Genesis 22:1-19

Read Genesis 22:1-19
Few people like tests, but the test recorded here is probably the hardest of all time. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, his only son, as a burnt offering to the Lord. The words "only son" are repeated three times reminding us that he is the one through whom the promise of God was to come. It also makes us think of God's only Son who would become the supreme sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

Another interesting note is the use of the word "love" in v. 2. This is the first time this word appears in the Bible (according to Warren Wiersbe) emphasizing how special Isaac was to his father.

As hard as it was, Abraham trusted God. He was willing because he believed God would somehow work it out and keep His promise to make Abraham's descendants a great nation--one through whom the Messiah would eventually come.  Abraham believed that God would provide, v. 8 "And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.'" He also told his servants, "Stay here with the donkey, the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." v. 5

"Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son." v. 13. The idea of a substitute for Isaac is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus, God's only Son, who came to be our substitute! This is the wonderful doctrine of the substitutionary death of Jesus. Each of us deserves to die for our own sin, but Jesus became our substitute, taking the punishment for our sin in our place. Our part is to believe, placing in our faith in Jesus and what He did for us.

"And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, 'In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.'"

Praise the Lord--He does indeed provide!