Genesis 22:5-6

"And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together."

"And we will worship ..." This is a classical definition of worship. Worship does not mean feelings of ecstasy, for Abraham's heart was breaking. Worship does not mean "communion with God." Worship is not some kind of a subjective attitude. Worship is DOING what God commands. See dissertation on this subject in my commentary on Acts, Acts 10:25.

"And laid it upon Isaac his son ..." Who can fail to see the suggestion in this of the Saviour's bearing the burden of the cross up the same mountain?

"He took in his hand the fire ..." By metonymy, the instruments for making fire are here called "fire." Speiser translated this "firestone"; but the Word of God says "fire"; and that is easily understood.

How old was Isaac at the time of this event? Some would make him only a little over three years of age, but the ability to carry an ass-load of wood up a mountain refutes that idea. Willis thought he was about twelve, but that is taken care of by the same load of wood. Keil thought he was a young man; and Kline thought he was a strong man. The answer given by Adam Clarke to this question is perceptive:

"Josephus supposed that Isaac was now twenty-five; some Rabbis say that he was thirty-six; but it is more probable that he was about thirty-three, the age at which his great Antitype was offered up."[16]

We believe that this conclusion by Clarke is trustworthy. Of course, it is a case of the N.T. shedding light on the O.T., just as there are some cases where the O.T. sheds some light on the N.T.

Even if it should be allowed that Isaac was only twenty-five, it is obvious enough that an old man of that age plus a full century, unaided, would have been unable to subdue Isaac and compel his obedience. Hence, the conclusion that Isaac willingly consented to be bound and to submit to the death which Abraham was ready to inflict. All this, to be sure, is exactly in keeping with the submissiveness of Christ. In both cases, the father offered up the only begotten son, but in neither is the son forced to yield, but yields of his own accord. In neither case is the life taken away by the violent action of the father. "Isaac yielded himself to the knife; Jesus laid down his life for the sheep."[17]

"We will worship, and come again to you ..." How could Abraham, in truth, have spoken a thing like this? The answer lies in the N.T.

"By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only son; even he to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God is able to raise up, even the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back." (Hebrews 11:17-19).

Thus Abraham, believing that God could and would raise Isaac, even from the dead, moved in perfect faith and obedience to do the dreadful thing God had commanded him to do! Never in world history has there been exhibited a more perfect OBEDIENT faith than that manifested here, both by Abraham and by Isaac.