[And He Walks With Me] Genesis 22

2        Child sacrifice was common among ancient pagan religions, but God had never required it of anyone. Moreover, God’s explicit promise was that Abraham would have descendants through Isaac. This, then, was a test of Abraham. Specifically, it was a test to see if Abraham really believed God’s promise. Further, it was a test to see if Abraham valued God more than anything, including his son, wife, and legacy. Interestingly, we recognize that God knows what is in our hearts, so this test was not really for God. Sometimes, as in Job 1-2, God allows us to be tested for his own glory, but often, God allows us to be tested for our own sake. Testing proves to us that the enemy is lying when he whispers in our heads that our faith is a sham or that God cannot (or will not) deliver. Further, it provides tangible evidence of just how strong our faith has become.

Your only son emphasized that it was through Isaac that God’s promise to Abraham was supposed to be fulfilled. That promise, that Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation, would be at an end if Abraham sacrificed Isaac, unless God intervened. This, then, was a test to see if Abraham loved God more than his legacy.

Whom you love is significant as an indication of Abraham’s priorities. Prior to Isaac’s birth, Abraham’s priority was his own life, and his faith twice faltered when his life was threatened. See 12:10-20 and 20:1-18. After Isaac’s birth, however, Abraham’s priority shifted to his son. Isaac now represented all of Abraham’s hopes and dreams, and he would do anything for his son.

Moriah is identified with the temple mount at Jerusalem in 2 Chronicles 3:1. However, that is the only other biblical reference, and 2 Chronicles does not describe it as the place where Abraham nearly offered his son. Therefore, it may have been a different location. Given that Abraham was camped at Beersheba and the journey took 2-3 days, this Moriah must have been somewhere between Jerusalem in the north and Kadesh Barnea in the south, the Mediterranean Sea in the west and the Dead Sea in the east. The temple mount was, therefore, within the realm of possibility, and it would seem the most likely location.^[47]

3        The fact that Abraham got up early in the morning indicates that there was no hesitation on Abraham’s part. This is significant because, at two key junctures, the patriarch’s faith faltered when he feared for his life. See 12:10-20 and 20:1-18. Now, though, his faith had grown to the point where he did not bat an eye when God asked for his second most important thing. See note on 22:2. Like Abraham, we must reach the point where even our greatest earthly priority pales in comparison to our commitment to God.

5        No doubt, Abraham had to leave his young men behind because, if they realized what he was resolved to do, they would stop him.

7-8        It is unclear how old Isaac was at this time, but he was clearly old enough to connect the dots. They had everything required for a sacrifice with them, but they had no sacrifice. He knew that pagans frequently sacrificed children. There must have been, then, a significant trepidation in his question, where is the lamb for the burnt offering?

The faith of both Abraham and Isaac is on full display here. Abraham did not yet see how God would fulfill his promise given his latest command, and Isaac did not yet see the offering. Yet, the two of them walked on together. Never underestimate the impact of your practical faith on the next generation. They are watching, and when they see us working out our own salvation, even with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), they understand what authentic faith looks like and can claim it for themselves.

9-10        Here, the full extent of Abraham’s and Isaac’s faith is on display. They trusted God so completely that they were clearly willing to go through with this sacrifice expecting that he would still somehow fulfill his promise.

11        It is difficult to imagine the relief that must have flooded Abraham when the angel of the Lord called to him here.

15-18        In response to Abraham’s faith, God reaffirmed his promise. Finally, Abraham was in a position to believe without any reservation whatsoever.

[47] Keener and Zondervan 2016, Genesis 22:2