Genesis 22

This great chapter lies at the very heart of Genesis, and for that matter, at the center and citadel of the entire Old Covenant. The constitution and charter of Judaism and the embryo of Christianity lie side by side here in this inner womb of the O.T. This chapter is not legend, or myth, but the Word of Almighty God. It is not a scissors-and-paste job by five different "redactors" putting together three or four, or five or six, "previous sources." Someone has said that this chapter is welded together like cast iron, and the unity of it is indestructible.

Speiser cited the near unanimous opinion of radical scholars who "attribute this chapter to `E' with scarcely a dissenting voice."[1] However, he admitted that [~'Elohiym] is the name for God in Genesis 22:1,3,8,9, and Genesis 22:12, and that "[~Yahweh]" is used in Genesis 22:11,15, and Genesis 22:16, and twice in Genesis 22:14! Does a fact like that force them to abandon their theory? Oh no! They say, "Somebody (maybe from the `P' school) mis-wrote [~'Elohiym] for [~Yahweh]!"[2] Disproving all such postulations, however is the simple truth that, "The present Hebrew text is supported by every ancient manuscript."[3] The believer has a choice here. He may believe the Bible or the unsupported, unreasonable, and blatant denials which Satan hurls against it! It is long past time that critical scholars should abandon all such doodlings with their imaginary sources. They do not exist.

The great theme of this glorious chapter focuses upon the offering of Isaac by his father Abraham in a suspense drama that rises above the literature of all times and nations. God commanded Abraham to offer up his only son as a burnt-offering! Abraham proceeded to do so and was restrained only at the last moment when God stayed his hand.

Why did God command such a thing? Many answers have been suggested. Speiser thought, "The object was to discover how firm was the patriarch's faith in the ultimate divine purpose."[4] Skinner suggested that, "It is explaining the substitution of animal for human sacrifices."[5] Yates believed that at least part of the purpose was, "To present an object lesson depicting God's abhorrence of human sacrifice as it was openly practiced by the heathen on all sides."[6]

At least one of the purposes as it related to Abraham was given by Francisco thus:

"Not until Abraham acted upon his faith did that faith come to fruition. Until he lifted the knife over his son, his ultimate surrender to God had not occurred. Faith is not just a nice attitude toward God; it is submission to His will. To will it in the heart is not enough. The act is the ultimate test."[7]

That this view is correct appears certain in the light of James' statement that Abraham was justified "when he offered up Isaac" (James 2:21).

There is also another great purpose of God visible in the command to offer Isaac as a burnt-offering. It was most proper and necessary that the whole human race should understand with what propriety God had chosen Abraham to be the father of the faithful in whom all people might be saved. All over the ancient pagan world, human sacrifice was practiced everywhere, with great kings sacrificing their own sons, as did some of the kings of Israel. And since that abominable practice was so widespread and influential in the world, it was a matter of eternal consequence that the faith of Abraham should have been demonstrated as being superior to the faith of pagans, in every particular.

After all,

"Human sacrifice was due, we may say, to the perversion only of a true instinct of humanity, namely, that which suggests the need of some great atonement, and the claim of the Giver to all our best and dearest, if demanded of us."[8]

However, one of the greatest and most likely purposes of God in thus testing the faith of Abraham was that of providing a type of the Lord Jesus Christ in the person of Isaac. Macknight agreed that, "The sacrifice of Isaac was commanded for the purpose of being a type of Christ."[9] See discussion of Isaac as a Type of Christ at the end of this chapter.