The Jesus-Isaac Connection
In our last post we looked at the connection between Jesus and Noah. We saw how both played a major part in the saving of mankind. One physically and the other spiritually. Today I thought we would look at the connection between Jesus and Isaac.
A little background first. Isaac was the son of Abraham. God had promised Abraham and his wife a son, through whom God would fulfill a promise to Abraham. God promised Abraham that He would make Abraham the father of a great nation. At the time this promise/covenant is made to Abraham, he and his wife Sarah were childless. Not only were they childless, but they were old and considered to be zooming past the normal child-bearing years. Finally, at the young age of 100 years, Abraham became a father as Isaac is born. So, it is safe to say that Isaac was very cherished by Abraham and his wife.
“And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.” Genesis 21:5
At this time Abraham has to be feeling good about life. He and his wife are wealthy, close to God, and enjoying raising their son, who is the fulfillment of God’s promise. As the t-shirts say, life is good. But, God is about to deliver Abraham another curve ball.
“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. 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.” Genesis 22:1-2
God comes to Abraham and tells him that he would like for Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Now, this has got to be very confusing for Abraham. After-all, Isaac is supposed to be the one that God uses to fulfill His promise to Abraham. Now He wants Abraham to kill his son. He is asking Abraham to sacrifice his son. This is the very same act that God condemned the pagans for while they worshipped their false gods. What is God thinking? What does Abraham do or say?
He says nothing. He does as he is asked. According to scripture, Abraham doesn’t ask one single question. He simply does as God asks. He gathers what is needed to perform the sacrifice, and begins what will end up being a three day travel.
“Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.” Genesis 22:4
For this trip Abraham carried Isaac, two men, a donkey, and wood for the burnt offering. Notice there is no animal for offering. Abraham had full intention of doing exactly what God asked of him. After the three day travel, scripture tells us:
“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.” Genesis 22:5
Isaac and Abraham would continue alone. The men had to wonder what was going on. Why would we travel for three days simply for Abraham and his son to worship? Where is the offering? They probably even asked Isaac along the way about what was going on. Guys talk.
“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. 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? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” Genesis 22:6-8
Things are beginning to click in Isaac’s mind. He notices that they have everything needed for offering a sacrifice except for the actual sacrifice. He asks his daddy about this. Abraham simply says that God will provide. I cannot imagine what is going through Abraham’s mind at this point. As a father of three kids myself, I honestly cannot wrap my brain around the request God has made of Abraham. Talk about tough. I don’t think I would have responded as Abraham did. In fact, I know that I wouldn’t have.
“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. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.” Genesis 22:9-10
Abraham is all in with God. He does exactly what God asks. The one I notice though is Isaac. He doesn’t fight it. He allows himself to be bound and placed on the altar. He doesn’t run. He doesn’t say a word. He respects God and Abraham too much. We are not sure how old Isaac is at this point but he was big enough to carry the wood to the altar site. He was old enough to know how to offer a sacrifice. Needless to say, I believe that if he chose to, Isaac could have fought back and gotten away from a 100+ year old man. But he didn’t.
“And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 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. 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 a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” Genesis 22:11-13
Just at the point that Abraham is about to kill Isaac, God stops him. He not only stops him, but provides a ram to use in the place of Isaac. This is where it gets interesting.
When you look at the scenario that I just laid out and then fast forward a few thousand years to the crucifixion of Jesus, you see some amazing things. First, Abraham and Isaac traveled 3 days before reaching the destination. Jesus lay in the grave three days before arriving at the destination point which was the defeat of death. Second, two men traveled with Isaac just like two men were on the cross with Jesus to the point of death. Third, the area of Moriah that Abraham and Isaac traveled to is the same Moriah on which Jerusalem would be later built. Essentially the sacrifice of Isaac was about to happen in the same location that Jesus would be crucified. Fourth, Isaac had to carry the wood on his back to the spot where the sacrifice would occur. Jesus carried his own cross. The wood on which He would be sacrificed. Fifth, Isaac laid down to allow his life to be taken for sacrifice. Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. Sixth, the ram that God provided Abraham was caught in a thicket by his horns. This allowed the ram to remain perfect for sacrifice. No blemish as the law required. Jesus wore a crown of thorns on His head. Lastly, just as God provided a sacrifice to substitute for Isaac, God provided Jesus as a substitute for us. That ram died in Isaac’s place. Jesus died in my place. He provided a way for me to escape death. The only way for me to escape eternal death and damnation.
So why would God put Abraham through this? Why not just give him a ram to sacrifice? I can’t say for sure but I feel that God was giving us a glimpse into the future of pain and torment that He was going to put Himself through in trying to provide us a way of salvation. He wanted us to be a little better able to relate and understand the level of sacrifice that He was willing to make for us. As a father, I have a much better understanding about the emotional side of God’s sacrifice. Can I completely relate? No, but I can sense it a little better.
One last point. How could Abraham have so much faith when he answered Isaac about where the sacrifice was? He simply said God would provide. But he also had faith in a different fact and we find that in the book of Hebrews.
“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead;” Hebrews 11:17-19a
Abraham had faith to know that in spite of the request for him to sacrifice his son, God was going to keep His promise through Isaac. He had the faith to believe that God could raise him from the dead. What is it like to have that kind of faith? I have trouble having the faith to trust that God is going to take care of my insignificant minor problems of life. I don’t know that I would have trusted God to raise my son from the dead. Nope. Surely wouldn’t.