#095 – The Sacrifice of Isaac

THE SACRIFICE OF ISAAC

Hebrews 11:17 19 "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."

Genesis twenty-two is the chapter that records the event that we will examine. These verses in the book of Hebrews add to the Old Testament with some more information. Let’s look first at—

GOD’S GIFT TO ABRAHAM

God has already saved Abram and changed his name to Abraham, i.e., the father of a multitude. Sarah suggested that since she couldn’t have a child that Abraham take Sarah’s bondmaid and have a child by her. Abraham agreed to this and Ishmael was born. Hagar was a humble and loyal little Egyptian girl until she bore Abraham a son. But things started going bad about this time. She was filled with pride and gave Sarah a very hard time.

This happens many time when one gets an advantage over other. Sometimes it is a person who works beside you and gets a promotion to a place of authority. He no longer treats you like an equal.

But God had no intentions of making Ishmael the fulfilment of the promised seed. Genesis 21:1 3, "And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac."

God instructed Abraham to send Hagar away with her son because God had determined that, “in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Next—

GOD ASKS ABRAHAM TO GIVE ISAAC BACK

Abraham’s gift of Isaac back to God would be in the form of a burnt offering. Now that was a shocker to Abraham. I cannot imagine how Abraham must have felt when God asked him to do this. We do not find Abraham arguing with God. There seems to be no reluctance at all. But we are told that, “God did tempt Abraham.” We are told in James 1:13, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:" So this was not a temptation in the sense that James is talking about. The Hebrew word tempt translates “nacah” which means, “to test, try, prove, put to the proof or test.” John Gill comments: “not to sin, as Satan does, for God tempts no man, nor can he be tempted in this sense; and, had Abraham slain his son, it would have been no sin in him, it being by the order of God, who is the Lord of life, and the sovereign disposer of it; but he tempted him, that is, he tried him, to prove him, and to know his faith in him, his fear of him, his love to him, and cheerful obedience to his commands; not in order to know these himself, which he was not ignorant of, but to make them known to others, and that Abraham’s faith might be strengthened yet more and more, as in the issue it was. The Jewish writers observe, that Abraham was tempted ten times, and that this was the tenth and last temptation.”

1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

I cannot imagine a more severe trial. But Abraham stood the test and before he actually buried the knife in Isaac his son, the angel of the Lord stopped him. Next we see—

THE SUBSTITUTE

Genesis 22:12 13, "And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram,