Chapter 22
2024 - Always a difficult chapter. It is helpful to keep in mind that God did not ask of Abraham anything that God was unwilling to do himself.
2024 - It also occurs to me here that in this "dispensation", this "era" of the Bible, from Noah to the Law, God speaks directly with people of his choosing. He speaks to Sarah, to Abraham, to Hagar, to King Abimelech in Chapter 20, and so on. He also spoke directly with Adam and Eve before the flood...but did he speak with others during that time? I can't really remember, but I think this is pretty important as we look at how God has moved his plan forward in different eras/segments/dispensations.
2 He said, "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 on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." [Gen 22:2 ESV]
This is where Moriah comes from. A place of hard testing, of faith beyond what most people ever need in their lives. Moriah is a place you don't want to be sent.
It took Abraham three days to get to where he could see Moriah. Three days from Beersheba to Moriah. When Abraham and Isaac go forward alone, Isaac carries the wood on his back The burden of the sacrifice is laid on Isaac. The load is on Isaac. Abraham takes the fire and the knife. The fire speaks of judgement. The knife? Justice maybe? Nothing in MSB about these specifics of the preparation. But it is most certainly a picture of the coming of Christ.
2026 - "He hath laid on him the iniquity of us all". This makes the picture very clear.
2021 - This verse: 8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. [Gen 22:8 ESV] How much does this verse really say!!?? It leaves no doubt that this sacrifice of Isaac is a foreshadowing of Christ. It says that Jesus is God's provision for cleansing the whole world of sin. It was God's doing. He arranged it all. Nothing about it is to do with us, our works, the good that we do, none of that. God provides His own Lamb.
Possible FB post...maybe.
Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, but an angel stops him before. This "angelic voice" seems to be God speaking. MSB references Ex 3:2 where the same language indicates that it is God speaking.
2025 - Why then would the voice be attributed to the "angel of the Lord" if it is in fact the LORD speaking? As translated, it is hard to say this is anyone but God doing the talking. If we want to disagree that it is God, then we must translate it a different way. BLB, translating the Masoretic Text, renders it "the angel FROM the LORD". Not. The angel of the LORD called FROM heaven is what it says. So I don't really see any way to get there - to get to anything but this angel of the LORD is God. Why would it be that way?
2025 - Grudem discusses this in Chapter 19.A.11. He says "the" angel of the LORD is a form that God assumes at various times for short periods so that he can communicate with people. As in the case we just saw of Hagar, of Abraham before he sacrificed Isaac, and of Moses at the burning bush. Grudem suggest that this may "more specifically be" the pre-incarnate Christ. He does not explain at all why we would say this and I see no reason to say this.
Through this sacrifice - this almost sacrifice, the OT saints and prophets had a glimpse of things to come. It would have been a dim vision, but all the elements are there. And those prophets may well have recognized this type for what it was. And one more lesson - difficult for us to accept much less embrace...The faith that brings salvation means there is absolutely nothing we will hold back from God. Nothing at all...
2021 - Also this verse: 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. [Gen 22:10 ESV] The word translated "slaughter" is Strong's 7819. There, the word means slaughter, as in a sacrifice or a massacre. This is about the unflinching taking of a life. Many translations just say kill here. But more than a few translate it slaughter. It caught my eye because it is such a severe word. To slaughter one's own son...Not the slaughter of food preparation, but of sacrifice, of massacre. A very different sort of word.
2023 - This verse:
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. [Gen 22:13 ESV]. The ram because the substitute for sacrifice of one man, and Jesus became the substitute for all men. Different, but so undeniably entwined.
Abraham calls the place "The Lord provides", Jehovah-jireh. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. [Gen 22:10 ESV].
2024 - This verse:
15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven [Gen 22:15 ESV]...Note that when combined with the next verse we see that "the angel of the Lord" IS in fact the Lord. And this is the second time that the Lord has spoken, though He is identified as the angel of the Lord. Back in 22:1, it just says God...said to him. Why does it switch to angel later. God is identified as the one who told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. The Lord, as "the angel of the Lord", tells Abraham NOT to sacrifice Isaac in vss 11-12, and renews and extends the unconditional Abrahamic Covenant in vss 16-18. MSB sends us to a note at Ex 3:2 about "the angel of the Lord" and gives this very unsatisfactory explanation: "Lit. "messenger of Yahweh" who, in context, turns out to be the Lord Himself talking to Moses (cf Ac 7:30)".
Only thing I can see in the Genesis verses here is that it is God Himself who requires, and the messenger that extends first mercy, and then promise. We might see Father and Son in this. God is before all things a God of justice, the judge of all things. Yet he sent his son to die for us, that the judgment might be merciful. And not only that, but in addition to mercy we are promised eternity in heaven with both Father and Son.
Perhaps, in context, we are seeing seeds of the Trinity in the OT. I noticed some things very late in Revelation that made me wonder if there will still be "three" in heaven. There will be no sin. There will be no devil to accuse. There will be nothing to judge, so no need for pleading or mercy. Only worship.
These:
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [Rev 21:22-23 ESV]
The Temple IS Father AND Son. Both in one. Grantham Sharp does not apply. But separate lights...
Then this:
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Rev 22:1 ESV]. One throne. For both. But Grantham sharp does not apply. Both have definite articles, so separate in that way.
One more....
5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. [Rev 22:5 ESV]. In Greek, Lord and God are singular, and "they" is plural. Just a thought...I hope it is not heresy.
and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord , because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
Genesis 22:16-18 ESV
The promises made again, God swearing by himself. This time, they are stated as the result of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac. Possessing the gate of enemies is new here, but I think all the rest are repeats.
Need to study them and compare and contrast.
The promises of God to Abraham must come to pass. Despite the current blindness of the Jews, they will come to God, they will possess the land, they will possess the gates of their enemies. World prominence, even domination, will come to the Jews.
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. [Gen 22:19 ESV]
This is where the oath was made with Abimelech that he and Abraham would be square with each other in all matters.
The chapter ends with some genealogy of what has been going on back at Nahor's place. This is Abraham's brother, whom I believe he left at Haran. Odd to end with this little bit of genealogy. Doesn't seem to fit here, but I am sure it is here for a reason.
2023 - I note this year that Abraham's brother Nahor also has 12 sons. Abraham's brother has 12, and Ismael will have 12. But it will be Abraham's grandson that has 12. I don't think there is any reason to believe that Nahor was blessed because of Abraham. I don't know what "people" those back in Haran might have become. I don't recognize the names as "famous ancient city names" either.