Known for his unique ability to simplify profound truth so that it can be applied to everyday life, Adrian Rogers was one of the most effective preachers, respected Bible teachers, and Christian leaders of our time. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. As you hold your Bible in your hand, may I tell you, there is no book like the Bible. None, none whatsoever.
The book that you hold in your hand is one book and yet it is 66 books. There are 39 books in the Old Testament. There are 27 in the New Testament. They were written over a period of about 1,500 years by at least 40 different authors in three different languages, people from all backgrounds and walks of life. But when you bring them together They don't make 66 books.
They make one book. One book that is bound together. It has one hero. His name is Jesus. It has one villain.
He is the devil. It has one theme. It is salvation. It has one purpose. the glory of God.
And so if you read the Bible anywhere, You're going to find standing somewhere in the shadows the Lord Jesus. And that's what we're going to see today as we look in the life of a man whose name was Abraham. He's the father of the faithful, the brightest star in the Hebrew heaven. And we're going to look back in history, centuries before Jesus Christ. was born upon this earth.
and we're going to find a wonderful depiction of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, look, if you will, at the scripture that we have here in the New Testament before we go back to the Old Testament. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 17. By faith. Abraham, when he was tried, that is tested, offered up Isaac. And he that had received the promises, offered up.
His only begotten Son. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Now, how was he able to do this?
Well, verse 19 tells us, accounting, that God was able to raise him up even from the dead. from whence also he received him in a Figure.
Now, the word figure means a type. An illustration. In the Old Testament, God gave illustrations, types, prophecies, figures of that which is to come in the New Testament.
Now why did God do that?
Well, many reasons, but one reason, friend, listen to me. It is one of the great confirmations of the inspiration of the scripture. When you see way back here, centuries and centuries and centuries before Jesus Christ was even born, That God gives figures and types and prophecies of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only is it, therefore, a confirmation of the inspiration of the scriptures. But correspondingly It is a confirmation of the deity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we see him there, tucked away in the Old Testament.
Don't get the idea that the Old Testament is about something other than Jesus. All the Bible is about Jesus. It's all about Jesus. And furthermore, it is there that we might have the joy that we're going to have this morning of discovering and feasting on these things that are tucked away in the Old Testament. By the way, before we get to the Old Testament, let me give you a couple of verses here to prove what I'm talking about is not mere fancy.
Put down in your margin John 8, verse 56. Jesus is talking to the unbelieving Jews of his day. Who boasted in Abraham. And here's what Jesus said to those Jews: Your father, talking about Abraham, your father Abraham rejoiced. to see my day.
And he saw it and was glad. Abraham Jesus said, saw my day.
Now I want to remind you. This was centuries before Jesus was born. Let me give you another verse. Galatians 3 verse 18 and the scripture. foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before The gospel unto Abraham.
Saying in thee shall all nations be blessed. The phrase that I want to extract from that verse is that the gospel was preached to Abraham. The scriptures. Foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham.
Now, Having said that, let's go to this passage of Scripture. Go backward in your Bible to Genesis chapter 22. Genesis, the first book. Find the first book. Fast forward, 22 chapters.
And you're going to come to the basis of our text today in Genesis chapter 22.
Now, there's some things I want you to see. What I'm going to do right now is give you a portrait of Jesus that is found in the Old Testament. Are you ready for it? I want you to see and delight yourself and feast on a portrait of Jesus found in the Old Testament. Actually, A prophecy.
of his coming crucifixion on the cross. I want you to see it and believe it. And then I want you to ask yourself this question. What does that mean to me today? What does it mean to me personally?
Number one, the first thing I want you to see is the special person who is described.
Now the person who is described is Isaac, but you're going to see that Isaac is a picture of Jesus. Look, if you will, in Genesis 22, 1 and 2. And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt. That is, test Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And he said, Behold, here I am.
And he said, God 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.
Now, Isaac therefore becomes a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me give you about six ways or more that he is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, His miracle birth. was prophesied. Go back even further now to Genesis chapter 18.
And begin in verse. The angel is coming to visit with Abraham and to make a prophecy, and they said unto him, To Abraham, where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life. And low.
Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old. and well stricken in age. And it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. That is, Sarah had gone through the menopause. Therefore, Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am old, shall I have pleasure, my Lord being old also?
And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child which am old?
Now, here's what the angel says: Is anything too hard for the Lord? I want to ask you that question: Is anything too hard for God? Of course not. Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed, I will return unto thee according to the time of life.
And Sarah. shall have a son.
Now, Isaac was born of a miracle. Jesus. Was born of a miracle. Put in your margin. Isaiah 7 verse 14, therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign.
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. And shall call his name Emmanuel. Not only was his miracle birth prophesied, But his birthday was preset. Look in Genesis now 21. Verses 1 and 2.
And the Lord visited Sarah as he said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son in his old age.
Now don't miss this. The set time of which God had spoken to him. God not only prophesied the birth, But God prophesied the set time of the birth.
Well, what does that have to do with Jesus? Put in your margin in Galatians 4, 4. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son. made of a woman. Isaac was born at a set time.
Jesus was born. at a set time.
Now, here's the third thing. Isaac's name was divinely given. Genesis 17, 19. And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son. And thou shalt call his name Isaac.
Compare that to the New Testament, Matthew 1 verse 21. Speaking of Mary. And she shall bring forth a son. And thou shalt call his name Jesus. Isaac was born of a miracle.
Jesus was born of a miracle. Isaac was born at a set time. Jesus was born at a set time. Isaac was prenamed. Jesus was prenamed.
Isaac was loved of his father. Genesis 22 verse 2. And he said, take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest. In Genesis 22, verse 16, he's called... Abraham's only son.
Compare that now. To John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in him Should not. perish. We think about God loving the world, but friend, I want you to know that God loved his Son before he loved the world.
John 5, verse 20, For the Father loveth the Son and showeth him all things that himself doeth. Isaac was offered up as a sacrifice. Jesus was offered as a sacrifice. Genesis 22, verse 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 shall tell thee of.
And again, John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Isaac was raised from the dead. Genesis 22 verse 4. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. God said to Abraham, Abraham.
Take your son and offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham takes his son and he counts the days, one. Two. Three, he comes to the place where the offering is to be made.
Now He takes his son. And he starts. up Mount Moriah to offer his son. How was he able to do that?
Well, remember Hebrews 11 verse 19? He was accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead.
Now, watch this. Whence also he received him. in a figure. That is, in Abraham's mind, For three days, Isaac was dead. From the day that God said, Abraham, take him and offer him, until the day that Abraham got him back.
In Abraham's mind, he was dead. Abraham received him from the dead.
Now, what is the gospel that you and I preach? That Christ died for our sins, that He was buried and was raised again the third day. 1 Corinthians 15, verses 3 through 4. Abraham received Isaac back in a figure. God the Father received Jesus back literally.
So what we're talking about here is a special person. Isaac represents, prefigures Jesus. Have you got that? Then move to the second thing. not only a special person.
But I want you to see a specific place. That is designated. I want you to see how this comes together.
Now look in Genesis chapter 22 verse 2. And he said, God 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 the. He didn't just say go off for him.
He said, I have a specific place.
Now look in Genesis 22 verse 4. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw The place. Afar off.
Now think with me, friend, about our universe. There are a hundred million known galaxies in our universe. We don't know what's beyond that. In those great galaxies that stretch across the sky. There is one galaxy.
known as the Milky Way. That Milky Way is 100,000 light years across. God goes into that great galaxy. out of all of the millions of galaxies, and God finds one little insignificant sun, our sun, 93 million miles away from the earth. And God looks there at that one sun and around that sun are orbiting a number of planets.
God takes one Little Planet. A speck of cosmic dust. Call the earth. And God says, the earth. Is the Lord's.
And then on the earth, that globe there, God takes one land. The land of Israel. And God calls that land My land. And then out of that land that God calls his land, he tightens the focus a little more. And God takes in that land one city.
the city of Jerusalem. And God calls that city My Holy city. And then in that holy city, God takes One hill. Mount Moriah. And he calls that My Holy Hill.
That becomes the focal point. of all of the universes. A little limestone ridge. God said Abraham. I will show you a place.
a specific place. You take your only son. You take your only son that you love. You take him there and offer him in the place that I will show you. The name Moriah literally means foreseen of the Lord.
The place is not incidental. The place is not accidental. It is the same place. That Jesus would one day pour out his life's blood. Put down Luke chapter 22, verse 23.
And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him. Not a place, the place, the same place.
Now we've talked about a person. We've talked about a place.
Now let's talk about the purpose that is designated here. Genesis 22 verse 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 uh. This speaks of the cross.
When Isaac was to be offered in that same place that Jesus was to die. Think of the suffering of the cross that is pictured. Look, if you will, in Genesis 22, verses 4 through 8. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. 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.
Abraham says, He's going to be slain, but we're both coming back. You talk about faith. We're going to go 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 the fire in his hand and a knife.
And they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said, Father, and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Isaac said, Behold. The fire? And the word But where is a lamb?
for the burnt offering. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.
So they went both of them together.
Now father and son Come to a point. beyond which the others cannot go. You stay here. and father and son went to commune together. That tells me of dark Gethsemane.
Where Jesus left Peter, James, and John, and the other disciples, and he went alone to commune with his father facing Calvary. And Isaac looks at his father. In Abraham's hand, there's a torch, a fire in one hand. There's a knife in his other hand. Isaac can read his father's face.
He begins now to know what is about to happen. Think of what must have been going through Isaac's heart as he sees his father go up without a lamb. Only with his own son up to that place of sacrifice. Think of what must have been in Abraham's heart. I know when my first son was born, I ceased to think so much of the love of Jesus and I thought more of the love of the Father.
though both are infinite in their love. I thought how it must have moved the father's heart. To give his only son to die upon that cross. Think of how much. The Lord Jesus suffered.
Think how much. God the Father suffered and is pictured here. Think of the suffering of the cross. Think of the suffering of the cross. Look in Genesis 22, 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. Use your sanctified imagination. Here's the altar.
Here's the wood. Here's the torch. Here's the knife. Abraham says, come here, son. Hold out your hands.
And Abraham begins to bind those hands.
Now I remind you. that Abraham is well beyond 100 years of age. I remind you that Isaac is not a child as we sometimes see pictured. Isaac? is a strapping young man.
He could have easily outrun the old man. He could have taken the old man and bound him. But he presents himself. to be bound. You know what Jesus said?
No man takes my life from me. I lay it down of myself. Here you see the Son submitting himself to the Father. They said of Jesus, he saved others himself. He could not save.
They were so wrong. He saved others himself. He would not save. He could have come down from that cross, but he did not. Notice in Genesis 22, verse 6, And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son.
Wood is a symbol of humanity. It speaks of the wood of our wickedness. being laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ. As you see Isaac bearing that wood, going up this mountain that Jesus would one day die on. Think of John 19 verse 17.
And he, Jesus, bearing his cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull. which is called Golgotha. Isaac goes up. That mountain bearing the wood upon which he was to die. Jesus goes up the same mountain bearing that wooden cross upon which he was to die.
Think of the sacrifice of the cross that is pictured. Abraham has a knife. And he has a torch. And he has ropes. The cord.
Speaks of the binding power of sin. The knife. Speaks of the bleeding power of sin. The fire speaks of the burning power of sin. Because the fires of God's wrath would burn themselves out upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we've talked about the purpose, which was sacrifice.
Now I want you to think about the promise that's declared here. We've talked about a person, we've talked about a place, we've talked about a purpose.
Now let's look at a promise. In Genesis 22. Beginning in verse 11. Abraham is about now to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac has laid down his life.
He has become one with his father. His father now is about to make this offering, accounting that God the Father is able to raise him up. Genesis 22, verse 11. And the angel of the Lord called out. Unto him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham.
And he said, Here am I. And he said, the angel said to Abraham, lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him, for now I know that thou feare, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. 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 upon the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place.
Now, don't you miss this. This is the whole sermon. Jehovah Jireh. As it has been said to this day in the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen.
Now the figure changes. The knife does not fall upon Isaac. who is representing the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the picture changes. And Isaac now represents us. And there is a ram. Caught in a thicket. As I've told you before, this ram crowned with thorns.
His horns lock. In a thorny thicket is taken, and this ram becomes a substitute. Prize it. Isaac. Gets up off the altar, and the ram is slain in his stead.
And the knife did not fall that day upon Isaac, because one day it would fall upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, Isaac had asked his father, Father. Where is the Lamb? Abraham said, God will provide himself a lamb. And God did. Remember what John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus coming?
Behold, the Lamb of God. that taketh away the sin of the world. When Abraham Saw what God did. When Abraham saw that ram that was to take the place of Isaac, And give Isaac back to his bosom. Give Isaac back, as it were, from the dead to Abraham.
Abraham named that place Jehovah. Gyro.
Now what does that mean? It means the Lord will provide.
Now Friend, listen to me. I don't know what need you have. The Lord is there to provide that need. The Lord will provide. In that day, what was he going to provide?
Himself, a lamb. Where was he going to provide it? In the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen. When is he going to provide it? It shall be seen.
He's talking about the day when Jesus Christ would die upon the cross.
Now. What does this mean to you today? Are you ready to apply it to your heart? If there were ever a promise. ever a promise.
That God would have been tempted. to Renegapon. Ever a promise that God might be tempted not to keep. It would have been the promise to send Jesus. If there were ever a time when God would say, I changed my mind.
That would have been the time. But I want you to put down this verse. It is very important. Because it sums it all up. It is Romans chapter 8 and verse 32.
He that spared not his own son. But delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Do you get the logic there in Romans 8.32? He that spared not his own son.
Now, when Abraham is taking Isaac up at the last moment... God said, Abraham. Don't do it. God spared Abraham's son. But God did not spare his own son.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the one who is prefigured and prophesied here in Genesis chapter 22. God provided himself a lamb. It doesn't say that God would provide a lamb for himself. God becomes the Lamb. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.
God provided Himself as a Lamb. God in human flesh. Died. God, the mighty maker, died for man, the creature sin. God died at Calvary for you.
Does that mean anything to you? That God laid down his own dear son upon that altar. That the fires of God's wrath burn themselves out. Upon God's own dear Son, because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Listen to what the Apostle Paul said.
In Romans chapter 8, verse 32, for if God spared not his own son, but delivered him up freely for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? If you had asked me, Adrian, can I have your son?
So why should I give you my son?
Well, I want to torture him. and then kill him. for some cause that I have. Will you give me your son? No, I would not give you my son, that you might torture him and put him to death.
For whatever cause. But suppose I loved you and your cause enough. You need enough. That I were to give you my own son, that he would die in ignomy and shame and be brutalized. If I loved you enough to give you my son, And then you said, can I also have his computer?
Can also have his sport jacket. Can I also have his automobile? Right. Of course. If I did not spare the Son, Would I not also with him freely give you all things?
Friend, if God gave Jesus... He's not going to hold anything else back. Do you understand that? He is the God who provides. If God gave the one great gift, He's going to give all of the others.
My provider, Jehovah Jireh, will be there. He that spared not his own son. How shall it not also with him freely give us? All things. Jehovah Jirah.
will provide for you. A missionary. Back in the days when they sailed to the mission field. was about to get on the boat, Walking up the gangplank, the trunks had been packed. They couldn't fly home on 747 like we do today.
The missionary and his family were going. A good friend walked up to the missionary just before he got on the boat. and handed the missionary an envelope. It was sealed. and said, don't open this envelope.
Don't ever open it. Until you come to the place. If you ever do. Where you don't know what else to do. Where else to turn?
You've run out of resources. You have a need. that there's no other answer to. Then open this envelope. The missionary put it in his breast pocket.
And most of us would have taken that, you know. see what's in it. The missionary put it in his breast pocket. State is full tenure on the mission for you. Came home.
and held up the envelope. It was still Sealed. Never been open. Because through sickness, sorrow, tears, Pain and toil. There never ever was a time when there was not a probation.
where God did not answer. His name. Is Jehovah Gyra. and the God who gave the first great gift. is the God who will see us through.
My friend. God spared not his own son. for you. God wants you to be saved. You're saved by trusting Jesus.
Believe that He shed His precious blood on the cross for you. and that God raised him from the dead. The Bible says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved. Would you pray, Lord Jesus? Come into my heart.
Forgive my sin. Save me. Save me today. Thank you for doing it. In your name I pray.
Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org. or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.
