The Adventures of Abraham (Part 4): Abraham & Sons – Isaac

Preparing for Lesson 18

I don’t know about you, but I am frankly really tired of seeing commercials on television depicting men in general, and husbands in particular, as bumbling human beings who cannot find their way out of a paper sack. Fortunately they have strong, intelligent, capable and infallible women in their lives to protect and provide for them, to make all of the important decisions for the household, and to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan. (Weren’t those lyrics in a song somewhere?) 

I thought this was a phenomenon of the modern world, but then I discovered that Abraham himself was guilty of passing the buck and going along with whatever his wife wanted to do. Maybe even in those days, the saying “happy wife, happy life” were true. And then there were the debacles in Egypt and Gerar, so maybe he felt like he needed to give Sarah a little extra consideration.

If Abraham had better fulfilled his role of head of the family, I think a lot of pain could have been avoided. And I’m thinking of course about the whole Hagar-Ishmael Affair. As a man of God, Abraham should have stood firm by refusing Sarah’s plan and taking the high moral ground. But whatever weaknesses he may have displayed on the home front, he certainly redeemed himself by being obedient to God to the point of being willing to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering. 

Let’s now take a look at the birth and (almost) death of Abraham’s son, Isaac.

Lesson 18: The Adventures of Abraham (Part 4): Abraham & Sons – Isaac

The Birth of Laughter

We know that both Abraham and Sarah longed for a child of their own. Abraham was desperate for an heir, although at this particular time, he thought Ishmael would fill that role (Genesis 17:18). And Sarah’s situation was somewhat different and quite personal. In those days, a barren woman suffered deep shame as a consequence of her inability to conceive which was often attributed to some hidden sin or flaw. At this point in her life, she was surely resigned to remaining childless.

When God announced that Sarah would conceive and deliver a son within a year, Abraham fell on his face and laughed, not because of unbelief, but because it was too good to be true (Genesis 17:17). But when Sarah laughed, I think it was because of unbelief. God had never spoken directly to her and it must have seemed that she had been forgotten in the big picture of God’s plan for Abraham. 

Think About This: Sarah should have remembered what God did for her in Egypt. In Genesis 12:17, we read, “But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.” So He was already watching out for her and she didn’t even know it.

So God instructed Abraham to name the child Isaac, which means laughter. And when Isaac was born, Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6)

But two people who did not laugh with Sarah were Hagar and Ishmael.  Sarah heard Ishmael mocking Isaac and it both angered and concerned her. Remember that up to this time, Ishmael thought he was Abraham’s designated heir, but with the birth of Isaac, he was cast aside. Perhaps Sarah thought Ishmael might hurt or even kill Isaac because of it. J. Vernon McGee says that by his mocking, we begin to see the nature and character of Ishmael. So when he was about sixteen years old, Ishmael and his mother were sent out into the desert.

The Offering of Isaac

The story recorded in Genesis 22:1-19 is downright disturbing, heartbreaking and unfathomable. And yet, it was God’s will. Sometimes we need to be reminded that God is not like us (Psalm 50:21).

Think About This: Am I the only person reading this right now who is hoping the Lord never tests me in such a way? When I am at church, worshipping the Lord, sometimes I think, What if armed gunmen broke in right now and demanded, “Stand up if you believe in Jesus!” Would I stand up for Jesus? Would Abraham stand up? You know he would. Long before Jesus came, Abraham set the standard for faith. Oy vey. In these days when there is so much hatred and violence in the world, we never know when our faith will be put to the test. I pray that if I ever do face such a test, He will give me the strength to endure.

Abraham had been given much, and from him, God expected much. In the beginning, Abraham’s new faith wavered. In fact, I think it wavered more than it held fast. But more and more, he began to place his trust in God until his trust and faith were steadfast; he wavered no more. In passing this test of obedience, Abraham won a place in the Hall of Faith recorded in Hebrews (Hebrews 11:17). 

Based on what we know about this story, it was a typical day for Abraham when God called to him from heaven, and in a very straight forward manner, told him to take his beloved son Isaac to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. This is astounding. And it is equally astounding that Abraham did not question, argue or otherwise try to negotiate for a better plan. God had spoken, and that was all Abraham needed to know. 

Think About This: Mount Moriah is an important holy site in Jerusalem. It is the place where God sent Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, and it is where Solomon built the temple. Most importantly, it is very near to the place that was later called Golgotha, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion. While the crucifixion did not occur in exactly the same spot where the temple stood, it is certainly on the same mountain ridge.

Now, we know this was only a test, but Abraham did not. Even so, he did not hesitate to carry out God’s instructions. R. Kent Hughes calls it “immediate obedience.” Early the very next morning, he made the necessary preparations and began the journey. He took the supplies, two servants and Isaac along with him. As they neared their final destination, Abraham left the two men behind while he and Isaac continued their journey, but not before telling them that both he and Isaac would return after worshipping.

Human sacrifice was something Abraham had encountered in Ur and it was also part of the Canaanite culture, the facts of which have been verified by archaeology. And however repulsed and appalled Abraham surely was by the prospect of sacrificing his own son and by his own hand, his faith remained steadfast. In fact, Abraham had faith enough to believe that God could resurrect Isaac after the deed was accomplished. Now that’s faith.

And what about Isaac’s faith? Most commentators agree that Isaac was a teenager at this time, and for him to have overpowered his father and run far, far away would have been no difficult task for him. But, like father like son. Isaac submitted to his father and was ready and willing to lay down his life. 

We know that Abraham carried on and fully intended to complete his mission. In fact Isaac was on the altar, the knife was in Abraham’s hand and he was ready to bring it down on Isaac’s throat. But God spoke from heaven and told Abraham to stop what he was doing and to let Isaac go; that he had passed the test. Abraham had demonstrated that there was nothing he would not do for his God, even to the point of sacrificing the most precious person in his life. And interestingly, according to Scripture, this was the last time God spoke to Abraham. He had proven himself; his testing was over.

And Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket, he took it and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his beloved son Isaac. The God who tests is also the God who provides.

Finally, it is difficult to read this story and not see the parallels to another sacrifice that happened at the same location some two thousand years later, when Jesus Christ willingly laid down His life for the many. 

In his sermon titled Dress Rehearsal for Calvary, Adrian Rogers compared the two events, and the similarities are startling. Below, I have shown a summary of the two events. Of course, the Old Testament contains many prophecies about the coming Messiah but I’ve tried to limit my reference points to the New Testament.

Both births were prophesied: Isaac (Genesis 17:16); Jesus (Matthew 1:20-21)

The timing of each birth was pre-set: Isaac (Genesis 21:2); Jesus (Galatians 4:4)

Both births were miraculous: Isaac (Genesis 18:12); Jesus (Luke 1:34)

Their names were divinely given: Isaac (Genesis 17:19); Jesus (Luke 1:31)

Both were loved by their fathers: Isaac (Genesis 22:2); Jesus (2 Peter 1:17)

Both were offered up as sacrifices: Isaac, whose sacrifice was not actually carried out (Genesis 22:9); Jesus, who was sacrificed, (Ephesians 5:2)

Both were offered up in the same location: Isaac (Genesis 22:2); Jesus (Luke 23:33)

Both were raised from the dead: Isaac, figuratively raised (Hebrews 11:17-19); Jesus, literally raised (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

You can read (or hear) the entire sermon by searching: Adrian Rogers Dress Rehearsal for Calvary. It makes for a good study.

In our next lesson, we’ll begin talking about the generations that came after Abraham.

Think About It, Talk About It

What was one reason God may have delayed the conception and birth of Isaac? What were some reasons it was so emotionally difficult for Sarah to remain childless?

How do you think Abraham felt when he realized that God’s instructions to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice was only a test?  Can you think of a time in your life when, looking back on it now, you can see that you were being tested? 

What does it mean that Isaac was a type of Christ, or that he pre-figured Christ?

Sources

Cooper, Melinda Eve: Three Reasons Mount Moriah Matters to Us Today (www.crosswalk.com)

Did the Canaanites Really Sacrifice Their Children (www.biblereadingarchaeology.com)

Hebrew-Greek Key Word Bible Study, NASB (AMG International, Inc. 2008)

Kolchin, Mark: Isaac at Gerar (www.knowtheword.com)

McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee-Genesis (Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1981)

Rogers, Adrian: Dress Rehearsal for Calvary (www.lwf.org)

Unger, Merrill F.: Unger’s New Bible Dictionary (Moody Press 2005)