Abraham and Isaac - the proposed sacrifice. What does it mean?

Abraham and Isaac.
At last God's promise to Abraham fulfilled.
Son by Sarah.
Isaac.
Long wait.
Faith stretched.
But testing is not over.
Take, your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love and sacrifice him.
At the last moment God stops him.

Why was this command given in the first place?
To forbid child sacrifice?

Sombre note.
What is the most awful crime that humans commit?
Murder of a child.
It is even worse if it is done in the name of a god or religion.

According to OT this was the most horrific crime of the ancient Canaanites.
Archeology has backed that up.

However we cannot be self-righteous because human sacrifice was part of ancient religions in much of the world including the British Isles.

It was the reason God gave to ancient Israel for driving our the local tribes.
But God gave the Israelites a warning. If ever you do the same you too will be driven out of the land.
That is exactly what happened much later in Ancient Israel's history under wicked king Manasseh.
Not long after Israel was driven into captivity in Babylon.

You may think that that was the distant past. Well whenever paganism reaches its climax that is a danger - still in modern times.

There is a real connection between serious sexual deviation and violence against the young.

In OT times, the only sacrifices allowed by God were the sacrifices of animals.
Even they were strictly limited to one place only on special occasions.

OT sacrificial system was meant to be a sign that forgiveness is not easy or cheap.

Yet, even so God says He does not really want any sacrifice.

Ps 40:6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
Ps 51:16-17 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Micah 6:7-8 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

The sacrifices of the OT were only useful in that they bore witness to the One Sacrifice made, not by humans, but by God - a self-sacrificial giving of Himself in Christ's human body for the sins of the world on the Cross.

It stands at the centre of world history and the meeting place of the continents of the world.
It was a once for all sacrifice to take away the sins of the world.
It was God who purposed it - to bear our sin and sufferiing. It was we (not just Jews and Romans) who were there when they crucified my Lord.

We had to fling our worst at Him so He could then absorb it all and take it into death before rising free from suffering and death forever, taking His people with Him.

Although it happened once in history - 2000 years ago, it fans out back to the beginning and forward to the end of time.

Right back, 2000 years before Christ, Abraham and Isaac are caught up into the drama.

Isaac, the child promised to Abraham and Sarah is growing up. Young man.
Abraham's human affection and life long ambition is focussed on him - Isaac.

Take him, and sacrifice him on a mtn, 3 days journey away.

Command which strikes at common sense, common human affection and all Abraham's hopes.
Seemed foolishness in the extreme.

But remember, Paul speaking of the Cross of Jesus, says 'The foolishness of God is wiser than men.'

2000 years after Abraham, Jesus was crucified on the hills of Jerusalem.
Abrham was told to take Isaac to the hills of Moriah.
Moriah and Jerusalem are the same place!
This was not a co-incidence, it was the purpose of God.

Why else did Abraham have to go three days journey? Many hills in between.
Abraham calls it the 'Mtn of the Lord.'
That is also the name of Jerusalem.

At end of story there comes a saying: 'On the mtn of the Lord it will be provided'
Or
…. It will become clear'.
One day, long after Abraham, the meaning of the story of Abraham and Isaac woiuld become clear on these hills..

Each phrase in God's command makes it more difficult.
Take your Son, Only son, Isaac, whom you love and sacrifice him.
Why?
God had purposed that through Abraham and his descendants all the world would be blessed.
How?
Cross of Jesus.
Abraham caught up into the heart of God.
Already, he had left his father and his father's country.
Now he makes the long sad journey to Moriah.

Jesus - long journey from heaven to earth, having left His Father and His Father's country.
Long journey from Galilee to Jericho - up the hills of Moriah - Jerusalem, where He knew his life would be taken from Him.

Abraham did not, in the end, sacrifice his son, only son, whom he loved.
2000 years later another Son, only Son, loved by the Father died on the hills of Moriah.
Crucified for the sins of the world.

1. Isaac carried the firewood.
John's gospel tells us that Jesus went out from Pilate, carrying His own cross.

2. Isaac asks Abraham, we have the knife and the firewood, but where is the lamb?
Abraham answers: 'The Lord will provide.'
Some Jewish scholars say that at the moment Isaac knew that he was to be the offering.

3. Abraham and Isaac left the servants at the bottom of th emtn and walked on together. It must have been a lonely walk.
Only they knew what was happening.

God and His Son walked together to place of crucifixion. Amidst the crowds, only they knew what it was all about.
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting our trespasses against us.

4. Isaac was passive - did not complain.
Jesus, like a lamb led to the slaughter, before its shearers was silent, He opened not His mouth.

At the end of the story we read:
Gen 22:15-18 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

Renewal of promise.

Marvellous purpose to his life.
What true happiness that is.

But Cross is now imprinted upon the heart of Abraham and Isaac.
Only through the death and resurrection of Christ can one understand the mysterious history of Abraham's descendants - from that time to the end of time.

And also the story of your life and mine finds its true meaning in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

When we look to the Cross we realise that we had a share in crucifying Him.
It brings our own wrong doings and the wrong doings of the whole world into focus.
Yet it also restores to us purpose and hope and happiness because there our sins were taken away forever.

It is a humbling, yet joyful experience, giving our lives new meaning.

Purpose of the gospel is not to make us feel guilty.
You are bad, bad, bad.

Rather it is to hold the Cross of Jesus before our eyes of faith.

There you see your human sin, but at the same moment are set free to believe, to hope, and to serve the Lord without fear.

Genesis 22.

Abraham and the proposed sacrifice of Isaac.

What does it mean and signify?