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Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Spurgeon points out that "God Himself tests believers. “It came to pass after these things, that God”—“Elohim,” that is the word—“Elohim did tempt Abraham.” This does not always occur. Job is tried by the devil, and the devil tests him, though even then God is there permitting the devil to be his instrument. But God himself was here, himself testing his servant Abraham. I never read that he tested Lot. Poor Lot! He was a poor “lot”, indeed. There was just enough grace in him to keep him alive, and no more; but he could not stand any tests. Lot failed wretchedly in Sodom." (Genesis 22:1 Abraham’s Trial—A Lesson for Believers) Everything that will abide the fire shall go through the fire, that it may be both proved and improved...every one of us shall be tested -- C H Spurgeon Spurgeon - WE may regard the father of the faithful as being a pattern of his children. As God dealt with Abraham, so will he deal in measure with all those who, as believers, are the children of believing Abraham. Everything that will abide the fire shall go through the fire, that it may be both proved and improved....we must not be astonished, as though some strange thing had happened to us, if great and severe tests should be put upon us before the chapter of life is over. (Genesis 22:1 Abraham’s Trial—A Lesson for Believers)
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Spurgeon adds on Here I am - Abraham was also ready to be inspected. He says, “Here am I.” Adam went and hid himself in the garden, and God had to call after him, “Where art thou?” Abraham was ready when God called him.” It will be well if you can say, when you kneel at your bedside to-night, “Lord, I have nothing to conceal. I am sincere before thee. I would have thee acquainted with all my faults and sins, that thou mayest wash them away; I would have thee know all my mistakes and errors, that thou mayest correct them all. Thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. I am no hypocrite. I have made no pretence of being thy servant while I have been serving self and sin.” O blessed man, that dares to open his bosom, to lay bare his very heart, and say, “Shine into me, O Lord, and let thy searching light go through and through me; for in truth I am thy servant!” Tested (tempt) (see 0974 below) (05254) nacah/nasah; Lxx = peirazo) A verb meaning to test, to try, to prove. In most OT uses has idea of testing or proving quality of someone or something and doing so often through adversity or hardship. As the following context makes clear (note "to see," lit., "to know," in 3:4), the purpose of this divine test was to determine if Israel was truly loyal. An examination of parallel passages shows that such divine tests were designed to reveal otherwise hidden character qualities. Testing which shows what someone is really like generally involves difficulty or hardship. Swanson sums up Nacah - 1. (piel) test, try, i.e., attempt to learn the true nature of something (1Ki 10:1); 2. (piel) attempt, try, i.e., exert oneself to do something (Dt 4:34); 3. (piel) test, try, i.e., cause or allow hardship or trouble in a circumstance, often with choices within the situation, implying a different outcome is possible (Jdg 2:22) Nacah - 37x/34v - make a test(1), proved(1), put(1), put to the test(2), tempted(3), test(13), tested(9), testing(3), tried(1), try(1), venture(1), ventures(1). Gen. 22:1; Exod. 15:25; Exod. 16:4; Exod. 17:2; Exod. 17:7; Exod. 20:20; Num. 14:22; Deut. 4:34; Deut. 6:16; Deut. 8:2; Deut. 8:16; Deut. 13:3; Deut. 28:56; Deut. 33:8; Jdg. 2:22; Jdg. 3:1; Jdg. 3:4; Jdg. 6:39; 1 Sam. 17:39; 1 Ki. 10:1; 2 Chr. 9:1; 2 Chr. 32:31; Job 4:2; Ps. 26:2; Ps. 78:18; Ps. 78:41; Ps. 78:56; Ps. 95:9; Ps. 106:14; Eccl. 2:1; Eccl. 7:23; Isa. 7:12; Dan. 1:12; Dan. 1:14 Here I am (behold) (02009) hinneh is an interjection meaning behold, look, now; if. "It is used often and expresses strong feelings, surprise, hope, expectation, certainty, thus giving vividness depending on its surrounding context." (Baker) Hinneh generally directs our mind to the text, imploring the reader to give it special attention. Hinneh in Genesis (~1000 total OT uses) - Gen. 1:29,31; 6:12-13,17; 8:11,13; 9:9; 12:11,19; 15:4,12,17; 16:2,6,11,14; 17:4,20; 18:2,9-10,27,31; 19:2,8,19-21,28; 20:3,15-16; 22:1,7,11,13,20; 24:13,15,30,43,45,51,63; 25:24,32; 26:8-9; 27:1-2,6,18,36,39,42; 28:12-13,15; 29:2,6,25; 30:3; 31:2,10-11,51; 32:18,20; 33:1; 34:21; 37:7,9,13,15,19,25,29; 38:13,23-24,27,29; 40:6,9,16; 41:1-3,5-7,17-19,22-23,29; 42:2,13,22,27-28,35; 43:21; 44:16; 45:12; 46:2; 47:1; 48:1-2,4,11,21; 50:5,18; M R De Haan - Truly Genesis 22 is holy ground to be approached only in deepest reverence, worship and adoration. We have in this chapter one of the clearest figures of Calvary to be found anywhere in Scripture. Together with Psalm 22, Exodus 12 and Isaiah 53, they constitute the highest mountain peaks in the Old Testament, in the progressive revelation of Jesus, the Son of God. Bob
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Spurgeon comments - I want you to notice that, in God’s dealings with believers, he tests them again and again. Read the text through, “It came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham.” After all his life of holy obedience he was still not free from trials. God still tested him. He had received great and precious promises, more than any other man of his time; and he believed them, and sucked the sweetness out of them; but after these things God did try Abraham. Genesis 22:1-19 can be entitled “the testing of Abraham” and can be divided into three sections: (1) Genesis 22:1-2: God’s instructions for the testing of Abraham. (2) Genesis 22:3-10: Abraham’s obedience to God’s instructions. (3) Genesis 22:11-19: God’s approval of and reward for Abraham’s obedience. F B
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Spurgeon - It was usually the way, in God’s commands to Abraham, to make him sail under sealed orders. When he was first bidden to leave his country and his kindred, and his father’s house, he had to go to a land that God would shew him. They have true faith who can go forth at God’s command, not knowing whither they are going. So Abraham did, and now the Lord says to him, “Take Isaac, and offer him for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” R. Kent
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Spurgeon - First, (Ge 22:1) “It came to pass after these things, that God did tempt (or “prove”) Abraham”—here we see the Lord’s way with believers. And, secondly (Ge 22:2), when God “said unto him, Abraham,” the patriarch instantly answered, “Behold, here I am,”—here we learn the believer’s way with the Lord. (Genesis 22:1 Abraham’s Trial—A Lesson for Believers) .Above all, God tried Abraham’s love. -- C H Spurgeon Spurgeon on the why of trials from God (or allowed by God) - He works in them by his grace until he casts out all other loves, and all other confidences, that he may have the whole of their hearts, and that they may love him and trust him supremely. Some of you have nothing to do with my text to-night. God does not test you, because he knows very well what you are, and he knows that you are not precious metal. The spurious coin is nailed down on the counter, or cast into the fire; and they that are not true people of God, and have none of the silver of grace in them, will come to such an end one day, and be, with shame and everlasting contempt, nailed down on the counter as counterfeits, or thrown into the fire that never shall be quenched. “Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.” It is the true coin that we try and test; and God, because he loved Abraham, and valued him, and saw his grace in him, tested him. He tested, first of all, his fear of God. That was the main point, as you will see in the twelfth verse (Ge 22:12) “Now I know that thou fearest God.” The Lord delights in a man who has a holy reverence for his God. I do not hesitate to say that this is a very scarce article nowadays....God also tried Abraham’s faith....He believed God, and therefore he stood firm. His faith was able to face difficulties, and to surmount them....Above all, God tried Abraham’s love. It may be that Isaac, though a gift from God, began to usurp God’s place. An Isaac may become an idol. The dearest thing we have, the most precious, the most beloved, may still become an abomination, by being made an idol to keep us away from God. Some of the heathen worship gods of mud, others worship gods of gold; but there is no difference in the idolatry, whether the image be made of mire or of the most precious metal. Have you any idols, dear friends? I will not press the question too closely; but whatever your idols may be, they will bring you a world of trouble, for you must love nothing in comparison with God. He must be first, and everything else far away in the background. No rivals will he endure. He will permit no Dagon to stand in the place where the ark of the covenant abides. So God tests Abraham to see which has most of his heart’s love, Jehovah who gave him Isaac, or Isaac whom Jehovah asked from him back again. (Genesis 22:1 Abraham’s Trial—A Lesson for Believers) MOUNT MORIAH PLACE OF SACRIFICE And go to the land of Moriah - As discussed above go in the Septuagint is an aorist imperative so the idea is "Just do it" is the idea! Don't debate and don't procrastinate! Moriah means "chosen by Jehovah," and is almost assuredly the same place where Jehovah appeared to David and where Solomon built the Holy Temple (2Chr 3:1, see also 1Ch 21:18-30+) .
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Spurgeon - All the details are mentioned, for true obedience is very careful of detail. They who would serve God aright must serve him faithfully in little things as well as in great ones. There must be a saddling of the ass, a calling of the two young men as well as Isaac, and a cleaving of the wood for the burnt offering. We must do everything that is included in the bounds of the divine command, and do it all with scrupulous exactness and care. Indifferent obedience to God’s command is practically disobedience, careless obedience is dead obedience, the heart is gone out of it. Let us learn from Abraham how to obey. Theodore Epp - THE RESPONSE OF FAITH Genesis 22:3; Galatians 1: 11-17 Even though Abraham could not understand why God would command him to offer his son, he was not slow in responding. Genesis 22:3 says, "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." In Abraham's response there was no reluctance, no hesitation, no doubt, no staggering, no unbelief. Abraham did not delay. He did not endeavor to reason things out or spend time consulting with other people about the matter. So also, when the Apostle Paul was called to preach the Gospel, he said, "Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood" (Gal. 1:16). This is important. There are occasions when no time should be taken to counsel with men. God found ready faith in Abraham. Faith triumphed over natural affections, over reason, over self-will. God's grace found a ready outlet through which it could manifest itself. Might our faith be as Abraham's faith. As we yield our lives to the Lord, He will work in us "both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). Then we will be able to say with the Apostle Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (4:13). "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). Genesis 22:4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. third : Ex 5:3 15:22 19:11,15 Lev 7:17 Nu 10:33 19:12,19 31:19 Jos 1:11 2Ki 20:5 Es 5:1 Ho 6:2 Mt 17:23 Lu 13:32 1Co 15:4 saw : 1Sa 26:13 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries On the third day - If he was walking (saddled the donkey suggests with supplies, wood, etc) he could have covered about 15-20 miles per day, which means it was about 50 miles from Beersheba. Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance - The text does not tell us how he recognized it, but he knew it was Moriah. Spurgeon - His was deliberate obedience; he could bear suspense, thinking over the whole matter for three days, and setting his face like a flint to obey his Lord’s command. Theodore Epp - TRUSTING IN SPITE OF CIRCUMSTANCES Genesis 22:4-5; Hebrews 11:17-19 Genesis 22:4-5 says, "Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." In these verses there are three things in particular that reveal the tremendous faith of Abraham. First, he told the young men who were with him, "Abide ye here." Once Abraham saw the mountain that God was going to send him to, he wanted to be sure that nothing or no one would hinder what he had undertaken. Second, Abraham told the young men, "I and the lad will go yonder and worship." Thus Abraham gave up all of his desires and ascribed everything to God. It was a true act of worship when Abraham was willing to give up everything for God. Third, Abraham told the young men, "I and the lad will. . . come again to you." His faith was in the God of the resurrection. He believed that God would bring his son back to life. Can we trust God when we are totally unable to see how He is going to work out His will? Abraham demonstrated that he could. "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (Job 13:15). Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you." Stay: Heb 12:1 Return: Heb 11:19 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries WE WILL WORSHIP AND RETURN And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship (shachah) and return to you - This is a private matter only for he and his son. Note the plural pronoun "WE" will worship and return (Lxx has first person plural = "we will return"!! How could Abraham be so confident "we" would return? In some way God had given Him supernatural revelation so that "He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type." (Hebrews 11:19+) Now it is one thing to know this intellectually but quite another to let if affect one's heart. Clearly in Abraham's case he fully believed God was able to carry out what He had promised. This reminds us of Hebrews 11:6 which says "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." As we see the story unfold, Abraham was rewarded with a new revelation of the character of God (Ge 22:14) and a confirmation of God's previous promises (Ge 22:17-18). Faith in the case of Abraham, as indeed in every other instance, is taking God at His word. True faith is nothing more, as it is nothing less, than this. God speaks: man believes. -- W H Griffith-Thomas W H Griffith-Thomas says "What a magnificent exercise of faith this was! There had never been such an event as a resurrection, and so Abraham had no previous example to suggest this result or to encourage his faith thereby. But with a splendid sweep of God-given imagination, based upon God's personal relation to him, he said to himself, 'God will raise my son from the dead.'....God was such a reality to Abraham, and His promises were so certain, that the patriarch at once drew the inevitable and natural conclusion that God's power could and would effect this.....How was it that Abraham was able to exercise this unquestioning and even astonishing trust in God? The explanation is found in the phrase, which occurs twice in this chapter, 'Here am I.' Abraham lived in close fellowship with God, ready for His new revelations and responsive to His continual calls. Abiding close to God, he learnt more and more of the character of the One with Whom he was in covenant. 'The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him,' and when we thus abide in Him He abides in us, and our faith grows strong, our love grows deep, our hope grows high. Then it is we 'stagger not through unbelief (Rom. 4:20), and we are able to say: ' The Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed' (Isaiah 50:7)." In English "worship" means to look at someone's "worth-ship", so to worship God is to respect and honor Him for Who He is. The Lxx translates worship (shachah) with proskuneo which means to prostrate oneself in homage before another in the full sense of worship, not mere reverence or courtesy. When Jesus Christ was born into this world, He was attended and worshipped by angels. (Lu 2:13f). Spurgeon on we will return - Abraham did not deceive the young men, he believed that he and Isaac would come to them again. He believed that though he might be compelled to say his son, “God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” Abraham bade the young men stay where they were, they must not see all that he was to do before the Lord. Oftentimes, our highest obedience must be a solitary one; friends cannot help us in such emergencies, and it is better for them and better for us that they should not be with us. Worship (bow down, prostrate one's self) (07812) shachah means to bow down, to prostrate oneself, to crouch, to fall down, to humbly beseech, to do reverence, to worship. The idea is to assume a prostrate position as would in paying homage to royalty (Ge 43:28) or to God (Ge 24:26, Ps 95:6). Brown-Driver-Briggs' Definition - to bow down (Qal) to bow down; (Hiphil) to depress (fig); (Hithpael) to bow down, prostrate oneself, before superior in homage, before God in worship, before false gods, before angel. In the first use in Genesis (which has most of the uses - 21v), when Abraham saw "three men (one of Whom was most likely the pre-incarnate Christ)… standing opposite him… he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed (shachah) himself to the earth (Ge 18:2, cp Lot bowing to the two angels - Ge 19:1) It is used to describe Joseph's brother's sheaves which "bowed down to my sheaf.” (Ge 37:7) When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, he told his men to remain for they would go to "worship and return to you." (Ge 22:5) Joshua bowed down to the "Captain of the host of the LORD," (Joshua 5:14) almost assuredly a preincarnate appearance of Messiah. In Josh 23:7, 16 Joshua warned Israel NOT to bow down to the idols of the land, but in Jdg 2:12, 17, 19 that is exactly what they did! The English word prostrate is defined as being stretched out with one's face on the ground in adoration or submission. It is not just that the person has fallen down but pictures them lying at length or with their body extended on the ground and so lying in a posture which is reflective of genuine humility and/or adoration. Shachah in the Pentateuch - Gen. 18:2; Gen. 19:1; Gen. 22:5; Gen. 23:7; Gen. 23:12; Gen. 24:26; Gen. 24:48; Gen. 24:52; Gen. 27:29; Gen. 33:3; Gen. 33:6; Gen. 33:7; Gen. 37:7; Gen. 37:9; Gen. 37:10; Gen. 42:6; Gen. 43:26; Gen. 43:28; Gen. 47:31; Gen. 48:12; Gen. 49:8; Exod. 4:31; Exod. 11:8; Exod. 12:27; Exod. 18:7; Exod. 20:5; Exod. 23:24; Exod. 24:1; Exod. 32:8; Exod. 33:10; Exod. 34:8; Exod. 34:14; Lev. 26:1; Num. 25:2; Deut. 4:19; Deut. 5:9; Deut. 8:19; Deut. 11:16; Deut. 17:3; Deut. 26:10; Deut. 29:26; Deut. 30:17 Genesis 22:5 ABIDE YE HERE WITH THE ASS; AND I AND THE LAD WILL GO YONDER AND WORSHIP Helps and hindrances of a Christian life I. In the path of faith, HUMAN HELP IS PROFITABLE. II. In the path of faith, HUMAN HELP IS LIMITED. III. In the path of faith, HUMAN HELP MUST RECEIVE A TIMELY DISMISSAL. IV. In the path of faith, THE GRANDEST TRIUMPHS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED ALONE. (H. T. Miller.) M R De Haan - What happened between Abraham and Isaac on the mount we may never know here; and so too what transpired between the Father and His Son Jesus Christ during those last three hours of agony we shall never be able to comprehend. It was a transaction between Father and Son. No human eyes were to behold that scene, and so Matthew records, as does Mark: Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour (Matthew 27:45). What happened between the Father and the Son during those three dreadful hours we may never know, and we would not tread upon that holy ground. When the final crisis came and the final sacrifice was to be made, God closed the door, snuffed out the lights of Heaven, drew a black curtain across the windows of the sky, hung a crepe on Heaven’s door, until finally the culmination came in the ultimate, agonizing cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Genesis 22:6 And 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. laid it : Isa 53:6 Mt 8:17 Lu 24:26,27 Joh 19:17 1Pe 2:24 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son - This reminds us of Jesus in John 19:17 when "He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha." And he took in his hand the fire and the knife - The knife is the term for a "butcher knife", a very large knife which was used for cooking purposes (cf. Judges 19:29; Proverbs 30:14). Spurgeon - "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." So the two of them walked on together - There was harmony, communion, fellowship, of one mind. ILLUSTRATION - "BUT YOU WILL NEED THIS" - Able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20 ). A young bride was going to entertain some friends, and lacking a few necessary things, went to a neighbor to borrow. "Is that all you want?" asked the generous neighbor. "Yes, I think so," replied the bride. "But you will need this, and that, and the other," said the experienced woman, naming the articles. "I was so thankful," said the young hostess afterward, "that I went to some one who knew just exactly what I needed better than I did myself, and was willing to supply it." Our Heavenly Father knows our needs better than we do, and in the richness of His love He supplies our known and unknown lack. From the C. E. World. Genesis 22:7 And 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?" My father : Mt 26:39,42 Joh 18:11 Ro 8:15 Here am I : Heb. Behold me, Ge 22:1 but : Ge 4:2-4 8:20 lamb : Ex 12:3 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Exodus 12:3+ “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. WHERE IS THE LAMB? And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, (hinneh) the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" - This is the question in the OT - Where is the Lamb? John answers in the NT crying "Behold the Lamb." (Jn 1:29+) and finally records "Worthy is the Lamb" (Rev 5:12+). The Lamb of God is presence from Genesis to Revelation (and everywhere in between!)
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Spurgeon - Abraham here spoke like a prophet; in fact, throughout this whole incident, he never opened his mouth without a prophetic utterance; and I believe that, when men walk with God, and live near to God, they will possibly even without being aware of it, speak very weighty words which will have much more in them than they themselves apprehend. Is it not written, concerning the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, “his leaf also shall not wither”? (Ps 1:3) Not only shall his fruit be abundant, but his casual word, “his leaf also shall not wither.” So was it with it Abraham. He spoke like a prophet of God when he was really speaking to his son in the anguish of his spirit, and in his prophetic utterance we find the sum end substance of the gospel: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” He is the great Provider, and he provides the offering, not only for us, but for himself, for the sacrifice was necessary to God as well as to man. And it is a burnt offering, not only a sin-offering but an offering of a sweet savour unto himself. Henry
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Spurgeon - “So they went both of them together.” Twice we are told this, for this incident is a type of the Father going with the Son and the Son going with the Father up to the great sacrifice on Calvary. It was not Christ alone who willingly died, or the Father alone who gave his Son, but they went both of them together,” even as Abraham and Isaac did here. (ED: INTERESTING THOUGHT TO PONDER). QUESTION - How did Abraham know that God will provide a lamb (Genesis 22:8)? ANSWER - Abraham knew that God would provide Himself with a lamb because, after years of having an immature faith, Abraham grew to fully trust that what God says He will do, He will do. In Genesis 15:6, after God had promised Abraham to give him innumerable descendants, Abraham believed in God, and it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. Initially, Abraham tried to help God keep His promise by suggesting that Eliezer be counted as his heir (Genesis 15:3) and by taking Hagar as his wife (Genesis 16). God’s plan wasn’t for either of these scenarios to provide the fulfillment of His promise. Instead, God further specified that Sarah would have a son and his name would be Isaac (Genesis 17:19). Isaac would be the covenant son through whom God would keep His promises (Genesis 17:21). Just as God had promised, Isaac was born (Genesis 21:1–2). Some years later, God tested Abraham’s faith, telling Him to take Isaac to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him to the Lord there (Genesis 22:2). This was a horrifying and grievous request, yet Abraham started off in the morning to do exactly what God had told him to do (Genesis 22:3–6). As they were making the journey, Isaac observes that there is no lamb for the sacrifice, and he asks his father about that oddity (Genesis 22:7). Abraham responded to his son that God will provide Himself a lamb (Genesis 22:8). When they arrived at the right place, Abraham bound his son and was about to take the prescribed action and kill Isaac (Genesis 22:9–10). The author of Hebrews tells us what Abraham was thinking—how he could be willing to kill his son, and how he could know that God will provide Himself a lamb. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham considered that God was able to raise people from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). God had promised Abraham that Isaac would be the covenant son, and that from Isaac God would raise up a mighty nation in fulfillment of the promises God had made to Abraham. God had already miraculously kept His promises—that Isaac was even born was a miracle in itself. Abraham had learned that God is faithful. At first, Abraham simply exercised faith (Genesis 15:6), and God counted that to Abraham as righteousness (as He does with us when we believe in Him). But part of growing in our relationship with God is increasing in confidence that He is able and willing to accomplish what He has said. Because Abraham had seen God’s faithfulness, when this uncharacteristic request of human sacrifice was made, Abraham trusted God that He knew what He was doing. Abraham knew that, even despite this strange and awful request, God would provide and God would keep His word. Before Abraham could bring the knife down to strike his son, the angel or messenger of the Lord called out to Him from heaven acknowledging that Abraham had passed the test and should not kill Isaac (Genesis 22:11–12). Of course, God never intended that Abraham would actually kill Isaac. He simply wanted to show Abraham that, no matter how impossible the circumstances, Abraham could trust God. As Abraham looked up, he saw a ram caught in a thicket nearby and offered the ram as a sacrifice instead of Isaac (Genesis 22:13). Abraham then acknowledged that God had provided for His word to be kept, and he named the place "Jehovah-Jireh," which means "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14). While Abraham’s weakness of faith is chronicled in Genesis 18—21, God did not reject him or punish him for that immaturity. God did, however, provide him opportunities to grow and then puts him to the test so he can demonstrate that growth. Abraham learned that God is faithful, and even when we are unsure of how God is going to keep His word, we can be certain that He is faithful and that He will keep His word.GotQuestions.org Tony Evans - Worship That Comes from the Heart God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering. Genesis 22:8 God will sometimes test the depth of your devotion to Him. In Genesis 22, He tested Abraham’s faith when He instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham was willing to obey God no matter what. He didn’t talk back, make excuses, or turn away from God. He just obeyed—knowing in his heart that the Lord would provide the right sacrifice. When they had reached their destination, Abraham spoke with words of faith as he told his servants, “I and the lad…will worship and return to you” (verse 5). Then when it came to the actual moment of sacrifice, God stopped him. “Abraham!…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” (verses 11-12). God did not want Abraham to harm his son. He was just checking Abraham’s devotion. How often have you faced a difficult situation and thought, “Lord, You can have anything, but please, just don’t take ______”? In this situation, Abraham would have filled the blank with the name of his son Isaac. Worship begins in the heart. Therefore, always be willing to obey the Lord by letting go of anything you deem more valuable than your relationship with Him. When you do, His goodness will be poured out in abundance. Eight Cows On The Altar - Ge 22:1-12 - Pastor Ed Dobson was speaking to a congregation on “putting all on the altar” in total surrender to Christ. After the service, an old German farmer came forward. He told Dobson that he had eight cows that were dying, which would mean great financial loss, and he had been struggling with accepting this as God’s will. Then he said, “Because of your message, I have found peace. Tonight I put them all on the altar.” Christ’s lordship touches every area, every relationship, every concern of our lives. If we are willing to submit to Him, any loss in life will be seen as an opportunity of giving back to God what is rightfully His and trusting Him to provide what is needed. When God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, He seemed to be undermining His own purposes. Isaac was the son of promise through whom God would bless the world. Yet Abraham’s faith had grown strong over the years, and baffled though he must have been, he said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb” (Genesis 22:8). You have longed for sweet peace and for faith to increase, And have earnestly, fervently prayed; But you cannot have rest or be perfectly blest Until all on the altar is laid. —Hoffman Submission to God means taking our hands off what belongs to Him. Genesis 22:9 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. place : Ge 22:2-4 Mt 21:1-46 26:1-27:66 built : Ge 8:20 bound : Ps 118:27 Isa 53:4-10 Mt 27:2 Mk 15:1 Joh 10:17,18 Ac 8:32 Ga 3:13 Eph 5:2 Php 2:7,8 Heb 9:28 1Pe 2:24 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISAAC SUBMITS TO FATHER'S WILL Then they came to the place of which God had told him - Abraham fully follows the Lord's instructions. THOUGHT - Have I gone to the place which the Lord told me to go? And Abraham built the altar there - "See him pulling out the large, rough, unhewn stones that lay round about the place, and then fling them up into an altar." (Spurgeon). It is interesting that there is no record of Lot ever building an altar. THOUGHT - When was the last time you built an altar (so to speak) so that "Through Him (Christ)" you might "continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name?" (Heb 13:15+) How often do you (I) literally fall on your knees before the thrice holy God? (I am sorely convicted by my own question!) (See Building Altars) The phrase built an altar is found 18x in 18v all in the Old Testament - Ge 8:20; Gen. 12:7; Gen. 12:8; Gen. 13:18; Gen. 26:25; Gen. 35:7; Exod. 17:15; Exod. 24:4; Exod. 32:5; Jos. 8:30; Jos. 22:10; Jos. 22:11; Jdg. 6:24; Jdg. 21:4; 1 Sam. 14:35; 1 Ki. 18:32; 2 Ki. 16:11; 1 Chr. 21:26 And arranged the wood - the word arranged conveys an orderly action. Abraham was not panicked. And bound his son Isaac - The verb for bound (aqad) occurs only here in the OT and gives rise to the Jewish term for this story, The Aqedah, the binding of Isaac. This story is as much an illustration of Isaac’s faith as it is of Abraham’s. If Isaac was old enough to carry the wood, he surely was strong enough to resist his father! And yet he willingly submits to his father, when he could have tied up his father! THOUGHT - Have I willingly presented myself on the altar as "a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Romans 12:1+) P. Van Gorder - The Christian’s greatest joy and usefulness is found in letting God fully possess His own property. Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest and have peace and sweet rest As you yield Him your body and soul. -- Hoffman And laid him on the altar on top of the wood - In preparation for a whole burnt offering. Oswald Chambers - Does my sacrifice live? Genesis 22:9. This incident is a picture of the blunder we make in thinking that the final thing God wants of us is the sacrifice of death. What God wants is the sacrifice through death which enables us to do what Jesus did, viz., sacrifice our lives. Not ‘I am willing to go to death with Thee,’ but, ‘I am willing to be identified with Thy death so that I may sacrifice my life to God.’ We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! God purified Abraham from this blunder, and the same discipline goes on in our lives. God nowhere tells us to give up things for the sake of giving them up. He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, viz., life with Himself. It is a question of loosening the bands that hinder the life, and immediately those bands are loosened by identification with the death of Jesus, we enter into a relationship with God whereby we can sacrifice our lives to Him. It is of no value to God to give Him your life for death. He wants you to be a “living sacrifice,” (Ro 12:1) to let Him have all your powers that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus. This is the thing that is acceptable to God. Theodore Epp - ACTION PROVES FAITH Genesis 22:9-12 This was the triumph of both Abraham and Isaac. Faith was now a proven fact. God said, "Now I know that thou fearest God" (Gen. 22:12). Abraham had passed the supreme test, and God's voice broke into the awful silence and said, "Now I know." Faith is always proved by action. In his epistle James said, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" (James 2:21,22). Along with these statements, Romans 4:2,3 needs to be taken into consideration: "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." It is common to hear people say, "You must have faith." But faith itself is as rare as a true gem. The kind of faith that causes a man to launch out into the deep from the shore of present circumstances is practically missing. Where is our faith today? Perhaps you ask, What is faith? When taken in its most basic meaning, faith is believing what God says and then acting upon it. If we do not act upon what God says, this is an evidence that we really do not believe. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:17). Building Altars Genesis 12:8 - Wade Horton INTRODUCTION: God called on Abram to "get thee out of thy country" (v. 1) and go to a land He would show him. Verse 8 says, "He builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord." It seems that everywhere Abram went, he built an altar. But there is no record of Lot ever building an altar anywhere. I. ABRAM BUILT ALTARS. A. The text says, "Abram pitched his tent, and there he builded an altar unto the Lord." Lot "pitched his tent toward Sodom," and did not prepare a place of worship. B. The tent was Abram's home; the altar was his place of worship. The tent represents the natural; the altar, the spiritual. If we are faithful in worship, God will take care of our home. C. Abraham even built an altar on which to slay his son. It was against God's law, for Exodus 20:13 says, "Thou shalt not kill." But God told him to do it. "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.... Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead..." (Hebrews 11:17, 19). How could he do this and live with himself? What would his wife say? What would his friends' reaction be? He would be despised, a stench in the nostrils of all the people. But he would not question God's order. He would obey! II. ISAAC BUILT AN ALTAR. He "pitched his tent there," where he had built the altar. Afterwards, Abimelech wanted to make a covenant with him. The reason? "We saw... the Lord was with thee" (Genesis 26:28). The same day, Isaac's servant said, "We have found water" (v. 32). So there were two blessings: peace with his enemy, and water for the necessary use. III. JACOB BUILT AN ALTAR. A. After Jacob met "the angels of God," had his wrestling match with God, made peace with his brother Esau, and bought a parcel of ground and spread his tent, he "erected there an altar." He called it El-elohe-Israel, which means, "God; the God of Israel." (See Genesis 33:20). B. Then in Genesis 35:1, God told Jacob to "arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau." Jacob said, "I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress..." (v. 3). "And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities... round about them" (v. 5). "He built there an altar and, called... [it] El-Beth-el"—God of the House of God (v. 7). IV. MOSES BUILT AN ALTAR. "And Moses builded an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi"—the Lord my banner (Exodus 17:15). He had just led a great battle against the Amalekites by standing on top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand while Joshua fought Amalek. Moses' arms grew heavy, so Aaron and Hur held them up for him "until the going down of the sun" (v. 12). V. NOAH BUILT AN ALTAR. A. "And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. "And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground..." (Genesis 8:20, 21). B. 2 Corinthians 2:15—"We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish." C. When God set up a standard of laws, He included the altar: "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shall sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou has polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon" (Exodus 20:24-26). VI. JOSHUA AND OTHERS BUILT AN ALTAR. A. After his victory over Ai and the inhabitants, it is recorded, "Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal" (Joshua 8:30). B. Other Old Testament heroes who built an altar include Gideon, Saul, David, Solomon. Elijah repaired and built an altar in 1 Kings 18:30-32. Asa "renewed the altar of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 15:8). VII. JESUS SPOKE OF THE ALTAR. A. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has ought against thee... first be reconciled to thy brother" (Matthew 5:23, 24). B. Differences must be settled first before God will meet us at the altar. VIII. THE ALTAR IS A PLACE OF SACRIFICE. A. The altar is a place to meet God and offer sacrifices, with the first sacrifice being self. Romans 12:1, 2—"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world...." Galatians 2:20—"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me...." Colossians 3:3—"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Matthew 10:39—"He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." 2 Corinthians 8:5—"And this they did... but first gave their own selves to the Lord...." B. At the altar we sacrifice our time. Acts 6:4—"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." 1 Corinthians 7:5—"Ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer..." (Also see Matthew 17:21.) C. The altar is a place to offer sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. Hebrews 13:15—"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name. 1 Peter 2:5—The Church is to "offer up spiritual sacrifices...." D. Philippians 4:18—"Having received... the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God." E. Hebrews 11:4—"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." F. "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Issac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son" (Hebrews 11:17). CONCLUSION: Nothing less than a sacrifice of our best, our all, will do. Genesis 22:9 GIVE OR TAKE? "Abraham built an altar...and bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar." Genesis 22:9 What more poignant account can you find in all the Old Testament than the dramatic scene described in today’s text? The heart of Abraham must have nearly broken when God said, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest,...and offer him there for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:2). But notice Abraham’s response. He quickly arose and traveled 3 days with Isaac until they reached the place of sacrifice. I wonder what thoughts crowded his mind during that long journey. Did he doubt God’s wisdom? Surely this question must have raced through his mind: If Isaac, who was born as the result of a miracle, is the son of promise, why is God asking me to slay him? The patriarch, Abraham, however, did not retreat, disobey, or turn aside to avoid making this ultimate sacrifice. Instead, he gave his son back to God. His yieldedness was regarded with these words of divine approval: “...now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me” (Gen. 22:12). Pastor William Sangster went into a hospital room to visit a little girl who was losing her sight. Fear seemed to grip the youngster as with nearly blind eyes she turned her face toward the preacher. “Oh, Dr. Sangster, God is taking away my sight.” God’s servant leaned over the trembling child and said tenderly, “Don’t let Him take it; give it to Him.” Genesis 22:10 And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. Isa 53:6-12 Heb 11:17-19 Jas 2:21-23 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ABRAHAM WILLINGNESS TO SLAY HIS ONLY SON! And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son - Picture Abraham holding Isaac's throat back to slit it with the knife! Note that the Greek verb for Hebrew slay (shachat) is sphazo, the same verb describes Lamb in Rev 5:6+! Shachat is the Hebrew word used to slaughter the sacrificial animal. Isaac a clear type of Christ as the "only begotten son" of promise of Abraham and the ram in the thicket a picture of substitutionary atonement (see Lev 16+) Abraham displayed his heart towards God in that he was willing to give his only son. God displays His heart towards us in the same way, by giving His only begotten Son (John 3:16+). When God asked Abraham for the ultimate demonstration of love and commitment, He asked for Abraham’s son. When the Father wanted to show us the ultimate demonstration of His love and commitment to us, He gave us His Son. We can say to the Lord, "Now I know that You love me, seeing You have not withheld Your Son, Your only Son from me." All the while, God still required a sacrifice. God didn’t call off the sacrifice. Instead, He required that there be a substitute provided by God Himself. THOUGHT- What is your "Isaac" that needs to be laid on the altar? If we are to "worship" we must come to HIm with total, unconditional surrender & obedience. This is the foundation for genuine worship. Donald Barnhouse - "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." Spurgeon - So that, in intent and purpose, he had consummated the sacrifice, and therefore we read in Hebrew 11:17, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only-begotten son.” He had virtually done so in the esteem of God though no trace of a wound could be found upon Isaac. How often God takes the will for the deed with his people! When he finds them willing to make the sacrifice that he demands, he often does not require it at their hands. If you are willing to suffer for Christ’s sake, it may be that you shall not be caused to suffer and if you are willing to be a martyr for the truth, you may be permitted to wear the martyr’s crown even though you are never called to stand at the stake, the scaffold or the block. Genesis 22:11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Angel : Ge 22:12,16 Ge 16:7,9,10 Ge 21:17 Abraham : Ge 22:1 Ex 3:4 1Sa 3:10 Ac 9:4 26:14 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 16:7; 9; 10 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 9 Then the angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.” 10 Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.” THE ANGEL OF JEHOVAH INTERVENES But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven - This is the first time ‘Yhwh’ is used in this passage, previously God is referred to as ‘Elohim.’ God’s covenant name was last used in Genesis when the promised Isaac was born (Ge 21:1). The God who tested Abraham shows Himself to be the gracious Lord Who provides for the problem & thus keeps His promise (Ex 34:6-7). And said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." - Note Abraham's repeated response "Here I am!" This is the first of ten name duplications found in the Bible. Seven are spoken by God to man (Ge 22:11 Ge 46:2 Ex 3:4 = Moses; 1Sa 3:10 = Samuel; Lk 10:41 Lk 22:31 = Simon; Acts 9:4, 22:7, 26:14 = Saul). The other three are Mt 7:21,22 Mt 23:37 = Jerusalem; Mk15:34 = Eloi. They all introduce matters of special importance. Here I am - This is the Hebrew word hinneh normally rendered "Behold." Spurgeon - The first blessed effect of God’s test of Abraham was that thus he avoided evil....The trial blessed him further in revealing Christ. Do you not think that, on this occasion, Abraham had a clearer view of Christ than ever he had before? Our Saviour says, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (Jn 8:56+) When did Abraham see Christ? He may have seen him at other times; but on the top of Moriah, when his own son was on the wood, and his own hand was lifted up, he must have seen the Son of God, and the uplifted hand of God offering the Great Sacrifice. When he took the ram from the thicket, and so saved the life of his son, how clearly he must have understood that blessed doctrine of substitution, which is the very centre of the gospel! I have no other hope than this....And, lastly, Abraham was blessed by the test in communing with the Father (Genesis 22:1 Abraham’s Trial—A Lesson for Believers) Related Resource: Angel of the LORD Genesis 22:12 And 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." Do not stretch out your hand: 1Sa 15:22 Job 5:19 Jer 19:5 Mic 6:6-8 1Co 10:13 2Co 8:12 Heb 11:19 now : Ge 20:11 26:5 42:18 Ex 20:20 1Sa 12:24,25 15:22 Ne 5:15 Job 28:28 Ps 1:6 2:11 25:12,14 111:10 112:1 147:11 Pr 1:7 Ec 8:12,13 Ec 12:13 Jer 32:40 Mal 4:2 Mt 5:16 10:37,38 16:24 19:29 Ac 9:31 Heb 12:28 Jas 2:18,21,22 Rev 19:5 since you have not withheld your son: Joh 3:16 Ro 5:8 8:32 1Jn 4:9,10 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries TWO NEGATIVE COMMANDS And He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear (yare) God - Fear (yare) means a reverence and respect toward God, not a shaking fear. God is reverenced when a person respects Him for Who He is and this rightly understood fear of God is seen when we walk in His ways motivated by loving obedience (cf Jn 14:15). Of course, for now I know in know way questions Jehovah's foreknowledge! This is the sort of verse that those who espouse open theism would point to. But their basic premise is wrong (See What is open theism? | GotQuestions.org)!
Gênesis 22
Spurgeon - The needful test had been applied, and Abraham’s faith had endured the trial. God knows all things by his divine omniscience, but now he knew by this severe test and trial which he had applied, that Abraham really loved him best of all. Notice that the angel says, “Now I know that thou fearest God.” I do not think that the gracious use of godly fear has ever been sufficiently estimated by the most of us; here, the stress is not laid upon the faith, but upon the filial fear of Abraham. That holy awe, that sacred reverence of God is the very essence of our acceptance with him.” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him.” This is a very different thing from slavish fear; it is a right sort of fear, the kind of fear that love does not cast out, but which love lives with in happy fellowship. Lawrence Richards - The old saying is accurate. Talk is cheap. Many who claim to be Christians talk a good faith. But the test of a real faith is obedience to God. Abraham had proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that he did trust God. Since - What is this explaining? How is it explained? Fear of God is manifest is obedience to His commands, which also equates with faith. To fear God in chapter 22 means to believe his word fully and absolutely, and to be loyal to his directives. Fear God here means to reverence Him as sovereign, trust Him implicitly & obey Him w/o question. It also clearly speaks of one's love for God as greater than our greatest love on earth - see Ge 22:2 THOUGHT - God wanted, not the offering of a human sacrifice, but the surrender of a human will. And this He had from Abraham, the friend of God (Isa 41:8) . Does He have my heart surrender? You have not withheld your son, your only son (Ge 22:2), from Me - The Hebrew text clearly uses ‘Me'. Paul wrote that God “did not spare [pheidomai] His own Son, but gave [paradidomi delivered] Him up for us all” (Ro 8:32+). A form of the same Greek word is used of Abraham in the Septuagint: “Thou hast not spared [pheidomai] thy beloved son” (Ge 22:12). Who does this description remind you of? God the Father not withholding His only begotten Son! God always inspects the giver, before He inspects the gift. God did not so much want Isaac's life -- what He really desired was Abraham's (and your & my) heart! Compare (1Sa 15:22-23 Ps 51:14-17) God does not delight in the external acts and the ritual of worship. God always inspects the giver, before He inspects the gift. How can one who is unclean offer a clean sacrifice? The constant call of God in His word is for God’s servants give their whole heart to HIm before they observe feasts, fasts, sabbaths or sacrifices. Rote religion can never substitute for purity of heart. Compare (Mt 5:8 Heb 12:14 Jn 14:21) God tested Abraham in the command to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. God in His omniscience had always known the heart of Abraham, but here He gave Abraham an opportunity to demonstrate his faith. Abraham himself had his faith exercised (Jas 2:21-23+) and developed while learning a new lesson -- that God would provide (Ge 22:8, 13). Almost certainly the event on Mt Moriah is typological (albeit admittedly one must be cautious applying typology). Abraham, advancing up the slope, very possibly where Solomon's temple later stood, felt something (but only a small fraction at most) of the agony of the Heavenly Father sacrificing His only Son, Jesus. Word Biblical Commentary: To “fear God” or “the Lord” is a very common expression in the OT and means to honor God in worship and in an upright life. Thus Abraham was worried about the behavior of the people of Gerar because he thought they had no fear of God (Ge 20:11), while Joseph tries to reassure his brothers that he will treat them fairly because he fears God (Ge 42:18). Perhaps the best parallel to this passage is Job 1:1, 8; 2:3, in which Job is described as “blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil.” Like Abraham, he also underwent a mysterious test of his loyalty to God. Believer's Study Bible - God tested Abraham in the command to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. God in His omniscience had always known the heart of Abraham, but here He gave Abraham an opportunity to demonstrate his faith. Abraham himself had his faith exercised (James 2:21-23) and developed while learning a new lesson -- that God would provide (vv. 8, 13). Almost certainly the event on Mount Moriah is typological. Abraham, advancing up the slope, very possibly where Solomon's temple later stood, felt something of the agony of the Heavenly Father sacrificing His only Son, Jesus. At the summit of Moriah, the type changes, and Isaac is a type of all lost and condemned men, for whom a substitute ram, typical of Christ, was sacrificed. Fear (03372) yare is a verb meaning to fear, to be afraid (Ge 3:10+), to respect, to reverence, to be terrified, to be awesome, to be feared, to make afraid, to frighten. The most common translations are to be afraid, to fear, to fear God. On one had yare conveys the sense of threat to one's life, but on the other it can express the idea of reverence and deep respect (as in Ps 25:14). In the OT fear of the Lord involves a person's total response to the Lord. It is notable that more than 75% of the over 370 uses (see below) of yare are in the context of reverencing the Lord. In English our word reverence (from Latin reverentia "awe, respect," from revereri "to stand in awe of, respect, honor, fear, be afraid of; revere,") refers to a feeling of profound respect for someone or something, and with yare in the OT as noted this is most often to God. The classic use is Pr 1:7+ "The fear (yare) of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge." Notice that a genuine holy fear of the Lord is often equated with believers (e.g. Mal 3:16+, Mal 4:2+, Eccl 8:12-13, cf the last worldwide proclamation of the Gospel which says "Fear God..." - Rev 14:6-7+) Yare in Genesis - Gen. 3:10; Gen. 15:1; Gen. 18:15; Gen. 19:30; Gen. 20:8; Gen. 21:17; Gen. 22:12; Gen. 26:7; Gen. 26:24; Gen. 28:17; Gen. 31:31; Gen. 32:7; Gen. 32:11; Gen. 35:17; Gen. 42:18; Gen. 42:35; Gen. 43:18; Gen. 43:23; Gen. 46:3; Gen. 50:19; Gen. 50:21; Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask page 43 - GENESIS 22:12—Was God ignorant of how Abraham would respond? PROBLEM: This verse implies that God did not know how Abraham would respond to His command, since it was only after Abraham obeyed that God said, “now I know that you fear God.” However, the Bible declares elsewhere that God in “His understanding is infinite” (Ps. 147:5), that He knows “the end from the beginning” (Isa. 46:10), and has foreknown and predestinated us from the foundation of the world (Rom. 8:29–30). SOLUTION: In His omniscience God knew exactly what Abraham would do, since He knows all things (cf. Ps. 139:2–4; Jer. 17:10; Acts 1:24; Heb. 4:13). However, what God knows by cognition, and what is known by demonstration are different. After Abraham had obeyed God’s command, he demonstrated what God always knew, namely, that he feared God. Here again the Bible, addressed as it is to human beings, speaks from the human perspective. In like manner, a math teacher might say, “Let’s see if we can find the square root of 49, ” and then, after demonstrating it, declare, “Now we know that it is 7, ” even though she knew from the beginning what the answer was. Vance Havner - AS GOOD AS DONE - BORROW All the Days By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.... Hebrews 11:17. Abraham did not actually slay Isaac upon the altar, but God knew his heart and took the will for the deed. It was as good as done. God sometimes asks of us a sacrifice which He may not let us actually make even as the Lord stayed Abraham's hand. The angel said, "Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me" (Genesis 22:12). What God looks for is the intent of the heart and, when in our hearts we have already made the sacrifice required, God may sometimes not ask us to actually finish what we meant to do. Abraham put God first, not Isaac, and we read, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Genesis 21:12). Our testimony is perpetuated by the Isaac we offer at God's command, whether consummated actually or intentionally. Genesis 22:13 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. behind : Ge 22:8 Ps 40:6-8 89:19,20 Isa 30:21 1Co 10:13 2Co 1:9,10 in the : 1Co 5:7,8 1Pe 1:19,20 Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD PROVIDES A SUBSTITUTE SACRIFICE Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked - Figure of speech Pleonasm; or, Redundancy = when more words are used than the grammar requires, for the sake of emphasis. Spurgeon - Here is another type (see warning on Typology) of our Saviour’s great sacrifice on Calvary,-the ram offered in the place of Jesus. How often do you and I have our great Substitute very near to us, yet we do not see him because we do not lift up our eyes and look. “Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns.” So, if you lift up your eyes, and look the right, ay, you will see the great sacrifice close by you held fast for you, even as this ram was caught to die instead of Isaac. Oh, that you may have grace to turn your head in the right direction, and look to Christ and live! and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns - Actually the Hebrew says “another ram.” Ancient and modern versions have missed the point when they render “a ram” or “a ram behind him.” Isaac was the first ram. Here is the second one. After He tests us, God reveals Himself to us in a new way (Jn 14:21-23). The name Jehovah-Yireh means “the Lord will see to it” or “the Lord will provide.” The ram was God’s provision for Isaac, and Jesus Christ is God’s provision for the whole world. In this experience, Abraham saw Christ by faith and rejoiced (Jn 8:56). and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son - The Lxx uses anaphero the same word in Ge 8:20, Isa 53:12, Heb 9:28, 1Pe 2:24! The OLD clearly points to the NEW, and the NEW clearly reveals the meaning of the OLD -- the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8, Rev 5:6) This is the first mention of a substitutionary atonement in the Bible. Note the phrase in the place of (tachath/tahat = means "instead of") which is a clear foreshadowing of the critically important doctrine of substitution, specifically the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29+), His life in our place! Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus! Amen! Play Michael Card's great song (he wrote it and sang it) El Shaddai. While we do not encounter that specific Name in this section, Michael Card does have a line in the beautiful song that speaks of God's provision to Abraham of a substitutionary sacrifice (see lines in bold).... Through Your love and through the ram You saved the son of Abraham Through the power of Your hand Turned the sea into dry land To the outcast on her knees You were the God who really sees And by Your might You set Your children free QUESTION - What is the doctrine of substitution? ANSWER - Substitution is one of the major themes of the Bible. God instituted the principle of substitution in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. By killing an animal to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:21), God began to paint a picture of what it would take to bring humanity back into proper relationship with Him. He continued that theme with His chosen people Israel. By giving them the Law, God showed them His holiness and demonstrated their inability to achieve that holiness. God then granted them a substitute to pay the price for their sin, in the form of blood sacrifices (Exodus 29:41-42; 34:19; Numbers 29:2). By sacrificing an innocent animal according to God’s specifications, human beings could have their sins forgiven and enter the presence of God. The animal died in the sinner’s place, thereby allowing the sinner to go free, vindicated. Leviticus 16 tells of the scapegoat, upon which the elders of Israel would place their hands, symbolically transferring the sins of the people onto the goat. The goat was then set free into the wilderness, bearing the sins of the people far away. The theme of substitution is found throughout the Old Testament as a precursor to the coming of Jesus Christ. The Passover feast conspicuously featured a substitute. In Exodus 12, God gives instruction to His people to prepare for the coming destroyer who would strike down the firstborn male of every family as a judgment upon Egypt. The only way to escape this plague was to take a perfect male lamb, kill it, and put the blood on the lintels and doorposts of their houses. God told them, “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt” (Exodus 12:13). That Passover lamb was a substitute for every male firstborn who would accept it. God carried that theme of substitution into the New Testament with the coming of Jesus. He had set the stage so that mankind would understand exactly what Jesus came to do. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” God’s perfect Lamb took the sins of the world upon Himself, laid down His life, and died in our place (John 1:29; 1 Peter 3:18). The only acceptable sacrifice for sin is a perfect offering. If we died for our own sins, it would not be sufficient payment. We are not perfect. Only Jesus, the perfect God-Man, fits the requirement, and He laid down His life for ours willingly (John 10:18). There was nothing we could do to save ourselves, so God did it for us. The Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53 makes the substitutionary death of Christ abundantly clear: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (verse 5). Jesus’ substitution for us was perfect, unlike the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. Hebrews 10:4 says, "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Someone might say, "You mean, all those sacrifices the Jews made were for nothing?" The writer is clarifying that animal blood itself had no value. It was what that blood symbolized that made the difference. The value of the ancient sacrifices was that the animal was a substitute for a human being’s sin and that it pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:22). Some people make the mistake of thinking that, since Jesus died for the sins of the world, everyone will go to heaven one day. This is incorrect. The substitutionary death of Christ must be personally applied to each heart, in much the same way that the blood of the Passover had to be personally applied to the door (John 1:12; 3:16-18; Acts 2:38). Before we can become “the righteousness of God in Him,” we must exchange our old sin nature for His holy one. God offers the Substitute, but we must receive that Substitute personally by accepting Christ in faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).GotQuestions.org Related Resource: What is the doctrine of penal substitution? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 22:14 And 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." alled : Ge 16:13,14 28:19 32:30 Ex 17:15 Jud 6:24 1Sa 7:12 Eze 48:35 Jehovah jireh : i.e. The Lord will see, or provide, Ge 22:8,13 Ex 17:15 In : De 32:36 Ps 22:4,5 Da 3:17-25 Mic 4:10 Joh 1:14 2Co 1:8-10 1Ti 3:16 it shall be seen : "In the mount of the Lord it shall be provided." The meaning is, that God, in the greatest difficulties, when all human assistance is vain, will make a suitable provision for the deliverance of those who trust in Him. Genesis 22 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See chart on Jehovah Jireh: The LORD Will Provide: ABRAHAM SEES GOD SEEING HIM And Abraham called the name of that place What place? Mt Moriah, called Jehovah Jireh because in that mountain, the sacrifice will be provided by Jehovah. I personally believe that this can be none other than a clear reference to Yeshua ha Maschiach, the Angel of the LORD. Unbelievably awesome! The LORD Will Provide - Jehovah Jireh, literally "Jehovah sees" "The-Lord-Will-Provide" is a play on the verb translated "provided." The verb means basically "see," as the English word "provide" is from the Latin, meaning "see beforehand." God sees our need before it arises and makes provision for it. Abraham calls the name of this place “The Lord will provide.” The name he chooses does not draw attention to himself but to his Lord. He does not name the place “Abraham believed.” He focuses on God’s mercy and faithfulness, not on his own obedience. Even before he knew how this trial would end, Abraham confidently believed God, trusting him to provide what was needed (Ro 4:20). Abraham didn’t name the place in reference to what he went through. He didn’t name it "trial hill" or "agony hill" or "obedience hill." Instead, he named the hill in reference to what God had done; he named it "provision hill." Abraham knew God would provide the ultimate sacrifice for salvation on that hill someday. That’s why he named it what he did. The name by which God revealed himself to Abraham, "Jehovah-jireh," may be translated in three ways: "The Lord will See," or "The Lord will Provide," or "The Lord shall be Seen." However we translate this name of our God, Jehovah-jireh expresses the idea of God seeing and being seen. For God, to see is to provide. We sometimes say, "I will see to it," when we mean, "I will take care of it," or "I will provide for it." As it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD (Jehovah) it will be provided." Most conservative sources feel that 2000 years later, Mt Moriah, if not identical, was at least in the same mountain range north of Jerusalem, on which stood a lonely hill named Golgotha ["Skull"] where God the Father offered up His Son, His only begotten Son Whom He loved, as a substitute for all who would one day by faith enter into the Abrahamic Covenant and by extension into the New Covenant in the precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ, our "Jehovah Jireh" THOUGHT - Do not miss the practical application of this to your own heart. If you believe God, if you follow the Lord's bidding, he will see to it that you will not be ashamed or confounded (Ro 10:11). If you come into great need by following his command, the Lord will see to it that you lose nothing by your obedience. If difficulties rise like mountains before you, so that your way seems to be completely blocked up, your God will see to it that the way is cleared. Walk in the way of obedience and, as you walk, every obstacle will fall before you. "Whatsoever he says to you, do it" (Jn 2:5). Confer not with flesh and blood, and the Lord will make a way for you to do his will (Ga 1:16). The Lord will see us through the way of faith and obedience, if we are willing to walk in it. He will see to our way, if we dare to walk in his way (Pr3:5-6). Spurgeon - “ABRAHAM called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh,” or “Jehovah will see it,” or “Jehovah will provide,” or “Jehovah will be seen.” We are offered a variety of interpretations, but the exact idea is that of seeing and being seen. For God to see is to provide. Our own word “provide,” is only Latin for “to see.”.... true faith is always modest; from her gate boasting is excluded by law. Abraham says nothing about himself at all, but the praise is unto God, who sees and is seen; the record is, “Jehovah will provide.” I like that self-ignoring; I pray that we, also, may have so much strength of faith that self may go to the wall. Little faith is very apt to grow proud when, to its own astonishment, it has wrought righteousness; but strong faith so completely empties itself, and so entirely depends upon the all-sufficiency of God, that when anything is achieved it remembers nothing but the divine hand, and lays the crown where it ought to be laid. Growing in experimental acquaintance with the God of the covenant, faith has a new song and a new name for her God, and takes care that his wonderful works shall be remembered. (Jehovah-Jireh) Isaac’s picture of Jesus becomes even clearer: Both were loved by their father. Both offered themselves willingly. Both carried wood up the hill of their sacrifice. Both were sacrificed on the same hill. Both were delivered from death on the third day. Related Resources: See article below by Herbert Lockyer - JEHOVAH-JIREH—The Lord Will Provide See article below on Jehovah Jireh by Nathan Stone See sermon below Jehovah Jireh by Alexander Maclaren See another sermon below on Jehovah Jireh by Alexander Maclaren See article below on Jehovah-Jireh - Robert Neighbour QUESTION - What does it mean that God is Jehovah-Jireh? WATCH VIDEO ANSWER - “Jehovah-Jireh” is one of the many different names of God found in the Old Testament. “Jehovah-Jireh” is the KJV’s translation of YHWH-Yireh and means “The LORD Will Provide” (Genesis 22:14). It is the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. The story begins with a strange command from God to Abraham, instructing him to offer his “son of promise,” Isaac, as a burnt offering. Early the next morning, Abraham packs wood and a knife, and he and Isaac travel to Moriah, the place God had specified. As they near the site, Isaac questions Abraham concerning the intended offering: “Where is the lamb?” With great faith and foresight, Abraham responds, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:1-8). The New Testament tells us that Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). Upon reaching the place God had chosen, Abraham demonstrates his faith and obedience by building an altar, binding Isaac, and placing him on the wood. Before Abraham can finish the offering, the Angel of the Lord calls to him from heaven, and Isaac’s life is spared. Then, “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son” (Genesis 22:13). Abraham names the place “Jehovah-Jireh” because of God’s gracious provision of a substitute for Isaac. Immediately afterwards, God reconfirms His covenant with Abraham (v 17-18). Centuries later, King Solomon would build the temple in the same location (2 Chronicles 3:1). The account of Abraham on Mt. Moriah thus becomes more than a dramatic illustration of faith and obedience. It is a presentation of the Lord’s eternal grace, continual provision, and all-encompassing wisdom. Jehovah-Jireh is not “The LORD Did Provide,” but “The LORD Will Provide.” In other words, the name does not simply memorialize a past event; it anticipates a future action. Likewise, the statement “on the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” (verse 14) refers to more than Mt. Moriah—it also refers to a hill called Calvary, where God “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). Abraham’s faith-filled statement that “God himself will provide the lamb” is a companion to John the Baptist’s exclamation, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jehovah-Jireh provided a sacrifice to save Isaac, and that action was a foreshadowing of the provision of His Son for the salvation of the world.GotQuestions.org ILLUSTRATION - The founder of the China Inland Mission (now the Overseas Missionary Fellowship), J. Hudson Taylor, used to hang in his home a plaque with two Hebrew words on it: “Ebenezer” and “Jehovah-jireh.” They mean: “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (1 Sam. 7:12) and “The Lord will see to it.” Whether he looked back or ahead, Hudson Taylor knew the Lord was at work, and he had nothing to fear. Jehovah-Jireh - In my early years as a pastor, I served in small churches where finances were often tight. Sometimes our family finances felt the weight of that pressure. On one occasion, we were down to the last of our food and payday was still several days away. While my wife and I fretted about how we would feed our kids in the next few days, our doorbell rang. When we opened the door, we discovered two bags of groceries. We had not told anyone of our plight, yet our provider God had led someone to meet that need. This reminds me of the Old Testament account of Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. At just the right moment, God provided a ram instead. Abraham called this place Jehovah-Jireh, “The-Lord-Will-Provide” (Ge. 22:14). He is the One who still cares deeply for His children. I know not by what methods rare The Lord provides for me; I only know that all my needs He meets so graciously. —Adams What God promises, God will provide. GOD'S GUIDANCE, PROVISION A number of times in the Old Testament, the name "Jehovah" is joined to other names that reveal some of God's distinct characteristics. Abraham said that the place where God supplied a ram should be called "The-Lord-Will-Provide." This name, which is sometimes rendered "Jehovah-Jireh," indicates that God sees beforehand what our needs are, and He provides for them. A young newlywed planned to entertain some friends. Lacking some necessary items, she went to a neighbor to borrow them. After giving the items to her, the friend asked, "Is that all you want?" "Yes, I think so," the young bride answered. Then her neighbor, an experienced hostess, handed her some other items, explaining that she would need them as well. Later the young woman remarked, "I was so thankful I went to someone who knew exactly what I needed and was willing to supply it." Where God guides, He provides. The Lord Will Provide So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. Genesis 22:14 Today's Scripture & Insight: Genesis 22:2–14 My anxiety increased throughout the summer between my undergraduate and graduate programs. I love to have everything planned out, and the idea of going out of state and entering graduate school without a job made me uncomfortable. However, a few days before I left my summer job, I was asked to continue working for the company remotely. I accepted and had peace that God was taking care of me. God provided, but it was in His timing, not mine. Abraham went through a far more difficult situation with his son Isaac. He was asked to take his son and sacrifice him on a mountain (Genesis 22:1–2). Without hesitation, Abraham obeyed and took Isaac there. This three-day journey gave Abraham plenty of time to change his mind, but he didn’t (vv. 3–4). When Isaac questioned his father, Abraham replied, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering” (v. 8). I wonder if Abraham’s anxiety grew with each knot he tied as he bound Isaac to the altar and with every inch he raised his knife (vv. 9–10). What a relief it must have been when the angel stopped him! (vv. 11–12). God did indeed provide a sacrifice, a ram, caught in the thicket (v. 13). God tested Abraham’s faith, and he proved to be faithful. And at the right time, to the very second, God provided (v. 14). By: Julie Schwab What answer to prayer has been long in coming? When have you seen God provide at just the right moment? Thank You, Lord, for Your provision. Help me to trust that You will provide, even when it seems I’ve been waiting for so long. GENESIS 22:8 JEHOVAH JIREH And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:8). Imagine Abraham's feelings when the Lord told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Think of what went through his mind when they climbed Mount Moriah and Isaac asked, "Where is the lamb?" Yet Abraham had faith that God would provide, and he assured Isaac of his confidence. He was right. God pointed out a ram in the thicket. As a result, Abraham called the place Jehovah-Jireh, which means "the Lord will provide." In the centuries that have followed, God has continued to demonstrate that He provides for His own. Dr. Robert Schindler and his wife, Marian, founded a mission hospital associated with radio station ELWA in Monrovia, Liberia. In their book Mission Possible they wrote, "For us, it was a continued exercise of faith that we would have the right drugs and supplies at the right time. We recall how much we counted on our X-ray machine, something we take for granted [at home]. We even had the opportunity to get an extra one when a friend of ours, a doctor with the U.S. Embassy, asked if we could use a portable X-ray machine. . . . But then as the months dragged out, we knew it must be lost at sea. Then one day our big X-ray machine stopped working. We found it was a major problem which would take several months to fix. . . . But that very afternoon, the ELWA truck pulled up to the hospital with a huge crate from port. You guessed it—it was the portable X-ray machine! We plugged it in, and it worked! We didn't lose a day for X-rays." God's provisions are always greater than our problems. Bread: Jehovah-jireh - Elmer Towns “I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1). Life's basic needs are provided by Jehovah-jireh, “The LORD Shall Provide.” God also provides what we need to offer Him in the way of sacrifice. In this context we can note that the phrase Jehovah-jireh is one of the few names for God that is given by man, rather than revealed by God Himself. Abraham had been commanded to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah and to sacrifice him to the LORD (see Gen. 22). In obedience, and as an act of faith, Abraham took his son to the point of death, even lifting the knife for the ultimate sacrifice. But Jehovah-jireh stopped him and provided “a ram caught in a thicket by his horns” (v. 13). Abraham took the ram and offered it to God. Then “Abraham called the name of the place, The LORD-Will-Provide [Jehovah-jireh]; as it is said to this day, 'In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided'“ (v. 14, NKIV). When young Isaac had asked about the lamb for the sacrifice, his father Abraham had promised, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering” (v. 8). Some translators place the comma differently and translate this verse, “God will provide himself, [as] a lamb for a burnt-offering.” Although the Hebrew literally says “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt-offering,” the fact is true that God did give Himself through His Son Jesus Christ as the offering for the sins of the world (see Zech. 12:10; John 1:29; 3:16). In this sense, Jesus Christ was the ultimate provision of Jehovah-jireh, the God who supplies both our physical and our spiritual needs. (Borrow My Father's names : the Old Testament names of God and how they can help you know him more intimately) Jehovah Jireh - Kenneth Hemphill (Borrow The Names of God - page 200 - highly recommended). In Genesis 22 , we come to the final step, the last hurdle, in the faith-building pilgrimage of Abraham. The child of promise, Isaac, has been provided by El Shaddai. God calls Abraham to take his son Isaac to Mt. Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice. The drama of the story is unsurpassed in Scripture. Abraham and Isaac leave the servants and walk alone to the mountain of sacrifice. Isaac bears the wood that will kindle the fire to consume the sacrifice. When he inquires about the lamb for the sacrifice, Abraham's faith response is that the Lord Himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice. The scene is set as the lad is bound and laid upon the wood and Abraham is poised with knife in hand, prepared to sacrifice his only beloved son. The angel of the Lord stops the proceedings and Abraham replaces his son with a ram caught in a nearby thicket. God tells Abraham that He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. We can know that God is our Provider. He can supply every need that we encounter. We can also be assured that we can trust God with our most treasured possession. When we lay that which we value most on the altar of sacrifice, God will raise it up. What in your life are you afraid to release? Are you struggling with finances and afraid to tithe? Are you clinging to your own sense of security and anxious about retirement? You can be assured that Jehovah Jireh can provide James Smith - JEHOVAH-JIREH. Genesis 22:14. "The Lord will Provide." This was Abraham's testimony to the goodness of God in providing a ram to take the place of his son on the altar. It will also be our testimony when we have accepted as our Sacrifice Him who was caught in the thicket of our sins and led to the altar of the Cross. Jehovah-Jireh— I. He Provides the Right Thing. "A ram." A Substitute. One to take the place, and die in the stead of him who was devoted to death. Because of sin we were under condemnation, under the curse, devoted to death. God knew what was needed. Only He could provide the needed sacrifice. Neither education nor civilisation could avail, but regeneration through the blood of God's appointed Lamb. "He loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). "Christ our Passover sacrificed for us" (1 Cor 5:7). II. He Provides at the Right Place. "On the mount of the Lord." The place as well as the offering was part of the Divine arrangement. The Cross was as much the appointment of God as the coming of His Son. It is very significant that on the same mount, perhaps on the very spot, where the ram was caught in the thicket that was to die in the stead of Isaac, Jesus the Lamb of God was caught among the cords and nails of the Cross and offered as a sacrifice for our sins. Mount Calvary was the mount of the Lord. That same mount was the place of communion to Abraham. By the blood of His Cross we are made nigh unto God. III. He Provides at the Right Time. Just when the knife was uplifted and the death stroke about to fall, the voice was heard and the substitute seen. God's clock is never one moment behind. Faith will be tried, and may be tested to the utmost limit. The point of despair may be just reached, but He will not try above what we are able to bear, and will with the temptation make a way of escape. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. We have to get to an end of ourselves to see the beginnings of grace. When we get to "Lord save me, I perish" (Matt. 8:25), then immediately His saving hand is stretched forth. Abraham's faithfulness led to thankfulness. It is always so. Believe and thou shalt see. "The Lord will provide." We, too, may say it— 1. CONFIDENTLY. For having given us His Son, how will He not "with Him freely give us all things" (Rom. 8:32). He is "able to do exceeding abundantly (Eph. 3:20). 2. EXPECTANTLY. "He is faithful who hath promised" (Heb. 11:11). He will provide wisdom for the meek, strength for the weak, weapons for the warfare, comfort for the time of sorrow, grace for every need here, and a place in the mansion above. 3. CONTINUALLY. Hath He not said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," so that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear." In life, in death, and in eternity, Jehovah-Jireh. James Smith - PROVISION FOR NEED “And Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh” (Gen. 22:14). The name of Jehovah Jireh is a monument of a great discovery and a great deliverance. It means either the Lord will see, or the Lord will provide. In common speech these two words “see” and “provide” are distinct in their meaning. Yet the moment we deal with God the two words are found to be one and the same, for His pre-vision means His pro-vision. “In the mount of the Lord it (A.V.)—He (R.V.)—shall be seen.” Surely here we have a hint and explanation of John 8:56. God gave Abraham insight into the mystery of the Cross. We can say that the Lord has now provided for man’s great needs. I. For Man’s Insensibility and Slumber, He has provided in the Person of the Holy Spirit an Awakener, One to rouse us from the slumber of sin. II. For Man’s Sin, the precious Blood of Christ. It is not left to the sinner to provide a sacrifice (Gen. 22:8), for God Himself has done this. The Lord Jesus died in our stead, as the ram died in the stead of Isaac. Dr. Dinsdale T. Young has so splendidly declared: “Every day I live, yes, every day, this possesses me more and more completely in mind and heart—that that death was a substitution. I know it is an old-fashioned word, a word that is spurned in some quarters. I confess that it satisfies my guilty conscience and comforts my troubled heart, and gives me a joy in my religion incomparable. When I look up and say, He took my place, I cannot understand it. But He did it. He bore my sins in His own body on the Tree.” III. For Man’s Ignorance, His Word, the Bible. Read Psalm 119:98 and 99. We must be people of the one Book, whatever other books we may possess and read. We must give the Bible its chief place in our lives. IV. For Man’s Weakness, the Holy Spirit. How weak is man. But the Holy Spirit communicates strength, through Regeneration and Renewal. V. For Man’s Emptiness, the Divine Fulness. There is fulness of blessing for all who believe. It pleased the Father that in His beloved Son all fulness should dwell, and when He comes and fills my heart and life with His holy and blessed presence I have the fulness. VI. For Man’s Loneliness, the Divine Companionship. He has promised never to leave us. What ample and blessed provision He has made for all our needs. He Will Provide - Pastor Roy S. Nicholson told of a time when he had no money to buy food. Determined to trust God for his needs and not tell anyone, he and his wife presented their case to the Lord in prayer. The next morning he set the table for breakfast, confident that the Lord would provide something to eat. Just then a boy from their Sunday school came to the house with a sack of flour and some milk. Tears welled up in the pastor’s eyes. No sooner had he left than “Granny” Turner appeared at the door carrying a large serving tray loaded with Virginia ham, eggs, grits and gravy, hot biscuits, butter, jelly, and coffee. Nicholson was filled with praise to God. Abraham faced an even more serious test of faith. God had told him he would become the father of a great nation, but then God asked him to sacrifice his promised son Isaac on the altar. How could Abraham do such a thing? Many years of trusting God for his long-awaited son had taught him that his confidence in God would be fully rewarded. “God will provide for Himself the lamb,” he told Isaac. Prayer - Lord, forgive us for not trusting You more. When we face times of testing, may we follow Abraham’s example and believe You will provide exactly what we need. Man’s poverty is never a strain on God’s provision. F B
Gênesis 22
Spurgeon - Jehovah-jireh - This is a summary - Click here for full sermon Observe, as you read this chapter, that this was not the first time that Abraham had thus spoken. When he called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh he had seen it to be true--the ram caught in the thicket had been provided as a substitute for Isaac: Jehovah had provided. But he had before declared that truth when as yet he knew nothing of the Divine action, when he could not even guess how his extraordinary trial would end. His son Isaac had said to him, “Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” and the afflicted father had bravely answered, “My son, God will provide.” In due time God did provide, and then Abraham honoured Him by saying the same words, only instead of the ordinary name for God he used the special covenant title--Jehovah. That is the only alteration; otherwise in the same terms he repeats the assurance that “the Lord will provide.” That first utterance was most remarkable; it was simple enough, but how prophetic! 1. It teaches us this truth, that the confident speech of a believer is akin to the language of a prophet. The man who accepts the promise of God unstaggeringly, and is sure that it is true, will speak like the seers of old; he will see that God sees, and will declare the fact, and the holy inference which comes of it. The believer’s child-like assurance will anticipate the future, and his plain statement--“God will provide “--will turn out to be literal truth. 2. True faith not only speaks the language of prophecy, but, when she sees her prophecy fulfilled, faith is always delighted to raise memorials to the God of truth. 3. Note yet further, that when faith has uttered a prophecy, and has set up her memorial, the record of mercy received becomes itself a new prophecy. Abraham says, “Jehovah-jireh--God will see to it”; what was he doing but prophesying a second time for future ages? I. When Abraham said “ Jehovah will provide,” he meant us, first of all, to learn that THE PROVISION WILL COME IN THE TIME OF OUR EXTREMITY. The Lord gave our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Substitute for men in view of the utmost need of our race. II. Secondly, upon the mount THE PROVISION WAS SPONTANEOUSLY MADE for Abraham, and so was the provision which the Lord displayed in the fulness of time when He gave up His Son to die. III. But, thirdly, we ought to dwell very long and earnestly upon the fact that for man’s need THE PROVISION WAS MADE BY GOD HIMSELF. The text says, “Jehovah jireh,” the Lord will see to it, the Lord will provide. None else could have provided a ransom. Neither on earth nor in heaven was there found any helper for lost humanity. I will only interject this thought here--let none of us ever interfere with the provision of God. If in our dire distress He alone was our Jehovah-jireh, and provided for us a Substitute, let us not think that there is anything left for us to provide. O sinner, do you cry, “Lord, I must have a broken heart”? He will provide it for thee. Do you cry, “Lord, I cannot master sin, I have not the power to conquer my passions”? He will provide strength for thee. Do you mourn, “Lord, I shall never hold on and hold out to the end. I am so fickle”? Then He will provide perseverance for thee. IV. That which God prepares for poor sinners is A PROVISION MOST GLORIOUSLY MADE. God provided a ram instead of Isaac. This was sufficient for the occasion as a type; but that which was typified by the ram is infinitely more glorious. In order to save us God provided God. I cannot put it more simply. He did not provide an angel, nor a mere man, but God Himself. Come, sinner, with all thy load of sin: God can bear it; the shoulders that bear up the universe can well sustain thy load of guilt. God gave thee His Godhead to be thy Saviour when He gave thee His Son. But He also gave in the person of Christ perfect manhood--such a man as never lived before, eclipsing even the perfection of the first Adam in the garden by the majestic innocence of His nature. When Jesus has been viewed as man, even unconverted men have so admired His excellence that they have almost adored Him. Jesus is God and man, and the Father has given that man, that God, to be thy Redeemer. V. Fifthly, THE PROVISION WAS MADE EFFECTIVELY. Isaac did not die: the laughter in Abraham’s house was not stifled; there was no grief for the patriarch; he went home with his son in happy companionship, because Jehovah had provided Himself a lamb for a burnt-offering. The ram which was provided did not bleed in vain; Isaac did not die as well as the ram; Abraham did not have to slay the God-provided victim and his own son also. No, the one sacrifice sufficed. Beloved, this is my comfort in the death of Christ I hope it is yours--that He did not die in vain. VI. Turn we then, sixthly, to this note, that we may well glorify Jehovah-jireh because THIS PROVISION WAS MADE FOR EVERY BELIEVER. The provision on the Mount of Moriah was made on behalf of Abraham: he was himself a man of faith, and he is styled the “father of the faithful”; and now every faithful or believing one may stand where Abraham stood, and say, “Jehovah-jireh, the Lord will provide.” Remember, however, that our faith must be of the same nature as that of Abraham, or it will not be counted to us for righteousness. Abraham’s faith worked by love; it so worked in him that he was willing to do all that the Lord bade him, even to the sacrifice of his own dear son. You must possess a living, working, self-sacrificing faith if you would be saved. If you have it, you may be as sure that you are saved as you are sure that you have sinned. “He that believeth on him is not condemned,” because Christ was condemned for him. “He that believeth on him hath everlasting life:” he cannot die, for Christ died for him. The great principle upon which our security is based is the righteousness of God, which assures us that he will not punish the substitute and then punish the person for whom the substitute endured the penalty. It were a matter of gross injustice if the sinner, having made atonement for his sin in the person of his covenant Head, the Lord Jesus, should afterwards himself be called upon to account for the very sin which was atoned for. Sin, like anything else, cannot be in two places at once: if the great God took my sin, and laid it on his Son, then it is not on me any more. If Jesus bore the wrath of God for me, I cannot bear that wrath; it were contrary to every principle of a just moral government that the Judge should cast our Surety into prison and exact the penalty of him, and then come upon those for whom the suretyship was undertaken. By this gospel I am prepared to stand or fall; yea, by it I will live or die: I know no other. Because I believe it, I this day cry from the bottom of my heart, “Jehovah-jireh,” the Lord has provided an effectual redemption for all those who put their trust in him whom God has set forth to be a propitiation. It is true, as it is written, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” It is true that the faith which worketh by love brings justification to the soul. VII. But now I close with a remark which will reveal the far-reaching character of my text. “Jehovah-jireh” is true concerning all necessary things. The instance given of Abraham being provided for shows us that the Lord will ever be a Provider for His people. As to the gift of the Lord Jesus, this is A PROVISION WHICH GUARANTEES ALL OTHER PROVISION. “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?” Warren