Matthew Henry Commentary Genesis 22

We are never secure from trials. In Hebrew, to tempt, to try, or to prove, are expressed by the same word.

Every trial is indeed a temptation and tends to show the dispositions of the heart, whether holy or unholy. But God proved Abraham, not to draw him to sin, as Satan tempts.

Strong faith is often exercised with strong trials and made to undergo hard services. The command to offer up his son is given in such language as makes the trial more grievous; every word here is a sword. Observe:

1. The person to be offered: Take thy son; not your bullocks and your lambs. How willingly Abraham would have parted with them all to redeem Isaac! Thy son; not your servant. Thine only son; your only son by Sarah. Take Isaac, that son whom thou lovest.
2. The place: three days' journey off, so that Abraham might have time to consider and might deliberately obey.
3. The manner: Offer him for a burnt-offering; not only kill his son, his Isaac, but kill him as a sacrifice; kill him with all that solemn pomp and ceremony with which he used to offer his burnt-offerings.

Never was any gold tried in so hot a fire. Who but Abraham would not have argued with God? Such would have been the thought of a weak heart; but Abraham knew that he had to do with a God, even Jehovah. Faith had taught him not to argue, but to obey. He was sure that what God commands is good; that what he promises cannot be broken.

In matters of God, whoever consults with flesh and blood will never offer up his Isaac to God. The good patriarch rises early and begins his sad journey. He travels three days, and Isaac is still in his sight! Misery is made worse when long continued.

The expression We will come again to you shows that Abraham expected that Isaac, being raised from the dead, would return with him. It was a very affecting question that Isaac asked him as they were going together. “My father,” said Isaac. It was a melting word, which, one would think, should strike deeper into the heart of Abraham than his knife could into the heart of Isaac. Yet he waits for his son's question.

Then Abraham, without intending to, prophesies: My son, God will provide a lamb for a burnt-offering. The Holy Spirit, by his mouth, seems to predict the Lamb of God, whom God provided, and who taketh away the sin of the world. Abraham lays the wood in order for his Isaac's funeral pile and now tells him the amazing news: Isaac, you are the lamb whom God has provided! Abraham, no doubt, comforting him with the same hopes with which he himself by faith was comforted.

Yet it is necessary that the sacrifice be bound. The great Sacrifice, who, in the fullness of time, was to be offered up, must be bound, and so must Isaac. This being done, Abraham takes the knife and stretches out his hand to give the fatal blow. Here is an act of faith and obedience, which deserves to be a spectacle to God, angels, and men.

God, by his providence, calls us to part with an Isaac sometimes, and we must do it with cheerful submission to his holy will (1 Samuel 3:18).

It was not God's intention that Isaac should actually be sacrificed. Yet, in due time, nobler blood than that of animals was to be shed for sin—even the blood of the only begotten Son of God. In the meantime, however, God would not in any case allow human sacrifices; another sacrifice is provided.

This refers to the promised Messiah, the blessed Seed. Christ was sacrificed in our place, just as this ram was sacrificed instead of Isaac, and His death was our acquittal. And observe that the temple, the place of sacrifice, was afterwards built upon this same Mount Moriah; and Calvary, where Christ was crucified, was near.

A new name was given to that place for the encouragement of all believers, to the end of the world, to trust cheerfully in God and obey Him. The name was Jehovah-jireh, meaning, "The Lord will provide." This probably alludes to what Abraham had said: God will provide himself a lamb. The Lord will always have His eye upon His people in their hardships and distresses, so that He may give them timely help.

There are high declarations of God's favor to Abraham in this confirmation of the covenant with him, exceeding any he had been blessed with before. Those who are willing to part with anything for God will have it made up to them with unspeakable advantage. The promise (Genesis 22:18) doubtless points to the Messiah and the grace of the gospel.

By this we know the loving-kindness of God our Savior towards sinful man, in that he has not withheld his Son, his only Son, from us. By this we perceive the love of Christ, in that he gave himself a sacrifice for our sins. Yet he lives, and calls to sinners to come to him, and partake of his blood-bought salvation. He calls to his redeemed people to rejoice in him, and to glorify him.

What then shall we render for all his benefits? Let his love constrain us to live not to ourselves, but to Him who died for us, and rose again. Admiring and adoring His grace, let us devote our all to his service, who laid down his life for our salvation. Whatever is dearest to us on earth is our Isaac.

And the only way for us to find comfort in an earthly thing is to give it by faith into the hands of God. Yet remember that Abraham was not justified by his readiness to obey, but by the infinitely more noble obedience of Jesus Christ; his faith, receiving this, relying on this, and rejoicing in this, inclined him to and made him capable of such wonderful self-denial and duty. (Genesis 22:20–24)

This chapter ends with some account of Nahor's family, who had settled at Haran. This seems to be given for the connection which it had with the church of God. From there Isaac and Jacob took wives; and before the account of those events, this list is recorded. It shows that though Abraham saw his own family highly honored with privileges, admitted into covenant, and blessed with the assurance of the promise, yet he did not look with disdain upon his relations, but was glad to hear of the increase and welfare of their families.