Gen 22:11-22 | KingComments | STEP | Then the voice of the angel of the LORD sounds, that is the Lord Jesus, Who Himself will later be the true offering, and for Whom there shall come no voice. On the contrary, when He calls, heaven keeps silent. Here He calls, as it were in delight, twice the name of Abraham, because of his faith in Him. He tells us this because He wants to share it with us. This test is not necessary to show the LORD whether Abraham is believing, but to show us the faith in Abraham’s heart. If we say we believe in the Lord Jesus, our faith will also be tested. God sees our faith, but He wants our actions to show others what we confess with our mouth. Again Abraham is directly available. Then comes the word of deliverance: “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him.” The proof has been provided that Abraham gave everything for the LORD. For him, the LORD is greater than all promises and all possessions that are anchored in Isaac. Here Abraham gets everything in return. And what an experience he has gained from it! God is to believed through everything and against everything. We must learn to put everything on the altar, really everything God asks of us. And does He ask less than everything? Then we will also gain the experience that Abraham gained: that God is the God of resurrection.

‏ Genesis 22:11-22

Abraham Gets Isaac back

Then the voice of the angel of the LORD sounds, that is the Lord Jesus, Who Himself will later be the true offering, and for Whom there shall come no voice. On the contrary, when He calls, heaven keeps silent. Here He calls, as it were in delight, twice the name of Abraham, because of his faith in Him. He tells us this because He wants to share it with us.

This test is not necessary to show the LORD whether Abraham is believing, but to show us the faith in Abraham’s heart. If we say we believe in the Lord Jesus, our faith will also be tested. God sees our faith, but He wants our actions to show others what we confess with our mouth.

Again Abraham is directly available. Then comes the word of deliverance: “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him.” The proof has been provided that Abraham gave everything for the LORD. For him, the LORD is greater than all promises and all possessions that are anchored in Isaac. Here Abraham gets everything in return. And what an experience he has gained from it! God is to believed through everything and against everything.

We must learn to put everything on the altar, really everything God asks of us. And does He ask less than everything? Then we will also gain the experience that Abraham gained: that God is the God of resurrection.

The Substitute Offering

Isaac does not have to be offered literally. There is a substitute offering. That is so for every person who believes. Here too the faith of Abraham, which he has expressed in Gen 22:8, is answered.

Abraham gives the mountain the beautiful name “The LORD Will Provide” Everything the LORD has purposed, He will provide. The evidence for this has been demonstrated; the foundation for it has been laid in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Blessing on the Basis of the Offering

Now – in picture – the son of the promise has been in death and has risen, God swears by Himself (Heb 6:13-14) that the blessing will come, both for Abraham and his seed (Gen 22:17) and through Abraham and his seed (Gen 22:18). Both Israel, his physical offspring – which will be “as the sand which is on the seashore” –, and the believers of the church, his spiritual offspring – which will be “as the stars of the heavens” –, will be blessed through Christ, the dead and risen Son of God.

The gate of the enemies will be taken possession of by Abraham’s descendants when Israel enters Canaan under Joshua and conquers the cities in that land. There will also be blessing for all the nations of the earth. That shall be in the millennial realm of peace. The nations will then be blessed through Israel.

Abraham goes to live at Beersheba, which means ‘well of the oath’, to be constantly reminded, as it were, of what God has sworn. Thus we may also live in the consciousness of all the promises of God, which are in Christ yes and amen (2Cor 1:20). Do we do that?

Rebekah Is Born

The chapter concludes with the mention of the sons of Nahor, the brother of Abraham. The reason is that from Bethuel, the son of Nahor, Rebekah was born, the future wife of Isaac. Although the marriage only takes place in Genesis 24, Rebekah is mentioned here anyway, because we see here on the basis of which that marriage can be made. That basis is the death and resurrection of Isaac. Thus the church, the bride of the Lamb, came into existence on the basis of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.