◄ What Does Genesis 22:6 Mean? ►

Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.

Genesis 22:6(NASB)

Picture courtesy of Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org

Verse of the Day

There is no more beautiful, yet poignant foreshadowing of the sacrificial death of God's dearly beloved Son on Calvary's Cross, than this scene in Genesis 22.

Earlier, Abraham had received the horrifying instruction from the Lord to, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love... and offer him as a burnt offering." He was to do this in a certain place of which God would tell him.

No doubt, we can all imagine the anguish of heart that must have cut his soul to the quick, when Abraham heard this command from God. Nevertheless, we do not read that he questioned the Lord, argued with Him, or ignored His instructions.

In obedience, Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled His donkey, and taking two of his young men together with Isaac, they set out to the place of which God told him, with wood, fire, and a knife. He did not know that this was to be a test of his faith, for God abhors human sacrifice.

Many years earlier, while residing in Ur of the Chaldees, Abram met with God and believed His Word, when told that the Lord would give him a land. It was at that point that Abram's faith was credited to him as righteousness – for God is able to read the thoughts and heart of man. NOW, many years later, that hidden, invisible faith within his heart was to be tested by an outward demonstration of obedience. Abraham was to express his inner faith by an outward word. This was a task that would help him grow in grace and mature in his walk with God.

After three days, they saw the place of sacrifice and Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on the shoulders of Isaac, his precious son. He left the two young men, and taking the fire and knife in his hand – together, father and son walked to the appointed place of sacrifice.

Isaac was to be a burnt offering unto the Lord – a freewill offering – a sacrifice of love that was to be given to the Lord by Isaac's father, Abraham.

Like Isaac, the Lord Jesus was made to be a sacrifice unto the Lord. He also was to walk to the appointed place of His sacrificial death, bearing a wooden cross on His sinless shoulders. He too was to be offered up on Mount Moriah. He too was to have His heart pierced with a sharp blade.

The poignant picture of Abraham and Isaac, points to the stark reality that God was ready and willing to sacrifice the innocent and sinless life of His only begotten Son – but after three days, Christ rose from the dead, having conquered Satan, sin, death, and hell. The precious picture of Abraham and Isaac is a foreshadowing of the glorious truth that God the Father gave God the Son as the innocent offering Who walked willingly to the Cross as our sacrifice for sin.

Christ was not only the sin offering to take away the sin of the world, and Israel's perfect and final Passover Lamb, but He was also a burnt offering – a freewill offering – a willing offering. Christ was given by the Father as a sacrifice of pure love, and Jesus gave Him life willingly, for love of the Father.

God in His grace provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac so that he might live. And our Father in His grace provided Jesus in our place so that we might have life – and have it more abundantly.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for using this beautiful picture of Abraham and Isaac as such an astonishing foreshadowing of Christ’s death, burial, and Resurrection after three days. Thank You that He paid the price for sin - for my sin - for all sin. I stand in awe and wonder that Jesus gave His life willingly as a freewill offering and that He was given by the Father for the love of such as me. Thank You, in Jesus' name, AMEN.