Isaac: the promised seed

Isaac: the promised seed

Let’s open our Bibles to Genesis chapter 14.  Last week we camped out in Genesis 14 and we met one of the most important people in Scripture, Abram.  We met Abram as he was returning from war.  He was met by the king of Salem, the mysterious Melchizedek, who was a type of Christ.  His name meant king of righteousness, he was the king of Salem which means king of peace, he brought out bread and wine, not only was he king, but he was priest of God Most High.  All of this pointed forward to Christ.  Fascinating.  

Let’s pick up in the text where we left off last week.  Last week we stopped after Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek which was in v20 where we see that Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything, literally he tithed to him.

We pick up in Gen 14:21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, ²³ that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

Continuing in Gen 15:1

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Abram wasn’t concerned with riches and plunder.  Here, the Lord engages Abram and we see what Abram is concerned with.  He wants children.  He is concerned because he doesn’t have any children to inherit his estate.  He is distressed because a servant in his household will be his heir since he doesn’t have children.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

God has promised Abram a son, a son coming from his own body, his very own flesh and blood descendant.  Not only so, but God says his offspring will be numerous as the stars.  Then one of the most important verses in the entire bible, Gen 15:6.  Abram believed the LORD and it was credited to him as righteousness.  We see that even thousands of years ago it was not by works that one is declared righteous, but by believing God.  So God has promised Abram a son.  Flip over to…

Gen 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” 

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. After all, God has promised Abram a son, a son coming from his own body, his very own flesh and blood descendant.  Since Sarai was unable to have children, she said to have a son with this woman, Hagar.  3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. 

We’re going to skip down to verse 15.

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Continuing in Gen 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” 

3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram.  Abram means exalted father.  The man who had his first son at age 86 was for 86 years called exalted father; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations (Abraham means father of many). 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”  God has promised offspring to Abram.  Abram, at his wife’s request, slept with the slave woman, since his wife was past the age of child-bearing.  Abram had a son at age 86, named him Ishmael.  The next several verses contain the covenant of circumcision.  We’re not so concerned about circumcision today; we’re concerned with the offspring of Abraham, the promised seed.  So, skipping down to v15…

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” 

17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” 

God, you’ve already made good on your promise.  I’ve already got Ishmael.

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.  I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

God promised Abraham offspring.  Abraham believed God and was credited as righteous for his faith.  He slept with the maidservant Hagar and conceived a son at age 86.  He was content with that son, Ishmael, but God came and said, no…we’re not going to do it that way.  God then made a promise.  I will bless Sarah and will surely give you a son by her.  Listen to the certainty in God’s voice.  God is sovereign.  I will surely give you a son by her; you are to name him Isaac and it is with him that I will establish my covenant, not Ishmael. 

Flip over to Gen 18 10Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."
      Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"   13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? NO!  Nothing is to hard for Jehovah.  We serve an awesome God and nothing is too hard for Him.  Nothing is impossible for our God.  I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh."
      But he said, "Yes, you did laugh." 

Sarah is too old for kids, she laughs.  God says, don’t laugh, I can do miracles.  Now, flip over to chapter 21…

Gen 21:1 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.  God does what he says he is going to do when He says he is going to do it.  I rejoice in knowing that I serve such a trustworthy God.  3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 

6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

God is trustworthy and faithful to his promises.  Sarah became pregnant and bore a son at the very time God had promised.  Imagine that.  Now, imagine how both Abraham and Sarah must feel about Isaac, the son they waited on for years and years and years and is now here, a son that was promised by God and now delivered.  The man, who for years had been called “exalted father” is now truly living up to his name.  I would imagine that the love for this child would be extraordinary.

Now, flip over to chapter 22 

1Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” 

“Here I am,” he replied. 

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, (only son?  What about Ishmael?)  Isaac, whom you love, (how does he feel about this only son, Isaac?) and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there (God is asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son?) as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. (when did they arrive at the place of sacrifice?)  We will worship and then we will come back to you.”  (We will come back?  You mean I will come back; you are sacrificing your son, remember?)

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, (the son carried the wood upon which he would be sacrificed) and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” 

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. 

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Can you imagine the things running through Isaac’s mind at this point?)

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.  (God himself will provide the lamb…prophetic statement?)

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” 

“Here I am,” he replied. 

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring (or seed) all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” 

You know where this is going.  That’s right.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  We have been discussing the fact that the Bible is one unified work, with one grand and glorious theme: the Lord Jesus Christ.  Throughout the OT, we can see God in His sovereignty, providing types and shadows to preview the things to come.  The OT is full of symbols, figures, pictures, images and representations of NT realities.  Isaac is one of these.

Let’s walk BACK THROUGH CHAPTER 22, LOOKING AT ISAAC AS A TYPE OF CHRIST.

Gen 22 1Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 

There is a lot packed into verse 2.  V2) 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, 

ISAAC IS CALLED THE “ONLY SON,” which is interesting because there’s that whole Ishmael character.  Ishmael, also was the son of Abraham, but God calls Isaac the only son.  

Abraham had another son, Ishmael.  But the one that was counted, the one that most mattered was Isaac.  The author of Genesis wasn’t confused when calling Isaac Abraham’s only son.  This isn’t an error in the Scriptures.  Just as the lack of genealogy for Melchizedek is no error but is actually intentional to point towards Christ, so also, Isaac, though he was not the only son of Abraham was called his only son and this, to point to Jesus Christ.

This points forward to Jesus Christ, who was called God’s only son.  John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He have his ___________.  

Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

V2) Additionally, ISAAC WAS LOVED BY HIS FATHER.  Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, WHOM YOU LOVE…  The father loved the son.  How Isaac was loved by his father.

This foreshadowed Jesus, who was LOVED BY HIS FATHER.  Matt 3:16-17  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, WHOM I LOVE; with him I am well pleased.  

ISAAC, LIKE JESUS WAS LOVED BY HIS FATHER.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

FURTHERMORE, ISAAC, LIKE JESUS, WAS A SON OF PROMISE.  Regarding Isaac, remember 

Gen 21:1 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.  Furthermore, the NT spells it out for us very plainly, 

Regarding Jesus, Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.  700 years before Jesus was born, his birth was promised by God.  Isaac, like Jesus, was the son of a promise.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC WAS MIRACULOUS.  Sarah gave birth to a son after menopause.  That is miraculous.  This miraculous birth foreshadowed the future miraculous birth of Jesus Christ who was born of Mary, a virgin.

When announced to both mothers, the result was skepticism.  Sarah laughed and said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?  Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”  When the angel visited Mary and told her that she was to give birth to a son and name him Jesus, Mary asked in Luke 1:34 “How will this be…since I am a virgin?”  

Sarah gave birth post menopause; Mary gave birth pre-intercourse.  Aside from a miracle, you can’t do that stuff.  The birth of Isaac, like the birth of Jesus, was miraculous.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC CAME AT GOD’S APPOINTED TIME.  Gen 18:10 Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."
      Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"   13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD ? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."  This birth that came at God’s appointed time foreshadowed the birth of Christ which also came at god’s appointed time.

Regarding the birth of Jesus, we note that Paul says, Gal 4:4 but when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law.

The birth of Isaac, like the birth of Christ came at God’s set time.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

Back to Gen 22.  Verse 3) In verse 3 we read 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac.  SO WE SEE THAT ISAAC TOOK A DONKEY TO HIS PLACE OF SACRIFICE.  

Jesus also took a donkey to Jerusalem, His place of sacrifice.   Matthew 21:1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." 

 4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
 5"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you,
   gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
   "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  "Hosanna in the highest!" 

Isaac, like Jesus, took a donkey to his place of sacrifice.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

Interesting note: not necessarily intended to foreshadow, just something I noticed: Also, found in verse 3 we see that two servants came along with Abraham and Isaac to the place of the son’s sacrifice.  We remember that Christ was sacrificed on the cross between two other men.  This isn’t to say that the 2 men who came on the journey with Abraham and Isaac were intended by God to foreshadow the other men on the cross along with Jesus, but it is interesting to note.

V4) In verse 4 we see how long this journey took.  4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  That’s important.  The journey took 3 days.  Now the book of Hebrews enlightens us to something deeper here.  Heb 11:17-19  17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.  Figuratively speaking, he received Isaac back from death.  From the moment they set out to Moriah to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham, in a sense considered his son a dead man.  He wasn’t planning family vacations.  He was planning to sacrifice him as God commanded.  It was as if for the entire 3-day journey, Isaac was dead.  Figuratively speaking, ISAAC WAS “DEAD FOR 3 DAYS”, AND ON THE 3RD DAY, GOD “BROUGHT HIM BACK FROM THE DEAD.”

This foreshadowed the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus on the third day.  Matt 20:18-19 18"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"  

Isaac, like Jesus, was dead for 3 days and on the third day was raised to life.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

V6) We see another foreshadowing in v6.  6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together.  ISAAC, CARRIED THE WOOD FOR THE OFFERING OF HIMSELF.  He carried the instrument of his own death to the place of sacrifice.  This foreshadowed the coming Christ who would do the same.  John 19:17 So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).  Isaac, like Jesus, carried the wood, the instrument of his own death to the place of sacrifice.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

VV6-10) In these verses we can see in Isaac an implicit submission to his father.  I don’t want to read too much into the text.  But I don’t see a struggle here.  I see a young man being bound by an old man.  I think the young man could probably out run the old man if he wanted to.  He was over 100 by this point.  WE SEE THAT ISAAC IS SUBMISSIVE TO HIS FATHER, EVEN UNTO DEATH.  

This foreshadows Christ, who like Isaac, was submissive to His Father, even unto death.  Matt 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."  

Phil 2:8 and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Isaac, like Jesus, was submissive to his father, even unto death.  Isaac is a type of Christ.  Christ is the antitype, the substance, the fulfillment, the reality.

VERSE 16 [God] said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, (I believe this foreshadows God himself not withholding His only son but gave him up for us all  Rom 8:32  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

VERSE 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.  (fulfilled literally & physically by national Israel Deut 1:10.  Fulfilled ultimately & spiritually in believers of all races who are the children of Abraham and are numerous).

Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, (fulfilled literally & physically by national Israel Deut 7:1  in the defeat of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.  

Fulfilled ultimately & spiritually in the first century at the fall of OC Israel.  Believers, the true descendents of Abraham took possession of the New Jerusalem.  Old Jerusalem, OC Israel had become the enemies of God’s true people – (a man’s enemies will become the members of his own household).  In the first century, they were destroyed and believers took possession of the New Jerusalem, thus as descendants of Abraham, believers inherited “the land” and we as his offspring partake and “dwell in the land forever”).

VERSE 18 and through your offspring (or seed) all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Through the seed of Abraham, all nations on the earth will be blessed. It was through Isaac that the lineage of Jesus, the Messiah came.  It was through the Messiah that God granted the right to become His children, to all who received him, all who believed in His name. John 1:12.  For salvation is of the Jews – John 4:22.

Paul quotes this VERSE (Gen 22:18) in his letter to the Galatians.

Gal 3:7-9 ⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸ Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

THE GOSPEL!!!  He announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: all nations will be blessed through you.

Through faith in Christ, we become the children of Abraham (and ultimately children of God).  

Gal 3:29 If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.  We, as children of Abraham are heirs.  Remember his concern?  I don’t have children.  This man, Eliezer – a servant will inherit what belongs to me.  Then God made a promise to him.  You will have a son, coming from your own body.  You will be the father of many nations.  I will give the land to you and your seed.  The Promised Land was the inheritance of Ethnic Israel.  That, I believe simply foreshadowed the true and ultimate inheritance of the true children of Abraham: the kingdom.

ISAAC, THE PROMISED SEED WAS A TYPE OF CHRIST, THE ULTIMATE PROMISED SEED.

Isaac was a type of Christ.  He foreshadowed Christ as:

• he was called the only son
• he was loved by his father
• he was born as the result of a promise
• his birth was miraculous
• his birth came at God’s appointed time
• he took a donkey to his place of sacrifice
• he carried the wood of his own sacrifice
• he was received back from the dead on the third day
• he was submissive to the father to the point of death
• he was the seed through whom all nations were blessed

This is awesome stuff.  God orchestrated the lives of men in history, Adam, Melchizedek, Isaac to point forward to Christ.  Awesome.

Before we close, I’d like to share some lessons that we can learn from the text.

WE SHOULD NOT SETTLE FOR THE RESULTS OF SELF-EFFORT BUT TO SEEK THE BLESSINGS BOUND UP IN THE PROMISED SEED.

Abraham was willing to settle for Ishmael.  God was ready to give Abraham so much more in Isaac.  God had so much more to offer in what He promised, but Abraham was willing to settle for the results of human efforts, Ishmael (Ishmael represents self).  Don’t settle for self.  Crucify self with Christ.  

Just as Abraham should not have been content with the results of self effort but rather sought the blessing of the promised seed, Isaac, we should not be content with the results of self-effort, but rather seek the blessings bound up in the promised seed, Jesus Christ.

Don’t settle for self, seek the fullness of that which is bound up in Christ.  

IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISCERN BETWEEN THAT WHICH REQUIRES ACTION ON OUR PARTS AND THAT FOR WHICH WE SHOULD WAIT UPON THE LORD.

Abram took matters into His own hands and tried to accomplish his goal by human efforts.  He did not wait on the Lord.  There are times that we do the same.  There are times that we seek to accomplish the things that we should wait upon the Lord to do.  I’m not saying that we should be lazy and not do that which we should do.  What I am saying is that we should be discerning.  

I’m reminded of the serenity prayer:   

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; 
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

There are things that we should take action on and other things that we should wait upon and trust in the Lord for.  It is when we fail to discern between those that we either fail to do the things that we are responsible for or else we try to sit on the throne that rightfully belongs to God.  

Let us learn from Abram and remember that it is God who works miracles.  We can try to take matters into our own hands and by human efforts try to achieve righteousness and salvation for ourselves and for others, but it is God that works such miracles.  It is God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.  It is God who brings forth the promised seed.  It is God who works miracles.  Let us trust in Him.  When we earnestly desire the salvation of a friend, co-worker or family member, let us go to Him in prayer.

ON THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD IT WILL BE PROVIDED.

Recall when Abraham was in the process of offering his son Isaac.  11But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” 

“Here I am,” he replied. 

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”  

The Lord provided the animal for sacrifice.  On the mountain of the Lord it was provided.  But I believe that is a timeless truth, a precept that we can hold dear to today, a truth that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.  On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.

Isaiah 2:2-3 ² In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

 ³ Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

It was the last days (of OC Israel) that the mountain of the Lord’s temple was established a temple made not with human hands but by Christ and made up of living stones with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  We have come to the mountain of the Lord; we have streamed to it that he would teach us his ways and that we might walk in his paths.

The author of Hebrews opens his letter Heb 1:1-2 ¹ In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

Later in his letter he makes it clear that in those last days the Mountain of the Lord was established as chief among the mountains and that believers had come to it.

Heb 12:22-24 ²² But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, ²³ to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.   

You have come to Mt Zion.  All that we could desire has been provided for us in Christ: love, joy, peace, right standing with God.  On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.  

Come to the Mt of the Lord, if you need bread, consume the most satisfying bread upon the Mt of the Lord – the bread of life.  If you need water, drink freely of the water of life on the Mt of the Lord.  On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.

If you have not yet come to Mt Zion, if you have not yet streamed to the Mountain of the LORD, I invite you to do so.  It is here that the Lord provides.  On the Mountain of the Lord he provides the Lamb for the sacrifice.  He provides a spotless lamb without blemish on our behalf.  He does for us what we could never do for ourselves.  I invite you to the mountain of the Lord to come and partake in Jesus.  On the mountain of the Lord:

• Justification is provided
• Redemption is provided
• Sanctification is provided
• Reconciliation is provided
• Salvation is provided
• Eternal life is provided
• Everlasting righteousness is provided
• Love is provided
• Joy is provided
• Peace is provided
• Everything you could ever want or need is provided

Praise be to God who is faithful and who delivers according to his own word – praise be to God who brought forth the promised seed, initially in Isaac, who foreshadowed Christ, the ultimate promised seed in whom we have a bounty of spiritual blessings.