Musing – Is the ‘sacrifice of Isaac’ a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice?

Hebraic Musing – Is the ‘sacrifice of Isaac’ a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice?

While reading in Genesis 22 about Abraham taking Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed, I was struck by similarities between the life and death of both Isaac and Jesus.  And the relationship with Ishmael raises another question. Why was Isaac declared to be the “only son” of Abraham in v.2, and yet we know Ishmael was also his son?  Jesus is also called the only Son of the Father in John 3:16, and yet in John 1:12 we believers became sons – “…he gave the right to become children of God.”

Here are some more similarities between the accounts of Isaac and Jesus:

·      Angels announced the births of both Isaac and Jesus (Genesis 17:19; Matthew 1:20-21).

·      Sarah was past childbearing and Mary was a virgin, so both were the result of miraculous births.

·      Isaac and Yeshua were both circumcised on the 8th day, so the offspring of both are under the covenant.

·      Abraham is told to sacrifice his only son in v.2.  Our Heavenly Father sacrificed His only Son.

·      According to v.4 it was three days after Isaac was to die that he arose from the altar; and we know Jesus arose on the third day.

·      Isaac was required to carry the wood for his own sacrifice in v.6; Jesus carried His own wooden cross.

·      Isaac let himself be bound and then laid him on the wood of the altar in v.9; in the “Passion of Christ” Mel Gibson, playing the role of Jesus, laid his own hand on the cross to be nailed.  So both Isaac and Jesus offered up no resistance, but willingly submitted to the sacrifice.

·      In v.8 Abraham knew “…God himself will provide the lamb…” while we know that Jesus was known as “The Lamb of God.”  In v.13 the substituted sacrifice was the ram; whereas “the Lamb of God” became our substitute on the cross.

·      Josephus figured that Isaac was somewhere between 25 and 37 at the time which makes him possibly about the same age as Jesus when He was crucified.

My favorite little word tucked into God’s Word is found in Genesis 22:13  “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.”  Why is it important that the ram was ‘caught by its horns’?  The ram was unblemished; and Jesus was unblemished - without sin!  (Every Word in the Bible is there for a reason!)

Ardelle Brody points out that although Isaac seems to figure out what is going on, yet, he neither cries nor begs for mercy. Isaac also is determined, calm, and courageous; the picture of innocence. There is definite unity between father and son. Two times in vs.6-8 we see the phrase “they went together”   Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,   Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"  "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"  Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.   NIV

Point to ponder

Can it be said of us that we ‘went on together’ with Our Father
just as Jesus went on together with His Father?

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                 November 11, 2014