How strong was the faith of Abraham in this moment when his son said, dad, here's fire, here's wood, here's a knife, but where's the lamb? And with great wisdom, he answered, my son, God, will provide himself a lamb. How strong was the faith of Abraham in this particular moment? Who do you love most in this world? Your wife, husband, child, grandchild? What if God came to you and said to you what he said to Abraham, take your only begotten son over to that mountain and sacrifice him. It pleases God to test him in this most important point. Abraham didn't think about his infirmities. Remember that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. We're not sure how old Isaac is here. I read estimates everywhere from 12 years old to 35 years old. I think he was in his 20s. He was a grown man. Hadn't made Abraham 125 years old. I found out that when you get older, sometimes you get silly in the head. You don't always think right. But Abraham disregarded his age and his problems. He disregarded the frailty of Sarah, but he looks unto God and said, You're the one who promised me that this boy would be the father of a great nation. He knows that it is Isaac and Isaac's children that God will use to fulfill his promises to Abraham. You know, the Old Testament's a book of types and shadows, a book of pictures. And it's filled with all kinds of images of God's grace and Christ's love for His chosen people. Many of the rituals of the Old Testament sacrifices were so repetitious that to the people of Israel, they lost their mystery and they lost their mystique. But this particular verse is filled with the beauty of Christ's atoning sacrifice. And I want to preach to you this morning for a little while, and I'll try to make it as brief as I can, a message that I have entitled, A Passionate Teaching Type. All the types of the Old Testament are intended to teach us something. They all represent something that God wants us to see, and we're not smart enough or wise enough or clear-minded enough to see it. So he uses these types to teach us something. Here's the first thing I'd have us to see in this. Look with me at this eighth verse. Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb. There's a glorious message there. God will provide himself a lamb. Now Isaac believed that, but he never expected to be God's lamb. Never. They came to this place, servants had been left behind and Abraham and Isaac had gone on ahead of time and Isaac asked this question and Abraham answers it for him. This energetic young man is put in conflict with this old, old man. I'm getting older now. But I remember when I was younger, I used to try to have patience with old men, because they came up with some silly ideas. If Isaac chooses to struggle, I tell you, Abraham's intent would fail. Abraham was 125 years old. He wasn't going to out-wrestle a healthy, viral, 25-year-old young man. But amazingly, Isaac submits to his father's will. Not only does he do that, he even helps him prepare the altar on which he's going to offer him. And he lays there on that altar, on that bed of wood, as a cheerful, willing victim consenting to die. at God's will, like Christ did. What a picture. Of our heavenly father, who's the king of glory. You see here his only son, whom he greatly loves. Abraham loved Isaac. He was his only begotten son. He wasn't his only son, but he was the only son he had with Sarah. God only had one son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He sent him down here to this hell hole of a planet to die for the sins of his people, and Christ willingly came. He had a cross on his back, but he had a heart that was filled with gladness. The sin of all his people laid heavily on his shoulders. My God, my God, why has self forsaken me? Father binds his son and submits him to be sacrificed by the Roman soldiers. His omnipotent hand unsheathes that knife to slay his son. I picture this in my mind like it's right here. There's Abraham up on that mountain. His son's there on that altar. He's tied up, not fighting, not struggling, not resisting, just laying there. His father's standing over him. He's got a big blade about this long. He's prepared to strike it right in his heart. You talk about the faith of Abraham, I'll tell you the faith of Isaac's right, right plentiful here. The sight of Abraham about to execute Isaac shows us God's intent. We must also pay attention to the emotions of the father. What grief he must feel. I'm fixing to execute my own son. The only one I've ever had. The only one I ever will have. What love he has for this boy. You talk about a special child. This Isaac was a special child. What pity overwhelms his heart as he looks on the altar and he sees this young, handsome man about to be executed. The sorrow of his coming loss seems to overwhelm him. I see this old man just shaking with emotion. but here the knife must be in the father's hand in order to take Isaac's life. Isaac's not gonna kill himself, that's suicide. Nobody else is gonna come and do it. The father's gonna have to take his son's life. I tell you, our grief may be great in our trials, I've had some times in my life when I thought, I don't know if I can take this. And maybe you have been in that situation too. You probably have. What of Abraham? He has to execute his only begotten son. You know, it's a foolish thing to imagine a God who has no feelings. There are a lot of people, a lot of theological students of the Calvinistic persuasion that they're just as dry as dirt. Their heads are hard, hearts are hard. And they think God's that way. That he has no emotions and no affections, no life and no love is like his. But I'll tell you something, God's sovereign in all his senses and in all his expressions. And how can I conceive of him putting Christ to death without emotion? Judge may sit on a bench, have a trial come before him, hear all the evidence, hear the lawyers, hear the conclusions, hear the jury. look at the convict and say, jury's found you guilty. I sentence you to be executed tomorrow. No appeals, no withdrawals, you die. That's what they think God was. I tell you, God felt anguish. This is his holy son, his righteous son, his glorious son, who's going to die. His love is an unlimited quantity of an immeasurable measure. How much does God love his son? More than you can imagine. But let its gracious effect diffuse over our hearts and feel his emotions. With adoring gratitude, we must offer our homage to the father because he gives his son. And to his son, for he submits. to the Father's justice for our sins. Here's another thing. For a burnt offering, a burnt offering, there's a vibrant picture there of the Son of God that we see in Isaac. See Abraham's hand restraint. He went to strike his son and the angel said, stop! Don't! A ram caught in a thicket is put in Isaac's place on the altar. And that ram dies. Dies. Just like Christ was sacrificed for his people, that lamb dies for Isaac. Isaac now goes free, but not the lamb. Isaac's blood still pumps in his veins, but not the sacrifices. The ram is laying on the altar to be formed up and burnt to the majesty of God. Isaac watches the ram burn. He realizes that it burns for him. Can you see that, my friends? Can you see the glory of this? We must gaze intently on this picture, for it represents the truth of salvation. Someone must die for you. God plainly tells us how we're saved. There's no secrets to that. It doesn't take some theologian or some great preacher to come up with a whole bunch of fancy words and fancy tests. It's because our Lord Jesus Christ burnt on the altar of divine justice that we enjoy and embrace divine mercy. What must Isaac have felt? This is the part that excites me. Abraham's standing there with a knife in his hand. His son Isaac is tied up, laying on a pile of brush about ready to be burnt. What must he have felt when Abraham reached down and loosened the ropes and set him free? I don't know about you, but I tell you, I'll be right down a little scootly-doo and hoop and holler a little bit. How can a believer possibly perish? Christ has died. Huh? If nothing else goes right for you today, be aware of that. If you are a believer, Christ died for you. He's our friend. There are no bounds in Him. And as we gather in a little while here around the Lord's table, let His substitution be on our hearts. We don't need to drink the bitter cup of wrath. Christ has done enough. Done enough. In fact, the only question you can have today is, did Christ die for me? That's a question you need to answer. It's a question that demands an answer. Now, I know that he died for me. How do you know? God told me. If you need more than that, that's something wrong. If you don't have an interest in him, I'll tell you his redemption wasn't for you. We must leave this scene to focus on the cross. We look at this old man, Tears in his eyes and a calm vision. His son's been delivered alive. And the angel stays his hand. Angel stays his hand. I see old Abraham and Isaac going back down that hill to meet those fellows, those mules. You talk about a happy step. I don't know if an old man can dance. I don't think I can anymore, but I believe in situations like this, I might have been able to strike a step or two. Isaac's alive and God satisfied. with what great joy and great emotion they return home. The thing that God doesn't tell us in the Bible that I'd like to know, who told Sarah? This was her only child. Abraham had some other children. They weren't his only begotten. This was his special child, but he had some other children. Sarah had no other children. She'd been barren for all those years. I can imagine Abraham going in and telling her, hey, Sarah, fix us some dinner. We're going up on the mountain, me and Isaac. I'm going up there and kill him and burn him. You think you ladies would have done well with that? Probably not. But Isaac and Abraham are happy now. Think about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This truth reveals to us the resurrection of every child of grace. Hebrews 11 17 says by faith Abraham when he was tried 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. Our covenant God has received his only begotten from the two. Wow. Our Lord can never be held again by the bonds of death. Never. He passes forth. And by the way, because he can't be held by the bonds of death, none of the people he died for can be held by the bonds of death. He passes forth and watchmen fall down before him. And he ascends again to the majesty on high. Those fellows are sitting there watching him going up in the clouds. Angel said, why y'all standin' there lookin' at me when he told you to do? The saints must perpetually celebrate his success. That's our mission in life. Our Lord and our Savior is ascended. Isaac is not dead. He in whom all nature is blessed lives forever and lives victoriously. May this exalting trust prove instructive to every heart. The name of God in the Old Testament that I love the most is Jehovah Jireh. It literally means God shall see. But the Jews translate it as God will provide. The reason God provides is God sees. And that name brings comfort to many believers. There have been times in my life, and I'm sure you've had times like that, when I didn't have what I needed, or I thought I didn't have what I needed, or didn't have what was necessary, and God would provide it. The Lord has sustained his son under great adversity. And he prepares and provides for his prophets and for his people everything that they really need. The choice's son is sacrificed for the most undeserving and immoral people. I don't know about you, but I tell you, I look at myself and I think, why'd God do that? Why? What in the world would provoke a holy God to send his son to die for a wretch like me? If we endure our guilt and our shame, we'll perish. But God's provision is just and it's gracious. Romans 5-7 tells us for scarcity for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. The terrible justice of God would destroy every fallen mortal if it wasn't for Christ. I tell you what, we go to funerals and we celebrate the lives of people that we know and love. And I hope that we celebrate their love for Christ. Because I'm telling you that if Christ didn't die for us, there's no joy in funerals. Why would we even have them? What then bury folks in the middle of the night? Let's not talk about it. Let's try to avoid it. God's mercy will prevent the judgment of mortals. The price of this redemption is insurmountable. We're like a company of worms that are redeemed by the blood of God's Son. Who else could have borne our doubt except the Messiah? No mortal could possibly have stood as substitute for those who are guilty. Poor sinners need to see the shed blood of God's lamb. You know, there's life in a look at the crucified one. Nobody looks to him in vain. There are countless multitudes who are given to Christ for His travail. Are you one of them? Are you? There's provision for the sin of all ages, all ranks, all conditions. There's grace and generosity treasured up in Christ for the giver. Then let me just add this one more point. There's a few questions that need to be answered. First of all, God has provided a great sacrifice in Christ. Are you a participant? And we're not playing games here, we're not playing let's make a deal or uh, whatever that show is where they guess old words. It's, uh, we have to seriously answer this question. This is not to be played with. I'll tell you, you might forget my words. I'll probably forget them. I known to do that. But don't forget Christ. Quantity and quality of all our earthly possessions are unimportant. I remember reading about an old man lived down in a root cellar. Didn't even have a candle. He'd go to bed when it got dark and get up when it got light. Take the fragment of a Bible that he owned out and put it on an old stump, sit out there and read and pray and beg God to give him light. So that poor fella, no, he wasn't poor, he was rich. Rich beyond measure. The poor fella's that millionaire that lives in that palace and eats like a king. doesn't know God. Do you have Christ as your portion for eternity? I tell you, if I were you and I did, I'd go to Christ and I'd beg for mercy. He'll give it. He'll give it. If you rest in Christ, your hope will never waver, never despair. I've had some discouraging moments in my life, folks. I've been sick. I've had heart attacks. I've had strokes. I've had this, that, and the other. There have been times when I just thought I wasn't going to make it. And I hope you'll take what I'm going to say in the right spirit, which I mean it. I didn't care. I didn't care. I know Christ. And in him, I'm going to heaven. And I'm ready to go. We must struggle with our feelings like Abraham did. But we must also trust God. like Abraham did. Lay your head on the Savior's compassionate heart. Old John was always laying on his breast. Be a witness of the joy and peace in believing God's word. And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together. Good news. Good news. The chariots are coming. Abraham felt such relief when God delivered Isaac. Well, rejoice even more that God sent Christ. God's demands on Abraham were completely just. Completely just. The same is true with regard to Christ's death. What hope we have in this blessed Christ. Without him, there's no mercy and no hope for anybody. Not for Donald Trump. Not for Putin. Not for the holiest person you know. Not for me. And not for you. But in the Lord Jesus Christ, there's mercy. There's mercy.