
willing even if what He wants us to give up includes money, ambitions, the
things we love, and our direction in life? Are you willing to pay the cost of
faith?
Let’s cling on to God, revere Him, and not afraid to
lose our beloved “Isaacs.”
The NT authors emphasize the point that Jesus is the
descendant of Abraham. Indeed, the Abrahamic promise in Genesis 12:1-3, which
states that “all nations are blessed through Abraham’s descendants” is
fulfilled through Jesus Christ’s salvation accomplished on the cross.
Romans 8:32 alludes to this story of sacrificing Isaac,
“God who did not spare His Own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not
also with Him graciously give us all things?”
God unreservedly sacrificed His Only Son Jesus on the
cross for us. And Jesus is perfectly obedient to the Father, to die on the
cross, to bear the penalty for our sins so that we can be delivered from sin and
death.
When we place our faith in Christ, and persevere
through in Christ, we will be saved and receive bountiful blessing from God. In
response to such a sacrificial love of God to us, we ought to cling on God, and
offer ourselves up to be used by God even at a great price!
A grace that is taken for
granted or that is not treated seriously is a cheap grace! The salvation of
Christ is not a cheap grace. The precious life of the Son of God deserves our allegiance and service at any cost.
Let Go and Let God, Then Experience Jehovah-Jireh
When Abraham take a leap of faith, he experienced the
marvelous grace of God – he “saw” the substitutionary burnt offering ram. God
will provide!
“Jehovah-Jireh” shifts the focus from Abraham’s
obedience to God’s action.
The emphasis is, first of all, God provides for those
who obey Him with what is needed to fulfill those demands. He also will bless
them with so much more than what they have lost.
And through God’s providence and blessings, He reveals
Himself so that human beings may meet Him; know how true and gracious He is.
2 Chronicle 3:1, records that the Temple was built on
Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. For God’s people, the story of Abraham sacrificing
Isaac was the prototype of Temple offerings.
“Abraham offers Isaac” reminds the people that they
should come to offer sacrifices to God, to serve Him, and to worship Him.
The lives of those who come to worship and serve God
are characterized by continual obedience to God as they overcome unreasonable
encounters in life. They believe that God will certainly “see” them through the
adversaries and finally reveal Himself to them.
Faith and obedience are inseparable. Today, let’s trust God and obey his will in our lives as he directs us,
and also be committed in worshipping, serving and giving to the Lord.
What is your struggle now?
It could be: entering full time seminary study or full-time
ministry; choosing a field of study; taking up or stepping down from a
ministry; marrying a life-long partner; changing new job; migrating overseas; receiving
baptism or not; giving to the church (tithes or pledge) and etc.
God is truly loving, faithful and gracious. Let’s take
a leap of faith by submitting to his leading. Doing God’s may require us to pay
a great price or venture into, or remain in a risky, uncertain or
incomprehensible situation.
But don’t run away from him; “let go and let God” of
our “beloved Isaac”, i.e.: parting with loved ones, sacrificing our time,
energy and money, or even our preferred plan for the future. In this way, we
will be set free from the chains and burdens in our lives, and experience Jehovah-Jireh!
You will see God’s work and bountiful blessing pouring onto your lives.
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