God Will Provide Himself a Lamb: Abraham’s Test and the Shadow of Christ

“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Heream I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” Genesis 22:7-8

Before I begin my thought this morning from today’s passage in the Scripture, let me say that I feel totally inadequate to even attempt to glean all of the depth and beauty that is contained in chapter 22. We are certainly treading on Holy Ground as we deal with the great test that God gave Abraham when He asked him to offer up his only son, Isaac. I strongly encourage you to prayerfully re-read this chapter, and ask God to open your eyes to the many wonderful pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ that we will see in this chapter. I will discuss some of these types of Christ from this passage in a minute, but first let me say, that God was definitely putting Abraham to the test by asking this of him. God had first promised Abraham a son twenty-five years before He actually gave him. Abraham had waited so long, but God finally delivered on His promise. To make matters worse, Abraham’s other son, Ishmael, who was born to a concubine had been sent away; so Isaac was all that Abraham had, and God was now asking him to give him back. Think now how you would respond to this. What if God were to ask you to sacrifice your only child? What if God were to ask you to let your child serve Him on a foreign mission field? We become very attached to the children God gives us, don’t we?

The Person of the Sacrifice

First, let us consider the person of the sacrifice. Before, we look at the pictures of Christ contained in chapter 22, let’s examine how the child, Isaac, is a picture of Christ. The birth of Isaac bears a striking resemblance to the birth of Christ in many ways making Isaac’s birth a type of the birth of our Lord.

A. W. Pink in his work, Gleanings in Genesis,points out the following:[1]

• Isaac was the promised seed and son; and so was Christ. (Genesis 17:16; 3:5; Isaiah 7:14)
• In both cases there was a long period of time between the promise of birth and the fulfillment of that promise. (Genesis 12:7)
• In both cases the announcement of the birth to the mothers and the reception of the news were similar. (Genesis 18:12 – 14; Luke 1:34 – 37)
• In both cases the name of the child was specified before birth. (Genesis 17:19; Matthew 1:21)
• Both births occurred at an appointed time. (Genesis 21:2; Galatians 4:4)
• Both births were miraculous. (Consider also the birth of Samuel and the birth of John the Baptist)
• The name Isaac, which means laughter, was given by Abraham indicating the delight of the father.  So too did Jesus’ Father declare His delight, when He said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

These types, which are replete throughout the Book of Genesis, remind us of the infallibility of the Word of God. How could any human instrument paint such an accurate and beautiful picture of our Lord centuries before His birth.

The Place of the Sacrifice

Now let’s consider the place of the sacrifice. Did you know that this Mt. Moriah is the very same mountain that the Lord Jesus would be crucified on years later. By the way, it is also the place where David offers his sacrifice (2 Sam 24:18 – 25); and also the same mountain where the temple would be built.

The Pictures in the Sacrifice

Finally. let us look at some of the other pictures contained in this chapter:

• They arrived at Moriah on the third day (v 4). For three days Isaac was thought to be as good as dead to Abraham. But on this third day, Abraham was given back his son alive.  Of course, the third day is the day of resurrection.
• The wood for the sacrifice was placed upon Isaac (v. 6) and carried by Isaac to the place of the sacrifice. Remember that Christ carried the wood for His sacrifice as well.
• In verse five, they leave the servants behind. This was between the father and the son. Christ also left the disciples at Gethsemane; and even the two thieves were excluded when the darkness fell when Christ was on the cross.
• Notice in verse eight, “God will provide himself a lamb.” This is not a reference to the ram that was given later on in the chapter. This is clearly a reference to Christ.
• The Ram was caught in a thicket. Thorns were upon the head of the Saviour.

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Questions for Reflection

• What details in Genesis 22 most vividly point you to Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross?
• Abraham trusted God to provide—even to the point of believing in resurrection (Hebrews 11:19). How does this encourage you when God calls you to surrender something precious?
• Where in your life right now do you need to trust that “God will provide Himself a lamb”?
• How does seeing Jesus as the ultimate substitute change your perspective on obedience and fear?
• Spend a moment thanking God for providing the Lamb.

[1] Arthur W. Pink, Gleanings in Genesis (Chicago: Moody Press, 1922), 211.

Read related previous posts from today’s passage – “The Whole Truth,“ “When God Withholds You,” and “Waiting on the Will of God“