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RUSSELL SANDERS
12-10-2021
THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB – LESSON 3
ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND MORIAH – PART 2
Abraham, Isaac, and the two servants set out early on the journey to the land of Moriah. It was a three-day trip to the north. God had promised upon arrival to show Abraham which particular mountain (hill) upon which Isaac was to be slain and offered as a burnt sacrifice.
As they arrived at the designed mountain (called now Mount Moriah), he said to his two young menservants in Genesis 22:5, “Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder (on a hill) and worship, and come again to you.” Notice his confidence in God as he said, “We will come back.”
Abraham then took his son Isaac, the fire, the knife, and the wood. The two of them went together up the mountain (Mount Moriah). Isaac was puzzled. He said in verse 7, “…Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham replied in verse 8, “…My son, God will provide himself a lamb…” Notice again his statement of faith upon God. Nevertheless, he was committed to obedience whether or not he understood it.
When they got to the place God had designated, Abraham built an altar. He put the wood on the altar. He tied up Isaac, picked him up, and placed him on the wood. He then took the knife, raised it up, and was about to plunge it into Isaac when suddenly a voice called out to him from heaven in verse 11, “And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said Abraham, Abraham, and he said, here am I. 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.”
God then showed Abraham the sheep that he had provided. It was a ram (male sheep) whose horns were caught in a thicket and could not get loose. Abraham took the ram (a grown-up lamb) and sacrificed it in place of Isaac.
Then it says in verse 15, “And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 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: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed (descendants) as the stars of the heaven…”
Abraham and Isaac then returned down the mountain back where the two servants were waiting, just as he had promised to return.
Tomorrow we will look at some rather astounding facts about this story. It will include the “things” I referred to yesterday that you often don’t hear about in churches. Stay tuned.
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