1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Good morning, friends and faithful listeners, thank you 2 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: for tuning into the Bible Explain podcast on this special 3 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: Good Friday episode. Good Friday is one of the most 4 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: important dates in the Christian calendar, other than Easter. Of course, 5 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: I would say Good Friday is probably second to Easter, 6 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: and then Christmas is probably third. So Good Friday is 7 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: a very, very important holiday because this is the day 8 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: that we celebrate. Well, celebrate is probably a bad word, 9 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: but this is the day we reflect on Jesus's death, 10 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: not his resurrection that comes on Sunday, but his death, 11 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: the punishment that he suffered on our behalf. But instead 12 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: of reading about the suffering of Jesus in one of 13 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: the Gospels today, I thought I might do something a 14 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,759 Speaker 1: little bit different. I decided I'd like to go back 15 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: to Genesis chapter twenty two and discuss the parallels between 16 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:17,479 Speaker 1: the testing of Abraham and Jesus up on the cross, 17 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: because the testing of Abraham with his son Isaac is 18 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: probably the best picture we get in the Old Testament 19 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: of what Jesus was going to suffer. But before I 20 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: get into this episode, here, of course, is a word 21 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: from a sponsor. While you are listening to this. Go 22 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: ahead and grab your Bible out of the version that 23 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: you prefer, and also your cup of coffee this morning 24 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: to share with me. I've got my coffee right here. 25 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: It is getting cold, so maybe while this ad plays, 26 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: I will go and heat it up. All right, now 27 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: that your coffee is nice and warm and your Bible 28 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: is in front of you, let's read Genesis twenty two 29 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: one through fourteen together. But as we're reading through this, 30 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: I have a little exercise for you, guys. I want 31 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: you all, as I'm reading, to pick out each individual 32 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: thing that Abraham or Isaac does that is a picture 33 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: of how Jesus went to the cross. And we'll see 34 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: how many you get right at the end, and maybe 35 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: you might get some that I didn't even think of. 36 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: So if you do, actually contact me and tell me, hey, 37 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: Jen I thought of this one that you didn't even 38 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: say on your podcast, I'd like to hear about that. 39 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: All right, let's start in verse one of Genesis twenty two. 40 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: After these things, God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, 41 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: he said, here I am. He said, Now take your son, 42 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into 43 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 1: the land of Mariah. Offer him there as a burnt 44 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,119 Speaker 1: offering on one of the mountains, which I will tell 45 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: you of. Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled 46 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: his donkey and took two of his young men with him, 47 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the 48 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: burnt offering and rose up and went to the place 49 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: of which God had told him. On the third day, 50 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: Abraham lifted up his eyes and he saw the place 51 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: far off. Abraham said to his young men, stay here 52 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. 53 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: We will worship and then come back to you. Abraham 54 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it 55 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the 56 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: fire and the knife. They both went together. Isaac spoke 57 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 1: to Abraham his father, and said, my father, he said, 58 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: here I am my son. He said, here is the 59 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: fire and the wood, But where is the lamb for 60 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: the burnt offering. Abraham said, God will provide himself the 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: lamb for a burnt offering, my son. So they both 62 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: went together. They came to the place which God had 63 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: told him of. Abraham built the altar there and laid 64 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: the wood in order bound Isaac, his son and laid 65 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: him on the altar on the wood. Abraham stretched out 66 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: his hand and took the knife to kill his son. 67 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: Yahwe's angel called to him out of the sky and said, Abraham, Abraham, 68 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: he said, here I am. He said, don't lay your 69 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: hand on the boy or do anything to him. For 70 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: now I know that you fear God, since you have 71 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: not withheld your son, your only son, from me. Abraham 72 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: lifted up his eyes and looked and saw that behind 73 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: him was a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns. 74 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up 75 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: for a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham called 76 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: the name of that place, Yahweh will provide, as it 77 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: is said to this day on Yahwai's mountain. It will 78 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: be provided. Okay, So now that you read through it, 79 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: do you see any parallels of how this story relates 80 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: to Jesus suffering on the cross. But before we get 81 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: into all those similarities, let's first talk about God asking 82 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: Abraham to sacrifice his son, because it seems almost out 83 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: of God's character, right, because we've been learning in the 84 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: Kings and the prophets how much God hates human sacrifice, 85 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: So then why would he ask Abraham to sacrifice his 86 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,720 Speaker 1: son Isaac? Seems almost out of God's character and not 87 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: to mention, what was the point of all of this 88 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: to begin with. Well, starting in verse one, it says 89 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: after these things, God tested Abraham and said to him Abraham. 90 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: So that's the first thing that we have to know here. 91 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: God was doing this to test Abraham. And that might 92 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: also seem very confusing to you guys, because you're probably like, 93 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: why would an all knowing God have to test Abraham 94 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: if he already knows exactly what Abraham's going to do. Well, 95 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: there's actually a few reasons why God tests people, and 96 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: it's not for himself, though that's what a lot of 97 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: people think. Obviously, God knows the future, he knows what's 98 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: going to happen. He knows Abraham's heart, he knows your heart, 99 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: my heart, he knows everybody's heart. The reason he tested 100 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 1: Abraham was for several reasons. Firstly, for all of us, 101 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: all of us reading this passage of scripture. God knew 102 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: that this would be included in the canon of Scripture, 103 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: and God wanted this story to be relayed to all 104 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: of us so that we can learn something through it. 105 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: That's the first reason he tested Abraham. The second reason 106 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: he tested able Abraham was to obviously show the parallels 107 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: of what Abraham and Isaac do here as to what 108 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 1: Jesus was going to do on the cross, so that 109 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: we get a better understanding of the heart of God. 110 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: All of scripture points to Jesus, and this story, of course, 111 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: is without question that it points to Jesus. You can 112 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: absolutely tell that it does. So that's the second reason 113 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: why God would test Abraham. The third reason was to 114 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: teach Abraham and Isaac something. And the fourth reason was 115 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 1: to show everybody, you and I and everybody that's going 116 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: to read this passage throughout all of history that Abraham 117 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 1: deserved to be blessed, because you know, God knows what's 118 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: going on in someone's heart, and God might have chosen 119 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: not to ever test Abraham and just heap blessings on him, 120 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: But then we'd go back in the older portions of 121 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: scripture and be like, why would God bless this guy? 122 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: This guy kind of sucked, honestly, like he sorted in. 123 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 1: I don't mean to be flippant with God's friends and 124 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 1: the father of the Israelite nation, but he really was 125 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 1: not a great guy. I mean, think about all the 126 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: stuff Abraham did before this. He essentially gave his wife 127 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: away to another man on two different occasions that he 128 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: could save himself. He slept with another woman, He laughed 129 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: at God's promises. Hence why Isaac was named Isaac, actually 130 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: because the name Isaac means he laughs. So Abraham didn't 131 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: trust in God's promises before. And if that's all we 132 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: knew of Abraham, the majority of us would be like, 133 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: why in the world would God bless this man. So 134 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: God wanted to show that there was something else to 135 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: Abraham for the rest of us, that there was a 136 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: reason God was blessing this man. And lastly, another point 137 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: that a lot of people don't think about is that 138 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: it's not just about you and I here on earth 139 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: when it comes to the stories in the Bible. God 140 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: also does things for the angels as well, and we 141 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: forget about that because we don't know a lot about 142 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: angels and we don't really know what their situation is. 143 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: When it comes to the whole salvation story. There's very 144 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: little information about that when it comes to scripture, but 145 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: we do know that God shows things to the angels 146 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: in a very different way. And so sometimes when God 147 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: tests us or does things in scripture that we might 148 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: not understand, he might actually be doing it also for 149 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: the angels, interestingly enough, and we just don't think about that. 150 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: So there's many reasons why God would test Abraham. But 151 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: going back to the whole human sacrifice thing, let's read 152 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: about that. In verse two, God said, now take your son, 153 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into 154 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: the land of Mariah. Offer him there as a burnt 155 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: offering on one of the mountains, which I will tell 156 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: you of. Now, obviously, when Abraham hears this, he immediately 157 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: thinks child sacrifice, right, because that is what the nations 158 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: around him all did. Human sacrifice was prevalent, very very 159 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: common in the days of Abraham, and so Abraham hears 160 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: God say this, and he immediately thinks human sacrifice. But 161 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: I would argue here that God never specifically says to 162 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: kill Isaac. He says, offer him there as a burnt 163 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: offering on one of the mountains, which I will tell 164 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: you of. They might be like, well, jen he says 165 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: the word burnt offering, you would think that that means fire, 166 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: like being burnt to a crisp, But I don't know 167 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: if you guys remember us talking about the different offerings 168 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: when we were going through the Book of Leviticus. First 169 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: and foremost, the burnt offering specifically means to offer something 170 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: fully to God. If you go back to the Hebrew 171 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: word for burnt, which I forgot what it was. I 172 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: did look it up, but I completely forgot it. So 173 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: I apologize for that. It means to offer fully, and 174 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: that was the point of a burnt offering, was to 175 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: give the entire thing up to God. And then the 176 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 1: word offer right here, which I think the Hebrew word 177 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: was allah, It means to offer something up, to raise 178 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: something up, not necessarily the word sacrifice like you and 179 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,959 Speaker 1: I would think, you know, when we think of a sacrifice, 180 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: that means like killing something essentially, But again the Hebrew 181 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: word means something more like offering it up fully. So 182 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: when God tells Abraham to offer Isaac, his only son 183 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:27,199 Speaker 1: and the son that he loves, as an offering to him, 184 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: a burnt offering to him, what God is essentially saying 185 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: is offer Isaac up fully to me. Now once again, 186 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: Abraham would have taken that to mean a child sacrifice 187 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: to God. Now likely Isaac at this point in time 188 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: was a young man, maybe not necessarily a child child, 189 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: probably like a teenager. I would guess around this time, 190 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: because we do know that sometime has passed since Isaac 191 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: was born, and he was also old enough, it says, 192 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: to carry his own wood at this time. And I 193 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 1: don't know if you guys know anything about wood, but 194 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: it is very heavy. My husband and I have a 195 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: woodfire heater, and I despise bringing the wood in because 196 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: it is so heavy, and it's full of bugs too. 197 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: I just don't really like it all that much. But 198 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: the point is that Isaac was old enough to carry 199 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: his own wood, and a young child would not be 200 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: able to carry the amount of wood needed for a 201 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: sacrifice to God. So likely Isaac was a teenage boy, 202 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: a young man essentially. But even if Isaac was younger 203 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: than that, if Isaac was a child, you can tell 204 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: based upon this story that God had zero intention for 205 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: Abraham to actually kill Isaac. You can see this because 206 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: God stops Abraham from doing the deed. This was all 207 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: a test to see where Abraham's heart was, so that 208 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: we could see where Abraham's heart was, and Abraham himself 209 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: could see it was Abraham going to be the old 210 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 1: Abraham that disobeyed God, that didn't believe in God, because 211 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: there are more multiple times where Abraham disobeyed God. That's 212 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 1: something that I've been hounding a lot on the podcast recently, 213 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: is that truly following God means to obey him. And 214 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 1: this was a test of Abraham's obedience. So Abraham in 215 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: fact obeys, which is slightly out of character for him. 216 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: It says Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled 217 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: his donkey and took two of his young men with him, 218 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 1: and Isaac, his son. He split the wood for the 219 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: burnt offering, and rose up and went to the place 220 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 1: of which God had told him. On the third day, 221 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: Abraham lifted up his eyes and he saw the place 222 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: afar off. Abraham said to his young men, stay here 223 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: with the donkey the boy, and I will go over there. 224 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: We will worship and then come back to you. Now, 225 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: at this point in time, you might be like, Wow, 226 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: Abraham really didn't seem to care about his son, because 227 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 1: God had just told him to offer him up, and 228 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: Abraham doesn't really seem to care all that much. Like 229 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: he's splitting the wood, he's takeing it to this place 230 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: like he's just obeying without asking God any questions. So 231 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 1: how can this be? Well? Actually, verse five shows Abraham's 232 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: heart before we see anything else that Abraham does. We 233 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: see Abraham's heart right here when he talks to the 234 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: young men that were with him. He says, stay here 235 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: with the donkey the boy, and I will go over there. 236 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: We will worship and come back to you. That shows 237 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: that Abraham had full confidence that both he and Isaac 238 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: would be returning back home, because he says, we're going 239 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: to worship and we're going to come back. Abraham doesn't 240 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: quite know what God's plan is here, but he knows 241 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: that God is not going to take Isaac from him 242 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 1: because Abraham trusted and believed in the promises that God 243 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: gave him. And what was the promise that God gave 244 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: to Abraham. He said, through Isaac, you will be the 245 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: father of many nations. Abraham had full trust in that 246 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:11,239 Speaker 1: promise beforehand. In Abraham's life, he didn't trust in God's promises. 247 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 1: He didn't trust that Sarah in her old age, could 248 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: bear a son for him. He didn't trust that he 249 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: would be safe in the land God told him to 250 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: go he didn't even trust in God's promise initially because 251 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: he was laughing at God's promise. He trusted some things 252 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: about God, but not everything. And maybe at this point 253 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: in time of Abraham's life, he is done with not 254 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: trusting in God. He says, you know what, I've seen 255 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: God's goodness in my life through all of these years, 256 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: how He's taken care of me, how all of his 257 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: promises have come to fruition in the past. And I 258 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: believe wholeheartedly that even if I offer my son on 259 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: this altar, my only son, the son that I love 260 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: so much, on this altar, that God will bring this 261 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: child back from the dead. And that is what Hebrews 262 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: eleven actually says about Abraham. So if you flip over 263 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: to Hebrews eleven seventeen through nineteen, it talks more about 264 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: Abraham's faith. It says by faith, Abraham being tested offered 265 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises, 266 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: was offering up his only born son, to whom it 267 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: was said, your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac 268 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: concluding that God is able to raise up even from 269 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back 270 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: from the dead. Abraham had full confidence, full confidence that 271 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: God was going to raise Isaac back from the dead, 272 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 1: that even if Abraham went through the process of sacrificing Isaac, 273 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: killing his own son, that God would raise Isaac back 274 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: from the dead and everything would be okay. And this 275 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: point is shown even further with Abraham's faith because Isaac 276 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: and Abraham are now walking to this place together, and 277 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: it says Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering 278 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: and laid it on Isaac, his son. He took in 279 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together. 280 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, my father, 281 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: He said, here I am my son. He said, here 282 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: is the fire in the wood, but where's the lamb 283 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: for the burnt offering. Abraham said, God will provide himself 284 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. So they 285 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: both went together. So that right there is the next point. 286 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: Abraham again had full confidence that he would be returning 287 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: with Isaac. Maybe he didn't quite know what that was 288 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: going to look like. Maybe he thought that God would 289 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: stop him from sacrificing Isaac by the time he got there, 290 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: and God would give him a lamb. Maybe he thought 291 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: that Isaac would be raised from the dead and then 292 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: they'd offer a lamb. It could also just be that 293 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: Abraham was trying to quell the fears of his son, 294 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: or it could have been a little bit of both, 295 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: where Abraham has full confidence in God's provision but also 296 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: is trying to quell the fears of his young boy. 297 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: When the boy realizes that Abraham might offer him as 298 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: a sacrifice at any minute, so Abraham and Isaac continue on, 299 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: it says in verse eight, and then in verse nine, 300 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,199 Speaker 1: they came to the place which God had told him of. 301 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 1: Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in 302 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: order bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar. 303 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: On the wood, Abraham stretched out his hand and took 304 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: the knife to kill his son. You know, that's the 305 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: one thing about the Book of Genesis. Actually, if you 306 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: read through it, you'll see that the author, who is 307 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: credited to Moses, doesn't give a lot of thoughts and 308 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: feelings to the characters. The author just gives more of 309 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 1: the overall view, like what the people did, not necessarily 310 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: what they were thinking or feeling. So even though Abraham, 311 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 1: it doesn't give him a lot of feeling. In this story, 312 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: I am sure that he didn't want to kill his son. 313 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: It says specifically in verse two that Abraham loved Isaac. 314 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,360 Speaker 1: He loved Isaac and not to mention the fact that 315 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: Isaac was going along willingly with This shows how much 316 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:18,919 Speaker 1: that boy trusted his father. That boy probably did not 317 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: believe that his father would do anything to hurt him, 318 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 1: and that shows even more how Abraham treated his son. 319 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: He loved Isaac and didn't want to do anything to 320 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 1: hurt him. And there's one last thing in this passage 321 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: where we can see how much Abraham loves Isaac. So 322 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: moving forward in the story, in verse ten, it says 323 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,479 Speaker 1: Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to 324 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 1: kill his son. Y always angel called to him out 325 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: of the sky and said, Abraham, Abraham, he said, here 326 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: I am. He said, don't lay your hand on the 327 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: boy or do anything to him. For now I know 328 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 1: that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, 329 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: your only son, from me. Abraham lifted up his eyes 330 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: and looked and saw that behind him was a ram, 331 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 1: caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and 332 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: took the ram and offered him up for a burnt 333 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: offering instead of his son. Abraham called the name of 334 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: that place, Yahweh will provide, As it is said to 335 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 1: this day, on Yahwei's mountain, it will be provided. So 336 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: Jesus actually talks about this story in John chapter eight, 337 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: and he mentions again how much Abraham loved his son. 338 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: John eight fifty six, it says, your father Abraham rejoiced 339 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: to see my day. He saw it and was glad. 340 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 1: So what Jesus is saying right there is that Abraham 341 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 1: saw the Ram and was glad. Now why would Abraham 342 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: be glad about this? Well, because he didn't have to 343 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: offer his son as a burnt offering. There was one 344 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: provided to him. And when Abraham sees that Ram and 345 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: sacrifices the instead of Isaac, he calls this mountain the 346 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: place where Yahweh will provide, as it is said to 347 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: this day in verse fourteen, on Yahwei's mountain, it will 348 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: be provided. So it's a really beautiful story of Abraham's 349 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,439 Speaker 1: faith that he had in God. But the main reason 350 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: why God asked this was so that you and I 351 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:29,120 Speaker 1: could benefit from this story. And what do we benefit 352 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:34,160 Speaker 1: from this? We obviously see the parallels of Jesus going 353 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: to the cross through this story. And how many parallels 354 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: did you guys count, Because there's a ton of them. 355 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: Let's go back to the beginning. It says in verse one, 356 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: after these things, God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, 357 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:54,119 Speaker 1: that's the first thing. Abraham in this story is obviously 358 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: signifying God the Father. As we know, Abraham was the 359 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 1: father of many nations. He was the first patriarch of Israel, 360 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: so he in this story signifies God the Father. Abraham says, 361 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: here I am, and God says, take your son, your 362 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: only son, Isaac, whom you love. That's the second parallel. 363 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: God the Father has one son, that son being Jesus Christ. 364 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: And Jesus says in the most famous verse in the 365 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 1: entire Bible, John three point sixteen, for God so loved 366 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: the world that he gave his one and only son, 367 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 1: that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have 368 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: everlasting life. And then later on, God himself, when Jesus 369 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: was being baptized, said from the heavens, this is my son, 370 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: who I am well pleased with. So God loves his 371 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 1: one and only son, and Abraham here in this story 372 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: loves Isaac, his one and only son. Now, I'm not 373 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: going to go down the rabbit trail of how Abraham 374 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: did in fact have other sons. He did, but Isaac 375 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: was the one and only chosen son that Abraham had, 376 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: and Abraham deeply loved Isaac. But in the same verse, 377 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 1: God continues, Abraham go into the land of Mariah. That's 378 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: the third parallel we see in this story. Mount Mariah 379 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: was an area that consisted of three very small mountains. 380 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,479 Speaker 1: One of those mountains ended up being where the temple 381 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: was built. In Second Chronicles three, verse one, here's what 382 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: it says. Solomon began to build Yahwai's house at Jerusalem 383 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: on Mount Mariah, where Yahweh appeared to David, his father, 384 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: which he prepared in the place that David had appointed 385 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: on the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite. So there 386 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: you go. Mount Mariah was one of the mountains where 387 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: the temple was built, but Jesus himself was offered on 388 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 1: one of the other mountains of Mariah, and I would 389 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: guess it's the same place where Isaac was going to 390 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,919 Speaker 1: be offered as well. It's really amazing the significance of 391 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: that Jesus himself was offered on one of the mountains 392 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: of Mariah. But going back to Genesis twenty two, it 393 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: says offer him there as a burnt offering on one 394 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,239 Speaker 1: of the mountains, which I will tell you of now, 395 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:24,360 Speaker 1: as we know, Jesus himself became the sacrifice. So that's 396 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 1: another parallel that we see here in this story between 397 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,400 Speaker 1: Isaac and Jesus. It says in verse three that Abraham 398 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 1: rose early in the morning, he settled his donkey. There's 399 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: another parallel. On Passion week, the week before Jesus was sacrificed, 400 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 1: he rode the donkey into Jerusalem. It says Abraham took 401 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 1: two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. 402 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose 403 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: up and went to the place which God had told 404 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 1: him on the third day. There's another parallel. How many 405 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: days was Jesus in the tomb? Three days? Abraham lifted 406 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: up his eyes and saw the place afar off. Abraham 407 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: said to his young men, stay here with the donkey. 408 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: The boy and I will go over there. We will 409 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: worship and then come back to you. Abraham took the 410 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 1: wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, 411 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: his son. There's another symbolism. Jesus had to carry the 412 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: wood of his own cross to the place where he 413 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: was going to be crucified on Mount Mariah. Isaac had 414 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: to carry his own wood to the place that he 415 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: was going to be sacrificed on Mount Mariah. It says 416 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,360 Speaker 1: Abraham took in his hand the fire and the knife. 417 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:42,120 Speaker 1: They both went together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, 418 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: and said, my father, He said, here, I am my son. 419 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: He said, here is the fire in the wood, but 420 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham said, 421 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,840 Speaker 1: God will provide himself the lamb for the burnt offering, 422 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: my son. If that is not prophecy that Abraham was 423 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,919 Speaker 1: speaking there, I don't know what is. Jesus was the 424 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: lamb that was going to take away the sins of 425 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 1: the world. And it also says that God will provide 426 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: for himself a lamb for the burnt offering. God himself 427 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 1: had to be that lamb, and we've talked about that 428 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:20,680 Speaker 1: so many times, how no other human being or animal 429 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:24,680 Speaker 1: or anything could be the perfect sacrifice. Only God himself 430 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: could be that perfect sacrifice. So God obviously was providing 431 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: himself as the perfect sacrifice. Something that a lot of 432 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 1: people don't understand is that because God the Father and 433 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: Jesus are one, they have the exact same goals in mind. 434 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: So God did not force his son to be put 435 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 1: to death. Jesus had the same exact goal in mind. 436 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: Jesus went willingly. He did it for you and for me. 437 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,439 Speaker 1: Jesus and God the Father are exactly the same with 438 00:25:55,480 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 1: their goals. It wasn't God the Father forcing Jesus to die. 439 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt 440 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: offering my son. So they both went on together. In 441 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: verse eight, they came to the place which God had 442 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: told him of, Mount Mariah. Abraham built the altar there 443 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: and laid the wood in order bound Isaac, his son, 444 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:22,200 Speaker 1: and laid him on the altar. On the wood, Abraham 445 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill 446 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:31,120 Speaker 1: his son. And right as Abraham does that, Yahwei's angel 447 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 1: calls to him out of the sky and says Abraham, Abraham, 448 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:38,920 Speaker 1: he says, here, I am God said, don't lay your 449 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 1: hand on the boy or do anything to him. That 450 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: right there is another significant part of the story Abraham 451 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: and Isaac were free from this type of punishment. God 452 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 1: placed that kind of suffering on himself. So he tells Abraham, 453 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: don't lay a hand on that boy, don't do anything 454 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 1: to him. Then he says, for now I know that 455 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, 456 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: your only son, from me. And there's another parallel to 457 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: the story of Jesus. We just read in Hebrews not 458 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: too long ago that Jesus was made perfect through his suffering. 459 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 1: And I talked about how that doesn't mean that Jesus 460 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: wasn't perfect before he went to the cross. He was, 461 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 1: obviously because he's God and he was without sin. But 462 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: what that verse means is that Jesus showed his obedience 463 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 1: to God and proved his perfection. He proved that he 464 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 1: was perfect by being obedient. Abraham, he was not a 465 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,160 Speaker 1: perfect man, but because he obeyed God in this matter 466 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:51,719 Speaker 1: and offered Isaac up fully to God, it says that 467 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 1: Abraham feared God. And later on I believe. In Romans 468 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:58,679 Speaker 1: chapter four, Paul goes into a lot more depth about 469 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: the faith of Abraham and how Abraham was counted righteous 470 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 1: because of his obedience to God. So faith and obedience 471 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: go hand in hand. And I've been covering that topic 472 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:12,400 Speaker 1: a lot recently. I don't know why it keeps coming up. 473 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: And when something like that in scripture keeps coming up, 474 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: it's probably for myself and also for you faithful listeners. 475 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: So there might be somebody out there that needs to 476 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 1: hear that, that needs to hear that obedience and faith 477 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 1: go hand in hand. And now continuing in verse thirteen, 478 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,120 Speaker 1: it says Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and 479 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: saw that behind him was a ram, caught in the 480 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 1: thicket by its horns. Now, that, of course, is the 481 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: biggest picture of Jesus in all of this. A lot 482 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: of people think that Isaac signifies Jesus, and in some 483 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 1: ways he does obviously, But the ram here, that is 484 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: the true picture of Jesus in all of this. And 485 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: you can see this because it's a ram. Okay, a 486 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: ram had these big horns, and in the Old Testament, 487 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: horns signified power and signified kingliness, which is why a 488 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: lot of times when you look at an ancient crown 489 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: that the kings would wear, a lot of them had 490 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 1: horns because it signified kingliness and power. So this ram 491 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: that has these horns have them stuck in a thicket. 492 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: And a thicket is obviously like a bramble bush, something 493 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: that has a lot of thorns, something that tangles up easily. 494 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 1: And we know that Jesus, who is the king, had 495 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 1: a crown of thorns placed on his head before he 496 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 1: was sacrificed on that cross. And what is this ram, 497 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: this male sheep caught in It's caught in a thorn bush. Now, 498 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: don't forget. We already read John chapter eight where Jesus 499 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: called himself this ram. Essentially going back to John eight, 500 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: reading verse fifty seven, it says, your father Abraham rejoiced 501 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: to see my day. He saw it and was glad. 502 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: Now we know that Abraham was not alive in the 503 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,239 Speaker 1: days of Jesus, which means that Jesus was referring to 504 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: something else. Jesus is calling himself that ram. Abraham saw 505 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: that ram in the thorn bush and rejoiced. So that's 506 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 1: the parallel. Jesus even calls himself that ram that was 507 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: stuck in the thorns. Abraham went and took the ram 508 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of 509 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: his son. And that's the part where I get a 510 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 1: little teary eyed, because that signifies Jesus obviously taking our place. 511 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: The punishment of Jesus was meant for you and I, 512 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: but Jesus said, no, I'm going to take that on myself. 513 00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: I'm not going to let these people I love suffer 514 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: in that way. So I will take the punishment that 515 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: they deserve, that they caused for themselves. I'm going to 516 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: take that. So the Ram becomes the burnt offering in 517 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: place of Isaac. Abraham called the name of that place, 518 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: Yahweh will provide, and as it is said to this day, 519 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: on Yahweh's mountain, it will be provided, that same mountain 520 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: that Jesus was crucified on. That's the mountain where it 521 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: was provided. So you can see the parallels between this 522 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: story and the story of Jesus. How Jesus was so 523 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: loving that he didn't want Abraham and Isaac to go 524 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: through the pain that the father and the son would experience. 525 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 1: When Jesus became the sacrifice for all humanity. Jesus was 526 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 1: that Ram that took the place for each and every 527 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: one of us. And that's what we remember on Good Friday. 528 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: We remember Jesus's sacrifice and his love for each of us. 529 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:18,680 Speaker 1: So that's the story of Abraham sacrificing his son in 530 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: a nutshell. And obviously we know that God blesses Abraham 531 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: immensely for this kind of faith. And also this is 532 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 1: a teaching moment for each and every one of us, 533 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 1: not just looking at the pictures of Jesus here, which 534 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: is very very important, but also seeing that we can 535 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 1: have the same kind of faith that Abraham had. When 536 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 1: God asks us to do something that we don't understand 537 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 1: or that seems very contradictory to what we think God 538 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: would want for us, can we still step out in 539 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: obedience and do what God asks us to do like 540 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: Abraham did. And that is something else that we should 541 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:59,200 Speaker 1: remember on Good Friday. You know, sometimes we act as 542 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: if what Jesus did for us we deserve that, you know, 543 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 1: we deserve him doing all that for us because we're 544 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: so lovable. Absolutely not, we are not lovable. We did 545 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: not deserve what Jesus did for us, but he did 546 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 1: it anyway because He loves us in spite of our problems. 547 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: So to bring all this home, we should step out 548 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: in faith and obedience the way Abraham did. Jesus was 549 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 1: willing to make that sacrifice on our behalf. Can we 550 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: obey Jesus when he calls us to do something we 551 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 1: don't want to do, because I can guarantee that the 552 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 1: things Jesus calls us to do aren't nearly as painful 553 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 1: and awful and miserable as to what he did on 554 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: our behalf. So I don't know who needed to hear 555 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: this today, but whoever you are, step out in faith 556 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: and obedience and trust that God loves you and has 557 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: a plan for you that is going to bring him 558 00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 1: glory and also be beneficial for you as well, for 559 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 1: his glory and your good All right, faithful listeners. Before 560 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: I say goodbye to everybody, here is one last word 561 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 1: from a sponsor. Well, faithful listeners. I hope you enjoyed 562 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,160 Speaker 1: today's episode, And if you have any questions about this, 563 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 1: about how to follow Jesus, or even questions about the 564 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: passage we read today or about Jesus's sacrifice, or you 565 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 1: don't understand something about that, I'd love for you to 566 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:26,439 Speaker 1: reach out to me and I will do my best 567 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: to answer your questions. And also if you have a 568 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 1: prayer request, also reach out. You'll find my contact information. 569 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 1: Listed in the description of this episode. Well, faithful listeners. 570 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:38,400 Speaker 1: On that note, I forgot to tell all you guys 571 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,560 Speaker 1: I'm not going to have an episode on Monday. I 572 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:45,280 Speaker 1: probably should have told you all that earlier in the episode. 573 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 1: I completely forgot, but I was thinking about it yesterday 574 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:50,520 Speaker 1: and I was like, I truly don't know when this 575 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,359 Speaker 1: weekend I can get an episode done. I honestly don't 576 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 1: think I'll have time to record an episode for Monday. 577 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 1: So I apologize for that. If I would have thought 578 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 1: about it earlier in the week I would I have 579 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: tried to get an episode done for Monday, but I 580 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: did not, So I apologize that there won't be an 581 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 1: episode on Monday, most likely. So I'll see all of 582 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: you guys on Tuesday for an episode from Hebrews. So 583 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:19,200 Speaker 1: faithful listeners until Tuesday, Happy Easter, happy listening, and God bless. 584 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 1: I just want to take a second to thank the 585 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 1: team at Life Audio for their partnership with me on 586 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 1: the Bible Explain podcast. In fact, if you go to 587 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: life audio dot com, you will find dozens of other 588 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,400 Speaker 1: faith centered podcasts in their network. They've got shows about prayer, 589 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: Bible study, parenting, and more.