759. Seeing Christ In the Binding of Isaac

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform were continuing a study series entitled looking at the Jesus which is a study of Christ in the Old Testament.

Today's message will be preached by Dr. Craig Hartman, the director of Brooklyn-based shalom ministries, which is an outreach ministry to Jewish people. Well, good morning everyone, please turn in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 22 Genesis chapter 22.

Please when when Dr. Pettit asked me to speak on the subject. I was very intrigued and we talked about covering either Passover or the binding of Isaac, and I had done a lot of work with the Passover and the thought of doing a focused look at the binding of Isaac was intriguing to me because I had I had not really research it out and spent a lot of time on it.

I spent a fair amount of time on the just growing up as a Jewish man and but never really put together a message to teach on it and then I remember that one of my sons had died on a report on this subject when he was in seminary here and I thought Melissa be an interesting opportunity for me to so to stand on my son's shoulders if you will, and sort of work together and so this is been very encouraging for me a real blessing for me to look deeper into the Scriptures here on a spiritual level and also on a personal level so please join me as I share just some thoughts that I've had as I look at this. Keeping in mind that were looking at this morning is a very very important portion of Scripture in Jewish thought and Jewish culture.

Obviously, biblically, it's very important, and in fact I just found out yesterday just to show you how important the subject is to the Jewish mind. Yesterday I found out that a local rabbi, Mark Wilson, who is based here in Greenville is actually holding a symposium on this very portion of Scripture and may just an interesting coincidence, right this section of Scripture is rich in theology typology which is our primary concern this morning seeing Christ in the Old Testament seen Christ in the binding of Isaac, but it also is very very fascinating in seeing how Jewish and Christian parallels historically in an theologically have lined up its wonderful example as well of literary structure in the Bible is that much that the Bible shows us into this beautiful form in which God is put together rather than read the section of Scripture and then come back to it for the sake of time will just jump right in.

In just a minute here and go through the verses together or not to share some comments along the way and then we will reflect. Hopefully as we go forward this sport. In this chapter. Chapter 22 in the book of Genesis is really a a a closing book and to Abraham spiritual journey which began in chapter 12 and so very interesting how God lays out this section of Scripture, beginning in chapter 12 and ending a chapter 22. Begin the journey that that Abraham began at her on both of the bookends demand a very difficult decision for Abraham chapter 12 when he's called out of the Chaldees's goal to leave his father's house and everything about what was everything in his life to that point. He's called to leave his past behind here in the closing book in the chapter 22. He's called to sacrifice his beloved promised blessings on he's called to sacrifice what Dorsett said, set apart or it would are just forget his future if you will, in both chapter 12 in chapter 22 the command to Abraham is to go in the Hebrew it's left with very interesting Hebrew construction found nowhere else in the Bible just in chapters 12 and 22 when dealing with Abraham. It's an interesting phrase in the Hebrew and unlucky to spend too much time doing Hebrew lesson here, but just say, just as it is very difficult to translate literally into English. The best we have in our Bibles is to go but it's more than just going it's it's go get going go go you go away you go. One of the great sages in Jewish history, suggested from the Hebrew perspective, and it seems to be pretty accurate because there was a test here of Abraham, which implies that he was given a choice that it's a command, but it's a command, leaving some room for volitional act.

In any event, that is the command to Abraham, and that phrase is so important to the Jewish people. In fact, that there are weekly tort toward their weekly portions of the first five books of the Bible to read in the synagogues throughout the world and each portion is given a title that they've assigned to that portion of Scripture and the portion of Scripture beginning and in the Genesis chapter 12 is called Leffler's is very important phrase that God is speaks to Abram when he told them to go in chapter 12 Anna chapter 22 in both chapter 12 that the section of Scripture is preceded by a genealogy after chapter 20 depth of this section of chapter 22.

It's followed by genealogy in chapter 12 Abram was to go to a land that God will show him that I will show you jump 22 he sold to go to the land of Maria Mariah to a place that I will show you. You see the interesting parallels in developing here and how godly this out both have a building drama.

Chapter 12 leave your country, your kindred and your father's house. Chapter 22.

Your son take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love amazing parallels both and with the blessing of posterity that all people on the earth will be blessed through Abraham we might even want to take a look at and think about the fact that in chapter 12 God appeared and made a land promised to Abraham by the terebinth in moiré and here he sent to the land of more. It's a Mariah Maria Moore rent. You see this it is interesting and in a parallel use of the roots and and and that at minimum, it's a wordplay for sure. And in both situations. In both places Abraham builds in an altar in response to his interaction with God. Very interesting parallel very interesting literary structure will see some other parallels as we go through, but I just wanted to begin by highlighting those first one and it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham and Senate them.

Abraham and he said, behold, here I am after these things well the things that came before it. Obviously, this would certainly include the expulsion of hog on Ishmael, which happened in just the chapter before. At that time were told it is, it sucked. Sorry Isaac was weaned and that would put him at about two or three years old so we don't know how much later than that this is happening but is obviously able to carry some wood so he's grown to some extent the Jewish sources suggest that he was 37 years old.

I won't tell you how to get there is an interesting mathematical formula. But Abraham is being tested and he says here at my not to spend too much time on it, but the term in the Hebrew here what he says here my it's a it's a term of availability. It's not like where's Abraham all here I am. It's more like who shall we send send me see the difference. Verse two and he said take now that I saw online only son Isaac will not love us and get the into the land of Maria and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell the he's told he's been he's told to take his sonnets and entreaty the original language. It's not an order. It's an order within entreaty not so much a forceful command.

Please take your son giving him again the option to not go his only son is much discussion about the only son since we know he has Ishmael for sure. But remember, Ishmael has been sent away. He's been expelled with his mother's lap. Perhaps it's his only son, that really matters, or whatever. Perhaps it's a statement of value, but it's certainly a reminder that he is the son of promise and that is very clear. We can hear echoes to John 316 of the portions of the New Testament where God so loved his son, his only son, if you will, Maria. We don't know for sure where it is most people assume this is Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, and Jerusalem. Certainly the most popular view Jewish tradition connects the temple mount Mount Moriah if you will with the temple itself. There are many sources to support this ancient sources modern sources biblical sources extra biblical sources, etc. today on Mount Moriah the Temple Mount stands in the middle of the Temple Mount is the dome of the rock, which is an Islamic shrine. Interestingly, this highlights the fact that everybody wants to claim Abraham if you look at the history behind all these things. It's a battleground who descends with Abraham who inherits from Abraham, the people of the Islamic faith would claim that Ishmael was the promised son, and they even have a record in the Quran of a bound child. Ishmael is not mentioned specifically there, but these are interesting parallels the dome of the rock stands over a rock that it is believed that Mohammed lifted up to heaven from and so everybody sort of trying to claim the ascendancy from Abraham, but it highlights the importance of that spot and the importance of that amount amount Moriah over. The Bible says the land of Moriah, the amount of Moriah. Abram rose up early in the morning and settled his ass and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and cleave the wood for a burnt offering, and rose up and went unto the place which God told him then on the third day Abraham, lifted up his eyes and saw the place of far off. We have the third day, we can help.

It will allow the aqueduct to come into her mind about Jesus being buried arising again on the third day, and is 1/3 a motif that runs the Scripture very interesting study. Is this a parallel with Jesus, perhaps, but it certainly shows that Abraham it's time to reconsider.

He had three days journey to decide whether he should not go through with this, but he doesn't waver. He doesn't hold back at all and were told he sees the place of far off.

I went out your how he knew what the place was because were told that God was in the tell which. The place is Jewish tradition tells us that there was a cloud hovering over the mountain so Abraham knew that that was the one. And Abram said unto his young men abiding it with the ass, and I will take and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. He's going to amount to worship. Keep that in mind name and the word of the burnt offering laid upon Isaac his son and he took the fire in his hand and a knife and they went both together.

The knife here is is not just a small knife in the underlined word makes it clear that it's a large knife. Clearly, blood was going to be shed and I wonder if Abraham took the knife in the fire himself to ensure that the, the sacrifice would remain unblemished when he got to the place of sacrifice, and Isaac spoke with Abram's father and said my father. He said here I am, my son here my my son sorry he said, behold, the fire in the wood but where is the lamb for a burnt offering and Abram said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together now. Perhaps Isaac knew what was going to happen to him. Certainly human sacrifice is not unknown in this time, but it says that God will provide a lamb and this is the only dialogue that occurs that is recorded I should say in a three-day journey actually had a lot more to say to each other. But God saw fit to only preserve this one point God was going to provide the land in verse nine he came to the place which God told him of an Abram built an altar there and he laid the wood in order, and about Isaac his son laid him on the altar upon the wood. The word hear from bound has a certain root in it that leads to the name that is given to this event that the Jewish people use called the arcade.

You say the binding of Isaac.

They say they arcade but you notice it's all work acquittals hovering around the word bound. I Isaac makes no attempt to stop or run.

He's a willing sacrifice 10 and Abram stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son Abe unquestionably follow the instruction with complete trust in God as a father I can't imagine what was happening in his mind when he lifted the knife was 11 and the angel of the Lord: the him out of heaven's Abram. Abram, they said here my God. It is not for the voice of God coming from heaven. Abram would've lowered the knife on Isaac and he said lay not mine hand upon the lad. Neither do that anything unto him. For now, I know the Dell fears God saying that God is not withheld by sunlight only son, from me.

God already knew Abram's faith already knew what would happen. But this gave Abraham an opportunity to this to demonstrate his faith and he demonstrated it in report responded perfectly to that opportunity. Getting the encouragement and acceptance from God and neighbor lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram, not a lamb caught and affected by his horns and Abram went and took the ram and offered them for the burnt offering in the stead of his son interesting as to why God would choose a ram and not a lamb was supposed to be a lamb. I suggested perhaps we have a father-son motive. Continuing here is a ram as a father of a lamb. Abraham and Isaac father-son but more than that. The most significant aspect or ram's horns and I believe that God used a ram here to pull a call attention to the horn that would ultimately be part of the full story that God was going to give, especially with respect to the Jewish people. Leviticus chapter 23 is in a company's own is to include the feast of trumpets.

Isaiah 27 tells us that in that day. A day at future there will be the sound of the shofar, the ram's horn that will mark the gathering of the need of the nation back to the land to worship the Lord in the holy mount in Jerusalem. Keep that in mind, verse 14, and Abram called the name of the place Jehovah Gyro as it is said to this day in the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen Jehovah Gyro we think of it as a name, but it means something Gyro you read, as it hasn't, as a concept of future looking future Jehovah, he will see in the future.

Why is Abraham changing to the future and then were told that there's a saying that's developed even up until the day this is written in the mount of the Lord shall be seen. It where it says it shall be seen as a slightly different word than Gyro, but it means he will hear it will be seen as a reference here to the mountain of the Lord might be a definite place of worship in the worship tradition in ancient Jewish translation of the Old Testament into Greek would be translated on the amount the Lord appears around the mouth the Lord will be seen. I think I would like to suggest my translation here on the mountain of the Lord. He will be seen, whom, what could that be verses 15 and following the angel of the Lord: the Abram out of heaven. The second time he said I myself have I sworn saith the Lord, because thou has done this and has not withheld my life. Sunlight only son, but in blessing I will bless the and and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sandwiches upon the seashore.

And I see shall possess the gate of his enemies and then I see shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because that was obeyed my voice again. The reaffirmation of the blessing of the nations of the world, the people of the world the entire earth will be blessed through Abraham's seed, which we of course know is Mysia Christ and it closes with so Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to bruschetta and Abram dwelt in and worship of Sheba.

Whatever you going okay now there Jewish parallels here that make this that establishes typology in a very beautiful way.

It is fascinating that the Jewish sources treat Isaac as if he actually was sacrifice and raising the dead one reads when Isaac's children sin as requested. God think of the arcade not to be reckoned as though he is – were placed on the altar of compassion, forgive them and redeem them from that distress.

Not only would Isaac be treated as if he died and rose again, what is atoning value for the Jewish people writings on the writing, say regarding the key of the shofar God says that on New Year's Day, which is now the way they celebrate the feast of trumpets if they blow the horn of the ram, he will remember the arcade and that will support Satan's attempts to accuse Israel for sin.

Special prayer is recited as God of compassion on and to erase his anger because of the marriage of the Al Qaeda. Isaac is an atoning sacrifice Isaac is even revered some of the Jewish writing say that there was a dialogue going on between Isaac and the end and Abraham, which Isaac said behind me.

My father, so I'm not tempted to try and stop you. We must submit to the will of the Lord, even to my death so Isaac is revered humbly from the Middle Ages. Imagine set.

Imagine the dialogue that Sarah may have had a song that Sarah may have sung in it. She says Isaac was an offering, which died and was resurrected Jewish source long ago says that when the sword reached Isaac's throat.

His soul flew out of his body was God's voice is heard say do not touch the lead verse 12. The soul returned to the body does Isaac learn the resurrection of the dead, AS we resurrected in the messianic future, and Isaac offered his open his eyes and praise God who resurrects from the dead, you know there's some some insights we can get from this from the New Testament, even turn if you can quickly Hebrews chapter 11. It's amazing how times have changed. Used to be when you told a group of people decides to turn to Hebrews chapter 11, rendering the Bobby would hear pages turning I guess you're my page turning. This is the age of the iPad.

Truth be told, I have one but I too cumbersome to do. Is it appear where my chapter 11 verse 17 by faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that had received the promise offered a promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it is said that in Isaac cell that shall IC be called accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure in other words Abraham did it.

He was willing to sacrifice his son because he knew that even if he sacrifice his son. His son would rise in the resurrection he had total faith in the resurrection he was willing to put us on the death. He knew he would be resurrected and figuratively speaking.

He actually was based on the New Testament, we can treat Isaac the way the Jews are treated over eons, as if he died and was resurrected by the way, this is an aside as the devotional thought you believe in the resurrection. Okay, let's assume you do what you willing to do because you're confident in that you willing to die because you know it doesn't matter. I'll be resurrected, justice… I thought another Jewish source to keep with the parallel says in verse six when a seat when he laid the one Isaac was as upon one condemned was made to carry the cross on his shoulders while and that's not new, just to the Jews August and wrote about that many years ago and Isaiah 53 were told that he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before this year our shearers is dumb and so he opened not his mouth. Sounds that as a prophecy of Jesus Christ, and it sounds just like Isaac going to the altar for slaughter. Isaac was a perfect picture of Christ.

He was silent he was unblemished. He went willingly. He went knowingly. He sacrifice he was resurrected. His sacrifice was atoning, and in all that we see Christ, perhaps even the firstfruits of the resurrection. If you want to get really fancy with our theology into the Jewish festivals in the shofar connection with the ram's horn cannot be ignored figuratively, figuratively speaking of the New Testament suggests we do, let's go back to Abraham. Imagine the anguish.

Imagine the sorrow. Imagine the confusion beyond my comprehension as to what went on. That's man's mind, but it's amazing that he never wavered. He did it and trusted God because of the resurrection. Isaac effectively willingly sacrifice himself being surrendered to the will of the other that's figuratively speaking, not figuratively speaking. What happened in Calvary.

The father looked down at his only son is Isaac was a lonely son and the father. Think of the anguish of the father at that moment think the sorrow of the sun separated from the father taking on the wrath of sin willingly surrendered to the will of the father willingly surrender his life for me. Darkness came upon the earth after he had been flawed and tortured. Darkness comes upon the earth. The earthquakes, the mail is ranked. The grays are open.

The perfect lamb was slain and he did it for me and you know there's a place is a place just north of the Temple Mount called the garden tomb.

Notice also is Gordon's Calvary suggested that may be the place where Jesus was crucified in and then buried in the tomb. Interestingly, this place, the garden tomb sits on Mount Moriah the same outrage that the Temple Mount sits on. This is the place and I'm not saying that it is. But if this is the place and if that is the amount of my reading is correct, why but with the same was in that day and I think I am correct that it was up there was a prophecy fulfilled when he died, the Lord was seen on the mounted Calvary and he will be seen again. There when he returns. You know the next time in the Bible we see Isaac.

He takes pride for the next time we see Christ he's going to come for his bride will be a truck but sound the sound of the shofar will be resurrection and a voice from heaven. Go back and check versus waiting for. This is no accident all type G in anticipation consistent revelation from our Bible. Oh what a living God to communicate with us. This way know what a wonderful Savior. We respond to this one marvel at him, love him unconditionally, with thanksgiving, bow in reverence before him make an altar with our lives know we see in the week we seen just briefly on just touching the surface here because this can be a whole course just on the Al Qaeda Isaac is a picture of Christ which Eliza could be an example of us. When I think of Isaac putting himself in effect on the altar. I think of Romans chapter 12 in verse one, and we are called as believers to sacrifice ourselves to ourselves as a burnt offering on the altar so we rise up to God as a sweetener all day him where to die and rise to new life.

But the old man stayed in last week there was a conference here. One of the best conferences I've ever attended.

I would encourage everyone to you students to get a copy of those messages listen to them because it talks about being in the world but not of the world, but there's much richness in there about how to act, how to live for Christ in a balanced biblical way deep, deep quality successions and I couldn't help but think about several of the times that I was listening to the sessions so money was so much of this is ringing in my ear because we are called to where called when were safe to leave it behind, leave the past behind leave the old man behind willingly surrendered to God as Abraham did and willingly present yourself a sacrifice about offering a sweet aroma unto the Lord is Isaac did not like he still alive, Christ died for you and me died for all mankind in any who trust in him will have eternal life. We will rise up we will spend eternity with him and I implore you all encourage me to do it to. If I'm ever faltering worship your Savior worship your wonderful Savior was painted in and explained to you so clearly in the Scriptures.

Everywhere you look. Worship him with your life and rejoice in your salvation. We stand with musicals and prayer.

Father, we thank you for the wonderful pictures that you have placed in the Scriptures and the communication that you've given to us. You have left us with no doubt over and over and over again teaching is about Jesus from the old through the new all the way from Genesis to Revelation, we praise you for it and beg you Lord to bring these things to mind that we might walk circumspectly and honor you with our lives. May we all be a sweet aroma unto you, and in that give you pleasure as we submit these things to you with thanksgiving in yes she was named main you've been listening to a sermon preached at Bob Jones University by Dr. Craig Hartman, which is part of the study series about Christ in the Old Testament. Join us again tomorrow is we continue this series here on The Daily Platform