Lesson 39 September 19 

 

Gen 22:3-10 We find Abe's response to God's instructions.

 

22:3 

- Abe's response was immediate, characterized by unquestioned obedience.

 

22:4   

 

- quite a distance from Beersheba to Jerusalem, the location of Mt Moriah was approximately 65 miles over rough terrain.

 

 

22:5 Instruction to his Servants

Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there;

 

and we will worship and return to you."

 

Observations:

#1.  He knew that God had planned the future around Isaac, the many descendents.

#2.  He knew that God wanted him to sacrifice Isaac.

#3.  He could not reconcile the two things but obeyed anyway.  

#4.  That is faith in action.  

#5.  This is not blind faith since it is rooted in who God is and what God had told him.

 

 

22:7 Isaac asks the obvious!

 

22:8  Abe's reply

-  Elohim jireh  AL-ha,r>yI ~yhil{a/   qal imperfect;  literally says God will see to it!

 

 

22:9 Arrival at the designated place

 

 

22:10  The Moment of Truth

 

- to slay   jx;v; (shaµa‰) infinitive of purpose; his purpose is to pick up the knife and to finish what God had commanded,  to slay his son;

 

Look at Heb 11:17-19

11:17  By faith  (by means of applied BD)   Abraham, when he was tested,  (peira,zw)

offered up Isaac,

-  prosfe,rw  perfect act. indicative;  the perfect tense tells us that in Abe's thinking it was a completed act

- this term is used of Christ in  9:14, 25, 28

 

and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

 - monogenh,j  uniquely born one, also used of  John 1:14, 3:16, 17;  1 John 4:9

 

11:18   it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED."

- that part of the Abe covenant that deals with the seed, the descendents  Gen 21:12

 

11:19  He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

 

- He considered   aorist ptc of  logi,zomai  this took place before he picked up the knife to slay Isaac; 

- the stress of is on thinking, reasoning, to calculate, to take into account, so what we have here is Abe taking action that is the result of carefully having thought though the issues.

 

The next phrase makes an important link back to  Gen 22.

from which he also received him back as a type

 

Word parabolh, used only here and in Heb 9:9 outside of the gospels.

- in the gospels its usually translated parable speaking of an illustration of truth

- in Hebrews it refers to a prophetic figure, or symbol, or type

 

Observations:

1.  Abe had considered the facts carefully and concluded that God would raise him from the dead.

 

2.  Abe's focus was obedience to carry out the will of God completely.

 

3.  The typology of the test of Gen 22 pictures the death of Christ on the Cross.

 

4.  The typology:

a. Abe represents God/F

b. Isaac represents the Son

c. Jesus Christ was God's uniquely born Son (the monogenes)  just as Isaac was of Abe.

d. Land of Moriah was at Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified.

e. Christ carried the cross the wood just as did Isaac.

f.  Christ willingly submitted to the Father's will (Phil 2:8) as was Isaac.

g. Christ became the sacrificial lamb as did Isaac. (John 1:29)

 

5.  Abe passed the tests with flying colors.

 

6.  BD, that is what God said clearly was more real to Abe than the tremendous blessing of a son in his old age, Isaac.

 

7.  Abe's action exemplifies the application of God's essence to his present situation.

 

*** Remember you have greater DOA's available to you than Abe had, so what's your excuse?

 

8.  This was no picnic for Abe, it was difficult for him as it was for the Father to judge His Son.

 

 

22:11 The knife is ready to start down.

 

22:12 read  The test is over!

 

- I know that you fear God   [d;y" (y¹da±)   God is saying I've  seen an explicit demonstration of  your faith, I know what is the basis of your thinking.

- to fear God speaks of respect and awe of God to the point he trusted Him implicitly and obeyed him without question, took God and His word seriously

 

 

22:13  Illustration of the need for a substitution

 

- the one who Himself will become the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world here provided the sacrifices.

 

22:14  Abe's response

 

- This event then became one of the main means of encouraging those under testing. 

 

22:15 -19  God reiterates the covenant made to Abe.