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Sorry for the long post, but these are the notes I promised with the connection between the offering of Isaac and Jesus Christ.

Today, Pastor Rob spoke about Genesis Chapter 22 today in his series about “The Names of God.” Today’s sermon focused on the title Jehovah-Jireh (God provides). In this passage, we find the story about Abraham’s faithfulness in offering his son, Isaac as a burnt sacrifice to The LORD. You’ve likely heard this story before, have likely read it several times, but have you understood the prophetic imagery packed into this single chapter? Genesis 22 is loaded with Messianic allusions, golden nuggets of symbolic references, and prophetic messages. The scene is significantly (and beautifully) referenced in one of the harshest confrontations between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. We’ll talk about that in a bit.

The theme of the chapter is faithfulness. A bit earlier in The Bible, Abraham (known as Abram at the time), in Chapter 15, is “counted as righteous” because of his faith in God. The LORD conducts an ancient covenant ritual that binds a promise of agreement between two parties in a mysterious ceremony; thus sealing the covenant of blessing for Abram’s line. In chapter 22, God tests the faith of Abraham in a manner that may sound outrageous to us; extreme it its consequence and implication. This extreme command to Abraham was to demonstrate his faith by assuring The LORD that he would not withhold anything from Him – even the life of his son.

Understand how extreme and outrageous this offering was; that he would offer his own son as a sacrifice. Oops! Wow! Did you see it? Let me state that again, only written a bit differently and if you have not gotten it yet, you’ll catch it the second time. … How outrageous it is that He would offer His Son, His only Son as a sacrifice! Do you get it yet? If not, put this away for a minute, and go read John 3:16-17. I usually copy passages directly into articles that I quote from The Bible, but this time I’d like you take the time to go find it and read it on your own. I’m sure you’ve heard verse 16 before, but carefully read 17 also. They dovetail wonderfully. Surely you see it now. How could a loving parent offer the life of their only child. How horrible!!! And yet …

1) That’s exactly what Abraham did, knowing the Creator of all life could easily restore his son’s life (proof of that idea later)

2) That’s exactly what The LORD did for us in order to reconcile the debt of sin for all of humanity.

There are several references in Chapter 22 that foreshadow the Mission of Jesus. Three times the phrase, "Your Son, Your only Son" is used. Compare that phrase with John 3:16, “For God so Loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” God recognizes that Abraham loved his son, but God Loves the entire world. The test was, did Abraham trust God more than he loved his son? But what did he need to trust? Note that Abraham said to his servant,

"Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you."

Notice Abraham said that both he and his son would go and worship and return. He also understood that God promised his only son, The Son of Promise, would be the father of a multitude and to fulfill that promise, he would return from the mountain after they finished their worship. To do this, God would have to bring Isaac back from death. Many may look at that as a unrealistic expectation on Abraham's part, but Abraham understood the “God of Creation” would find such a task as not a problem. Remember, to understand God, we must do so through His heart and His eyes and not through the eyes and heart of man. Would the rising of Isaac from death be a problem to The Author of Creation, The One who spun The Universe into Creation with a spoken Word?

There are several other prophetic references in Chapter 22, and if you wish you can find studies online, but a brief mention of some others include ...

1) The three-day journey vs the three days in the tomb

2) Abraham placing onto Isaac the wood for the sacrifice vs The Cross

3) Abraham, the father, carrying the fire of judgement to be used on his own son (see Isaiah 53)

4) But the most significant is the location of the offering – Moriah

In II Samuel chapter 24, we read the story of King David purchasing a threshing floor from a Jebusite named Araunah. The same story is found in I Chronicles chapter 21. II Chronicles chapter 3 explains the location ...

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 threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. (The difference in the Jebusite's name is thought to be title vs an actual name).

So the location of the Temple built by Solomon was on Mount Moriah - the same place where centuries earlier Isaac, the son was offered by his father. If you were to examine the geographic profile of Mount Moriah, the highest ground (where you would expect Abraham and Isaac to have traveled for their worship) is a place known as Golgotha or “The Place of the Skull”. This is the place where Jesus Christ, The Only Son was offered for the sins of the entire world by His Father. Though it's not possible to prove so today, the thought is that all three events took place at the exact same location ...

1) The offering of Isaac

2) David purchasing the plateau on Mount Moriah used as a threshing floor, which subsequently was used to build The Temple

3) The crucifixion of Jesus

By the way, the threshing floor was used as a way to separate the grain of wheat from the chaff (the inedible portion). The grain would be cracked by beating it against the ground (threshing) or grinding it with a stone then tossing it into the air. The flat area on a plateau with a high wind was a prime location to toss the grain into the air where the heavier grain would land in one spot and the lighter chaff would land in another. Separating grain (fruit) from the chaff is frequently mentioned in The Bible as a metaphor for separating the faithful from the unfaithful.

Now let’s see how Jesus references Chapter 22 in a confrontation, a huge confrontation in which the religious leaders escalate the argument by calling Our LORD a bastard; yep, they went there, making a mockery of The Virgin Birth when they said they were not “born a child of fornication.”

In Genesis 22 verse 14, we find the phrase ... "In the Mount of The Lord It shall be seen". But what does the word "It" refer to? What or who exactly did Abraham see in this vision?

Back in verse 4, we find ...

“Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.”

Can you visualize Abraham standing with his son, staring into the distance? That phrase “Afar off” is translated from the Hebrew word pronounced as “rac-hoke.” This term can imply “Afar off” in terms of distance, but can also mean “Afar off” in terms of time. This implies Abraham lifted his eyes and saw a vision in time. Strong’s Concordance says the following about this word …

Remote, literally or figuratively, of place or time; specifically, precious; often used adverbially (with preposition): (a-) far (abroad, off), long ago, of old, space, great while to come.

John Chapter 8 explains exactly what Abraham saw. This chapter is referred to by a Bible Teacher friend of mine (Pastor Claude) as “The Who's yer Daddy Chapter.”

The passage deals with the difference between physical heritage vs the source of truth; either The Father of Lies or God The Father. Pay attention to the claims of fatherhood and sonship.

Jesus confronts the religious leaders and they trade comments back and forth about truth until Jesus challenges them, “I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.”

They then claim that Abraham is their father, giving themselves a position of status due to their heritage rather than what was in their heart, to which Jesus retorts with, " If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father.”

Jesus clearly draws a distinction between His Father and the father they follow. Remember Abraham's source of Righteousness - faith, so when Jesus says, "The Works of Abraham" I think He means the expression of faith demonstrated by Abraham; the man they falsely claim to follow.

They respond by insulting Him by saying He was born of fornication (ie born outside of marriage). Jesus retorted, “If God were your Father, ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God. Neither came I of myself, but He sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.”

Here comes the punchline to the "Who's Yer Daddy" theme.

Jesus then clarifies who their father is by stating, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”

They are not capable of hearing truth. They continued to challenge each other, then Jesus said, "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death."

The religious leaders argued back by questioning, “Abraham is dead as well as the Prophets, and you are greater than him?”

Jesus responds by claiming that He does not honor Himself, rather, it is His Father that honors Him; The same Father the religious leaders didn’t know, despite their claims!

Read this carefully! It’s important you understand. Jesus continues, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw ‘IT’, and was glad.”

Understanding this HUGE comment is paramount to the prophetic message from centuries earlier on Mount Moriah. That little word, “IT” is magnificently powerful once you fit the pieces of this story together.

Do you see what Jesus was saying? Abraham, during his journey saw through time (rac-hoke) to witness God providing His own sacrifice - ie Jehovah-Jireh (God provides). Abraham looked off into the distance of time and saw a vision of what was to come. God revealed to him the Messianic Plan to rescue mankind from sin.

But of course, the Pharisees didn’t get it. They didn’t understand that interpretation of Abraham and through their human understanding challenged Jesus by pointing out that though He was not 50 years old, yet He claimed that Abraham saw His day? How could Abraham, who lived at least 1500 years before the birth of Jesus “See” Him?

That’s when Jesus responded with His amazing declaration,

"I say unto you, before Abraham was, I Am!"

This is “The Great I AM” from Exodus Chapter 3 when God told Moses to tell the Israelites that “I Am sent you.” The Hebrew word for “I AM” is Hayah, which means, “The Uncaused One.”

The religious leaders instantly responded by trying to stone Jesus. They clearly understood this comment as Jesus declared Himself and The Father as One in The Same.

The lesson from this study is to not let anyone ever tell you that Jesus never declared himself God without providing firm proof otherwise. There are several passages that refute that silly claim, but to me, this is the clearest. Hallelujah!