A FAITH DUET - II

Genesis 22:1-19
Bob Bonner
June 19, 2005

Today is Father’s Day and I want to begin with a brief slide show that chronicles a relationship between a father and son. As you watch, I’d be interested in what thoughts go through your minds as to the relationship between these two. Particularly, what thoughts you might have concerning the son’s perspective on this relationship.

Not every father-son relationship down through history has been one where both would say that he had experienced a close and meaningful relationship. Some dads were absentee, some sons were orphans, some dads physically and emotionally abused their children. I’m well aware of the privilege and blessing I have to be close to all of my kids, and in this case, Nick. Now that our children have become adults and are beginning families of their own, Becky and I are amazed and find great joy in hearing not only their constructive criticism as to how we could have done things differently as a family, those things that they won’t, for sure, do in their families, but also their words of affirmation that tell us that even though we weren’t perfect parents, how much they love us, are committed to us and trusted us while they were growing up.

Having experienced such a close-knit family life, I empathize deeply with both Abraham and Isaac over the test they both endured and passed, that is recorded in Genesis 22.

Last week, as we looked at this chapter, we primarily looked at it from Abraham’s point of view. This morning, we will revisit this same chapter, but this time we will look at it from the vantage point of the son, Isaac, and how his relationship with his father was a type of God’s relationship with His Son, Jesus, and His desire to be intimately acquainted with each of us.

As we return to this text, remember that Isaac was no little boy. He was a young man, strong enough to carry the wood for his own sacrifice up a mountain. This was not just a few scraps of wood, but enough wood to incinerate a large animal or even a human being. My guess is that this wood could have weighed between fifty and a hundred pounds, maybe even more. If you have ever seen a funeral pyre, you will remember that in order to fully incinerate a body, it took quite a bit of wood. Not just a few sticks of kindling.

Furthermore, due to centuries of wars that had been fought in Palestine before this time, there was not a lot of available wood around mountain ridges, like Moriah. Why? Because most fortresses were placed on easy to defend ridges, and when they came under siege, the invading armies needed wood to cook food and to camp as well as to burn down fortresses. That’s why today, there is a massive effort going on in Israel to reforest the land. There still are not many trees there.

Another indicator of Isaac’s age is that he was strong enough to sustain the toil of a three-day-long march on foot from Beersheba to the land of Moriah and back again. Hence, we have an old father, pushing 120 years of age, but still going strong, and a young buck son, somewhere around the age of 20.

Let’s read once more, this story of Abraham and Isaac, a story which is filled with such deep pathos, one that evokes such powerful emotions, that we can’t help but gasp in horror as we read this biographical chapter of their relationship. “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Before we go any further, I want you to note again the repetition of the words “father...son.” By it, we are relentlessly faced with the preciousness of the relationship between these two.

Furthermore, this probably wasn’t the only time in Abraham’s life or in Isaac’s that they had gone together to make a sacrifice to God. Hence, Isaac had no reason to even question “Where are we going or why are we doing this?” He just went because his Dad, whom he loved had asked him to join him. As Abraham was immediately obedient to his heavenly Father, whom he knew loved Him and thus Abraham trusted him, so Isaac immediately obeyed his own earthly Dad for the same reasons.

Having been down this road before, that of making sacrifices with his father, Isaac senses something is amiss. So, he starts taking a quick inventory to make sure they’ve got everything: “Let’s see, we’ve got wood...check; we’ve got fire...check; we’ve got the knife used to slaughter the sacrifice...check; we’ve got the offering...Whoa! Wait a minute. No offering. ‘Hey, Pop! We forgot the offering.’”

Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.”

In simple but marvelous faith, a son believing in his father and in what his father has taught him about His God, thinks everything is okay and continues up the hill. So here’s this duo, both placing their faith in a father ; Abraham in God the Father, the powerful God whom he had come to learn always keeps His promises, and Isaac, in his earthly father who adored him, both climbing the hill together.

“Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.”

My guess is that Isaac didn’t just sit on a rock somewhere and watch Abraham build this altar alone. Rather, Isaac probably helped gather hundreds of boulders to build this altar, helped arrange the wood, and then was told what was to happen next, that their God had told Abraham that he was to kill his son Isaac.

Abraham probably explained how it was that he could do this thing, why he believed that it would not ultimately be the end of Isaac’s life. But just the same, no matter what he said to Isaac, you can bet that this was no easy news bulletin for Isaac to submit to. He had to be in as much shock, if not more, than Abraham.

Remember also, Isaac didn’t have to stand for this. He could have whipped his aged father if he chose not to be a part of his father’s worship service. But there is no mention of such a wrestling match. Furthermore, I can imagine that if Jesus, almost 2,000 years later, would say at a similar time in His life,“My Father, if it is at all possible , let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will , but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) I don’t see why Isaac couldn’t have verbalized something similar to his own father, which in turn must have made this even more trying for Abraham, just as it did God our Father, when He had to allow the crucifixion of His own perfect Son to go forward on our behalf.

Isaac had to have incredible faith in both his Dad and in God. He, too, had to believe in the same prophetic promises, the very covenant that God made with Abraham that required Isaac to somehow live long enough to get married and have children. Hence, we are not just witnessing one man’s incredible faith but two; both father and son had to be men of faith. What a profound tribute to the strength, trust and love of this father-son relationship.

One thing I observe from the text, that I only have a guess as to the answer, is the question, “Why the need to tie up Isaac?” I’m not sure I know the answer, but let me take a stab at it. Possibly to keep the sacrifice in place when it begins to burn so that it doesn’t roll off the altar and on to the ground. Stone altars were no small or perfectly level kitchen counters. They were often times eight feet square and a couple of feet high, and somewhat flat. But when you lay down a lot of wood for a fire, and then put an animal on it, that dead animal can easily roll off the fire and on to the ground if you don’t secure it to the altar. If it did roll off unto the ground, you would have a difficult time putting that offering back up on the altar. I don’t imagine Abraham would want to have to mess with picking up the burning corpse of a son, so tie it down.

After the final preparations were made, Abraham could stall no longer. He had to follow through with God’s command. We read, “Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.

I imagine that we are getting the “Cliff Notes” version of this event. Much more happened at that point than was recorded. For instance, I’m sure that Abraham wasn’t the only one who heard Jesus tell him to stop and not to kill Isaac. Isaac, more than likely, heard the voice of the Lord as well. If so, this would have been the first time he did, according to what we have recorded in the Scriptures.

Furthermore, I don’t think Abraham left Isaac all tied up on that altar while he ran to capture the ram and kill it. No, he probably cut the bindings from Isaac as fast as he could, helped him down and together they probably jumped up and down for joy, hugged, kissed, cried and then ran to the thicket together to retrieve that ram.

Can’t you just see their joy? Can’t you just feel the pathos of this event? You want to talk about a worship service, rarely has there ever been a more worshipful event in the history of the world. This would be a father-son worship experience these two would never forget, because they alone had to walk through it together, with God. As a Dad, I can tell you personally, that for me, there is no more meaningful time in my life than when our family comes together voluntarily, without distraction, intent on worshiping our Lord together. This had to be the highlight of this father-son duet. No one else, up to that point in time, other than God, knew what was happening up on that hill. But they soon would!!!

For we read in verse 14, “Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”

After the father and son sacrifice the ram, then Jesus, knowing what each of them must have been feeling, speaks to them again. And as before, I have no reason to believe that Isaac didn’t hear these words as well. So, keep in mind the impression Christ’s words have on Isaac at this moment. “Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.

Before we get to some practical lessons we can all learn from this father-son duet of faith, allow me to show you some amazing comparisons between the life of Isaac and the life of Christ.

Isaac	Christ
Born at a preset time	Born at the “fulness” of time - Gal. 4:4

Although Abraham did not know exactly when Isaac was going to be born, God had the time preset. But Jesus, according to Galatians 4:4, was born at the “fulness of time” meaning just as and when the Old Testament prophecies said he would be born.

Isaac	Christ
Birth was contrary to nature	Birth was contrary to nature

In both situations, their births were contrary to nature. Sarah’s womb had been closed and she was past child bearing years. And Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Both pregnancies and births were miraculous.

Isaac	Christ
Birth was promised	Birth was promised

As it concerned both of their births, they were both promised to happen. Abraham was promised a son through Sarah while Abraham was living in Ur. Israel was promised the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem. And Mary was promised to bear the child.

Isaac	Christ
Long interval to fulfillment of the promise	Long interval to the fulfillment of the promise

In Isaac’s case, it took 25 years between the promise and the fulfillment of the promise. In Christ’s case, it took over a thousand years.

Isaac	Christ
Named before the birth	Named before the birth

God told Abraham that his son was to be named Isaac. God told Joseph that he should name the child, Jesus.

Isaac	Christ
The son was a joy to his father	The son was a joy to his father

Abraham and Sarah laughed at the pure joy in having a son. God said of Jesus, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”

Isaac	Christ
Obedient to the father unto death	Obedient to the father unto death

Both sons were obedient to their respective father’s even unto death.

Isn’t that something? But wait, there’s more. There is a second comparison we need to note of events surrounding Christ’s and Isaac’s lives. This comparison concerns not how they were born but the similarity of experiences concerning their sacrifice. For example:

GENESIS 22	CALVARY
Place of sacrifice: Moriah	Place of sacrifice: Moriah
The sacrifice: a son/a ram	The sacrifice: the Son/the Lamb
Abraham released Isaac	God the Father released His Son
Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice on his back	Jesus carried the wooden cross upon which He would be sacrificed on His back
Isaac submitted to his father, Abraham	Jesus submitted to His heavenly Father’s will in the Garden
Isaac submitted without a whimper	Jesus submitted without a whimper (Isaiah 53:7)
Isaac lives eternally because of the death and resurrection of the Lamb	Jesus died and was resurrected that Isaac and we may live
Abraham receives back Isaac on the 3rd day	God received back His resurrected Son on the 3rd day

Pretty amazing, isn’t it? Jesus and our heavenly Father knew everything that Abraham and Isaac felt and went through long before it ever happened to Abraham, because God is eternal and out of time. Yet, He still died willingly for you and me. Why? Because He loves you and desperately wants you to know Him and to build into you the same faith and privileged intimate relationship that Abraham and God shared. But that can’t happen if you don’t put your trust and confidence in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That won’t happen unless you submit your life to the rule and authority of Jesus Christ.

Why have I pointed out the similarities between both Christ and Isaac’s births and sacrifices? Because there wasn’t one moment during that faith-proving test for Isaac and Abraham that Jesus was not personally familiar with. He knew and experienced everything He was putting Abraham and Isaac through, and more. But He also knew that it was absolutely necessary for their spiritual growth, to be tested in such a way.

As I look at these comparisons, I believe God wants us to recognize that He and Jesus more than understand our hurts, our confusions and what it takes to live in this world, because He Himself, in the flesh, through Christ, lived it. Therefore, when we are hurting and confused and don’t know to whom we can turn, God instructs us in Hebrews 4:14-16 this way: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” In other words, our God, Jesus, is not like a stone idol or the Greek gods who were distant or cold or indifferent. But rather, because Jesus lived in our world and experienced as a human being the suffering with which we all suffer, He knows and sympathizes with each of us and with what we are going through. Furthermore, as this verse will go on to teach, He wants to live His life through us, to empower us with His supernatural resurrection power so that we can endure the pressures of this life, as He did, and still find joy. Hence, we continue to read, ^“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Why do we have “confidence?” Because we can know confidently, that God will not turn His back on us. Jesus will come to our aid and enable us to live through life’s testing or proving times; those times that God allows all of us to go through to fulfill His ultimate purposes. But we must come to Him and ask Him for His life-changing power to enable us to get through the tough times.”

Bottom line: We can take all of our concerns to Christ, because we are assured that He personally understands and cares about what we are going through; when we seek Him through prayer, He will personally enable us to endure.

There is a second lesson to take away from meditating on verse 5, and specifically Abraham’s statement to his two slaves that “I and the lad will go up yonder; and we will worship....” Abraham knew that he was going up there to kill his only beloved son. How in the world could he call killing his son an act of worship?

Too many of us do not really understand the heart of worship. We think that worship is singing songs and praising God through prayer. But worship is much more than that. Worship is more than lip service or believing doctrine or a creed. The heart of worship is the continual offering up of our life and our goals to God, through humbly submitting everything we have and are to His will. Worship is not just submission, it requires obedience to what God calls us to do. To refuse to obey, to refuse to listen or to follow after God, to continue to rationalize our will when we know that it is wrong, is not evidence of worshiping God, but of worshiping our own desires, our own selves.

What God wants, what God deserves is nothing less than our total commitment to Him. What God was proving to be true of Abraham is that Abraham worshiped God so much that even when asked to do something that Abraham didn’t understand, and tore his heart out, he was still willing to obey. And when Abraham proved to God that he intended to obey God, then God stopped this true worshiper and said, “Now I know that you fear God.” And it was only then that Abraham saw the ram caught in the thicket.

Here’s the point: True worship, worship that is evidenced by your obedience to do what God directs you to do, as hard as it may appear to be, will always lead you to the ram in the thicket. I really like the way that Dr. Tony Evans puts it. He writes:

“Worship will lead you to where God wants you to be. No matter what you are looking for—a mate, a new job, a new perspective, a ram caught in the thicket—you don’t go looking for it to the exclusion of your worship or your relationship with God.”

“You say, ‘Excuse me?’ That’s right. You don’t go husband or wife-looking. You go ‘worship-looking.’ Can you imagine Abraham beating the bushes on Mt. Moriah, trying to scare up a mountain goat or a ram for a sacrifice so he wouldn’t have to offer Isaac?....God had that ram tied up. That animal wasn’t going anywhere.” What Matters Most, pp. 128-129

In other words, we don’t have to desperately hunt for a mate, or a job or a solution. First, we are to worship, to be obedient to what God and what His Word says is to be the priority in our lives. Then, as we are worshiping and submitting our lives to God, God will provide the ram in the thicket.

Hence, a third closely connected principle we can take from this chapter is:

God did not provide a ram for Abraham until Abraham obeyed and was willing to give up all for God. God will not perform His miraculous works before us until we trust and obey Him. And then He will meet our needs in surprising ways.

back to top