Gen. 22:1-19
In a previous post we noted the importance of
the “Son” in terms of God’s provision of righteousness, or having a right
standing with God. Abram questioned God’s
provision for him since he did not have a son and he was already too old to
produce a son. But God promised, and
Abram believed, and his faith was counted as righteousness with God. Several generations after Abel’s righteous
faith Abram had come to the same point.
Abel’s faith involved the bringing of an excellent sacrifice. Abram’s faith involved a son. Both men were said to be righteous, having a
right standing with God. The reason is
that, for both men, their faith was in the Savior that God had promised from
the beginning of sin.
In the New Testament, Gen. 15 and 22 are critical
to saving faith. Paul says it was the
faith of 15:6 that justified Abraham (Rom. 4:1-4). James says it was the faith of 22:12 that
confirmed his justification (James 2:21-24).
We don’t need to go into that issue, which we have done previously. The point is that both stories involve the
Savior, as the faith Abraham gave him right standing. And in both stories, that faith is in the
Son.
You should not be fooled into thinking that Abraham
thought that Isaac was the Savior. The
exchange between them on the way up the mountain make that clear. My son, God will provide for Himself the
lamb for a burnt offering. And, of
course, the story we know tells us that God Himself was going to make His own
Son the Savior. His Son would shed His
blood for sinful men.
Now again, you may rightly question whether
Abraham understood this, that God was prophesying that the Savior would be the
Son of God. He may have had some such
insight. It’s not impossible. I say this in light of 22:14. Clearly,
Abraham knew this event was about the provision of the Savior. That’s what he is reflecting on when he names
the place “The-LORD-will-provide.” But
Moses also understood this, as he was recording the story hundreds of years
later. “As it is said to this day” refers
to the days of Moses. The story was
passed along, from generation to generation, that the event that would bring
satisfaction to God on behalf of sinful men, would take place “in the Mount of
the LORD” (i.e. the area of Mt. Moriah where God had provided the substitute
for Isaac).
All of this helps to make sense out of 22:15-19. God repeats His covenant with Abraham, that
Abraham and his descendants will be great, and that through them all the nations
of the earth will be blessed. Abraham’s
faithfulness was essential for us to have access to the grace of God by which
we have been accepted by Him, even as Jesus’ faithfulness was also
essential. What a great truth is being
unfolded for us in the writings of Moses.
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