A Greater Sacrifice (Gen. 22) -- 4/5/09

Sunday, April 5, 2009

THE GREATER SACRIFICE OF GENESIS 22

Last week we looked at Genesis 22. There we read the story of how God tested Abraham by instructing him to take his only son Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. If we hadn’t read the rest of the story, we might have rebelled and accused God Himself of being unusually cruel. Praise God that He did give us the rest of the story, and in that story we found great beauty and glory, as God revealed to Abraham that his greatest treasure was not his son Isaac, but God Himself. In Abraham we saw faith, a simple trust in a mighty God. Having received the promises of God, Abraham believed firmly that God would be true to His Word, even if it meant raising Isaac from the dead. That simple faith produced obedience. Abraham took Isaac, as he was commanded, and offered him as a sacrifice. Oh yes, it’s true that the angel of the Lord stopped him before the deed was completed, but make no mistake about it, Abraham offered his son to God. The Lord gave him back his son, and surely Abraham would always see him as a gift form God.

This morning we are going to begin again in Genesis 22, but we won’t be able to stay there. Why not? Because the story told here reaches far into the future. We saw that this act of Abraham required faith. At the same time, it revealed faith. This morning we are going to see that it foreshadowed something far greater. Abraham’s offering of Isaac was a picture of a far greater sacrifice in the future. Yes, it was a picture of God offering His own Son as a sacrifice. It is impossible to escape that truth. And we don’t want to escape that truth; rather, we want to magnify it. May God use the story of Genesis 22 to remind us the greatness of God giving His Son.

With that in mind, let us read it again. Gen. 22:1-19…
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. 15. And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16. And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17. That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 19. So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.


I. The Obvious Parallel

For anyone who knows the Bible at all, it is impossible to miss the parallel between Genesis 22 and the greater sacrifice that took place almost 2,000 years later. Let’s take time to point out some of the parallels. We have a father named Abraham; we have God the Father. We have the son Isaac; we have Jesus the Son. As Abraham offered his Son as a sacrifice, so God the Father offered His Son Jesus as a sacrifice.

That is the basic parallel, but it is not a perfect parallel by any means. The difficulty is that God the Father is active in both of these stories. While we see Him as parallel to Abraham in that He too will offer up His Son, in Genesis 22 He is the One who commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac his son. While Abraham is the father in this story, he is relating to God the Father. While it is the father Abraham who exercises faith in this story, it is not God the Father who exercises faith in the greater story. Rather, it is Jesus the Son who will exercise faith. Because God plays a part in both stories, being the Almighty in one and the Father in the other, it is not a perfect parallel. Nevertheless, there is much we can learn by comparing Genesis 22 with the ultimate sacrifice.

We saw last week that much hung in the balance here in Genesis 22. God had made great promises to Abraham. Very specifically the Lord had told Abraham that he would have many descendants and those descendants would come through Isaac, the son of promise. Way back in chapter 12, the Lord told Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him. Later it becomes clear that the link to that blessing is Isaac. Everything was wrapped up in Isaac, who was the promised Son. You will remember that there was much difficulty and trial along the way before the birth of Isaac. Praise God that He did indeed give Abraham and Sarah this promised son. Now Abraham could see how God could fulfill those promises He had made.

So it was with the Lord Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father. He too was the Son of promise. The promises concerning Him began way back in Gen 3:15, when the Lord said to the serpent, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Early in the scriptures God’s people had this promise that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent (the devil himself). But that was only the beginning of the promises. Years later the Lord would say to Moses in Deut. 18:15, "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." Down through the years the Lord sent prophets who spoke of this promised One. Is. 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]." Through this same prophet Isaiah the Lord would reveal the glory of this promised One… (Is. 9:6-7)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Listen to the promise that came through Malachi… (Mal. 4:1-2)
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Those are just a few of the hundreds of promises concerning the Son of God, the Messiah, the Redeemer of Israel.

But as with Abraham, so it was with God’s people down through the centuries. As Abraham waited for the son of promise, so Israel waited for its Messiah and Redeemer. They waited for hundreds of years. Nevertheless, the time finally came. For some 400 years there had been no prophetic word from the Lord, but with John the Baptist came the announcement of the greater one, the one who was born after John but who was before John. Yes, the fullness of the time had come, and God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law (Gal. 4:4). Listen to the words of the angel of the Lord spoken to Joseph… (Matt. 1:21-23)
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Praise God! The Messiah was finally arriving. Emmanuel had come. And Mary brought forth her firstborn Son and laid Him in a manger. As there was tremendous joy in the home of Abraham, so there was great joy for Mary and Joseph. Though Mary and Joseph must have had many questions, they knew this was a special birth, as this child had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. It is no wonder that after the angels left their presence, “Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

Things were wonderful for Abraham until God tested him, instructing him to take Isaac up on the mountain and offer him as a sacrifice. After all the waiting for the son, now God seemed to be requiring Abraham to give him up. So it was with Jesus. After all the waiting for the Messiah, it became increasingly apparent that things were not playing out the way God’s people had expected. Jesus was talking about dying. Turn to Mark 8. (Let me give you an easy way to keep this truth before you. Go the middle of Mark; that is chapter 8. Then remember the number 31. You will find it in chapter 8 and chapter 9, then you only have to go forward one verse in chapter 10). Let’s read it…
Mark 8:31… "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mark 9:31… "For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, andthey shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day."
Mark 10:32-34… "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 33. Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34. And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again."

But surely this can’t be. This is their Messiah. He is the One that has been promised for centuries. He has finally arrived, and now how can it be that He will die. No wonder Peter rebuked Jesus, saying, “Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee” (Matt. 16:22). Those apostles couldn’t conceive of God’s Messiah being killed. Doesn’t that remind you of the situation with Isaac? The promised son had finally been given, and now God was telling Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice.

Consider these two sons. Remember that Isaac was plenty old enough to know what was going on. He carried the wood up the mountain, indicating that he was likely in his upper teens or early 20’s. Remember the question he asked his father: “Father, I see that we have the wood and the fire, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Gen. 22:7). We are not told exactly what Isaac was thinking, but we know that he was thinking. Nor are we told how Isaac responded when they reached the top of the mountain. The narrative reads simply in verse 9, “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.” He bound his son Isaac. He didn’t do that without Isaac’s consent. Abraham was in the neighborhood of 120 by this time, and Isaac was a healthy young man. There is no hint of a struggle. Isaac was a willing participant, as his father bound him and raised the knife to slay him.

What a picture of the ultimate sacrifice. Make no mistake about it, Calvary marked the place where God the Father offered His Son. It wasn’t about the powerful Roman forces or the cunning Jewish leaders; it was about God and His Son Jesus. Is. 53:10, “It pleased the Lord to bruise (crush) him…” “For he made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Cor 5:21). Who made Him to be sin for us? It was His Father, the Lord God Himself. But couldn’t Jesus have freed Himself? Couldn’t the Son of God who stilled the waves of the sea have avoided the crucifixion? Yes, He could have, but He didn’t. As Isaac offered himself up to his father, so Jesus did at the cross. That’s what the Garden of Gethsemane is all about. Matt. 26:39-42…
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

So we see that the scene at Mt. Moriah foreshadowed Calvary, where God the Father offered up His only begotten Son. That reminds me of one other striking parallel. Go back to Gen 22:2, "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah…” Let your mind linger over those words “thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest.” What a description of the Father’s love for His Son Jesus. Remember the words that came from heaven when He was baptized. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). That voice came again on the Mount of Transfiguration: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him” (Matt. 17:5). While we may never fully understand what Abraham went through on Mount Moriah, the God who gave His only begotten Son comprehended it perfectly. Abraham’s trial can represent only a small portion of what God the Father went through when Jesus was on the cross.

II. The Great Differences

And that brings us to the great difference between the events that occurred at Moriah and at Calvary. As we have seen, there is a strong parallel that cannot be ignored. It took us a while to draw out that parallel, but there is a sense in which it will take only a moment to note the difference between the two. But this is what I found – the more I meditated on these two events, the more I realized that there are great differences between the two.

So what was the great difference? Simply put, while the angel of the Lord called out to Abraham and stopped him from slaying his son Isaac, there would be no one to cry out to God the Father. While Abraham found a ram in the thicket which he could substitute for his son, there was no one who could serve as a substitute for Jesus. As awful as it seems at first sight, God the Father went through with the terrible deed. As it were, He raised the knife and did indeed slay His own Son.

When Abraham took Isaac up on the mountain, he was obeying the instructions of his God and Creator, but when God offered His Son at Calvary, He was not following the instructions of anyone, for there is no one to instruct Him. "Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor hath taught him?" (Is. 40:13). "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?" (Rom. 11:34). God acted on His own. If He had withdrawn His hand and spared His Son, He had no one to whom He must give account. No one would have scolded Him, for He is the Almighty, who has done whatsoever He has pleased (Ps. 115:3).

Then can someone tell me why God the Father crushed His own Son on that cross? He bound Himself to fulfill His eternal plan. And what was that plan? 1 John 4:9-10, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Do you see? God had long ago determined to redeem for Himself a people out of a corrupt humanity. But it would have to be a mighty redemption, because God cannot tolerate sin in His presence. Being a just God, He could not simply overlook sin. No, sin would have to be punished. But if He punished my sin, that would take me to hell forever and ever.

Jesus was the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). It was there at the cross that God provided for us a spotless Lamb, an acceptable substitute, a mighty Redeemer. God could not spare His Son, because there was no other who could fill the bill. There was no other who had lived a sinless life that pleased the Father in every detail. There was no other who completed the picture of all those lambs offered under the old covenant. There was no other who was qualified to bear the sins of the world. Jesus was the one and only! No other could provide propitiation for our sins; no other could turn away the wrath of Almighty God.

As I said, the longer I thought about these two stories, the more clearly I began to see the great differences between the two. That doesn’t destroy the parallels; it simply shows us that the picture can never come close to the real thing. Isaac was a willing sacrifice on Mount Moriah. Praise God! But Jesus was far more than a willing sacrifice. He was the triumphant Redeemer, the glorious victor over sin, the coming Savior of the world. Isaac was loosed and went down the mountain with his father, but Jesus cried out in victory: “It is finished!” Oh yes, He died, but He wasn’t defeated. He won the victory over sin and shortly He would win the victory over death itself.

And what about the consequences of these two events? Abraham and Isaac went down the mountain and returned home. No doubt, their lives were greatly enriched. Isaac knew he had a father who was totally devoted to God. Abraham knew he served a God who was dearer than his own beloved son. It was a wonderful thing, but it didn’t have much effect on the lives around them. But then we come to the Son of God. Don’t feel sorry for Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 12:2). Remember what Jesus said not long before He died. “The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified” (Jn. 12:23.) That’s right – glorified! Then in the next verse: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (24). Jesus was talking about His own death, assuring them that His death would bear much fruit. And so it did. When comparing Jesus with Adam, Paul said: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Rom. 5:19). Many of us here this morning are the fruit of Jesus’ death and resurrection. His death was not in vain.

I mentioned the resurrection. Let’s talk about that aspect of these two sacrifices, for here we find another great difference. Let’s go back and read again Heb. 11:17-19…

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. 18. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Abraham believed that, if necessary, God would raise Isaac from the dead. And in a sense, that is exactly what happened. Abraham had already let go of Isaac, but God gave him back. Notice those last words of verse 19, “from whence also he received him a figure.” We generally take that as meaning, “Figuratively speaking, Abraham did receive him back from the dead,” and that is very legitimate. However, I don’t believe we will do any violence to the text, if we take in the sense of Isaac being a type of one to come. The NASV of verse 19 reads, “He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.” Isaac was a figure, a type, a picture of a greater resurrection in the future. While Isaac was received from the dead in a figure, Jesus rose from the grave in reality. What was pictured in Isaac was performed in Christ. Though Abraham had performed the deed in his heart, Isaac did not truly die, but Jesus did. That is why the emphasis on Jesus being three days in the grave. No one could get the idea that he just fainted, that he passed out from exhaustion and later revived. Listen for the specific words died, buried, and rose, as we read I Cor. 15:1-7…
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5. And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6. After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

Praise God that figuratively speaking Abraham received Isaac back from the dead. That is a glorious truth, but it is not a truth that can transform Isaac into a savior. He would become a man of God, but he would never be the savior. Brothers and sisters, we serve a risen Savior. The Christ we know literally rose from the dead. He died, was buried, rose, and is alive today. He is no less alive because we can’t see Him. 1 Pet. 1:8, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
I serve a risen Savior; He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living, whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
He lives; He lives; Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives; He lives, salvation to impart.
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

III. The Call to Faith

So there is an obvious parallel between the offering up of Isaac and the Father offering up His Son Jesus. At the same time, there are great differences between the two. So what? What are we supposed to do about it? Is this just a nice intellectual exercise to compare these two events which took place almost 2,000 years apart? Not at all.

Let me ask you a question. If there is one word that is woven into the story of Abraham offering up his son, what is it? If you are having trouble coming up with the answer, just go back to Heb. 11:17-19. The answer is “faith.” that is not my answer, but that is the answer of the Word of God. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac…” Faith is the theme of Genesis 22:1-19 from beginning to end. Abraham was a man of faith. He put his trust in a great God, in a God who is able even to raise the dead. Surely after reading this story, we understand that we should do the same. We should trust God.

But then we come to God offering up His Son Jesus at the cross. Now the theme of faith comes to the forefront. We are not left to infer that we should trust God; the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ demands that we trust God. When God sent Jesus into the world, He spoke His ultimate message to mankind. John 1:1-4,14…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men…. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Heb 1:1-2, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…” When He crushed His own Son at the cross, He left man with no excuse. John 3:16-21,36…
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God…. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

We might read Genesis 22 and conclude that it is a wonderful story, a prime example of a man putting his trust in God. But when we read of God crushing His Son on the cross and then raising Him from the dead, we can’t view it simply as a wonderful story. It is the event of all history that demands an answer from every human being. What will you do with the Son of God, knowing that “all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13).

As we have gone through the story of Abraham, we have come again and again to Romans 4. Turn there again this morning, please. Let’s pick it up in verse 19 and read Rom. 4:19-22…
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Praise God, but that isn’t the end of the passage. Now come to 4:23-25…
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25. Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
We too can have the righteousness of God. Just as God’s righteousness was imputed to Abraham, reckoned to Abraham, accounted to Abraham, that same righteousness can be ours, IF we believe on Him that raised up Jesus from the dead. This is the only “if” with which we must deal. Jesus was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification. Have you put your trust in the God who delivered Him to death and then raised Him up?

How could anyone do otherwise? To reject this Jesus, to fail to trust His Father completely, is the ultimate act of stubbornness and rebellion. Listen to the words of Jesus in John 12:44-50…
Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

The one who rejects Jesus will never be able to escape the truth that Jesus came as a light into this world in order to deliver us from darkness. He spoke the truth of salvation from the Father. His words will ring for all eternity and will heighten the torments of hell forever and ever. It reminds me of the “if/only” Psalm. I am speaking of Psalm 81. Let’s read Ps. 81:9-16…
There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. 10. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. 12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. 13. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! 14. I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. 15. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. 16. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

The LORD God has offered to feed us on the delights of His Son. He sent Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins, that His own wrath might be turned away and that He might fix His love on us forever. But the man or woman who rejects His Son will experience the lostness found in the words of Prov. 1:23-31…
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25. But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

May God so work in us that not a single person here this morning will miss Jesus, who was delivered for our offences and raised for our justification. May each ultimately know the risen Christ, of whom Isaac was only a figure. And once we know Him, may He pour His rivers of living water through us, that the lost sinners around us might come to the fountain of life and drink freely of Him.