Father, where is the lamb?
Gen 22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
tempt, test: nacah - to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test
tempt...peirazô: 2c - to try or test one's faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin
James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
The angel called out of heaven and Abraham answered; here am I.
Samuel responded
1 Sam 3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
Isaiah responded
Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Do you hear the Lord's voice? Do you answer, here am I?
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
We must respond in faith.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Gen 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
In the book of Chronicles, it is reported that the location of Araunah's threshing floor is "in mount Moriah" and that the Temple of Solomon was built over Araunah's threshing floor. This was also according to custom to be the place where Abraham brought Isaac to offer him, according to God's direction.
2 Chr 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Some Christians believe that this was another place, where Christ was later crucified; Jesus was crucified outside the city gates. The verse says, "one of the mountains", the range of mountains called Moriah. There is no specific location given in the scriptures.
Perhaps neither custom is based on fact. There is no mention of this in the Bible. It is best to let the Bible have authority above here say and customs.
Gen 22:3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
Abraham was given the location. He had two men with him and Isaac. They prepared wood for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Gen 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
On the third day, on the third day God's son arose from the grave. On the third day of their journey, Abraham saw the place, far off.
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
"We will worship and return"; he was speaking by faith. Faith in God will see us through many difficult times.
Gen 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
Jewish teachings, put the age of Isaac in his thirties. He may have been the same age as our Lord Jesus Christ, who went to the cross at age thirty-three.
Gen 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
They had wood and fire, they had a knife, but where is the sacrifice? Isaac was unaware that he was the sacrifice.
Jesus was aware, that he was the sacrifice. The agony in the garden of Gethsemene portrays his awareness and emotional suffering at this time.
Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Luke 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
Luke 22:46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
Luke 22:47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
Luke 22:48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
Phil 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
God will provide a lamb. Later, John the Baptist would announce Jesus, the Lamb of God.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
The story looks forward to the sacrifice of God's son on the cross on Golgotha, meaning a skull. Calvary, is the Latin word for the place. The notion that Golgotha, "The Place of the Skull" (Matthew 27:33), was so named because of the skull-like appearance of the hill is a modern idea dating only from the 19th century. From early Christian times, virtually all commentators held that Golgotha was so named simply because it was a place of execution, where the skulls and bones of criminals lay scattered.
Gen 22:9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Abraham knew the exact place, because God had revealed it to him. Abraham built an altar, which he always did in new locations. Then he bound his beloved son, Isaac. Later, our Lord Jesus Christ would be bound.
Mat 27:1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
Mat 27:2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
Gen 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
As Isaac laid bound on the sacrificial altar, Abraham lifted his knife to slay him. The lambs throat would be slit, to bleed it. The shedding of blood was required.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Gen 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Who was the angel of the LORD? Probably Gabriel, who came to Zacharias, Mary and Joseph.
Luke 1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.
Gen 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
The test was over. Abraham had shown himself faithful and obedient. God is faithful and so was Jesus our Lord. Can we be anything less, having received God's grace?
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God gave Jesus, for us. Abraham was willing to give up Isaac. Is there something or someone that you cannot give up to God? Many want God to just agree with them and provide good things. They like to receive, but a disciple must leave all.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Why a ram and not a lamb? Jesus was called the Lamb of God. When Jesus was crucified, he was not a youngster, but a full grown man. The Ram was a full grown lamb. Another interesting thought is that he was caught in the thicket, (the crowd) by his horns. Horns represent power. Jesus put aside his power, (horns) and willingly gave himself up to be the sin offering.
Phil 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, (full of power) thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phil 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phil 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
John 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Salvation, is God's power to translate us into the kingdom of God.
Luke 1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Luke 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Gen 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Jehovahjireh: Jehovah sees
Gen 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
Gen 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Faith was required to receive God's covenant.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
James 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
James 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Gen 22:19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
It was the third day, and Isaac arose and went with his Father and men to Beersheba.
Gen 22:20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;
Gen 22:21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
Gen 22:22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
Gen 22:23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
Gen 22:24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
We will hear more of Rebekah, the wife to be of Isaac.
Will we obey God, even if it means giving up our Isaac? God requires people to be of faith. Be faithful and obedient disciples of the Lord. It is not about our will, but it is to serve and worship the Lord. What we give up, he may return to be used for his glory.
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