Abraham's Faith Tested - A Type of God's Gift of His Son

Vol 1 - No 12, May 23, 2004

The Word of God to Abraham, the father of all that believe-Romans 4:1111 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

- Part Six:

Abraham's faith tested and the sacrifice of God's son pictured in type.

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." - Genesis 22:1 & 21 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

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It may seem bizarre at first impression that God would tell Abraham to do such a thing. But as always, God has a purpose and He does nothing out of whim or chance. The immediate purpose was to give witness to Abraham's faith. The Hebrew word translated "tempt" in verse 1 means to test, prove, try or assay, as gold or silver is assayed to determine it's true quality. A reading of the entire account of this incident in Genesis 22 reveals that Abraham did not hesitate to follow God's Word. And so through Abraham's faith he was borne witness to or obtained a good report.

Another purpose of this incident was to foretell, pre-figure or point to the most critical event in human history, that is, the time when God the Father willingly sent His only son and the Son willingly died for the sins of mankind. Abraham's response to God's Word previews God's willingness to do this. What God commanded was as good as done in Abraham's mind, no questions asked. This is evidenced by the fact that Abraham arose early the next day, gathered the wood needed for the burnt offering, saddled his ass and left for the specified destination. He was prepared with a knife with which to slay the sacrifice and fire with which to light the wood - Genesis 22:33 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.

- 73 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.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 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.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

. When Isaac asked his father what they were going to use for a sacrifice, Abraham replied to him "-- My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together." - Genesis 22:88 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

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Hebrews 11:11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

7 - 1917 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

provides explanation and commentary to this event: "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." God had promised blessings to the world through Isaac so Abraham, by faith, knew God would use Isaac for that purpose and this resulted in Abraham believing God would raise Isaac up from the dead after he was sacrificed. "He received him in a figure" means that in Abraham's mind, Isaac was as good as dead and raised again.

Abraham's love for his son Isaac in Genesis 22:3 is the first mention of love in the Bible and it points to the love of God the Father for His son Jesus Christ. According to the chronology in Appendix 50 of the Companion Bible, Isaac was 33 years old at this time, which was the age of Jesus Christ when He was crucified. Therefore Isaac could easily have resisted any effort by Abraham, who was about 133 years old at the time, to tie him and place him on the alter. But Isaac did not do so, he went willingly and his actions picture and foretell Jesus Christ's willingness to go to the cross to die for the sins of the world. This is evidenced when Jesus said in John 10:17 & 1817 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

- "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

Genesis 22:9 - 149 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

tells how Abraham bound Isaac and had him ready to kill on the alter when an angel of the Lord told him to stop. God provided a ram for Abraham that was caught in a thicket nearby and this ram substituted for the sacrifice of Isaac. This harks to the passage already quoted above "-- My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:" - Genesis 22:8. God provided the ram, the immediate offering for sin for use by Abraham and in so doing God demonstrated that He would provide Himself as the all-sufficient offering for the sins of all mankind, in the person of His son Jesus Christ.

Isaac was as good as sacrificed in Abraham's mind when they set off because Abraham accepted God's Word by faith. Abraham and Isaac traveled for three days to the mount where they were to offer sacrifice, just as Jesus Christ was in the grave for three days before He rose from the dead. As Abraham accounted that God would raise up Isaac from the dead and this did happen in a figure, so Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to newness of life.

Immediately after Abraham offered the sacrificial ram the angel of the Lord told him again that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed, and this because He had obeyed God's voice. The ultimate fulfillment of these promises of blessing came by and through the Lord Jesus Christ - "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." - Galations 3:16. The full measure of blessing in Christ are yet to be experienced, first in the rapture of the Body of Christ as described by the Apostle Paul in his epistles. Then in the return of Christ to reign on earth in His Kingdom as prophesied in the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Revelation to the Apostle John. However, all these future blessings are as good as done because of Christ's finished work on the cross. We have them by faith, which is the substance of things hoped for the evidence or proof of things not seen - Hebrews 11:1.