The older book
The Ram
Abraham said something interesting on the way up the mountain.
God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.
Genesis 17:15-21 · Genesis 21:1-12 · Genesis 22:1-19 · Hebrews 11:17-19 · John 19:17
The scene
Genesis tells us something Abraham didn't know at the time.
God was testing him.
Abraham had waited years for Isaac. God had promised him descendants, but Sarah couldn't have children. Then God told him that Sarah would have a son, and that his covenant (covenant basically means a binding agreement) would continue through him.
That son was Isaac.
Then God tells Abraham to take Isaac, "your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love," to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering.Genesis 22:2
God had already told Abraham that his promise would continue through Isaac. Now Abraham was being told to offer him.
Abraham goes.
On the third day he sees the place in the distance and tells his servants:
"Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you."Genesis 22:5
That's an odd thing to say when you know what Abraham has been told to do.
He takes the wood for the offering and lays it on Isaac. Abraham carries the fire and the knife.
As they walk, Isaac asks:
"My father?"Genesis 22:7
"Here I am, my son."Genesis 22:7
"Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"Genesis 22:7
Abraham answers:
"God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son."Genesis 22:8
So Abraham has said two things on the way up. He and Isaac are coming back, and God will provide the sacrifice.
They reach the place. Abraham builds the altar, arranges the wood, binds Isaac and lays him on it.
When he reaches for the knife, Yahweh's angel called to him out of the sky and said, "Abraham, Abraham!"Genesis 22:11
"Don't lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him."Genesis 22:12
Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. He takes it and offers it as a burnt offering "instead of his son."Genesis 22:13
God doesn't let Abraham sacrifice Isaac. The ram is offered in his place.
Abraham calls the place "Yahweh Will Provide."Genesis 22:14
Genesis doesn't tell us much about what was going through Abraham's head. But Hebrews comes back to the story later and gives us something.
It reminds us that God had said his descendants would come through Isaac. Abraham had apparently worked out that even if Isaac died, that didn't make God's promise impossible.
He concluded:
"God is able to raise up even from the dead."Hebrews 11:19
Hebrews says that, figuratively speaking, Abraham received Isaac back from the dead.
Which takes us back to what Abraham had said before they went up:
"The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you."Genesis 22:5
He expected Isaac to come back.
Then there are some things Christians have noticed when reading this story beside Jesus.
Isaac is the son Abraham loves. He carries the wood for his own offering up the mountain. John tells us that Jesus carried his own cross.
Hebrews gives us the part about Abraham expecting Isaac back even from death.
We need to be a little careful with the rest. The New Testament doesn't give us a list of details from Genesis 22 and tell us that each one was predicting Jesus.
But we don't need to squeeze much out of this story.
Isaac asks where the sacrifice is.
Abraham says God will provide it.
A ram is provided and dies "instead of his son."Genesis 22:13
Isaac comes back down the mountain alive.
The point
God will provide himself the lamb.Genesis 22:8
Sit with this
Instead of his son.Genesis 22:13