Genesis 22 & Jacob 4:5
"Abraham… offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son." Every detail of the Akedah foreshadows the Atonement.
| Genesis 22 — Isaac | The Gospels — Jesus Christ | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| The Command & the Journey | ||
| "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest"Genesis 22:2 | "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son"John 3:16 | Only beloved son offered by father |
| Abraham rose early in the morning — no delay, no protestGenesis 22:3 | "Not my will, but thine, be done"Luke 22:42 | Willing obedience to the Father |
| Journey to the land of MoriahGenesis 22:2 | Crucified at Golgotha, Jerusalem — same mountain range2 Chronicles 3:1; John 19:17 | Same sacred location |
| On the third day Abraham saw the placeGenesis 22:4 | Rose from the dead on the third day1 Corinthians 15:4 | Third-day resurrection pattern |
| The Ascent | ||
| "Abide ye here… I and the lad will go yonder and worship"Genesis 22:5 | Jesus withdraws from disciples: "Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder"Matthew 26:36 | Companions left behind — father and son go alone |
| Isaac carried the wood for the burnt offering on his backGenesis 22:6 | Jesus carried his cross on his backJohn 19:17 | The victim carries the instrument of sacrifice |
| Abraham carried the fire and the knifeGenesis 22:6 | The Father held the power of judgment and justiceJohn 5:22 | The father carries what the son does not |
| "They went both of them together"Genesis 22:6, 8 | "I am not alone, because the Father is with me"John 16:32 | Father and son united in purpose |
| The Question & the Answer | ||
| "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"Genesis 22:7 | "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"John 1:29 | Isaac's question — answered at Calvary |
| "God will provide himself a lamb"Genesis 22:8 | God did provide Himself as the LambRevelation 5:6 | Prophetic — God provides the sacrifice |
| The Sacrifice | ||
| Isaac bound upon the altar, upon the woodGenesis 22:9 | Jesus bound and nailed to the cross, upon the woodMatthew 27:2; Acts 5:30 | Bound upon wood |
| Isaac submitted willingly (Jewish tradition: Isaac was ~37, could have resisted)Genesis 22:9; Josephus Ant. 1.13.2 | "No man taketh my life from me… I lay it down of myself"John 10:18 | Willing submission of the son |
| A ram caught in a thicket became the substituteGenesis 22:13 | Christ wore a crown of thorns — the substitute for usJohn 19:2 | Thorns + substitute = vicarious sacrifice |
| Isaac was received back from the dead "in a figure"Hebrews 11:19 | Christ was resurrected from the dead in reality1 Corinthians 15:20 | Received back from death |
| The Name & the Covenant | ||
| Abraham named the place YHWH Yireh — "The LORD will provide"Genesis 22:14 | "It is finished" — the provision completeJohn 19:30 | God provides — past, present, and future |
| Covenant confirmed by oath after the test: "By myself have I sworn"Genesis 22:16–18 | New covenant sealed by blood: "This is my blood of the new testament"Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 6:13–18 | Covenant sealed through sacrifice |