The Sacrificial Similarities

If you have your Bibles this morning, I want you to turn to Genesis chapter 22.

Genesis 22 · chapter mention

Genesis chapter 22.

Genesis 22 · chapter mention

I want us to climb again up Mount Moriah to look at Abraham and Isaac.

I preached on this three weeks ago.

I don't expect you to remember that.

But it is such a poignant passage that I believe we need to look at it one more time.

I say that because there are similarities here to the cross of Christ that to me seem amazing.

And I want you to see it.

I don't want you to miss the sacrificial similarities.

It's in Genesis chapter 22 beginning in verse 1 and it says this.

Genesis 22 · chapter mention

After these things, God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham.

And he said, here am I.

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.

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 a place of which God had told him.

On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.

Then Abraham said to his young men, stay here with the donkey.

I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son.

And he took in his hand the fire and the knife, so they went, both of them together.

And Isaac said to his father Abraham, my father, he said, here am I, my son.

He said, behold the fire and the wood, but where's the lamb for the burnt offering?

Abraham said, God will provide himself the lamb.

For a burnt offering, my son.

So they went, both of them, together.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order

and bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

Then Abraham reached out his hand and took his knife to slaughter his son.

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham.

And he said, here am I.

He said, do not lay your hand on your boy or do anything to him, for I now know that you fear God,

seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.

And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

So Abraham called the name of the place the Lord will provide.

As it is said to this day, on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided.

Let's pray together.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the cross of Christ, the sacrifice that Christ made for us that is foreshadowed in this passage today.

Help us to see the correlation, not only of the Christ event and the Abraham and Isaac event,

but also the relationship to our life, of what it means to acknowledge the sacrificial death of Christ

and then live our lives as living sacrifices.

Give us understanding today as can only come through your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus' name, amen.

There's no doubt that this event, Mount Moriah, points to the most pivotal event in all of history.

And the most pivotal event in all of history happened on Mount Calvary.

Jesus died on the cross and rose again.

That is what history rotates around.

And if you look at the Old Testament, there is often scripture that is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ.

It foretells what is to come.

In reality, the Old Testament sets the stage by showing us the need of Christ.

Everything that's happened since the cross looks back to the cross.

In other words, our hope is found in the cross.

And in a very real sense, those that came before the cross were helpless,

if not for the coming of the event of the cross of Christ.

Even though their knowledge of Christ was limited at best.

And that is filled with such a foreshadowing that we see in the Old Testament again and again.

First of the year, I plan to preach on Genesis 1 through 11.

The creation of the world and where the war really started that we're facing today in our world.

And even there, with the first sin and the covering of that sin, you see the cross.

You see it again and again.

And so today I want to show you seven similarities.

I know it's scary.

Just chill out, all right?

Seven similarities of this event and the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.

Now having little sleep, if I fade out on four, forgive me, okay?

First is the pain of the sacrifice.

When Abraham was told in verse 2 to sacrifice his son, his only son,

it was the ultimate demand.

For as long as Abraham had had the call of God upon his life,

and that was throughout his adult years,

he looked to the promise of the birth of his son.

Not only did he want a child,

but his future legacy hung on this boy.

The promised covenant that God made with Abraham would be only fulfilled through his line.

Yet here God says all of that, sacrifice it.

Sacrifice him.

It was the ultimate ask.

But God did not ask anything of Abraham that he would not do himself

because the price of holiness requires that sin must be paid for permanently.

Before the cross of Christ, bulls and goats of yesteryear sacrificed in orchestrated fashion,

served as just a stopgap to an eternal sin problem.

Every sacrifice that was made in a tabernacle or a temple

were only a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the sinless one to come.

The reality is the offering of Isaac is similar to the cross of Christ

concerning the pain involved of the sacrifice.

But not only that, but there's also a similarity to me in the struggle of the journey.

I don't want you to read this casually.

Abraham and Isaac wound their way up to the mountain

to the place that God ordained for them to go.

And it was upon that spot where that sacrifice was offered

that the temple would be built in the future.

It was upon that spot that the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement

and the Holy of Holies, the sacrifices that would be made

would be on that spot.

It was at that spot God picked out and led him.

It was a prophetic spot.

And it was a three-day journey.

Three days of knowing that he was to offer his son.

Three days, I believe, of wondering how it all played out.

Like the man said to Jesus,

I believe, help thou my unbelief.

I believe that must have been the prayer of Abraham

as he wound up that mountain.

Three days of dread.

Three days of struggle.

Three days of heartache.

Three days of surrender.

Giving up his way for God's way.

And it reminds me of another struggle.

Because in Luke chapter 9, verse 51,

Luke 9:51

Jesus, it says,

set his face toward Jerusalem.

Now, roughly six months after that verse,

he would climb Calvary's hill.

But that pivotal verse in Luke

shows us that everything after that point

was aimed at the cross of Christ

and what he would do on the cross.

His earlier ministry was gathering disciples.

His earlier ministry was teaching those disciples

the truths of God's kingdom.

His earlier days was showing them how to minister.

He was displaying for them the power of the Holy Spirit

and training them to found the church.

And after three years of that kind of ministry,

it all becomes directly related to the cross.

And when his last week began,

he barred a beast of burden,

made a triumphal entry,

and began his journey

to struggle up Calvary's hill.

And on the night he was betrayed,

and before he would be crucified,

he suffered in prayer.

As I told you at Easter time,

I think you can only understand

the weight of the cross

if you understand the journey that got him there.

And in the same way,

what kind of walk was that

with Abraham and his boy?

The struggle of the journey.

Third similarity.

The loneliness of the surrender.

When Abraham and Isaac reached the foot of Mount Moriah,

Abraham spoke to those that traveled with him.

Verse 5 tells us what happened.

And it says in verse 5,

Then Abraham said to his young men,

Stay here with the donkey.

I and the boy will go over there

and worship and come back to you.

Now that's a poignant statement.

There's a lot there.

But some of it is

that that final journey

would have to be traveled alone.

Just he and his precious son.

And when I saw that,

I could not help but think about

when Jesus had taken

Peter, James, and John

with him up the Mount of Transfiguration

in that amazing event

where the glory and the light of heaven

shone upon him,

moved in a mighty way,

and he was up there

with only Peter, James, and John.

It was the same three,

Peter, James, and John,

that he took further

into the Garden of Gethsemane

to pray with him.

However, in the final hours

of his prayer,

he went a little further

alone

to lay out his heaviest burdens

before the Father.

I believe this journey

of Abraham and Isaac,

this last leg of the journey,

foreshadows that of Christ

in the Garden.

It was the loneliness

of the surrender.

Fourth thing is

the foresight of the Father.

Abraham was instructed

to go to Moriah.

Moriah is a Hebrew word,

and the meaning of the word

Moriah is foreseen by Yahweh.

God saw all of this

before Abraham was even born.

He knew that he would say

to Abraham,

go to the land of Moriah.

He also knew much more.

He knew before he placed

Adam and Eve in the garden

that they would sin.

And that after him,

we would all be born

into sin.

He knew it

before it happened.

I wear an Apple watch today,

but

to not so many years ago,

some of y'all

will blow your mind,

you youngins,

we've not always had

Apple watches.

We've not always had

smart watches.

unless you count the way

the Swiss make a watch,

which is pretty fabulous.

And this watch does a lot of stuff,

but let's forget this watch.

A traditional watch's job

is to tell time.

It can do other things.

It can possibly tell you

what day it is

and those type things.

But his job

is to

tell time.

It's primary purpose.

And in the same way,

we can do a lot of things,

but

I want you to know

that our primary purpose

in life,

we were made

to glorify God.

That's what we were made for.

It's our primary purpose.

We can do a lot of other things

in life,

but our primary purpose

will always be

to glorify God.

That's what we're made for.

Now,

a watch

can fail

to perform.

Sometimes it runs fast.

Sometimes it runs slow.

Sometimes it even stops.

And when a traditional watch

stops,

its face

tells a lie.

It's not the right time.

It does not live up

to its making.

But the watchmaker

knew that was going to happen.

And so he built

a provision in there.

One of two ways.

The early watches

are those who

would need to be

wound again.

They could wind

that watch

up again.

reset it

and go on.

Newer watches

added batteries

and so it goes

until the battery dies

and then you

replace the battery

if you can ever

get the back off of it.

There's a provision

built in

for a

malfunctioning

watch.

I thank God

that he's built

a provision

for

humanity.

For a humanity

that fails

to live up

to our primary purpose

because God

has built

into his plan

a plan

of redemption

before the fall

of man.

Actually before the

foundation

of the world.

Revelation 318

tells us

God

knew a provision

would need

to be made

and that provision

was made

through Christ

on Calvary.

But the

father

knew it would

be needed

before the

fall ever came

in the garden.

Before the first

sin was ever

committed.

There's a

commonality

of Abraham

and Christ

in the

foresight

of the

father.

Even the

very mountain

that Abraham

was sent to

was named

after the

foresight

of God.

I'll tell you

another commonality

and that is

the dread

of the

place.

I picked

up on this

parallel

and I just

can't get

over it.

Because once

God told

Abraham to

go the

dread of

the place

was before

him.

He cut

the wood

or he was

100 years

old.

I hope

somebody cut

his wood

for him.

But anyway

he cut

the wood

he prepared

for the

trip and

he set

out for

the place.

That's in

verse 3.

In verse 4

it says on

day 3 he

lifted up

his eyes

and he saw

the place

from afar.

Don't you

feel the

dread in

that?

I mean

you've been

anticipating

and wondering

how God

was going

to work

all this

out and

exactly what

was going

to happen

and you're

winding around

making your

way and you

catch sight.

That's the

spot.

That's the

dreaded spot.

It was ever

before him.

Verse 9

says when

they came

to the

place.

The

place.

I'm

thinking

oh God

I believe

I know

you're

leading

I know

you can

provide

but

this is

the

place.

The

dread of

the place

that never

seemed to

leave.

And what

caught me

about that

was it

reminded me

of Luke

Luke 23:33

chapter 23

verse 33

and it

says and

when they

came to

the place

that's called

the skull

there they

crucified him

and the

criminals

one on his

right and

one on his

left.

The dread

of the place

was common.

there's

another

commonality

I want

to tell

you about

and that's

the

willingness

of the

innocent.

There's a

mysterious

part in

this story

that I

don't believe

when we

get to

heaven we'll

ask the

questions that

we say

we'll ask.

Okay?

People say

boy when I

get to

heaven I'm

gonna

no you're

not.

No you're

not.

If you

get there

okay.

That's a

whole other

matter I'll

deal with

before we

leave but

you're gonna

be so caught

up in the

glory of

God in

the presence

of Christ

in the

reunion of

the saints

in as

scripture calls

it the

marriage supper

of the land

that sounds

like a feast

to me.

You'll be so

caught up in

that that

your questions

will be

gone.

But I

wonder now

I won't

then I

guess

but I

wonder now

about that

trip up

there for

Isaac and

Abraham.

I mean how

did that all

go down?

You know I

mean and

how did it

work out when

they got to

the place of

the sacrifice?

Isaac was a

young strapping

man and while

Abraham was

old and I

mean if you're

a hundred today

I don't mean to

be you know

that's considered

old by most of

us you know.

was there any

dialogue there

besides him

asking about

that sacrifice?

I mean we

know on the

way up Isaac

asked where the

sacrifice was and

we know that

Abraham answered

that God would

provide but when

they got there

scripture tells us

that Abraham

laid the wood

in order and

laid his bound

son on the

wood and then

Abraham raised

the knife.

Isaac had to

be willing to

serve his

father when

just the two

of them are in

that spot.

Whatever may

come he had to

trust the father.

That reminds me

of Christ.

In the garden

of Gethsemane

may this cup

pass from me

yet not my

will but yours.

And on the

cross when he

cried out my

God my God

why have you

forsaken me?

Christ felt

forsaken.

But was he?

That's the

beginning of a

psalm that he

quotes that speaks

not only of the

prophecy of the

cross but it

also speaks of

the delivery of

the Lord.

And Christ

knew that

psalm.

Isaac had to

go willingly.

Christ went

willingly.

It was the

willingness of

the innocent.

One more

similarity and

I'll close.

The provision of

the sacrifice.

Abraham

as the knife

was raised in

agony over

his son the

angel of the

Lord spoke

saying in

verse 12

he said do

not lay your

hand on the

boy or do

anything to

him.

For now I

know that you

fear God

seeing that you

have not

withheld your

son your only

son from me.

And Abraham

lifted up his

eyes and

looked and

behold behind

him was a

ram caught in

a thicket by

his horns.

Abraham went

and took the

ram and

offered it up

as a burnt

offering instead

of his son.

So Abraham

called the name

of that place

the Lord

will provide.

And it is

said to this

day on the

mount of the

Lord it shall

be provided.

This is the

most obvious

similarity to

that of Christ

because God

watched his son

be led like a

lamb to the

slaughter laid

upon the wooden

cross bound by

the spikes in

his hands and

feet and it

is as if God

himself lifted

the knife of

sacrifice and

brought it down

on his own son

as Christ hung

on the cross and

died for our

sins.

That is the

work of the

cross.

The sacrifice to

replace all

previous sacrifices.

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 10:11

10 verse 11 and

12 speaks of this

and explains it to

us when it says

and every priest

stands daily at his

service.

offering repeatedly

the same sacrifices

which can never

take away sin but

Christ had offered

for all time a

single sacrifice for

sins.

He sat down at the

right hand of the

father.

God has provided

the sacrifice.

He did for

Abraham.

He did for us.

And the

similarities of

these two stories

amaze me when you

look at the agony of

giving up your son.

When you look at the

struggle of the

journey.

When you look at the

loneliness involved in

that.

The prophetic foresight

of the event.

The dread that came

with it.

And the willingness of

the one to be

sacrificed.

And once again God

provides.

I want you to hear me

today.

He always provides.

He provides.

He provides.

He provides.

He provides.

He provides.

He provides.

He provides.

He provides.

Now.

What are you going

through today?

What are you struggling

with?

God will provide.

He's good for it.

He always does.

What does he ask for in

return?

He asks for the

surrender of our lives.

Romans 10 9 says if you

confess with your mouth

that Jesus is Lord and

believe in your heart that

God raised him from the

dead.

You will be saved.

And the sacrifice of our

lives for him is what he

asked for.

And friend don't

misunderstand me.

He don't want us to die

for him.

He wants us to live for

him.

Romans chapter 12 verse

Romans 12:1

1 and 2 says this and I

appeal to you therefore

brothers by the mercies of

God to present your bodies

as living sacrifice holy

and acceptable to God which

is your spiritual worship.

Oh listen friend.

You need to memorize this

verse today.

In the world in which we

live you need to know it.

Bring your Bibles with you.

Underline it.

Mark it.

Put a post-it there.

Live by it.

Do not be conformed to this

world.

But be transformed by the

renewal of your mind.

That by testing you may

discern what the will of

God.

What is the will of God.

What is good and

acceptable and perfect.

God just wants you to live

for him.

That's what he wanted for

Abraham and Isaac.

That's the opportunity that

he gives us provided through

Christ.

Christ.

And that opportunity is

provided through the

sacrifice of Christ to all

who come to Christ.

Some of you might need to

hear that this morning.

But I'll promise you one

thing.

There's a world right outside

those doors that desperately

needs to hear it.

With every head bowed and

every eye closed, if there's

never been a time in your

life when you have surrendered

your life to the Lord Jesus,

ask him to forgive you of your

sins, to come into your life

and to change you.

Empower you with the Holy

Spirit of God and enable you

to live a life that glorifies

him.

To live a life that pleases

him.

If you've never made such a

commitment as that, I want you

to know we'll stand in just a

moment and we'll sing, but more

important than any song we sing

is that you make the proper

decision for the Lord as he

leads you.

You come and say, Pastor, I want

to be saved.

I want to know the Lord Jesus

personally.

You come and we'll lead you in

that process.

Maybe you've done that privately,

but you've never told anybody

about it.

It's time to tell folks.

Jesus said, if you're ashamed of

me before others, I'll be ashamed

of you before my Father.

He wants us to boldly live for

him.

To honor him by letting others

know what Christ has done in our

life, by living that out and by

showing that through the first

step of obedience of baptism.

And man, what a cool opportunity

we have coming up in just a little

less than a month for you to

publicly display your faith in

Christ through baptism.

You might be here this morning.

God may be drawing you to First

Baptist Church.

You know this is the place that God

would have you to serve.

He's led you in that way.

You come.

We'll happily guide you in that

process.

And there's a lot of others here

today who look at your life and

when you look at your life, you say,

I'm not living sacrificially for the

Lord.

My life's not marked as a living

sacrifice for God.

I'm doing what I want to do instead

of what he wants me to do.

I'm displeasing him.

I'm not living for his glory.

And I need to set that straight.

Right here in the middle of the hot

summer.

What a great time to get it right.

Quit living lacklusterly for the

Lord.

Enough with casual Christianity.

The Holy Spirit of God fill us up.

Wear us out and build us back up.

That's what it's about.

You just do what God tells you.

Just trust him.

I don't ever want you to do more than

what God would have you to do.

I pray you'll never be satisfied with

less.

Lord Jesus, I love you.

And I thank you that week after week

you allow me to stand and proclaim

the salvation of the Lord.

With a full confidence that you will

provide.

God, help us to respond in obedience,

God, I pray.

In Jesus' name, amen.