2024年10月20日 / グレース・トロント日本語教会
創世記 22章
Please note that the Japanese translation below is done by Google Translate.
Oct 20, 2024 / Grace Toronto Japanese Church
Genesis 22
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
OPENING
This is a painting of the Dutch painter Rembrandt. This painting was done in 1635. Obviously, he drew this painting based on Gen 22.
Ten years later (in 1645), Rembrandt made this etching. In this, Abraham and Isaac talk on their way to the top of the mountain. Abraham’s face looks solemn and serious, and Isaac doesn’t look happy.
These artworks of Rembrandt show that, to Rembrandt himself, Gen 22 was not an easy chapter to grasp. It really is a difficult (and even shocking) chapter. Reading this chapter, therefore, we are filled with so many questions.
CONTEXT
Abraham and Sarah waited for 25 years. In Gen 21, God finally gave them a son. They named him Isaac. Abraham sent Ishmael and Hagar away. So now, to Abraham, Isaac was the only son. He was such a precious boy to him.
TEXT
Now we are in Gen 22, and this is at least years after Isaac was born. Isaac was perhaps a teenage boy.
In v. 1, God called Abraham to test him. And this is what God said to Abraham (v. 2): “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Can you see the extreme intensity and harshness of God’s command? God almost seems cruel here.
He mentions Isaac in three different ways:
- your son
- your only son Isaac
- whom you love
God is stacking up these names/titles of Isaac. God means that there is no way around this command. God’s command is intense and solemn.
God said, “Go to the land of Moriah.” But the location of Moriah is not known. According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, we can guess that it is somewhere close to Jerusalem.
God finally says, “Offer him there as a burnt offering.”
One thing we should know is that human sacrifice was common back then in the pagan religions of Canaan. So, God’s command to sacrifice Isaac “would not have been as shocking to Abraham as it is to us today” (NIVAC Walton). Abraham must have known and heard about the ritual of child sacrifice.
God’s harsh command was: (1) kill him (Abraham himself should kill him); and (2) burn his body as a gift to me, to honor me. So intensely horrifying.
We may have questions:
- Why would the righteous God want Abraham to kill his own son? Is God just like those pagan gods who always want human sacrifice?
- What would happen to God’s covenant promises with Abraham?
Did Abraham resist? Did Abraham question God? No.
v. 3: So, Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
- Abraham got up early
- Abraham split some wood to be used for the sacrifice
- He loaded this on his donkey.
- He took his son Isaac and two young servants.
- Together they started out for the place where God had told him to go.
“So, Abraham rose early in the morning”: The text doesn’t say Abraham rejected God’s command. Instead, Abraham obeyed immediately.
The rest of the chapter goes like this (vv. 4–19): They finally arrived. Abraham told the two young men to stay here because Abraham and Isaac will go over and worship. He even promised to them that they would come back to them. The Abraham laid the firewood on Isaac and he himself carried the fire and the knife. On their way to the mountain, when Isaac asked, “the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (v. 8). Having arrived, Abraham built the altar, laid the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar! He didn’t stop there. He took the knife to slaughter his son! It was right at that moment that the angel of the Lord called: “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (v. 12)
Behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. Abraham took it and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. And he called that place: “The Lord will provide”
“I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice”
APPLICATIONS
Gen 22 is a difficult chapter.
The biggest test: so intense and horrifying: all those past tests will appear like a joke. Here Abraham’s faith was “far more severely tried than before” (Calvin)
But we can learn and apply at least two things.
(1) God Tests Us to “Exhibit” our Fear of Him
For the past 25 years, Abraham did a good job trusting God. Of course, he made mistakes. But we have many proofs of his faith and obedience. But when Abraham was enjoying the happiest moment of his life with his son Isaac, God brought him to a severe test— “in the most horrifying way imaginable” (Longman).
The text shows us that the test was clearly from God himself. The source was God. God was the one who was testing Abraham. In that sense, it was completely different from Satan’s demonic temptation.
What’s the difference between God’s test and Satan’s temptation? They have different goals. Satan’s goal is to destroy us through temptations. But the goal of God’s test is never to destroy us or make us miserable.
God tests to exhibit (reveal) that we fear God. God’s purpose in testing our faith is “to evidence [reveal, show, exhibit] the fear of God” (Hamilton).
Gen 22:12 for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.
What does it mean? Did God not know how Abraham would respond? Of course, yes, God knew how Abraham would respond. Does it mean that God never knew the degree of Abraham’s faith and obedience? Of course, God knew the genuineness of Abraham’s faith.
Then what does Gen 22:12? Why does it say for now I know?
- “by condescending to the manner of men”; “he speaks with us, according to our infirmity” (Calvin)
- “the mention of God knowing is used more in the sense of confirming his knowledge” (WBC Wenham)–and in the sense of exhibiting and revealing Abraham’s fear of God
The real grief/challenge that Abraham faced concerned the destruction of his faith in God’s promise because in Isaac’s death, it seemed to Abraham that “the whole salvation of the world seemed to be extinguished and to perish” (Calvin). So, in a way, God is testing Abraham to see what Abraham pursues: (a) the gift itself; or (b) the gift-giver?
Abraham passed the test.
Hebrews 11:17–19 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offsprings be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
Abraham passed the test: “his willingness to sacrifice his son” proved that Abraham was truly willing to obey God even when it meant a great loss to himself. So, God’s test will demonstrate the true quality of Abraham’s faith in God. Through this test, therefore, God let Abraham show:
- that the quality of Abraham’s faith was truly great and genuine.
- that Abraham honored the promise-giver than the promise itself.
When God is asking this, his test can be truly intense. And we have two options: Respond with faith? Or respond with fear and anger?
We should also know we can have similar trials.
But God showed him grace. God considered Abraham did offer up Isaac (without the actual deed). God gave approval, applause, and all the privilege.
(2) God Provided our Messiah: Christ
When Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (v. 8) to Isaac, did he lie? I don’t think so. Abraham didn’t lie but prophesied. It was God’s prophecy through the mouth of Abraham that God will send the Messiah to rescue us. God showed it through the ram that replaced Isaac (v. 13). This is a great image of the coming Christ who will be killed in our place.