I love to read about Abraham in the Bible. There is something about the relationship that Abraham shared with God. It‘s almost like God and Abraham were buddies, and had this unique wonderful friendship, and relationship. Like when the Lord God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
Gen 22:1 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].
I have always found Abraham‘s words "here am I", profound in the sense that each time the Lord God spoke to Abraham, Abraham responded simply "here am I".
Gen 22:2 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.
Ouch! Now that is a unusual request, as Abraham is being asked to sacrifice something very personal, being his son Isaac.
Gen 22:3 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.
Yet in obedience, Abraham rises up the next day, and sets out as the Lord God instructed him so.
Gen 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
The Third Day already in Genesis is being brought to the forefront in this passage.
Gen 22:5 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.
Interesting that Abraham said "Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you".
Considering that Abraham is to sacrifice his son Isaac, and return alone. It is also in direct conflict with what God told Abraham because Abraham didn‘t say "look guys, I am going up to sacrifice my son, I will be back. Or wait here, the boy and I are going yonder to worship, I will return to you again.
Abraham says "I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you". and, and, and…
Gen 22:6 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.
Interesting that Abraham laid the wood on his son, and Isaac had to carry that burden.
Gen 22:7 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?
Just as interesting Isaac says "wait a minute here, we got this, and we got that, but where [is] the lamb for the burnt offering, pops?
Note Abraham‘s answer:
Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Abraham didn‘t offer any excuse to Isaac. Neither did Abraham say "my son, you are the sacrifice" or did Abraham share with Isaac what the Lord God told Abraham to do.
Abraham says something completely in conflict with what the Lord told him, saying " My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering". It further shares with us that "so they went both of them together", meaning in agreement.
We do not hear that Isaac threw a tantrum, or disagreed, but that they both continued in agreement to the words that Abraham spoke to Isaac, not what God spoke to Abraham.
Now this is where this gets really interesting.
Gen 22:9 ¶ 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.
Well as we can see things are in motion, and Abraham is being obedient.
Gen 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Gen 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Well so far in this unfolding situation. I haven‘t heard Abraham freak out. I haven‘t heard Isaac freak out. Yet all the sudden the angel of the Lord shows up and says basically "STOP! STOP!", and how does Abraham respond? "Here am I" in this almost calm, collective way.
Ok, so far Abraham is told to sacrifice his son. Yet first Abraham tells the lads "remain here, we go up yonder to worship, and come unto you again". Then when Isaac questions his dad about the lamb for the burnt offering Abraham said "God will supply himself". Now we read the angel of the Lord telling Abraham to do the complete opposite that God told Abraham to do.
Gen 22:12 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.
What is this, thou fearest God.
Now about that lamb for the burnt offering.
Gen 22:13 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.
No lamb, but a ram. Interesting. Yet Abraham said "God will provide a lamb". Man this is getting confusing., or is it.
Gen 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
What is this? Abraham is told what to do, and then literally prophecies that:
1) He and the laid will go yonder and return. And they did.
2) God will supply himself a lamb for the burnt offering. And he did.
3) In the person of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross at Calvary.
Now how did Abraham figure all that out? How did Abraham know that God would supply a lamb for the burnt offering?
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