In a world such as this, how refreshing to hear a true story of sacrifice, devotion, and love. At the outset this is a pretty scary story. What with a loving father taking his only son to a mountain to sacrifice him because why? Oh, God told him to do it.
That sounds like a story we'd hear today on CNN Headline News and Nancy Grace would be popping off about the horrible parenting involved. If we caught such a headline we would mutter things and probably all agree the nut job father should be sent straight to jail or perhaps a mental institute. Well, this story is different.
One day Abraham is minding his own when God decides it is time to test Abraham. Now, what is important to keep in mind is that anytime God tests and anything God does He is looking to bring glory on Himself and his plan, this is even true in the Old Testament where we see this story come from. EVERYTHING is Christ-centered. If scripture is read without pointing to or back at Christ, it is read incorrectly. So how does all of this Abraham getting ready to off Isaac point to Christ?
So God commands to Abraham that he take Isaac, his only son, whom he loves to the land of Moriah and to a mountain top which He will appoint. Not only that but God specifically states that Isaac is to be offered up as a burnt offering! What does Abraham do? Does he fight God on this? No evidence to such a thing in this story, perhaps he did, but one must conclude from the text that Abraham went along faithfully.
A little geographical information would help here. The land of Moriah is where modern day Jerusalem is. Keep in mind that during the day of Abraham there was no Israel nation or Jerusalem, God was making one through him. On the third day (hmm) Abraham saw the place from afar and told the servants they were with to stay put and to await the both of them to return. Wishful thinking on Abraham's part? Or just not trying to startle everyone, including the boy Isaac? Who knows, read on.
At this point Isaac begins to get a little curious. He knows they are there for a burnt offering but only Pops and him are heading up the mountain with all the supplies needed for the burnt offering. The curious boy Isaac asks Abraham, "Father, where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" And Abraham answers him, "God will provide for Himself a lamb for the burnt offering..."
They get to the exact spot and Abraham bounds Isaac to an altar he had just built. No doubt this had to have been an emotional moment and the Hebrew with the words it uses really captures the drama of the moment. As Abraham goes to slay his one and only son Isaac a voice called from heaven and told him to stop. What voice? Who's voice? The Angel of the LORD. The LORD is Yahweh or YHWH, the divine name of God Himself. Not translated in the Old Testament out of reverence for the 2nd Commandment. If you don't say it, you can't misuse it! This Angel of Yahweh character is often seen in these high drama moments as the one God sends to test, to teach, to stop those He is engaging with. It is popular within Christianity to conclude that the Angel of Yahweh is the pre-incarnate (pre human form) Jesus Himself.
Anyway, the Angel of the LORD (Yahweh) tells Abraham that He now knows that Abraham truly fears or has faith in God. But remember, God knows everything, and God tests to glorify Himself and to show His will. It is a safe bet God did not sit on His throne in Heaven chewing His fingernails wondering if Abraham would actually go through with it. God tested Abraham to show him, Isaac, and all something. What is this something?
As the story goes on the LORD tells Abraham that his offspring will be as great as the stars in the sky and that because of this faithfulness the promise can come through. But back up for a moment, remember when I told you the land they went to was practically modern day Jerusalem? Tradition states the Temple Mount is on the site where this event took place. Interestingly enough we find out the LORD provides a ram, or a lamb, right there in the thicket not far from them. Well then, I guess Abraham's prediction that the LORD will provide has come to fruition then? Only in part. Scripture has a tendency to wrap double meanings around things to show an immediate fulfillment and one of future and fuller fulfillment. The point of this story was not for God to test Abraham and then give him a ram and call it a day. No the point was so that God could show Abraham that He will provide the lamb.
Verse 14, "So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
The Hebrew can also translate the word provide for the LORD will see. As in the fact that the LORD will see through that He will be providing a lamb for a burnt offering. And where might this take place? "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." Remember the story takes place in Jerusalem before it was called Jerusalem, but wait, wasn't there a mount in the same area that the LORD did in fact provide a lamb, The Lamb, for the offering? Indeed. On Golgotha, or Mount Calvary, the LORD provided a lamb for the sacrifice. Jesus Himself provided by God on behalf of fallen humanity.
Hallelujah.
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