Genesis 22:1-19

Behold the Lamb
(Genesis 22:1-19)

The joyous carols and glimmering lights of Christmas often transport us to Bethlehem, where a humble manger cradled the Savior of the world. Yet, to truly grasp the magnitude of this event, we might journey further back, to a mountaintop in Moriah. It is here, in the raw narrative of Genesis 22, that we are offered a profound glimpse into the heart of Christmas from the perspective of a Father poised to sacrifice His only Son.
Genesis 20-21 chronicles Abraham’s journey, reflecting our shared human tendencies to waver and stray. Yet, it is in Genesis 22:1-19 where the narrative transforms, echoing a divine resonance. Abraham’s heart-wrenching ascent to Moriah with Isaac parallels a divine foreshadowing of what the Heavenly Father would endure for the sake of humanity.

Behold the sacrifice
Genesis 22:1-2

The winding faith journey of Abraham in Genesis reveals a tableau of divine promises interwoven with profound tests. As we delve into Genesis 22, we are confronted with a test that is nothing short of scandalous.
“After these things God tested Abraham…” The narrative, following the affirmations and promises of Genesis 12:7, 13:14-16, 15:1-6, and 17:15-19, now presents an instruction that must have struck Abraham like a cold slap in the face. Here, God’s voice doesn’t simply call; it demands, “Abraham!” His reply, immediate and attentive, “Here I am,” soon gives way to an unfathomable request.
“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering…” Every word in this directive carries a profound weight. Your son. Your only son. Whom you love. The depth of the sacrifice being asked is jarring, even horrifying. This is the very son through whom the covenantal promises were to be realized. The starkness of this command is meant to scandalize the reader. How could a loving God ask for such a heart-wrenching sacrifice?
It is this very scandal that captures the essence of sacrifice and faith. And while Abraham’s pain and confusion are palpable, a foreshadowing emerges from the shadows of this event. As the narrative unfolds, we come to a divine revelation: God Himself would face a similar choice. Only in His case, there would be no ram in the thicket, no last-minute reprieve. God would carry through with the ultimate sacrifice, offering His only Son for the redemption of humanity.
In the scandal of Moriah, we are led to confront the enormity of Calvary. The visceral reaction we have to Abraham’s test is a mere glimpse of the heart-wrenching decision the Father made. By juxtaposing these events, we gain a deeper appreciation for the boundless love of God, who did what He spared Abraham from doing. The true cost of such love is both scandalous and salvific, inviting us to behold the sacrifice with renewed awe and gratitude.

Behold the obedience
Genesis 22:3-6

The narrative that unfurls in Genesis 22 is not merely a historical account; it is a layered tapestry of faith, obedience, and foreshadowing. Each step Abraham takes echoes with profound implications, not just for him, but for the Savior to come.
“So Abraham rose early in the morning…” With the dawning of a new day, Abraham’s immediate response captures his unwavering resolve to heed God’s daunting call. Each detail of his preparation, from saddling his donkey to cutting the wood, is tinged with the weight of sacrifice and surrender.
Yet, amidst the familiar narrative emerges a poignant detail: Isaac, often depicted as a mere child in popular retellings, would have been an adult at this time. His presence is not that of an unsuspecting child, but of a willing participant. Carrying the wood for his own sacrifice, Isaac’s actions mirror a deep-seated obedience akin to his father’s. This image of a son bearing the weight of wood up a hill cannot be overlooked, for it is a haunting prelude to another Son, Christ, who would willingly bear the wood of the cross centuries later.
On the third day, Moriah’s silhouette beckons in the distance, an emblem of the impending sacrifice. The significance of the “third day” is deeply entrenched in biblical symbolism, foreshadowing the pivotal third day of Christ’s resurrection.
Abraham’s profound words to his servants, “I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you,” not only underscore the act of obedience as worship, as echoed in Romans 12:1, but also set the stage for the greatest act of worship. The obedience of Christ.
Verse 6 offers a further reflection of this parallel. As Abraham places the weight of the sacrificial wood upon Isaac, one is reminded of the cross Christ bore willingly. Their journey itself—father and son, ascending Moriah together—is a testament to obedience, faith, and foretelling.

Behold the provision
Genesis 22:7-14

Isaac, in his innocent yet perceptive observation, poses a question that echoes through time, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” The weight of this query, posed by a son bearing the wood of his own intended sacrifice, is staggering. In this question, one can feel the very heartbeat of humanity’s quest for understanding, for a sense of God’s redemptive plan.
Abraham’s response, spoken with a faith that pierces the annals of history, declares, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Here, Abraham’s faith and prophetic insight merge. He speaks of a lamb, yet the narrative takes a turn. Upon reaching the designated place, it isn’t a lamb that God provides, but a ram caught in a thicket. While the ram serves as an immediate substitute for Isaac, it’s the absent lamb that captures our attention. The lamb, the true sacrificial offering, wouldn’t be found on Moriah that day.
The meticulous details of Abraham preparing the altar, arranging the wood, and the disquieting act of binding his son all culminate to a moment that is suddenly halted by a divine intervention. The angel of the LORD intervenes just as the knife was poised, a testament to the Lord’s omniscient timing and His insurmountable mercy.
But herein lies the profound prophetic mystery. While Abraham proclaimed the provision of a lamb, it was a ram that was caught and subsequently offered. This divinely orchestrated substitution points forward to an event of monumental significance. Thousands of years later, on that very mount, God would provide not a ram, but finally, the Lamb—Christ Jesus, the ultimate and perfect sacrifice for humanity’s sins.
This passage culminates with Abraham’s declaration: “The LORD will provide.” A statement of unwavering faith that echoes even now, reminding us of God’s providence and His masterful tapestry of redemption. As we ponder this narrative, the writer of Hebrews offers a reflection on Abraham’s faith in Hebrews 11:17-19, emphasizing that, with God, all things are indeed possible.

Behold the blessing…of Christmas
Genesis 22:15-19

Upon reading Genesis 22, our initial emotions are punctuated by shock and unease. How could a loving God ask a father to sacrifice his beloved son? The gravity of such a command is unsettling, to say the least. However, as the narrative unfolds, the profound significance of this chapter becomes evident. It’s not just a story of Abraham’s faith, but a mirror reflecting the vastness of God’s sacrificial love for humanity.
The angel of the LORD’s proclamation from heaven rings with divine resolve. The words, “Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,” bear weight. They simultaneously allude to Abraham’s obedience and forecast the heart-wrenching sacrifice God Himself was willing to make for us.
The promise to Abraham’s “offspring”—singularly referencing Christ in Galatians 3:16— underscores the global blessing and salvation planned through Jesus. The Father’s profound love, depicted in the earliest notion of love in Genesis 22:2 with Abraham and Isaac, finds its fulfillment in the New Testament. The references in Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22, and John 3:16 crystallize the Father’s immeasurable love for His Son and humanity.
Through the lens of the Son, the story is one of matchless obedience. Genesis 22:6 presents Isaac, a symbolic precursor to Christ, willingly bearing the wood of sacrifice. This is recounted in Philippians 2:1-11, emphasizing Christ’s obedience unto death.
Further, the Spirit’s vantage elucidates the profound geographical and theological import of Mount Moriah. This isn’t merely a backdrop, but a foundational piece in the redemption narrative. Mount Moriah, where Abraham’s faith was tested, would later witness the construction of God’s Temple (2 Chron 3:1). More poignantly, the believed peak of Moriah is Golgotha, where God’s love and pain intersected as Jesus was crucified, reflecting the Father’s unimaginable sacrifice.
Abraham’s experience on Moriah foreshadowed the immeasurable cost God was willing to pay for our redemption. The initial offense we feel towards God’s command to Abraham is confronted and replaced with awe as we grasp the magnitude of God’s sacrifice on our behalf.
From our standpoint, the blessings of Genesis 22:18 reach out, encompassing every tribe, tongue, and nation. The salvation heralded by a manger is cemented by Romans 8:31-32, emphasizing God’s unwavering commitment to humanity.
Genesis 22 is a divine tableau, masterfully painted across time. Every stroke—whether of Abraham’s faith, the Father’s love, the Son’s obedience, or the Spirit’s orchestration—points to a grand depiction of a manger on Moriah, a grand depiction of the blessing of Christmas.