Hebrews 11:17-19 - "By faith Abraham, when he was
tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up
his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise people
even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type."
Probably the clearest Christ type in the Old Testament is found in Genesis chapter 22. The similarities between Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice, and God the Father offering His only begotten Son Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for sin, are astounding.
Genesis 22:1-8 reads - "Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together."
God told Abraham to offer up his only begotten son, whom he loved. And this is exactly what God Himself did. The most well known verse in the whole Bible, John 3:16 says - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." He offered up His only begotten Son.
God told Abraham to go to the land of Moriah and offer up Isaac on one of the mountains that He would show him. No detail is insignificant. God didn't just chose any random place for this sacrifice, He had a specific place that He wanted him to do it. The place that God showed to Abraham is the same place where God offered up His only begotten Son.
We're told that Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, and the two of them walked on together. Just as Isaac carried the wood that he was to be sacrificed upon, Jesus also carried to the place of His execution the cross on which He was to be sacrificed. John 19:17 says - "They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha." And just as Abraham laid the wood for the sacrifice on Isaac, we're told in Isaiah 53:6 - "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." He bore our sins in His own body on the tree.
We know that God intervened right at the last moment and Abraham received Isaac back as a type of Christ. Because, though Christ really was killed, He didn't stay dead, but He rose again and once again had fellowship with the Father. And the similarities don't end there. As the account continues to unfold we can see several more similarities between the two, but I just want to mention one more. It's important when studying Scripture, not only to realize what is said, but also to notice what is not said. In Genesis 22:19 we read - "So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba." When Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain both were mentioned, but here only Abraham is mentioned as returning. Did Isaac go back with his father? I assume he did, but the Bible doesn't say that. Isaac is intentionally left out. This is significant and here's why, after Isaac is offered up as a type of Christs sacrifice of Himself, he is not seen again until the end of Genesis chapter 24. In chapters 23 and 24 Abraham, the father, is preparing a bride for his son. But Isaac is not seen again until his bride is ready and they meet one another in a field at evening, and Isaac takes his bride home to be with himself. In First Peter chapter 1 it says of Christ - "Whom having not seen you love." The church is the bride of Christ, and though we haven't seen Him we know that we will see Him one day soon. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus shall we always be with the Lord."
In closing I just want to point out what Abraham said in verse 8 - "God will provide Himself the lamb for the burnt offering." I don't know whether he realized it or not, but when Abraham said this he was prophesying of Jesus, because that's exactly what He did. God provided Himself the Lamb for the burnt offering. The spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. God in the flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Probably the clearest Christ type in the Old Testament is found in Genesis chapter 22. The similarities between Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice, and God the Father offering His only begotten Son Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for sin, are astounding.
Genesis 22:1-8 reads - "Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together."
God told Abraham to offer up his only begotten son, whom he loved. And this is exactly what God Himself did. The most well known verse in the whole Bible, John 3:16 says - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." He offered up His only begotten Son.
God told Abraham to go to the land of Moriah and offer up Isaac on one of the mountains that He would show him. No detail is insignificant. God didn't just chose any random place for this sacrifice, He had a specific place that He wanted him to do it. The place that God showed to Abraham is the same place where God offered up His only begotten Son.
We're told that Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, and the two of them walked on together. Just as Isaac carried the wood that he was to be sacrificed upon, Jesus also carried to the place of His execution the cross on which He was to be sacrificed. John 19:17 says - "They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha." And just as Abraham laid the wood for the sacrifice on Isaac, we're told in Isaiah 53:6 - "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." He bore our sins in His own body on the tree.
We know that God intervened right at the last moment and Abraham received Isaac back as a type of Christ. Because, though Christ really was killed, He didn't stay dead, but He rose again and once again had fellowship with the Father. And the similarities don't end there. As the account continues to unfold we can see several more similarities between the two, but I just want to mention one more. It's important when studying Scripture, not only to realize what is said, but also to notice what is not said. In Genesis 22:19 we read - "So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba." When Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain both were mentioned, but here only Abraham is mentioned as returning. Did Isaac go back with his father? I assume he did, but the Bible doesn't say that. Isaac is intentionally left out. This is significant and here's why, after Isaac is offered up as a type of Christs sacrifice of Himself, he is not seen again until the end of Genesis chapter 24. In chapters 23 and 24 Abraham, the father, is preparing a bride for his son. But Isaac is not seen again until his bride is ready and they meet one another in a field at evening, and Isaac takes his bride home to be with himself. In First Peter chapter 1 it says of Christ - "Whom having not seen you love." The church is the bride of Christ, and though we haven't seen Him we know that we will see Him one day soon. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus shall we always be with the Lord."
In closing I just want to point out what Abraham said in verse 8 - "God will provide Himself the lamb for the burnt offering." I don't know whether he realized it or not, but when Abraham said this he was prophesying of Jesus, because that's exactly what He did. God provided Himself the Lamb for the burnt offering. The spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. God in the flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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