Genesis 22
The Offering of Isaac
The Sacrifice of Isaac
1Some time after these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham replied.
After the birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Ishmael, and the peace treaty with the King of Gerar, God appeared to Abraham for the eighth time. The Hebrew word for “Here I am” is הִנֵּֽנִי (hinemi), meaning “eager and ready to serve.”
2God said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac – and go to the land of Moriah! Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will indicate to you.”
God was different from the pagan religious systems of ancient cultures, as He commanded living sacrifices rather than human sacrifices. However, human sacrifices were not condemned by God until 400 years later during the time of the Mosaic Covenant.
Abraham had two sons, Ishamel and Isaac. Therefore, the “only son” often means “unique son.” Isaac was unique, because he was the seed-son. The test was to see if Abraham would kill the seed-son to whom the Abrahamic Covenant was promised. If Abraham did kill Isaac, then God would have to raise Isaac up from the dead in order to keep His promise to Abraham. Mount Moriah would be the future location of Mount Zion (Jerusalem).
3Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out for the place God had spoken to him about.
Notice that God chose the place. Mount Moriah would later become Mount Zion, which is where Jesus would be crucified. Rabbinic tradition recorded that Abraham took Ishmael and Elizar of Damascus with him to this mountain.
4On the third day Abraham caught sight of the place in the distance.
The distance from Beer-Sheba to Mount Moriah was about fifty or sixty miles. The average traveler could travel about twenty miles per day.
5So he said to his servants, “You two stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go up there. We will worship and then return to you.”
The Hebrew word for “boy” is נַ֫עַר (na-ar), meaning that Isaac could have been up to 33 years old at this time. This was the same Hebrew word that was used for Abraham’s 318 soldiers.
The Hebrew word for “and return” is וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה (wa-na-shuv), a qal imperfect first person plural, meaning “and we will return.” Abraham expected to return with Isaac. This means that God would have to raise Isaac from the dead so that he could return with Abraham and fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant.
6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, and the two of them walked on together.
Just as Jesus would later carry His own cross up Mount Moriah, Isaac was to carry his own wood up Mount Moriah.
7Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father?” “What is it, my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Notice that before the Mosaic Law, lambs were used for sacrifice. Abraham and Isaac were climbing up a mountain to perform a sacrifice, but there was no lamb.
8“God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.
God will provide Himself as the Lamb of God 2000 years later on this same mountain, probably even in the same spot.
9When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
Abraham was an old man and Isaac was a young man. Isaac could have easily resisted, but he trusted his father. Isaac had as much faith as Abraham, because he was going to be the sacrifice.
10Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter his son.
Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead so that He could fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant.
11But the Lord’s angel called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered.
The Angel of the Lord was the pre-incarnate Christ. Calling Abraham’s name twice was an emphatic call. This was the ninth appearance of God to Abraham.
12“Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
God already knew the heart of Abraham, but now the entire angelic world observed a public testimony of Abraham’s faith in God.
13Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Notice that it was a ram that was caught in the bushes. The lamb will be provided 2000 years later.
14And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” It is said to this day, “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.”
The Hebrew is יְהוָ֣ה ׀ יִרְאֶ֑ה (Jehovah Jireh), meaning that the covenant-keeping-promise-keeping-God (He) will provide. This verb is imperfect, meaning that it is a prophecy of God the Father providing the atonement lamb in the future. This mountain spot will be the future location of the Lord Jesus Christ’s atonement.
15The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven
The pre-incarnate Christ called Abraham a second time.
16and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ decrees the Lord, ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
God is going to reaffirm the Abrahamic Covenant for the fifth time.
17I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the strongholds of their enemies.
About 3000 stars could be seen with the naked eye during the days of Abraham. The stars and the grains of sand are estimated at about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. This means that the Israeli race can never be exterminated and they will multiply to enormous numbers that cannot be counted. This fulfillment will take place in the future of the Millennial Kingdom. There will be no death (except for unbelievers), no disease, no hunger, and no fatalities. The earth will be reshaped during this Messianic era for a population explosion.
18Because you have obeyed me, all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.’”
All Gentiles will be blessed by the Messiah during the Millennial Kingdom.
19Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together for Beer-Sheba where Abraham stayed.
Abraham was no longer nomadic. He was living in the town of Beer-Sheba.
20After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor
Nahor was Abraham’s brother who had lived in Ur. Abraham had not heard from his brother in a long time. He was most likely still living in Haran. This was the place where Terah died. Terah was Abraham and Nahor’s father. Abraham heard news that Milcah had borne children. This was good news for Abraham, because Isaac needed a bride. Abraham did not want the seed-son to marry a godless Canaanite woman.
21Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram),
Uz was the firstborn of Nahor. He may have founded and settled in the land of Uz. Job lived in Uz sometime during the patriarch years, most likely between the generations of Isaac and Jacob.
The second son was Buz, who lived in the territory of Elihu, one of Job’s friends.
Nothing is known about Kemuel.
22Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
Kesed was the ancestor of the Chaldeans. Hazo settled in Northern Arabia. Nothing is known about Jidlaph.
23(Now Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor.
Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Rebekah will later become the bride of Isaac.
24His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Nahor also had four other children through his concubine. It was common for ancient middle- eastern men to possess a wife for bearing children and a concubine for sexual pleasures.
In conclusion, the human viewpoint of the satanic world system teaches that the offering of Isaac by Abraham was a myth.
The divine viewpoint of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God teaches that the Messiah will become the future lamb provided by Jehovah.
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1. SAQ--What is the theme of Genesis 22?
2. What did God ask Abraham to do?
3. How old was Isaac at this time?
4. Why did Abraham believe that God would resurrect Isaac from the dead?
5. Where was Isaac offered?
6. Where was Jesus offered?
7. How many stars are there in the sky?
8. How many grains of sand are on all of the beachers of the world?
9. What will be the population size of the future Jews>
10. Who will later be born in the Land of Uz?