Mountains of the Bible: Mt. Moriah

From the moment God calls Abraham from the land where he lived to a place, He will show him to the birth of Isaac; Abraham has shown himself faithful and obedient to God. His life has not been easy, and the man has had his faith tried, tested, and confirmed. It is in Genesis Chapter 22 that we read the details of God telling Abraham to do something that many cannot fathom. Not only do we see the faithfulness and obedience of Abraham in this account, but we also get a preview of God’s plan of redemption. What is fascinating is that although this is an Old Testament passage that gives an account of an old man in a crisis situation, the Gospel message is present, and the fingerprint of Jesus is thick in Genesis 22. Today's goal is to look at this account and see the redemption story God is writing to humanity.

Genesis 22:1 - 18

Verse 1: “Sometime later”—Some versions of the Bible translate this opening verse as “Sometime after these things.” This suggests that a period has passed from the events of Chapter 21 (the birth of Isaac and the treaty with Abimelech) to what is about to happen in Chapter 22. Many (including Martin Luther) believe it was a significant length of time and that Isaac is now a grown man or a teenager.

“God tested Abraham’s faith”—From an outsider's perspective, this is a test, but for Abraham, this request that God is about to make was a reality. This was not just a test of faith but of faith and obedience.

Verse 2: “Take your son… whom you love” – God acknowledges Abraham’s great affection and love for his son. We can assume that God stating that Isaac was “the son whom you love” Indicates that this would not be an easy task for Abraham. God commanded him to go to the land of Moriah, to a place where God would show him. Eventually, he ended up in the mountain area, Mt. Moriah.

“One of the mountains”—The recurring theme of mountains in biblical accounts is that they were places where people met with God.

In this verse, God demands a great deal from Abraham. He tells him to take his son and offer him as a sacrifice to God.

“Sacrifice him as a burnt offering”—This was a common sacrifice in the Old Testament in which an animal was cut up, placed on the altar, and completely consumed by fire. This kind of sacrifice was a symbolic gesture in which one offered oneself to God completely. The animal was offered as an atonement for one’s sin. The blood of the animal would serve as a symbol to cover the sins of the worshiper until the next time he came in to offer a sacrifice.

Verse 3-4: Abraham was faithful and obedient. He did what God told him. I can’t imagine what was going through his mind at this time and how he felt. Sometimes, we forget that he was a real person with emotions. He was a father, and this request must have destroyed him. He had waited over 100 years for his promised son to be born, and now God is telling him to sacrifice him. His emotions must have been all tied up.

To make matters worse, he travels for three days to the location of the sacrifice. I cannot imagine the burden he carried for three days, knowing what he knew and what was commanded of him. Three days signifies the time it takes to prepare for something important, and this was certainly an important thing. “Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.” This is very dramatic, and the reader is left to imagine what is going through Abraham’s mind.

Verse 5: “The boy and I” or Lad – Same word used for Ishmael (probably an older teenager or a young man).

“We will worship there” – Abraham tells his servants that he and Isaac will worship (bow down) God. He tells them, “WE will come right back.” There are four possible reasons why Abraham said this to his servants.

1. This was either a lie to keep the servants from following and trying to stop him, 
2. He was planning on taking Isaac up to the mountain and not going through with the sacrifice.
3. He believed that God was going to provide another sacrifice.
4. He fully believed God would raise Isaac from the dead.  He remembered God’s promise of blessing through Isaac, but this certainly did not make this easier.
   
   

Verse 6-8: “So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders…” This is a deeply symbolic reference to Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary.
“God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering…” I like the NRSV translation best: “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering.” Abraham's faith is evident, and he speaks a prophetic statement that God will provide himself with a lamb for sacrifice. Once again, this is a deep connection to Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary.

Verse 9: “Then he tied his son Isaac.” – What is interesting is that not only is Abraham obedient to God, but Isaac was obedient as well, even to the point of potential death. It is important to note that Abraham was over 100 years old, and Isaac was young. Abraham was certainly not in his prime health. Isaac could have overpowered his father and outrun him, but he does not.

Verse 11-12: God intervenes. God had an Angel of the Lord call down to stop what was happening. The calling out from heaven shows a sense of urgency. In this, Abraham is shown to be faithful.

Verse 13-14: What Abraham proclaimed to Isaac does indeed come to pass. God provided a ram, and Abraham was reminded that God provides. He names the place “The Lord will provide” or “Jehovah Jireh.”

Verse 15-18: God confirms His promise because of Abraham’s obedience and faithfulness. “All Nations shall be blessed because of his obedience.”

Application
This is not an easy passage to digest. I have met people who turn to the Bible for answers to life’s questions only to come away with many more questions, and this passage is one of them. I admit I had many questions when I first read this passage. I did not understand why God told Abraham to do what He did. I had a hard time believing that this was a test. I was left with more questions than answers in my early readings of this passage.  I firmly believe that questions are a good thing and can enhance our faith, but sometimes, we get so bogged down with the questions of why that we ultimately miss what is going on.

Isaiah 55:8 – 9 reminds us, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Our reasoning and God’s reasoning are not the same. We need to understand that God does what He does for His purpose, and He does not have to give a reason why He does what He does.
 
So, instead of focusing on the question, “Why did God do what he did?” let’s look at the key to this passage: Abraham’s obedience, faith, and grace. Some people may read this passage and see this test as a cruel joke on one of His faithful followers, but this whole account is a prologue to what will happen a couple thousand years later in Jesus Christ. However, this time, it won’t be a test; it will be the real deal.

I mentioned earlier that the Gospel is present, and the fingerprint of Jesus is all over this account. Many parallels of the Gospel in Genesis 22 foreshadow God's plan of redemption for humanity. Isaac is a type of Christ. He is the beloved son of the Father. Just like Jesus, Isaac was the apple of his Father’s eye. He, like Jesus, was the one who promised to be a blessing to all nations. He, like Jesus, was to be offered as a sacrifice for the atonement of sins. The atonement of Jesus will not be a mere covering that needs to happen yearly; it will be a complete washing away of sin. God, like Abraham, willingly gives His one and only son whom He loves (Jesus) as a sacrifice so all who put their faith in His son will be redeemed. On a human level, this may seem harsh, illogical, and mean, but God never asks Abraham (or us, for that matter) to do something that He would not or has not already done Himself, which is shown in Jesus's sacrifice. God does provide Himself a sacrifice – Jesus was sacrificed in our place so humanity could be redeemed. While the story may seem outrageous and even pointless, there are some things we can take with us today.
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So, what are they?

1. God may not demand you to offer your firstborn as a human sacrifice, but He does call us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him. Romans 12:1 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” This means God desires that we give ourselves completely to Him. We allow Him to be the Lord of our lives Sunday to Sunday, 365 days a year, for a lifetime. God doesn’t just want your Sunday, Wednesday, or whatever day you devote to Him… He wants your devotion continually and daily.
2. Sometimes, God calls us to places or to do things we may not like, understand, or agree with, but we must trust that His ways are better than ours. He has our best interest in mind, and we must trust and obey Him. He is not in heaven playing Russian roulette with our lives… He has a plan and purpose for His glory.
3. God has provided Himself a lamb for sacrifice, and His name is Jesus Christ. This is a big deal for all of us. This is God’s love displayed to all humanity. A lamb was needed to be sacrificed for the sins of humanity, and Jesus is the perfect, spotless lamb without blemish who willingly went to the cross of Calvary so all who believe in Him will be redeemed. God loves us so much that He gave His beloved son that whoever believes in Him will be saved and redeemed.
4. Jehovah Jireh—God always provides for His faithful followers. This comforts me and should comfort you as well. We no longer need to worry or be anxious about anything because God has provided for our needs. He may not do it the way we want, but He will do it nonetheless for His glory.

 

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