Abraham’s offering of his beloved and only son, Isaac, on the altar is a vivid picture of God the Father’s offering of His beloved and only Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. In this picture Isaac typifies Christ in a detailed way. Isaac, as Abraham’s only son (vv. 2, 12, 16), typifies Christ as God’s only begotten Son (John 3:16). Isaac was Abraham’s beloved son (v. 2), and Christ was the Father’s beloved Son, in whom He delighted (Matt. 3:17). Isaac took his father’s will (v. 6), and Christ also chose the will of His Father (Matt. 26:39). Isaac was obedient unto death (vv. 9-10); likewise, Christ was obedient unto death (Phil. 2:8). Isaac carried the wood for the burnt offering and walked to the top of Mount Moriah (v. 6); in the same way, Christ bore His cross and walked to Golgotha (John 19:17). Isaac was offered to God as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah; Christ also was offered to God on the same mountain (see note Mark 10:1¹) to fulfill the type of the burnt offering. Isaac was “killed” on the altar and was returned to Abraham on the third day, that is, in resurrection (vv. 4, 10-13; Heb. 11:19); similarly, Christ was crucified on the cross and was resurrected on the third day (1 Cor. 15:4). Isaac was multiplied in resurrection (v. 17), and Christ also was multiplied in His resurrection (John 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:3). Isaac was the seed of Abraham for the blessing of all the nations (v. 18); likewise, Christ is the unique seed of Abraham in whom the blessing of Abraham has come to the nations (Gal. 3:8, 14, 16).

Meaning the vision of Jah. Mount Moriah, the place of God’s choice, eventually became Mount Zion, the site for the temple (cf. 2 Chron. 3:1) and the center of the good land. Abraham was the first to worship God with the burnt offering on Mount Zion. Later, Abraham’s descendants, the children of Israel, were commanded by God to go three times a year to this place to worship God and there to offer to Him their burnt offerings (Deut. 16:16; Psa. 132:13). Today, the New Testament believers, Abraham’s spiritual descendants, are on Mount Zion (Heb. 12:22-23). Eventually, we all will join Abraham to worship God on the eternal Mount Zion, the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:22).

Isaac, a type of Christ as the promised seed (Gal. 3:16), was given to Abraham by God. Here God asked Abraham to give back to God what God had given him. This surely was a test to Abraham (v. 1; Heb. 11:17). This shows a basic principle in God’s economy: all that God has given us, even what He has wrought in us and through us, must eventually be offered back to Him, that we may live a life of faith, not holding on to anything, even to the things given by God, but relying only on Him. After Isaac was offered, he was returned to Abraham in resurrection and became a blessing (vv. 12-13, 16, 18; Heb. 11:19). Likewise, after we have offered to God what we have received of Him, He will return it to us in resurrection and it will become a blessing for the fulfillment of His purpose. See Rom. 4:17 and notes.

See note Lev. 1:3^1a.

Abraham obeyed God immediately because he believed in the resurrecting God (v. 5; Heb. 11:17-19; James 2:21-22; Rom. 4:17 and note Rom. 4:17¹).

See note Gen. 16:7^1a.

The ram here, killed in place of Abraham’s son, is a type of Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) provided by God to replace God’s chosen people, those who would inherit God’s promised inheritance, as the burnt offering (v. 2) for God’s satisfaction.

Horns signify fighting power, and the thicket signifies humanity. Christ as the Lamb of God was willing to have His “horns” caught by His human nature that He might be offered to God as our Substitute (1 Pet. 3:18). Cf. Matt. 26:50-54.

Meaning Jehovah will provide, or Jehovah will see [to it].

Or, He will be seen.

The stars of the heavens signify Abraham’s heavenly descendants, the descendants who are of faith (Gal. 3:7, 29), whereas the sand on the seashore and the dust of the earth (Gen. 13:16) signify Abraham’s earthly descendants, the descendants in the flesh. The sand on the seashore is the dust beside the sea. This sand is separated from the sea and also washed by the waves of the sea. The sea signifies the Gentile nations (Isa. 57:20; Rev. 17:15). The Gentile nations used by God to chastise Israel throughout the centuries (Joel 1:4 and note Joel 1:4¹) were like the waves from the Mediterranean, coming up again and again with their invading armies to wash Israel as the dust to produce a remnant who are like the sand on the seashore (Zech. 12, Zech. 13, Zech. 14; Rom. 9:27-29). The New Jerusalem is composed of these two categories of Abraham’s descendants (Rev. 21:12, 14). Hence, the New Jerusalem will be the ultimate consummation of Abraham’s seed. By being offered to God by Abraham, Isaac was multiplied to become the New Jerusalem. This was God’s blessing to Abraham.

See note Gen. 22:17^1b.

According to Gal. 3:14, the promise given to Abraham was that God Himself would come to be the seed of Abraham, and this seed would be a blessing to all the nations by becoming the all-inclusive Spirit for mankind to receive (1 Cor. 15:45). God’s blessing of Abraham eventually issued in Christ as the unique seed in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed (Acts 3:25-26; Gal. 3:16). All the believers in Christ, as members of the corporate Christ (1 Cor. 12:12), are included in this seed as the heirs of God’s promised blessing (Gal. 3:7, 29 and note Gal. 3:29¹).

In this chapter Christ is revealed in three ways: as the Angel of Jehovah (vv. 11-12, 15-18), as the ram (v. 13), and as the seed of Abraham (v. 18). The Angel of Jehovah, who is Christ, provided the ram, a type of Christ, which eventually issued in the seed, who is also Christ.

Meaning ensnarer.