The carnal heart must be subdued and transformed,
The Almost Sacrifice of Isaac
When Isaac was born Abraham was an old man of 100 years. We might call him ‘ancient of days’, who had a son who was born by the intervention of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 4) – whereas Ishmael was born according to the flesh.
Isaac was not Abraham’s ‘only son’; the Hebrew word is better translated as ‘precious, unique, one of a kind son’. Hebrews 11:17 calls Isaac ‘the only begotten son’. The Hebrew word for ‘only begotten’ means special or unique, it has nothing to do with begetting but rather it has to do with status.
Genesis 22:2, we read the words ‘whom thou lovest’, again meaning: beloved, only begotten (special, unique) son. These terms are not by accident, for God was going to use an experience which Abraham and Isaac were about to encounter to point to the Messiah and the cross. God told Abraham who was living in Beersheba, to go to the land of Moriah. It was about 45 miles from Beersheba to Moriah, and Abraham made it in three days. Why Moriah? In 1 Chronicles 21:18, 26, David was instructed to build an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Why is this significant? Because, in 2 Chronicles 3:1 we are told that this is the same place where Solomon’s temple was built…on Mt. Moriah. What was offered in Solomon’s temple? Sacrifices of animals were offered, that means the very place that Abraham took Isaac was the place where the sacrificial system was established. Genesis 22:2, makes is clear that the sacrifice (Isaac) which Abraham was going to offer was a sacrifice for sin (burnt offering). Cf. Lev. 1:3-4.
Genesis 22:4, tells us how long the ordeal lasted…three days, and on the third day Abraham saw the place afar off. In verse five, it states that the lads are a witness to this, who were standing afar off. Wow! When you read the account of the cross in Mark 15:40-41, there were also people “looking on afar off”. Verse six describes that the wood was carried by Isaac. Abraham laid the wood on Isaac his son, and had the instruments that would be used to slay his own son. This is a type of what happened to Jesus who also bore his wood (Matthew 27:32, John 19:16-17).
See blog titled, ‘Who Really Carried the Cross of Jesus? By: Ty Benbow. 07.30.3013. Answers in Genesis. Click on this link to access: https://theplainword.com/who-really-carried-the-cross-of-jesus/
Isaac inquires the whereabouts of the animal for the offering (v. 7), then in verse eight – Abraham gives a prophetic answer: God will provide a lamb (a substitute) for Himself. Abraham bound Isaac to the wood and laid him upon the altar (v. 9). Isaac did not resist but placed himself in his father’s hands and said your will be done. Abraham raised his hand to slay his son as a sin offering (v. 10).
Think about this for a moment, Isaac is there stretched out on the wood, he bore the wood; and the one that was to slay him was his own father. Therefore we can conclude that Isaac is a symbol (type) of Christ because he is the only begotten son (beloved son), who is going to be offered as a sin offering, he submissively places himself in the hands of his father, is willingness to die (in figure), and on the third day he resurrected from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19). At the same time, Isaac is also a symbol of us because he was not actually sacrificed, there was a substitute offered in the place of Isaac. In verses 11-12, Abraham is stopped because of his faithfulness and a ram was a substitutionary sacrifice in place of Isaac (v. 13).
Verse 14. Solomon’s temple was built in a direction from east to west (the west wall is supposedly there today); in the northeast of the temple was the sheep gate. This is where they kept the sheep for sacrifices. Geographically, this is the place where Abraham found this lamb and offered it on Mt. Moriah in Isaac’s stead. This is the place where Jesus was taken from the sheep gate to die for the sins of the world which was represented by the temple on Mt. Moriah. Did Abraham understand that this was more profound than just history? Yes, indeed. John 8:56, record a conversation Jesus is entertaining with a group of Jewish people and stated that Abraham understood. Galatians 3:8 also tells us Abraham understood because the gospel was preached to him. The Gentiles were justified by faith and God would establish His church – this was not a New Testament idea!
The fact is, the gospel was preached to Abraham and the idea that the gospel was going to go to the nations was already contained in the experience that God gave to Abraham. What is this story really pointing too? It is interesting that every time in the book of Genesis that either Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob erect an altar; immediately after they make the sacrifice – God makes promises. Whenever they do not raise up an altar, there is always a Messianic prophecy connected with the promises. Let’s look at four promises that God made to Abraham here in this story:
- Abraham and his descendants would have dominion over their enemies (Genesis 22:17). This is what Adam lost and what was going to be restored to the ‘seed’. Adam lost dominion over the enemy in the Garden when he yielded to his voice. At that moment, Adam also lost dominion over the earth as God’s steward. So, the promised land (not the little strip of land known as Israel) was understood by Abraham that it was only a down payment…just a little sample of what God was really promising. How can we know this? Romans 4:13 says that Abraham would be heir of the world AND in Hebrews 11 we find that Abraham and all the other bible hero’s up to Abraham did not consider Canaan their homeland. They looked for a city who’s builder and maker was God and it says when they left their country they were searching for a heavenly homeland. Abraham was not looking for Jerusalem to fill God’s promise. God told Abraham he would have dominion over all his enemies including the devil and inherit all of the earth,
- Promised Abraham that through his ‘seed’ the blessing would come to counteract the curse,
- Abraham will have a group of people (spiritual Israel) that are innumerable like the stars of heaven,
- Abraham is not the key figure, he is mentioned as bringing these things through Jesus who is the key figure. You see, the devil defeated Abraham in that Abraham was deceitful regarding Sarah, he was a bigamist, etc. BUT Abraham is the instrument that God uses to bring the ‘seed’ into the world to recover and restore that which was lost…JESUS.
Parallels:
Matthew 1:18, Jesus was born according to the act of the Holy Spirit, a child of the Holy Spirit, conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:11, When Jesus was baptized the words were heard from heaven that said: “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This was said again on the mount of transfiguration.
John 3:16 Reference to Jesus as the ‘begotten son’. As well with Isaac. He is not the only son that the Father has (for we are sons and daughters), but Jesus is the unique Son, the special Son, the Son of the promise, the Son through whom all the promises given to Abraham will be fulfilled.
The sacrifice of Christ was offered as a burnt offering which had a sweet-smelling savor to God (Eph. 5:2).
Matthew 12:40, tells us how long the ordeal of Christ and his Father lasted…three days and three nights.
God the Father was burdened with the idea of offering up his Son, just as in the Old Testament story of Isaac.
Jesus submissively place himself in the hands of his Father. In the Garden of Gethsemene, Jesus said, ‘My Father if this cup can pass from Me let it be so, never the less not my will be done but yours’. Three times Jesus said this.
John 19:17, states that Jesus bore his wooden cross and was nailed to the wood by his own consent. Who was executing the sentence upon Christ? Isaiah 53:4, makes clear that God, his own Father, raised his hand against him (Jesus). The hand of the Father was not stayed in the case of Jesus as it was with Isaac. Why did Jesus do this? For our transgressions, our iniquities, and He did this for our peace and our healing…Jesus is the great substitute (Isa. 53:5). He was the one offered in our place, so we do not have to suffer the death sentence (second death).
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul says, “For He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (emphasis added).
By the way, did you know that when Jesus suffered on the cross that there were witnesses that watched from afar off? See: Mark 15:40.
What day of the week did Jesus resurrect? The first day of the week. What day was the reference of His suffering? The third day. Did Abraham receive Isaac back resurrected in figure on the third day? Yes, see Hebrews 11. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Paul says that Jesus rose (resurrected) on the third day. This was foreshadowed in the story of Isaac, but also in the story of Jonah when on the third day the fish spewed Jonah out. Jonah lived in spite of being in that tomb for three days so to speak. Romans 8:32 tells us the Father spared not his Son…we can’t image what it was like for the Father to raise his hand against his own Son. Paul wrote that God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us. At the very center of the story of Abraham and Isaac is Jesus Christ.
Four promises to Abraham:
Through Abraham and his seed dominion would be restored.
Through Abraham and his seed the Earth would be recovered.
Through Abraham and his seed a blessing would come upon the human race to counteract the curse.
Through Abraham and his seed would come a multiplicity of seed which no one can number would come as a result of Abraham and his seed.
Were those promises made to the Jewish nation or were they made for the human race through Jesus? Actually, the promises are centered in Christ. The Church has missed the point when they focus on literal Israel. The fact is that Jesus is the one who fulfilled these promises with the whole human race – not just one people. Prophecy is not centered in Israel it is center in Jesus. Notice in Galatians 3:16 the promises are made to Abraham and his seed. Who is that seed? That seed is Jesus Christ. This is the reason why Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:20 that the promises of God are in Jesus.
These four promises made to Abraham will be fulfilled through Jesus. Luke 1:71-73, Daniel 7:26-27, tells us that Abraham was promised that he would inherit the world which would ONLY be fulfilled through Jesus. The meek shall inherit the earth because of Jesus. By the way who removed the curse? Galatians 3:13-14 says, we have been saved from the curse of the law by Jesus. The blessing of Abraham comes to all those who believe. It is removed by accepting Jesus. Revelation 7:9 states, there will be a great multitude that cannot be numbered, they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. These promises are only fulfilled in Jesus Christ and given to those who believe in Jesus Christ…not a nation. Galatians 3:29 makes is crystal clear, if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. IT CANNOT BE ANY MORE CLEAR THAN THIS.
What happened in 1948, the proclamation of the establishment of the state of Israel, has no prophetic significance because scripture says that ‘all promises are in Jesus’. Galatians 4:4-7, says to inherit the promises we must become sons and daughters of God. How do we do this? All those who have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). We are sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ. We become brothers and sisters of Jesus, therefore we become sons and daughters of God…therefore we inherit all the promises of God.
Immediately after Jacob saw that ladder between heaven and earth you find God giving the promises. What God was teaching was that the promises were going to come through the Messiah, through the sacrifice, through Him who was truly Jacob’s ladder, so Jesus was truly represented by Isaac.
Below is a presentation presented by Pastor Doug Batchelor. In this video, Abraham, Part 10 – The Ultimate Test, Pastor Doug highlights in this story the love of God as demonstrated by the giving of his only begotten Son. Enjoy.