Hebrews 11 recalls the story of Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22 when God called a father to offer up his son as a sacrifice. This story was a dress rehearsal for Calvary, in which God the Father would send His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (Hebrews 11:17-19).

In the passages from Genesis and Hebrews, Isaac serves as an Old Testament illustration of Jesus Christ. His birth was prophesied and preset, and he was conceived miraculously. His mother Sarah had him after she “passed the age of childbearing” (Genesis 18:11).

Isaac’s name was divinely given; he was very loved by his father. He was offered up as a sacrifice and raised from the dead, as Hebrews 11:19 says, in a figurative sense. In the same way, Jesus was miraculously born of a virgin, and was specifically named by the Father, who loved Him. God sent Him as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and He was raised from the dead.

Genesis 22:2 says, “…Take now 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.”

There was a purpose for this specific place: it speaks of the cross of Jesus Christ. As Isaac was led up a mountain to be sacrificed, Jesus also ascended a hill called Calvary, where He died.

Just before Abraham was to sacrifice his son, God provided a ram to take Isaac’s place. Likewise, God kept His promise to us and provided a Lamb, His only Son Jesus Christ, whom He loved, to take our place and to die for our sins.

Adrian Rogers says, “His name is Jehovah-Jireh (the God who provides), and the God who gave the first great gift is the God who will see us through.”

Apply it to your life
Do you believe in Jehovah-Jireh—the God who provides? Keep your faith in Him, who willfully gave Jesus, and will not hold His love back.

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 to I want you to ask yourself this question. What does that mean to me today? What does it mean to me? Personal Adrian Rogers ability to apply biblical truth to everyday life was one of the many things that made him such a remarkable pastor teacher and writer today on love worth finding. He’ll be bringing that uniqueness to this series of messages that were calling champions of faith. Have your bibles open to hebrews chapter 11. And join us for today’s message. And if this message is an encouragement to you remember, you can stream this message again and download Pastor Rogers outline notes and other resources to go along with this message all at L WF dot org. Now let’s join Adrian Rogers, take God’s word. Fine, Please, if you would. The book of hebrews chapter 11. And in a few moments we’re going to look at verses 17 through 19 as you hold your bible in your hand. May I tell you look at me, 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. The 39 books in the Old Testament there 27 in the New Testament. They were written over a period of about 1500 years by at least 40 different authors and 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 village. 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, you’re going to find 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. A name that is revered around the world. Father Abraham, the father of the faithful. 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. 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 figures. 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 test. Having said that, let’s go to this passage of scripture. Go backward in your bible to genesis chapter 22. Just genesis. The first book find the first book fast forward 22 chapters and you’re going to come to our text and uh or at least 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 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 has 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 two. 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 bye son, thine only son, Isaac whom thou love ist and get thee into the land of Mariah and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell the uh then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off God said 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 there where the offering is to be made. Now he takes his son and he starts up Mount Mariah 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 it was buried and was raised again. The third day first Corinthians 15 verses three through four, Abraham received Isaac back in the figure. God the father received jesus back literally. So what we’re talking about here is a special person. Isaac represent, pray figures, 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 two and he said, God said, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac whom thou love ist and get thee into the land of Maria and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains, which I will tell. The They didn’t just say, go off for him. He said, I have a specific place that I want you to do. Now Look in Genesis 22: verse four. And upon Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place far off. Now, think with me, friend about our universe. There are a 100 billion known Galaxies in our universe. We don’t know what’s beyond that. And 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, That’s 100 million billion miles from Rem to rem, 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 look there at that one son. 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. 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 Mariah, and he calls that my holy hill, that becomes the focal point of all of the university. 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 Mariah 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. And when they were come to the place which is called calvary. There they crucified 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 two. And he said, take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac whom thou love ist and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell the 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 four 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 you here with the ass and I’m 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 get 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 wood. 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 of 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. Abraham says, come here son, hold out your hand and Abraham begins to buying those hands. 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 pictures, 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 my self here you see the sun 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 be saved. He could have come down from that cross. But he did not Notice in Genesis 22 verse six and Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac here, Son, wood is a symbol of humanity it speaks of are the wood of our wickedness being laid upon the Lord jesus christ as you see Isaac bearing that would 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 word upon which he was to die. Jesus goes up the same mountain burying 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 sand. The knife speaks of the bleeding power of sin. The 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 talked about the purpose which was sacrificed. 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 the 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 fierst God, 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 Gira as it has been said to this day in the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen. Now the figure change. The knife does not fall upon Isaac who is representing the Lord, jesus christ. Now the picture changed and Isaac now represents us and there is a RAM caught in the as I’ve told you before this RAM. This RAM crowned with thorns, his horns locked in a thorny thicket is taken and this RAM becomes a substitute prizes I see 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 God did remember what john the baptist said when he saw jesus coming behold the lamb of God that takes 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 Mount Moriah. Abraham named Jehovah Gira. Now what does that mean? It means the Lord will provide. Now friend, listen to me. I don’t know what need you have you listen to your passion. The Lord is there to provide that need. The Lord will provide and 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, if there were ever a promise ever promise that God would have been tempted to renege upon ever 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 eight in 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 832, 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 has prefigured and prophecy Here in genesis 20 God provided himself a lamb. It doesn’t say that God would provide a lamb for himself. God becomes the land. God was in christ, reconciling the world unto himself, God provided himself as a land God in human flesh. Died. God the mighty maker died for man. The creature’s 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. Now you listen to me friend. If God gave jesus, he’s not gonna hold anything else back. Do you understand God gave jesus and delivered him freely for us all? How shall he not? Also with him? Freely give us all things? He is the God who provides if God gave the one great gift, he’s going to give all of the I have proved it in life when I needed a savior and I said, Lord jesus saved me. He provided salvation when he called me to preach and I didn’t know how I was going to do it. My dad said son, I wish I could send you to college. But I can’t, I don’t have the resources I said, that’s alright. God has called me. God will provide great years, seven of them. Married, I went to higher education and God provided God met my every need when Joyce and I walked through the valley of the shadow of death and a little baby was taken to heaven. We look for cersei is we look for calm. Where would we go? He was there and he provided the need of every heart. When I began to preach I wondered what will I preach first three or four times I preached. I said, well I preached the whole bible now, what am I gonna do? That was over half a century ago, how am I going to preach? I stand before you to tell you that God has provided sunday after sunday after sunday after sunday from the deep well of his work, God provides God. And one of those days when my feet touch the chilly waters of the river of death and that day is coming for all of us of jesus terror. My provider, Jehovah Gira will be there. He spared not his own son. How shall he not? Also with him freely given? Oh thanks. You’re wondering, oh if God calls me to missions, how will I do it? How will I make it? What will I do? I’ll tell you how you will make it, Jehovah child will provide for you 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, It 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 and 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 have run out of resource, you have a need that there is no other answer to then open this envelope missionary put in his breast pocket and most of us would 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 see you never been opened because through sickness, sorrow, tears, pain and toil. They’re never ever was a time when there was not a probation where God did not end. His name is Jehovah Gira. And the God who gave the first great gift is the God who will see us through by your heads in prayer, heads about eyes are closed. My friend God spared not his own son for you. God wants you to be saved. You saved by trusting Jesus believed 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 will be saved. Would you pray? Lord jesus come into my heart, forgive my sins. Save me. Save me today. Thank you for doing it in your name. I pray yeah and amen. Let me say another word to those of you who’ve been watching through television And maybe as I invited these others to give the heart to christ you prayed and asked jesus christ to come into your heart, I rejoice in that. And if you ask him if you were sincere, you don’t have to keep asking him begin now to thank him. And every time you thank him the assurance he’s done, it will grow in your heart. And if you will write to us well we will rejoice with you and we’ll send you some literature to help you get started in your christian life. God bless you. We hope that you’ve been encouraged by these character studies from Hebrews Chapter 11 that we’re calling champions of Faith. You can stream this message again, share this message with a friend and download other resources related to this message all at L WF dot org or the my L WF app while you’re there. Be sure to check out our new bible studies on today’s topic As well as many other topics at LWF.org. 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