Review of Genesis 22

by Victor Fawole

TESTED + TRUSTED = TRIUMPHANT

You are welcome to Genesis 22, a beautiful chapter that pictures the truth of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross. Most times, we focus on the faith of Abraham (rightly so), but we should not neglect the submission of Isaac and the provision of God. We will touch on some significant lessons in this chapter.

Let us review together…

1. DIVINE DIRECTIVE

Gen. 22:1-2 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 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.

Oh, what a test! The goal was not to “produce” faith in Abraham, but to “reveal” the faith in Abraham. God has worked on Abraham, year after year, event after event, blessing after blessing, building his faith at every opportunity. Now is the time to reveal that “what God has built will stand”.

Every part of God’s command to Abraham can be heartrending.

• Take now thy son
• Thine only son Isaac
• Whom thou lovest
• Offer him there
• For a burnt offering

…a son he had waited “donkey” years to get! How precious he was! All of Abraham’s hopes, desires and love were centered in him. This is God asking Abraham to give up his all.

God gave up His Son, on whom His love and purposes were centered. We can never understand the greatness of His sacrifice until we can understand the greatness of His love for His beloved Son. In giving His Son, God gave His all.

2. DIFFICULT DECISION

Gen. 22:3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Abraham’s response to God’s instruction is noteworthy.

• He did not subject it to logical reasoning.
• He did not seek anyone’s opinion.
• He did not stagger under the weight of the great command.
• He was prompt in his response. He rose up early in the morning.
• He was deliberate in his response. He prepared the wood.
• He was fully determined.

3. DECISIVE DEVOTION

Genesis 22:6-8 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

I have mentioned Abraham’s response of faith. Let us consider Isaac’s response of submission.

“they went both of them together…” Isaac was committedly involved in this spiritual journey. No complaints. No compulsion. He was willing to go with his father. In a deeper and more real sense, Jesus Christ and His Father “went together” for the sacrificial atonement of our sins (Psa. 40:8). The purpose of the Father and of the Son was one. Isaac’s submission pictured Christ’s submission to the Father. There are more pictures of Jesus in Isaac’s submission:

A. Isaac submitted himself to be BURDENED
Abraham laid the wood on Isaac. It was a wood of sacrifice, the symbol of death. The cross was laid on Jesus, and He bore the burden of our sin upon Himself. God the Father did this! (Isa. 53:6).

B. Isaac submitted himself to be BOUND
Abraham bound Isaac and laid him on the altar. He could have resisted, but submitted to be led as a lamb. He did not open his mouth. Love was the cord that bound Jesus to the cross!

4. DRAMATIC DELIVERANCE

Gen. 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

Abraham already had the fire and a knife in his hand. He was about to slay his son on the altar of sacrifice. Oh, I am reminded of how God, from eternity past, had slain the Lamb from the foundation of the world!

A quick flashback to when Abraham and Isaac were on the way, check out their conversation:

Isaac: My father!
Abraham: Here I am, my son.
Isaac: Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
Abraham: My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.

Abraham answered the question in faith… but John the Baptist answered it in full assurance!

Question: Where is the Lamb?
John: Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

And we join the innumerable host of heaven to sing…

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Rev. 5:12).

Abraham believed it, God did it. He indeed provided the animal for sacrifice. Oh, hallelujah! This deliverance of Isaac was dramatic. We will notice that:

A. God Provided the RIGHT THING (A Ram)
The ram was a substitute for Isaac’s life. Oh, sweet Jesus… our own Substitute! Our sin placed us under condemnation, curse, and death. God knew what we needed, and only He could provide the needed sacrifice. Education cannot help. Civilisation cannot help. Therapy cannot help. The works of the law cannot help. Only the sacrifice of Jesus suffices. For our salvation, only his death can avail. So, He loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20), and sacrificed Himself for us (1Cor. 5:7). Hallelujah!

B. God Provided at the RIGHT PLACE (On the mount of the Lord)
God chose the place for the offering and he made the provision at that exact place. It was a divine arrangement. The Cross was also a place of divine arrangement. The wrath of God is met with the sacrifice of His Son. This mountain is the same height where Jesus died for our sins. Calvary is the mount of the Lord. Hallelujah!

C. God Provided at the RIGHT TIME
It was at the time Abraham was about to strike Isaac with the knife that God’s voice called him and provided the substitute. God’s timing is never too fast or too late. Even Jesus’ death was perfect in timing.

Gal. 4:4-5 But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God’s children.

Abraham’s faithfulness resulted in blessedness. “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed…” (v. 18) Three times, God used the word singular “SEED”. I remember when we did Bible Study on Galatians 3 in Abeokuta Centre. Bro. Immanuel emphasized Paul’s words and taught that this SEED is Jesus. (Gal 3:16, Acts 3:25)

Abraham’s faithfulness also resulted in thankfulness. God blesses our faith and this generates gratitude. These virtues should mark our daily Christian living.

Dear Gogolights, let us saturate our hearts with the truth that “our God will provide”. We have the bible as our testimony of confidence.

• We can say CONFIDENTLY

Rom. 8:32 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?

Eph. 3:20 He…is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us

• We can say EXPECTANTLY

Heb. 10:23 …for he is faithful that promised

• We can say CONTINUALLY

Heb. 13:5 …for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Grace to you, Church!