Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is Genesis 20-23, and I’m calling the episode “God Will Provide”. 

We’ll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and I have a somewhat urgent prayer request at the end of the show.

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Thoughts on Genesis 22

God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah, but it took twenty-five long years for that promise to be fulfilled. Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born, and Sarah ninety or ninety-one. After such a long wait, it is hard to imagine how happy they must have been to finally hold their baby, and how much they must have loved him. 

The text tells us in verse one that God tested Abraham. It was a test of faith. As we have seen as we have been reading through Genesis, Abraham’s faith was not always strong. But every failure is an opportunity to grow. 

And now, with the birth of Isaac, Abraham has seen evidence that God fulfills his promises, even the most unlikely ones. Because of God’s faithfulness in this and many other instances, Abraham’s faith is strong. 

And now God came to Abraham and said, “Take your only son, Isaac, the son you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Kill him there and offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

“Take your only son, Isaac…” Abraham had another son, Ishmael. But in chapter 21, Ishmael and his mother Hagar were sent away, out of Abraham’s life. Ishmael was not the promised son. He was the product of Abraham and Sarah’s lack of faith. In terms of God’s promise, Abraham has just one son.

God said, “Take your only son, Isaac, the son you love…” This is the first time love is mentioned in the Bible. And it is in connection between a father and a son and the sacrificial offering of the son. 

“Kill him there and offer him as a whole burnt offering…” This had to have been a shocking thing to hear. It went against God’s promise that Isaac would have children, and through Isaac would come a great nation. 

Maybe the thought flashed through his mind, “If I kill Isaac, how is God’s promise going to be fulfilled? What if I refuse? If I refuse, Isaac will be able to have the children that God promised! But what happened last time I took it upon myself to fulfill God’s promise? Ishmael was born. How did that work out?”

“…offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” There was a very specific place that God wanted this to be done. 

“Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took Isaac and two servants with him. After he cut the wood for the sacrifice, they went to the place God had told them to go.” There is no indication that Abraham resisted. At the first opportunity, he gathered the supplies, his beloved son, servants and a donkey and set out. He didn’t understand, but he obeyed. He has learned that you don’t have to understand HOW God will do what He says, you just have to obey.

I like how Spurgeon said it, “But there is not a word of argument; not one solitary question that even looks like hesitation. ‘God is God,’ he seems to say, and it is not for me to ask him why, or seek a reason for his bidding. He has said it: ‘I will do it.’”

We know that Abraham could not have *wanted* to do what God said to do. But he trusted God. Feelings do not enter the equation. Faith is not about feelings. Faith is believing God.

And so Abraham, Isaac, the servants, the donkey and the wood for the sacrifice set out to God’s appointed place.

Now listen to the next words in our text: “On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.” On the third day. Three days they travelled. Three days for Abraham to think about what was ahead, what God had called him to do. Three days to be with his beloved son. The son of the promise. Three days to consider whether or not he was going to go through with it. Three days to struggle with the idea of turning around.

Let’s step outside the scene for a moment. God had told Abraham that they were to go to the land of Moriah. 

In this area is a place called Mount Moriah, which is known as Jerusalem today. Are you beginning to see the significance of this place?

So when they saw the place, Abraham said to the servants, ““Stay here with the donkey. My son and I will go over there and worship, and then we will come back to you.” 

“…and then we will come back to you.” Abraham trusted God. He did not know how, but he believed that both he and Isaac would be returning to the servants. Hebrews 11:17-19 tells us, “17It was by faith that Abraham, when God tested him, offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice. God made the promises to Abraham, but Abraham was ready to offer his own son as a sacrifice. 18God had said, “The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac.” 19Abraham believed that God could raise the dead, and really, it was as if Abraham got Isaac back from death.”

Abraham remembered God’s promise. He knew that God kept His promises. There was no reason other than faith that Abraham should believe that God would raise Isaac from the dead, if that’s what it took, because we have no account of anyone being raised from the dead up to this point in history. And yet, Abraham believed that God could do anything.

And then, look at what happens. “Abraham took the wood for the sacrifice and gave it to his son to carry…”

Isaac took the wood upon which he was to be sacrificed from his father, and he carried it to the hill where the sacrifice was to take place. 

“Abraham took the wood for the sacrifice and gave it to his son to carry, but he himself took the knife and the fire.” 

I can’t help it. I have to quote Spurgeon again: “That knife was cutting into his own heart all the while, yet he took it. Unbelief would have left the knife at home, but genuine faith takes it.” 

 The next words in the narrative are, “So he and his son went on together.” The original language says, “…the went in agreement.” Isaac could see what was happening, but he went with his father willingly.

“7Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” Abraham answered, “Yes, my son.” Isaac said, “We have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb we will burn as a sacrifice?” 8Abraham answered, “God will give us the lamb for the sacrifice, my son.” The King James translates this, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb…” God will provide himself. What a picture of what Jesus would do thousands of years later. The promised son went willingly to be sacrificed, obeying his father, carrying the wood upon which he would give his life up the hill, fully confident in the promise of resurrection. 

“9And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.”

Scholars believe that Isaac is between 30 and 33 years old when this happened. Abraham is at least 130 years old. Isaac could have easily resisted, but we see now how great Isaac’s faith was, too. Do you remember how old Jesus was when He was crucified? Thirty-three.

“10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.” We have the benefit of knowing how the story turns out. Abraham most certainly did not. He, by faith, was willing to plunge the knife into his beloved only son’s chest. As the father of three sons, age 39, 29 and 27, it crushes me to think of this scene. Abraham had faith, he was willing to do it, but as a father he had to have been screaming, at least inside. Or was he numb, afraid to consider what he was about to do? I can’t believe that he was just thinking to himself, “Oh well. Another day at the office. God said do it, so la-ti-dah, here goes.” 

And yet, Abraham DID believe that God was a keeper of promises. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

And God, who sees the hearts of men, saw that Abraham was willing to do what God asked. 

Bible commentator Donald Barnhouse wrote, “Often there are believers who wonder how they may know the will of God. We believe that ninety per cent of the knowing of the will of God consists in willingness to do it before it is known.” 

Abraham had come to the place in his faith that whatever God asked of him, the answer would be “Yes.” And here, when that faith is tested, it is proven true.

So Abraham raises the knife to plunge it into Isaac’s heart, “11But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” Abraham answered, “Yes.” 12The angel said, “Don’t kill your son or hurt him in any way. Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from me.”

Abraham proved his heart for God in his willingness to sacrifice his only son. God has shown His heart for us by giving HIS only begotten son. 

13Then Abraham looked up and saw a male sheep caught in a bush by its horns. So Abraham went and took the sheep and killed it. He offered it as a whole burnt offering to God, and his son was saved. 

Though Isaac was spared, a sacrifice was still required. And God provided the substitute. 

God’s law requires a sacrifice for my sins. The wages of sin is death. And yet, out of His love, He provided a substitute…the Lamb of God…His only begotten Son…Jesus of Nazareth, who was resurrected on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. 

14So Abraham named that place The Lord Provides. Jehovah-Jireh. 

I used to do a podcast called In Touch With God’s Character. God is known by many different names, and “In Touch With God’s Character ” was a short, three to five minute show that focused on one of God’s attributes in each new episode. Episode 19 was based on Jehovah-Jireh. If you would like to listen to a show I did back in August of 2012, you can listen here. If you like the show, there are 42 episodes for you to listen to.

Isaac is a type, a foreshadowing, of Jesus, the Son of God. Both were from the line of Abraham. Both were loved by their father. Both went willingly to the place of sacrifice. Both carried the wood upon which they were to be sacrificed. Both were sacrificed on the same hill. Both were delivered from death on the third day.

Abraham began his walk with God with a small measure of faith. His faith was tested many times, and many times he failed the test. But each time, he learned. Each time his faith grew. God was preparing him for the final exam, which he passed with flying colors. 

Each of us are given a measure of faith. Some a small measure to begin with, some a bit more. But the faith we have at the beginning of our journey is not the faith that we will have at the end, hopefully. When you fail, which we all do, don’t take it as a defeat. Learn from it, ask God to forgive, ask God for more faith, and keep going. Keep going. Keep going.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 20 GW; Ch. 21-23 NCV

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