"God Provides a Substitute"
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Last week we kicked off this important series on how we all desperately need a substitute. Human beings need a substitute since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Sin separates human beings from God. We saw this last week as we looked at the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden. When they sinned they realized for the very first time they were naked and they hid from God. God had to kill 2 animals to clothe them. So, only perfect obedience will satisfy God’s justice, and we see this in that Adam and Eve were severed from God for one sin. That may sound very unfair today or that God is harsh but we need to understand just how awful our sin truly is.
All people are in need of a substitute since all are guilty of sinning against the holy God. All sin deserves punishment because all sin is personal rebellion against God himself. While animal sacrifices took on the guilt of God’s people in the OT, these sacrifices could never fully atone for the sins of man. This is why Christ came. He came to atone for our sin.
This word atonement means that Jesus Christ took the full punishment that we deserved for our sins as a substitute in our place.
“God Provides a Substitute. Let’s take a look at this wonderful picture of God’s grace poured out to Abraham and his son.
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
4 Things today that I want us to see from our text:
1. The Test.
1. The Test.
How many of you are facing a test or have been up against some serious trials lately? This is exactly what Abraham was dealing with. The land of Moriah or Mt. Moriah has been traditionally associated with Jerusalem and even more specifically the place where King Solomon, David’s Son built the temple.
1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Here we see three imperatives.
1. Take your Son! (vs. 2)
2. Go to the land! (vs. 2)
3. Offer your son up! (vs. 2)
”God test’s Abraham. By stating this we know the author of Genesis clears up any doubt of God’s purpose. This was only a test. It is also important to note this was not a temptation, because the Lord never tempts anyone, rather we see here that God examined Abraham’s heart. Would Abraham pass the test? Would Abraham have faith that God would provide?
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
This testing from the Lord was a very serious thing! Why? Because for most people this request to sacrifice your only son would seem completely crazy and irrational. This would mean killing your only son and for Abraham ending the promise of this covenant between him and the Lord. (vs. 17) And yet Abraham obeyed God.
How often when testing comes our way to we get upset at the Lord? How often do we not trust God when difficult things come our way? It’s so easy to become angry, frustrated, even irritated when testing comes our way. So, let me remind us of this wonderful Proverb that Solomon wrote.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
God directs our steps and so let’s lean unto him in all matters and trust his good plans.
In verse 3 we are now given some specific details on Abraham’s preparation for his journey. He is to get everything loaded up on his donkey, he is to take along two of his servants, he is too cut enough wood for his offering.
Verse 4 tells us that on the third day Abraham arose, he got up without delay or stalling like most of us would have done and embarks on his 2 day trip from Beersheba to Moriah.
In verse 5 we see that this long several day journey allowed Abraham to reflect on what God had commanded him to do. We don’t see any mention of wavering or questioning the Lord because Abraham confidently assures his servants that he and Isaac will go over and worship and then come back. Abraham was confident in God’s promise to him. The promise or covenant is that God would make a father of many nations through Abraham and his linage. Abraham was here trusting God that if for some reason Isaac were to be killed that God would raise him from the dead and provide a substitute for Isaac.
2. The Question.
2. The Question.
How many times when testing and trials come our way have we questioned God? Notice here what Isaac asks.
7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Isaac is of course curious, and does not hesitate to raise a rather logical question. Hey dad where is the sheep for the burnt offering? He sees all the other supplies that his father has but notice that something is missing. Isaac’s question here indicates that he knew what was involved in the act of worship. This burnt offering was not only the oldest type of offering, but the only offering mentioned in this patriarchal age. Isaac cannot see the sacrifice, but his father knows that God will provide.
I want to encourage you today because if you are like Isaac you may not see how God will provide. You may seriously doubt that God can take care of your problems and cares, but know today that he does. He may not answer them in your timing however God is in control and will guide your steps.
3. The Response.
3. The Response.
Abraham now responds by telling his son, “God himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering my son.” (vs. 8) There is no indication here that Abraham replies hesitantly or misleadingly. All Abraham knows is that God is going to provide. Even in the midst of this crazy test and so much uncertainty Abraham continues to lean unto his God and trust.
I don’t know what test or trial you are facing today but I do want to encourage you to call out to the Lord and know that He is there for you. He does respond to us but often times it is not in our timing or the way we want something to be answered.
In verses 9 and 10 we see that as Abraham was preparing to go to the place where God instructed him to go he was continuing to trust God.
In verse 11 we see the first mention of this Angel of the Lord. The angel is the same angel we see that comes too Moses in the burning bush in Exodus 3:2.
2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
In verse 12 we see how Abraham passed the test. The Angel of the Lord says, “For now I know.” Know what? That Abraham fears God. Abraham demonstrates here his trust in God.
4. The Final Outcome.
4. The Final Outcome.
The final outcome of this story is that the Lord does provide a substitute. In verses 13 and 14 we now see this idea of substitutionary atonement. Abraham has been told to sacrifice his one and only son on an alter, but God Himself supplied a substitute in the form of a ram to be slain in Isaac’s place.
This same type of substitute would eventually find it’s fulfillment in the death of Jesus.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Conclusion: Abraham has this confident trust in the Lord. The Lord steps in to intervene in this situation and provides a substitute for the burnt offering. Abraham therefore names the altar he had built, “The Lord will provide.” The writer here also provides us and adds this phrase, “And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” Many years later the Lord God provided another sacrifice on this same mountain or close to it and that was the sacrifice of God’s one and only Son Jesus.
My point today is this, God has provided exactly what you need. You may not realize it today because you have been looking for other stuff and the wrong things. You need a substitute just like Abraham and Isaac. We all need a substitute. And that is Jesus who took our place on the cross. Jesus stepped in and died in our place. Will you trust him today? Will you call out to him to save you from your sin?
(Pray and Lead into Communion)