Genesis, the first book of the Bible, contains foundational truths that encompass the core of Scripture’s salvific and prophetic message. From the cosmic story of Creation (Genesis 1 and 2), in which God turned the chaos and void into life, to the story of Joseph, in which God wrought a redemptive outcome from evil actions (Gen. 50:20), the book of Genesis testifies to God’s plan of salvation. In the middle of Genesis, the story of the binding of Isaac (Gen. 22:1–18) lays down the basic themes of this divine plan.
In this week’s lesson, we will discover the various themes of God’s plan of salvation as they emerge from the dramatic story of the Akedah (“binding of Isaac”). The first theme is “love,” from which derives all the rest of God’s actions.
In this story, the Hebrew word 'ahab, “love,” is used for the first time in the Bible, specifically, in God’s speech referring to a father’s love (Gen. 22:2).
The second theme of the Akedah is the expression of God’s love through the sacrifice of His Son, which is foreshadowed by Isaac in his identification with the lamb (Gen. 22:7–10). The third theme is the actual manifestation of God’s love in history, specifically, in the great conflict that will put the “seed” in opposition to the serpent and will end with the victory of the “seed” over evil and death. This event is profiled in the unexpected appearance of the “ram” (Gen. 22:13), which prefigures the eschatological event of the Day of Atonement.
Part II: Commentary
The Love of God
It is impossible to understand God’s love, because it is impossible to “comprehend . . . what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Eph. 3:18, 19, NKJV). The fact that the verb ’ahab, “love,” appears for the first time in the Scriptures in reference to a father’s love—Abraham’s love for Isaac, his “only son” (Gen. 22:2)—is, however, significant. It is in the particular context of Abraham’s love for his unique son that the quality of Abraham’s love for God was to be “tested” and thus revealed (Gen. 22:1, NKJV; compare with Gen. 22:12).
But it was not just Abraham’s love for God that was to be tested and revealed. During Abraham’s personal experience, God’s love also was revealed to Abraham. Abraham understood, then, the depth of God’s love. Ellen G. White explains: “It was to impress Abraham’s mind with the reality of the gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for man’s redemption. . . . What stronger proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love of God?”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 154; emphasis supplied.
God did not give Abraham a philosophical, theological, or a psychological explanation of His love. God chose to permit Abraham to endure (on his finite level) what God was to endure (on His “infinite” level). This parallel between Abraham, who offered his “only son,” whom he loved, and God, who offered His only Son, whom He, “ ‘the Father loves’ ” (John 5:20, NKJV), is endorsed by John who uses the same language (intertextuality) in his definition of “love”: “ ‘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’ ” (John 3:16, NKJV; compare with 1 John 4:9, NKJV).
The Lamb of God
The title “lamb of God” is used by John to identify Jesus: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV, compare with John 1:36). It is interesting and significant that the reference to a “lamb” appears for the first time in the Scriptures in the context of the story of the binding of Isaac to refer to the sacrifice of “a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:7). It is, however, not the first time that a lamb is used as a sacrifice. Abel offered a lamb for burnt offerings (Gen. 4:4, NKJV; compare with Num. 18:17). But it is the first time that the word seh, “lamb,” is explicitly mentioned. It is also the only passage of the Hebrew Bible in which the word seh, “lamb,” is definite. All other Scripture passages that contain this word use it in an indefinite sense. This unique case testifies to a special and unique application. Isaac (with Abraham) refers to a unique lamb that transcends all the others.
The fact that the word “lamb” is used by John in his Gospel (John 1:29, 36), and especially in his apocalypse (23 times), in the definite sense as “the lamb,” suggests that John is alluding to “the lamb” of Isaac’s question, “ ‘Where is the lamb?’ ” (Gen. 22:7). This intertextual relation allows us to surmise that “the lamb” of Isaac refers to the Son of God, as understood by John. This interpretation is, in fact, confirmed in Abraham’s response to Isaac’s question: “ ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering’ ” (Gen. 22:8, NKJV).
The construction of the opening phrase of Abraham’s statement in Genesis 22:8 is particularly telling. First, though Hebrew typically puts the verb first, followed by the subject, here the word “God” is put at the beginning of the sentence before the verbal form to emphasize the fact that the solution is only in God. It is God who will see. Second, this opening phrase of Genesis 22:8 has the same reflexive construction as the phrase lek leka, “go yourself,” which introduced God’s call (Gen. 22:2, author’s literal translation; compare with Gen. 12:1). In that case, the phrase in Genesis 22:8 could be translated as follows: “God will see Himself as the lamb” (apposition), which means that God will provide Himself as the lamb. As such, the lamb is identified as God. Thus, the lamb that is referred to here is not merely the physical animal that Isaac had in mind; it is God Himself.
The Victory of God
Isaac expected a lamb to be provided by God. Yet, a ram appeared instead: “Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there . . . was a ram” (Gen. 22:13, NKJV). The appearance of the ram points to the ram of the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:3, 6). There is indeed a unique intertextual connection between this passage of the sacrifice of Isaac and the text of the Day of Atonement. More than any other biblical passage, the text of the binding of Isaac shares common language with the text of the Day of Atonement. We find the same association of the words ‘olah, “burnt offering” (Gen. 22:13; compare with Lev. 16:3, 5, NKJV); ra’ah, “appear,” in the same passive form niphal (Gen. 22:14; compare with Lev. 16:2, NKJV); and yiqqakh, “he took” (Gen. 22:13; compare with Lev. 16:5, NKJV). This important intertextual connection between the two passages indicates that the writer of the legislation of the Day of Atonement, in Leviticus 16, had the text of the sacrifice of Isaac in mind.
On the other hand, it is noteworthy that the text of the binding of Isaac is also present in the text of Daniel 8, which is a prophecy precisely concerning the eschatological Day of Atonement. The first line introducing Daniel’s vision—“I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram” (Dan. 8:3, ESV)—clearly alludes to the text of the sacrifice of Isaac, given that Daniel’s phrase is a quotation of Genesis 22:13. This allusion to the text of the sacrifice of Isaac is further reinforced by the important intertextual connections between Leviticus 16 and Daniel 8 (see especially the common usage of the verb ra’ah, “saw,” a keyword in both passages). In light of Daniel 8, we understand, then, that the ram in the story of the Akedah points typologically to the eschatological Day of Atonement.
This cosmic perspective is indeed confirmed in the divine blessing that concludes the text of the Akedah (Gen. 22:17). God’s promised blessing concerns not only the future descendants of Abraham himself but also concerns the future of the nations. The Lord promises that Abraham’s seed will “possess the gate of their enemies” (NKJV). This promise refers to the victory of Christ over the serpent and the victory of life over death, which is predicted in Genesis 3:15. The story of the binding of Isaac leads, then, to the ultimate atonement for God’s people during the eschatological Day of Atonement (compare with Dan. 8:14). This lesson seems to have been retained in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which applies the concluding blessing of the Akedah (Heb. 6:14) to the extraordinary moment of the Day of Atonement during which the High Priest could penetrate “behind the veil” (Heb. 6:19; compare with Lev. 16:2, 15, NKJV).
Part III: Life Application
Read the following comments on the silences and questions between Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22:6–8. What spiritual lessons do these silences and questions teach us?
Genesis 22:6: “The two of them went together” (NKJV). The phrase occurs twice (Gen. 22:6, 8) and sounds tragic, emphasizing the silent walk of father and son.
Genesis 22:7, 8: “But Isaac spoke” (NKJV). In Genesis 22:7, 8, the silence is eventually broken by Isaac’s voice. His dialogue in these two verses constitutes the first and only time that Isaac speaks in this story:
“And [Isaac] said, ‘My father!’ ” (Gen. 22:7, NKJV). When Isaac speaks for the first time, he initially utters one Hebrew word ’abi, “my father!” which reminds us of his relationship with Abraham, who is preparing for the slaughter.
“And he [Abraham] said, ‘Here I am, my son’ ” (Gen. 22:7, NKJV). The words “my son” (beni), correspond to the words “my father” (’abi). In spite of the killing agenda, the father loves his son, and the intensity of that love for his only son makes the sacrifice all the more painful (compare with John 5:20).
“Then he [Isaac] said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ ” (Gen. 22:7, MEV). This question is another way of referring to the unspeakable reality, without having to explicitly state: “Am I the lamb?”
Notes
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Key Text: John 1:29
Study Focus: Gen. 22:1–18, John 3:16.
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, contains foundational truths that encompass the core of Scripture’s salvific and prophetic message. From the cosmic story of Creation (Genesis 1 and 2), in which God turned the chaos and void into life, to the story of Joseph, in which God wrought a redemptive outcome from evil actions (Gen. 50:20), the book of Genesis testifies to God’s plan of salvation. In the middle of Genesis, the story of the binding of Isaac (Gen. 22:1–18) lays down the basic themes of this divine plan.
In this week’s lesson, we will discover the various themes of God’s plan of salvation as they emerge from the dramatic story of the Akedah (“binding of Isaac”). The first theme is “love,” from which derives all the rest of God’s actions.
In this story, the Hebrew word 'ahab, “love,” is used for the first time in the Bible, specifically, in God’s speech referring to a father’s love (Gen. 22:2).
The second theme of the Akedah is the expression of God’s love through the sacrifice of His Son, which is foreshadowed by Isaac in his identification with the lamb (Gen. 22:7–10). The third theme is the actual manifestation of God’s love in history, specifically, in the great conflict that will put the “seed” in opposition to the serpent and will end with the victory of the “seed” over evil and death. This event is profiled in the unexpected appearance of the “ram” (Gen. 22:13), which prefigures the eschatological event of the Day of Atonement.
Part II: Commentary
The Love of God
It is impossible to understand God’s love, because it is impossible to “comprehend . . . what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Eph. 3:18, 19, NKJV). The fact that the verb ’ahab, “love,” appears for the first time in the Scriptures in reference to a father’s love—Abraham’s love for Isaac, his “only son” (Gen. 22:2)—is, however, significant. It is in the particular context of Abraham’s love for his unique son that the quality of Abraham’s love for God was to be “tested” and thus revealed (Gen. 22:1, NKJV; compare with Gen. 22:12).
But it was not just Abraham’s love for God that was to be tested and revealed. During Abraham’s personal experience, God’s love also was revealed to Abraham. Abraham understood, then, the depth of God’s love. Ellen G. White explains: “It was to impress Abraham’s mind with the reality of the gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for man’s redemption. . . . What stronger proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love of God?”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 154; emphasis supplied.
God did not give Abraham a philosophical, theological, or a psychological explanation of His love. God chose to permit Abraham to endure (on his finite level) what God was to endure (on His “infinite” level). This parallel between Abraham, who offered his “only son,” whom he loved, and God, who offered His only Son, whom He, “ ‘the Father loves’ ” (John 5:20, NKJV), is endorsed by John who uses the same language (intertextuality) in his definition of “love”: “ ‘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’ ” (John 3:16, NKJV; compare with 1 John 4:9, NKJV).
The Lamb of God
The title “lamb of God” is used by John to identify Jesus: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV, compare with John 1:36). It is interesting and significant that the reference to a “lamb” appears for the first time in the Scriptures in the context of the story of the binding of Isaac to refer to the sacrifice of “a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:7). It is, however, not the first time that a lamb is used as a sacrifice. Abel offered a lamb for burnt offerings (Gen. 4:4, NKJV; compare with Num. 18:17). But it is the first time that the word seh, “lamb,” is explicitly mentioned. It is also the only passage of the Hebrew Bible in which the word seh, “lamb,” is definite. All other Scripture passages that contain this word use it in an indefinite sense. This unique case testifies to a special and unique application. Isaac (with Abraham) refers to a unique lamb that transcends all the others.
The fact that the word “lamb” is used by John in his Gospel (John 1:29, 36), and especially in his apocalypse (23 times), in the definite sense as “the lamb,” suggests that John is alluding to “the lamb” of Isaac’s question, “ ‘Where is the lamb?’ ” (Gen. 22:7). This intertextual relation allows us to surmise that “the lamb” of Isaac refers to the Son of God, as understood by John. This interpretation is, in fact, confirmed in Abraham’s response to Isaac’s question: “ ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering’ ” (Gen. 22:8, NKJV).
The construction of the opening phrase of Abraham’s statement in Genesis 22:8 is particularly telling. First, though Hebrew typically puts the verb first, followed by the subject, here the word “God” is put at the beginning of the sentence before the verbal form to emphasize the fact that the solution is only in God. It is God who will see. Second, this opening phrase of Genesis 22:8 has the same reflexive construction as the phrase lek leka, “go yourself,” which introduced God’s call (Gen. 22:2, author’s literal translation; compare with Gen. 12:1). In that case, the phrase in Genesis 22:8 could be translated as follows: “God will see Himself as the lamb” (apposition), which means that God will provide Himself as the lamb. As such, the lamb is identified as God. Thus, the lamb that is referred to here is not merely the physical animal that Isaac had in mind; it is God Himself.
The Victory of God
Isaac expected a lamb to be provided by God. Yet, a ram appeared instead: “Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there . . . was a ram” (Gen. 22:13, NKJV). The appearance of the ram points to the ram of the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:3, 6). There is indeed a unique intertextual connection between this passage of the sacrifice of Isaac and the text of the Day of Atonement. More than any other biblical passage, the text of the binding of Isaac shares common language with the text of the Day of Atonement. We find the same association of the words ‘olah, “burnt offering” (Gen. 22:13; compare with Lev. 16:3, 5, NKJV); ra’ah, “appear,” in the same passive form niphal (Gen. 22:14; compare with Lev. 16:2, NKJV); and yiqqakh, “he took” (Gen. 22:13; compare with Lev. 16:5, NKJV). This important intertextual connection between the two passages indicates that the writer of the legislation of the Day of Atonement, in Leviticus 16, had the text of the sacrifice of Isaac in mind.
On the other hand, it is noteworthy that the text of the binding of Isaac is also present in the text of Daniel 8, which is a prophecy precisely concerning the eschatological Day of Atonement. The first line introducing Daniel’s vision—“I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram” (Dan. 8:3, ESV)—clearly alludes to the text of the sacrifice of Isaac, given that Daniel’s phrase is a quotation of Genesis 22:13. This allusion to the text of the sacrifice of Isaac is further reinforced by the important intertextual connections between Leviticus 16 and Daniel 8 (see especially the common usage of the verb ra’ah, “saw,” a keyword in both passages). In light of Daniel 8, we understand, then, that the ram in the story of the Akedah points typologically to the eschatological Day of Atonement.
This cosmic perspective is indeed confirmed in the divine blessing that concludes the text of the Akedah (Gen. 22:17). God’s promised blessing concerns not only the future descendants of Abraham himself but also concerns the future of the nations. The Lord promises that Abraham’s seed will “possess the gate of their enemies” (NKJV). This promise refers to the victory of Christ over the serpent and the victory of life over death, which is predicted in Genesis 3:15. The story of the binding of Isaac leads, then, to the ultimate atonement for God’s people during the eschatological Day of Atonement (compare with Dan. 8:14). This lesson seems to have been retained in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which applies the concluding blessing of the Akedah (Heb. 6:14) to the extraordinary moment of the Day of Atonement during which the High Priest could penetrate “behind the veil” (Heb. 6:19; compare with Lev. 16:2, 15, NKJV).
Part III: Life Application
Read the following comments on the silences and questions between Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22:6–8. What spiritual lessons do these silences and questions teach us?
Genesis 22:6: “The two of them went together” (NKJV). The phrase occurs twice (Gen. 22:6, 8) and sounds tragic, emphasizing the silent walk of father and son.
Genesis 22:7, 8: “But Isaac spoke” (NKJV). In Genesis 22:7, 8, the silence is eventually broken by Isaac’s voice. His dialogue in these two verses constitutes the first and only time that Isaac speaks in this story:
“And [Isaac] said, ‘My father!’ ” (Gen. 22:7, NKJV). When Isaac speaks for the first time, he initially utters one Hebrew word ’abi, “my father!” which reminds us of his relationship with Abraham, who is preparing for the slaughter.
“And he [Abraham] said, ‘Here I am, my son’ ” (Gen. 22:7, NKJV). The words “my son” (beni), correspond to the words “my father” (’abi). In spite of the killing agenda, the father loves his son, and the intensity of that love for his only son makes the sacrifice all the more painful (compare with John 5:20).
“Then he [Isaac] said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ ” (Gen. 22:7, MEV). This question is another way of referring to the unspeakable reality, without having to explicitly state: “Am I the lamb?”
Notes