Substitution

Genesis 22

What a strange and truly staggering passage this is which teaches us much about God and his ways.

Firstly, we see that God wants us to care for our children and not harm them.

The terrible Canaanite practice of child sacrifice in worship (Lev. 18:21; Deut. 18:10), which might have been happening in the society in which Abraham was living, was very clearly forbidden by God in this incident (Genesis 22:12). Even today, in some ways, children can be abused, misused, hurt, and neglected. Very sadly, the lives of children are sometimes valued less than the lives of adults. The Lord does not want this mistreatment or neglect of children and in the New Testament we see that children matter a lot to Jesus and they are to be brought to the Lord for His blessings (Matthew 19:13-15). We also learn that parents are to "bring (their children) up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord"(Ephesians 6:4 ESV).

Secondly, we see the astonishing faith of Abraham, who believed in the resurrection power of God.

Clearly Abraham believed that Isaac would return after the offering on the mountain. In verse 5 we read, of how 'Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."' 

Hebrews 11:17-19 explains this incident in the following way:

'[17] By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, [18] of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." [19] He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back' (ESV).

Thirdly, we see how this passage teaches that "the LORD will provide" the atoning sacrifice for sin.

In Genesis 22:13-14 we read of how '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. [14] So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided" (ESV).

Centuries later another Father was on this same hill (which many believe to be in the city of Jerusalem) and on this occasion, God the Father "did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:31).

 

The ram provided to be offered "instead" of Isaac (Genesis 22:13), is a type of Jesus who, as the ultimate sacrifice provided by the Lord (Genesis 22:14), was offered in our stead as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).