Turning this morning to a well-known
story in Genesis chapter 22, and I'm entitling the message
from the words Abraham gives to that all-important question
that Isaac asked him in verse 7 and 8. Isaac says unto the
father, unto Abraham, where is the lamb? Where is the lamb? And of course, Abraham replied
back, My son, God will provide. God will provide Himself a lamb
for a burnt offering. The Lord Himself is that lamb,
isn't He? Behold the Lamb of God that taketh
away our sin. Now this story is a gospel story
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And may we by His grace look
beyond Abraham and Isaac and see the Father and the Son. May
we have grace of God to see the gospel. This is a gospel story
of substitution and satisfaction. Now throughout the Old Testament
we see the gospel in various types and pictures, don't we?
You remember Romans 15, whatsoever was written aforetime were written
for our learning, that we through patience and comfort the scriptures
might have hope. So as we study the Old Testament,
we see the gospel in type and picture, don't we? We see three
different types. We see instituted types of the
gospel. What would be an instituted type?
The Passover, The Day of Atonement, those things instituted of God,
that whole Levitical priesthood is a picture of Christ's priestly
work, isn't it? That was all instituted by God. And then we also see the gospel
in personal types, don't we? Personal types. The Lord Jesus
Christ is that priest-like Aaron, but much greater, isn't he? Aaron
had an end to his priesthood. The Lord Jesus Christ is a priest
forever. And then we also see personal
types. A priest like Aaron, a prophet
like Moses. The Lord said, I'll raise up
my prophet. He will speak all my pleasure.
And then we see another type, personal type, a priest like
Aaron, the Lord Jesus Christ, a prophet like Moses, and then
the Lord Jesus Christ is the king like David. David reigned
over all Israel. But in all those personal types,
the Lord Jesus Christ is much greater, isn't He? He's much
superior, isn't He? And then the third type, instituted
types, personal types, and then we see providential types, don't
we? Providential types. In other
words, the exodus from Egypt, the smitten rock in the wilderness,
the brazen serpent lifted up, those are providential types.
And in our story today, in Genesis 22, we could say that this is
a Providential type of the gospel this chapter in this book of
Genesis is a plain picture of Christ our substitute who is
called John identified the Lord Jesus Christ as Behold the Lamb
of God the Lord Jesus Christ is a lamb of God's choosing the
sacrifice of God's appointing and And perhaps the greatest
revelation of the gospel of Christ that Abraham had was in this
story right here. You remember our Lord said of
Abraham in John chapter eight, remember what he said? Abraham
rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and he was glad. I believe the greatest revelation
of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ that Abraham had is in
this day. when God told him to sacrifice
his son and not spare his son. In Galatians 3 verse 8, don't
turn, let me just read this to you. The scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before
the gospel unto Abraham. God preached the gospel unto
Abraham saying in thee shall all nations be blessed in that
special Son, that special seed, Isaac, is a type of Christ. If
you follow the lineage, the fleshly lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ,
it goes right back to Isaac. But may we look beyond Abraham
and beyond Isaac to see the gospel of Christ. again this morning. So let's take a good look at
Genesis 22 and ask the Lord to enable us to rejoice in the gospel
of substitution one more time. May we come away from that worship
service and that's what Abraham and Isaac went to. They went
to a worship service. May we come away from the worship
service this morning as Isaac did that day. You know what Isaac
came away from that worship service saying? Thank God for the substitute. You know he did. Oh, he was dancing
down off that hill, wasn't he? Oh, rejoicing, rejoicing in the
substitute. Now look at verse one, Genesis
22, and it came to pass. After these things, that God
sent Abraham this trial. That's what the word there is,
tempt. God doesn't tempt men with evil. God does send trial
unto his people. Sending him Abraham, and Abraham
answered back quickly, behold me. I'm right here, I'm your
servant, I'm ready to listen. After all the difficulties and
hardships and trials that the Lord sent Abraham to endure,
the Lord now sends Abraham the greatest trial of his life. Trials come from the hand of
our Father, trials are called precious, Peter, writing about
trial, said, don't think of this strange thing when God sends
a fiery trial as to try you, that as some strange thing happened
unto you, but rejoice, rejoice, rejoice. Our Lord said, in this
life you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have
overcome. When the Lord spoke out of heaven
to Abraham, Abraham was ready. Oh, he was ready to listen, wasn't
he? Behold me. What a blessing to be like Abraham,
to be ready and enabled to hear from the Lord. Wouldn't that
be a blessing? Lord give me ears to hear thee,
give me eyes to see thee. Today we hear from the Lord through,
not dreams and visions, today we hear from the Lord through
his written word, through the preaching of the word. of the
Lord. That's why James instructs us
to be ready to hear, swift to hear, slow to speak. I like what
Cornelius said to Peter when Peter was sent there to preach
the gospel to that house of Gentiles. You remember what he said? He
said to Peter, we're here, we're all here present before God to
hear all things commanded of thee. We're all here right now,
aren't we? Here to hear all things commanded
of God. Now here's the trial, look at
verse two. God said unto him, take now thy son. Now Abraham waited a long time
for this special son. thine only son Isaac whom you
love and you get out of Beersheba you get into the land of Moriah
and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
in the land of Moriah that I will tell you of when you get there. Now here's a trial that God sent
this servant of the Lord And again, we see the gospel picture,
don't we? Abraham was told to worship the
Lord, not with the blood sacrifice of an animal, as he did in the
past, but to approach God and to worship God with the blood
of his only son, Isaac. You see the blood of bulls and
goats cannot take away sin. Now look at it carefully. Take
thine only son. Isaac was the promised special
son and the Lord Jesus Christ is the only begotten of the Father
full of grace and full of truth. He's the only son, son of his
love. Turn to first John. 1 John chapter
4, In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son, made of a
woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the
law. He's the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth. Isaac is a very fit picture of
the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John chapter 4, verse 9, And
this was manifested, the love of God toward us, First John
4, 9, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world
that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we love
God. He loved us and sent His Son
to be propitiation for our sins. Take thine only Son. And that is typical of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now watch this. He says to Abraham,
you love this Son. The son of your love. You see
what it says there? Whom thou lovest. And certainly
that is true of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father loves the
Son. You remember from our study in the book of John, the Father
loved with the Son and has given all things into his hand. This
is my beloved Son. God speaks from the mountain
and says, this is my beloved Son, or rather speaks from glory,
speaks from heaven and says, this is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. And then thirdly, he says, offer
him for a burnt offering, a sin offering upon one of the mountains
which I'll tell thee of. Offer Isaac as a sin offering
unto the Lord. Now what a glorious picture.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our sin offering, isn't he? He appeared
once in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. Himself. He was sacrificed for
us. He saved us with His own blood. You remember from our study,
Hebrews 13 verse 12, don't turn, let me just read it to you. Wherefore
Jesus, the Lord Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people
with his own blood, he suffered. He suffered in our room. Suffered
without the gate. Suffered. So, there's the command
of God. Now look at verse 3. And then
he says, let's go back to verse 2. And go to the land of Moriah,
and offer Isaac there for a burnt offering. Now why to the land
of Moriah? Why must he leave Beersheba and
go to the land of Moriah? If you read 2nd Chronicles chapter
3 verse 1, this is the very place where Solomon later built the
temple of the Lord. It is the very place where the
Lord Jesus Christ was crucified upon Mount Calvary. No doubt
about it. Same place. Same mountain, same
city, the land of Moriah. Now look at verse 3 and verse
4. And Abraham didn't debate. Abraham didn't question God.
He rose up early in the morning, saddled his ass, took two of
his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He cut up the wood for
the burnt offering, rose up and went into the place which God
had told him. Then on the third day, Abraham
lifted up his eyes at the three-day journey from Bathsheba to Moriah,
lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off." How did he know? When he saw that place afar off,
how did he know? Maybe, I don't know, the Shekinah
glory of God was shining down on that mountain. I don't know,
but somehow he knew this was the spot. Abraham acted in obedience
to the command of God. Isn't that the way true saving
faith? Acts. The evidence of truth-saving
faith is being in subjection to the Word of the Lord. This
is the evidence of truth-saving faith. False faith is subject
to what I think. Always consulting the flesh.
God's Word is not to be debated. reasoned over, is to be received,
believed, and submitted unto." Abraham didn't turn and ask his
two servants, what do you think I ought to do? What do you think
about this? They probably would have said,
are you crazy? You're going to sacrifice your son? You see,
they didn't hear what Abraham heard. Abraham heard the word
of the Lord. Abraham didn't debate it. He
didn't reason his mind. He obeyed God. He didn't ask
the two servants that went along, nor did he ask Isaac for his
input, did he? Abraham believed God, the scripture
says. We read it in Romans 4. Abraham
believed God and it was puted to him for righteousness. Now here's another thought. Abraham
had three days the journey from Bathsheba to Moriah. He had three
days to think upon what he was going to do. He had three days
to consider what he was going to do. He had three days to meditate
that he was going to sacrifice his only well-beloved son. Think
about this, God the Father considered the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ not for three days, not for 3,000 years concerning the
sacrifice of His beloved Son, but from all eternity. For we
read in Scripture that the Lord Jesus Christ is a lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. And we read this morning in our
Bible study from Hebrews 13 20, the God of peace that brought
again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ through the blood
of the everlasting covenant. You see this covenant of grace
is as old as God. The gospel of God is no new thing. It's as old as God himself. God's
eternal purpose in Christ, the sacrificial lamb, has never been
altered, diminished, or changed. The gift and calling of God are
without change. He said, I'm the Lord. I change
not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." God had always
from eternity purpose to sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ to put
away our sin. Even before there was a sinner,
before Adam fell, the Lord Jesus Christ stood. Isn't that amazing? Before there was a sinner, that
was the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, God does all
things well, and He does and decrees all things from eternity. Before there was sin in this
world, the Lord Jesus Christ stood as the Savior of sinners.
That's why this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation,
that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Now look at verse 5, Abraham
said to his young men, Genesis 22, 5. Abraham said unto his
young men, these two servants, you abide here with the ass,
with the beast of burden, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and
we'll come back, we'll come again, we'll come again. Now it's interesting,
Abraham was determined to worship God. First time in Scripture
this word worship is found. Abraham was determined to worship
God in the way he was told with the appointed sacrifice. He told
the young man to stay put. He said, just Isaac and I, the
lad, will go and worship. Now several thoughts here. Worship
must be with the only appointed sacrifice for sin. And the only
appointed sacrifice for sin is the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot
approach God and worship God apart from Christ, can we? The
Lord said, I am the way, the truth, the life. No man come
to the Father but by me. Secondly, this world's attractions,
these two servants had to stay behind. And here's a thought
on that. This world's attractions must
be left behind. The two servants must stay behind. It also reminded me of this.
When the Lord Jesus Christ went to pray in Gethsemane, He told
Peter, James, and John, you fellows stay put. I'm going to go call
on the Father." They didn't enter into the work, his mediatorial
redemptive work with him, did they? They stood by and watched
him accomplish salvation. And then Abraham said, I and
the lad will go. I and the lad, you fellas stay
back here. I and the lad. Redemption is
at work between the Father and the Son. God was in Christ reconciling
His people unto Himself. And then he says, Abraham said,
we'll come again. We're going to come back. Abraham
fully expected to sacrifice his son, and he did in his heart,
and fully expected that God would raise him from the dead. You
believe that? Yes, I do. You remember from
Hebrews 11, turn over there, let's look at that together.
Hebrews 11, by faith, verse 17, Abraham, when he was tried, offered
up Isaac. He offered up Isaac. And he that
received the promise offered up his only begotten Son. God
said he did. In his heart he did. Of whom
it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting
that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from
whence also he received him risen from the dead. When he took him
off that altar, he received him from the dead. He was as good
as dead. In his heart, he had already
sacrificed Isaac. We'll come again. You see, the
resurrection of our blessed Redeemer was never in doubt, was it? You
remember he told his disciples, I must go to Jerusalem, I must
be persecuted, I must die for my people, and I must be raised
again the third day. Certainly He was deliberate for
our offenses and raised again because He justified us. See,
Calvary didn't. It was justified by His blood.
Now look at verse 6, back in our story. Genesis 22, 6, And
Abraham took the wood, fuel for the fire, for the burnt offering,
laid it upon... He didn't lay it upon the beast,
the burden. To the on the beach, but he laid
it upon Isaac his son He took the fire in one hand and the
knife in the other hand and they went both of them together What
a glorious picture Went both of them together Abraham made
careful and exact preparation to approach and worship God didn't
he and Abraham laid the wood upon his beloved son. And the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of God, the Father, laid on Him our sin and our iniquity. God made Him sin for us who knew
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
He was wounded for our transgression, bruised for our iniquity. The
Father had laid on Him our sin turn to Isaiah 53 that's exactly
what the text reads here in Isaiah 53 all we like sheep have gone
astray verse 6 we've turned everyone to his own way and the Lord laid
on him the iniquity of us all all these people as the wood was fuel to the fire,
even so our sin was fuel to the fire of God's wrath, wasn't it? Abraham also took the knife,
the fire, and the knife in his hand, the fire to consume the
sacrifice, and the knife to slay his son was in the hand of the
father. The Lord Jesus Christ endured
the fire of God's wrath because of our sin. It pleased the Lord
to bruise him and make his soul an offering for sin. Christ was
slain by the sword of God's holy justice, wasn't he? Zechariah
13 tells us a Waco sword Against my shepherd against the man that
is my fellow saith the Lord smite the shepherd smite the shepherd
That's what happened at Calvary. It wasn't what men did that day. That's not our hope is it Freddie?
Well God did God God made him to be sin for us. It pleased
God to bruise him in our room and in our stead. He bearing
our sin in his own body on the tree must suffer the consequences
of being guilty for our sin. Death, the law demands death. They went both of them together.
Now back to the text. Genesis 22, look at verse 7.
Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said, I know something
about worship. My father, he said, Here am I,
my son. Behold the fire and the wood. Where is the lamb? Where is the
lamb? Where is the blood offering?
Where is the lamb for the burnt offering, for the sin offering?
Where is the lamb? Now isn't this an important question?
All important questions. Where is the Lamb? Isaac knew what most religious
folks never consider. There must be a substitute. There
must be a sacrifice for sin that God has appointed and that is
satisfying to God. Right? Most religious folks don't
know anything about substitution and satisfaction. There can be
no communion with God, no fellowship with God, no approaching God
without a suitable sacrifice for sin. You can't approach God apart
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what's the answer? Where's the lamb? Look at verse
8. Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for
a burnt offering. So they went both of them together. God will provide himself a lamb. And he did, didn't he? Got ram
caught in the thicket. Here's the very heart core of
the gospel. God will provide Himself a lamb
for a burnt offering. Now put a big circle around that
verse. Mark this verse for a burnt offering. So they went both of
them together. God will provide Himself a lamb. Look at verse 14. And he did. Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovah-Jireh as it is said to this day. We're still
talking about it this day. In the mount it shall be seen.
In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. What shall be seen?
Salvation of the Lord. Now, several things here. On verse 8, God will provide,
first of all, God will provide Himself as the Lamb. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?
He's God Almighty. God bought the church with His
own blood. God will provide Himself as the
Lamb. The Lord Jesus Christ is... He
is God. He is God the Lamb. The Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. John identified Him as, Behold
the Lamb of God. Secondly, God will provide for
Himself. for himself a lamb. You see,
the Lord Jesus Christ is God's sacrifice for sin. Christ crucified
is God's appointed lamb, dying for the appointed people at the
appointed time. God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law, in the fullness of the time,
God sent forth His Son. made of a woman, made under the
law. And then thirdly, the Lord will
see to it. You see in verse 14, the Lord
will see to it, the Lord will provide. The only sacrifice,
now you listen to me, listen to this. The only sacrifice that
God will accept is that sacrifice that God has provided. And that's
the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, we're accepted in the
Beloved. That's why we're determined to know nothing among you but
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The only sacrifice that God will
accept is the one that He has provided. The Lord will provide. Look at verse 9. Well, verse
9, Genesis 22, they came to the place. This is the time. This is the moment. that came
to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham very carefully
constructed an altar. An altar sets the sacrifice apart. He laid the wood in order. God
is a God of order, not confusion. He bound Isaac, his son, laid
him upon the altar, upon the wood. What a picture. What a picture this is. Abraham
and Isaac, as they come to the appointed place, repeating myself,
he carefully built the altar, he laid the wood in proper order,
bound Isaac, his son, laid him upon the altar, getting ready
to sacrifice his son to the Lord." Now here's what we see, how it
pictures the gospel. Our sin bound the Lord Jesus
Christ, didn't it? As Abraham bound Isaac, what
bound the Lord Jesus Christ? Our sin. The law of God had a
claim upon him. It says the guilty must die.
Our blessed Redeemer willingly and actually dies in our place. With our sin charged to His count,
He suffered once for our sins, the just for the unjust, that
He might bring us unto God. We find here in the text that
Isaac offered no struggle, no resistance. He willingly obeyed
his father. Isn't that true of the Lord Jesus
Christ? He became obedient unto death,
says in Philippians 2, even the death of the cross. You remember
we studied in John chapter 10 verse 18 and referred to it many
times. Our Lord said, no man takes my
life from me, I lay it down on my father. This command I have
of my Father to lay it down. This command I have of my Father
to take it up again. No man takes my life. I lay it
down. I lay it down. Now here's what
we see. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ
is no accident, is it? The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ
is no accident. He dies on purpose, doesn't he?
God's purpose. It says in Acts chapter 4 that
Herod and Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and the Jews were all
gathered together to do to him, to abuse him, to misuse him,
to crucify him, to stab him, but they did what God determined
before to be done. You see, God planned the cross. from all eternity, him being
delivered by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of
God. You remember we studied also that God presided over the
cross. Pilate said to the Lord Jesus
Christ, you remember what he said? Don't you know I have power
over you to crucify you or to let you go? You remember? What
did the Lord say? You don't have any power over
me. Pilate, you're a peanut. I have all power in heaven and
in earth. God planned the cross, God presided
over the cross, the cross of Christ, Calvary. And God participated
in afflicting God's dear son. It wasn't the wounds that men
gave, that didn't accomplish salvation. It's the wound that
God gave, the stroke of His justice. You remember from Lamentation
112, I may preach from this text next week, where the question
is asked, is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by, behold and
see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done
unto me wherewith, wherewith, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted
me in a day of his fierce anger. Who afflicted him? The Lord did. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him in our room and in our stead. Look at verse 10, Genesis 22
verse 10. Abraham stretched forth his hand,
took the knife to slay his son, and the Lord Jesus Christ stepped
in the way. The angel of the covenant The
messenger of the covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ called out
of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, and he said, here am
I. And he said, lay not thy hand
upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him, for now I
know that you fear God, seeing thou hath not withheld thine
only son. Isaac is delivered, isn't he? Isaac is delivered by the command
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't touch your son. And we
are delivered by the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaac
here is also a picture of every believer, a sinner saved by the
Lord. Isaac is freed from the altar
and another dies in his place. The hand of justice was stayed
upon Isaac Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
Now listen to the scripture. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Isaac has to be taken off that
altar, because the substitute is found. And the sinner cannot
perish for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died, because the substitute
is found, the Lord Jesus Christ. God says of Abraham, now I know
you believe me, verse 12. He knew it before, but now Abraham
knows it, because God knows all things. Lay not thy hand upon
the lad, your son. Don't do anything to him. I know
that you believe me now, saying that you have not withheld thine
only son. You see, there's something synonymous
in fearing God and believing God. God said, I know that you
love me and fear me more than you love Isaac. You fear me more than you love
Isaac. This is where true faith is demonstrated,
love to Christ above all things. You've not withheld thine only
son. Abraham in his heart had already
taken the life of Isaac and God looked on his heart and said,
I know you believe me now. Now here's verse 13 in closing,
Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold a ram behind
him, a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Whenever you see
the word horn in scripture, it has reference in the symbolic
of power, power. And Abraham went and took the
ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son and called the place Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide. A suitable
sacrifice was provided in that ram. How did that ram that day
get caught in that thicket by his horns? That was luck, wasn't
it? Abraham was lucky that day. Oh
no, my friend. God is in charge of all things. It was not an accident, as thereby
the grace and power and purpose of God, just as the Lord Jesus
Christ was that ram caught, caught by the power of God's decree. Him being delivered by God. The Lord Jesus Christ is offered
up in our stead as the substitute that satisfied God. That's the
gospel. How God can be just and justify
the ungodly only through the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, Isaac
dances down off that mountain and he's singing all the way
down that mountain. Thank God for the lamb. Thank
God for the lamb. He fully believed in substitution
that satisfied God. That's what true faith believes
God. Believes God. Thank God for substitution. All that I have needed, thy hand
had provided. In Christ, that's true. He is
Jehovah Jireh. My God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory through the Lord Jesus
Christ.