Intro:
1. In World magazine, interviewer Larry King said:
"Faith is a wonderful thing. I envy people who have it. I just can't make the leap.I remember as a kid, my father died when I was young, and that was unexplainable to me. The God of the Old Testament, I didn't like things he did. "Abraham, sacrifice your son." That always bothered me as a kid. I remember thinking, Why would he do that to Abraham? As a test? So I said to myself, I don't know. I just don't know. That's still true to this day."
2. That's a good question that deserves a good answer. First, God did not make Abraham sacrifice his son; Second, it designed to illustrate God the Father's offering of His Son on the cross.
3. A Snap shot of Calvary.
Trans:Gen. 22
I. FIRST, WE SEE THE TRINITY LANGUAGE. 2a, 6c, 8c
Take now your son...Abraham took the wood...laid it on Isaac his son...Abraham said, "My son - Just as Abraham had a son, so God the Father has a Son. God the Father offered His Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
"how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:14
Trans:The Trinity is involved in our salvation - the Father Planned it; the Son Provided it; and the Spirit APPlied it.
II. FURTHERMORE, WE SEE HE WAS THE FATHER'S LONE SON.
your only son - of course Abraham had other sons, but only one like Isaac. He was his unique son.
"17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," Hebrews 11:17-18
God has many sons - both angels and believers are referred to as "sons of God." but Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son.
III. NEXT, WE SEE THE FATHERS LOVE FOR HIS SON.
whom you love - the love Abraham had for Isaac was only a faint love, compared to the love that God had for His Son.
This is the first mention of love in the Bible - and it is a picture of God's love for His Son; the first mention of love in the Gospel of Matthew is "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (3:17), the first mention of love in Marks Gospel is again, "You are My beloved Son" (1:11), and in Luke, "You are My beloved Son" (Lu.3:22), and finally the first mention of love in John's Gospel, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." (3:16).
Philips, "Can we not feel what Abraham felt? Can we not enter into the anguish that rent his soul? Can we not understand how much he shrank from the deed ahead? Then can we not feel what God the Father felt in dark Gethsemane? "My Father!" Here am I, My Son." "Behold the cup. If it is possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not my will but thing be done." The only answer the Father could give was to point to the cross. So they both went forth together. Out from the stillness of the garden they went into the arms of the mob; onward to the mock trials; to the spitting and scorging; together staggering beneath the weight of the wood; up the hill to calvary. Then, God the Father Himself, took the great knife of His fierce wrath against sin, and lifted it up and brought in down on His Son, to take the hell our sins deserved."
Spurgeon, "Jesus was God's Son, his only-begotten Son, whom he loved more than any of you can ever love your sons or daughters, for the love of God towards him is ineffable, immeasurable. It is not possible for me to tell you how much God loved his Son; but that Son, who had always given him delight, in whom he was well pleased, that Son must endure shame, and agony, and death, if sinners were ever to be saved. How could the Father give up his Son for such a purpose? I have felt sometimes as if I could almost rush in, and say, "No; it must not be, the price is too great to be paid for the rescue of such worthless worms as we are." Yet, to ransom any one of us, the Son of God must be sacrificed, and sacrificed, as it were, by his Father, for thus is it written, "It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief." Thus, there is one point of resemblance between the offering of Isaac and the propitiatory sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, it was the father who had to offer up his son whom he loved so dearly;"
IV. FOURTH, NOTICE THE LAND.
Land of Moriah - mentioned only here and in 2 Chron. 3:1, locating it in the Jerusalem area.
Charles Simeon, "Mout Calvary was one of the mountains in a small track of country called the land of Moriah; and from verse 2 it can scarcely be doubted, but that it was the very spot pointed out by God. It could not possibly be far from the spot; and therefore when the place for the sacrifice of Isaac was so accurately marked, it can scarcely be thought to be any other then the very place where Jesus was offered two thousand years afterwards."
V. FIFTH, THE LAW OF THE BURNT OFFERING. 22:2
Concerning the Burnt Offering: Lev. 1
"3 'If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD. 4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. 5 He shall kill the bull before the LORD; and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 6 And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire. 8 Then the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; 9 but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD." Leviticus 1:3-9
A. It must not be a Second-rate offering.
1. Must be Sacrificial - from the herd or flock that is domestic not of a wild animal.
Harrison, "For the burnt offering, only domesticated animals, indicating a developed stage of agricultural life were to be presented; since wild species did not cost the donor anything. In addition, wild animals, had not received the labor and care that had been expended on herds and flocks."
There was a relationship between the offering and the one offering it. "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
"As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." John 10:15
2. Must be the Strongest of the flock - a male animal. Jn.1:29
3. Must be Spotless - without blemish.
"18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18-19
Jesus was sinless...
Spurgeon, "In the person of Christ perfect manhood,—such a an as never lived before, eclipsing even the perfection of the first Adam in the garden by the majestic innocence of his nature. When Jesus has been viewed as man, even unconverted men have so admired his excellence that they have almost adored him. Jesus is God and man, and the Father has given that man, that God, to be thy Redeemer."
B. Must not be Stiff-necked.
Used of an uncooperative animal - must be a voluntary offering.
"17 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." John 10:17-18
C. It was to be a Substitution.
Kellogg, "He put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, this was an act of designation. It symbolized a transfer, according to God's merciful provision of an obligation to suffer for sin, the offer of an innocent victim. Hence forth, the victim stood in the offer's place, and was dealt with accordingly."
"who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." Romans 4:25
"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
D. The sacrifice was Slain by the one who brought it.
Ultimately it was God the Father who brought Jesus to Calvary and slew Him for our sins.
"45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Matthew 27:45-46
E. The blood had to be Sprinkled.
"to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel." Hebrews 12:24
F. The Skin was to be given to the priests. (Lev. 7:8)
That is a picture of the imputed righteousness of Christ...
G. The sacrifice was a total Surrender to God.
Outside of the skin - all of it was consumed. Jesus offered Himself completely to God.
"7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:7-8
H. The sacrifice was a Sweet aroma to God. Eph. 5:2
"1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." Ephesians 5:1-2
Trans:Who else but Jesus Christ could meet all these requirements!
Spugeon, "The text says, "The Lord will provide. None else could have provided a ransom. What sacrifice could be presented to God if a sacrifice could be accepted? Behold Lebanon, as it rises majestically toward heaven, white with its snows; see the forests which adorn its sides! Set these all on fire, and see them blaze as the wood of the altar of God. Yet "Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering."
Take the myriads of cattle that roam the hills, and shed their blood till you have made a sea of gore, but what of that? "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
Take 100 Isaacs, yea 100 trillion Isaacs and offer them on the altar of God and you have to confession "with man it is impossible." Men may themselves die, but in death each man pays only his own debt to nature; there is nothing left for another.
Where shall a redemption be found by which it shall be possible that the multitude of the elect shall be effectually redeemed from death and hell?
Such a ransom could only be found by God, and he could only find it in himself,—in him who was one with himself, who lay in the bosom of the Father from old eternity. The provision was made by God himself, since none other could provide. God alone could say, "Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom."
VI. SIXTH, THE LAPSE OF TIME.
rose early in the morning...on the third day - he did not offer him immediately, but had to wait for 3 days. Those were 3 difficult days as he was mindful of what he was about to do...
Our Lord waited some 3 years before going to the cross - and it was ever before Him!
"Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." John 2:4
"Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come." John 7:30
""Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour." John 12:27
VI. SIXTH, THE LOOKING FOR A RESURRECTION.
and we will worship and return to you - "17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. Hebrews 11:17-19 (NKJV)
Barnhouse, "Abraham came to the ultimate conclusion that he was going to see a miracle because God cannot lie. He had said that this son would be the one through whom He would fulfill all of His promises. Therefore the son must live or God would be found false. And yet God commands that this son be put to death. Since there is no contradiction in God, He must be planning on raising Isaac from the dead. All a picture of what Jesus would actually do - die and then be raised back to life."
VII. SEVEN, THE LAYING OF OUR SIN UPON CHRIST IS DEPICTED.
A. The Wood that is laid upon Isaac - is a picture of Jesus who was forced to carry his own cross. Jn. 19:16-18
B. The fire depicted God's Holy wrath upon Christ.
"4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6
C. The knife depicts his being pierced.
The nails and the speare in His side...
VIII. EIGHTH, THE LIKEMINDEDNESS OF FATHER AND SON.
Isaac was a good deal older than a young child. First, a "lad" of a young age would have difficulty carrying the wood (v.6).
Second, the Hebrew word "lad" is not limited to a small child. In fact, it is even used of Bejamin, when he was the father of ten boys (Gen. 43:8; 46:21).
Third, the next chapter says Sarah died at 127 years of age, which would make Isaac, 37 when she died.
The point is - Isaac must have gone willingly, he could have easily resisted his aging father.
The Lord Jesus was not forced to go to the cross but when willingly!
"34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." John 4:33-34
"35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." Mark 14:35-36 (NKJV)
IX. FINALLY, THE LAMB.
And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together - 22:8
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." 12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided." VV. 11-14
God did provide a lamb for Himself - at calvary! For Himself speaks of the work of Propitiation! Rom. 8:32
Con:
1. Why did God tell Abraham to offer his son - to illustrate God offering His Son at Calvary.
2. Horatius Bonar, the Scottish Presbyterian poet-preacher and author of many of our best loved hymns has caught the spirit of Romans 8:32:
Blessed be God, our God,
Who gave for us His well beloved Son,
The gift of gifts, all other gifts in one;
Blessed be God, our God!
What will He not bestow!
Who freely gave this mighty gift unbought,
Unmerited, unheeded and unsought,
What will He not bestow?
He spared not His Son!
'Tis this that silences each rising fear,
'Tis this that bids the hard thought disappear;
He spared not His Son!
'Tis God that justifies!
Who shall repeal His pardon or His grace?
Or who the broken chain of guilt replace?
'Tis God that justifies!
Johnny Palmer Jr
StrugglingThruScriptures.ning.com
