V.1-14 Abraham had received many promises from God and there had been much to encourage him. Now comes the great test of his life. Is he willing to believe God? When you have read these 14 verses, turn to Hebrews 11:17-19. Take a minute to read verses 8-12 also. God was pleased. Believing God is the greatest honor we can give Him. In the Genesis telling of the story, we read what Abraham did, in Hebrews 11 we read why he did it.
V.2 The first mention of love in the Bible. Here it is the father’s love for his son — a beautiful picture of God’s love for His Son. Almost the same two words are repeated in verses 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 13. Notice a phrase that is repeated in verses 6 and 8. Do you see in this story how much it is like God the Father going with His Son to the cross? The Lord Jesus gave Himself as a perfect sacrifice to God (Heb. 9:26; 10:12). This story is a feeble picture of the perfect sacrifice on Calvary’s cross. Our blessed Savior went the whole way. No substitute was found for Him. The question asked in verse 7 is not really answered until John 1:29, 36.
V.15-19 The grand and glorious blessings promised to Abraham because of his obedience. An amazing thing here. No mention of Isaac is given from the 12th verse on. He disappears. Being a type of Christ on the cross, we know that the world never saw the Lord Jesus after He was taken off the cross. No unbeliever saw Him after His resurrection. The next time we will see Him is when He comes for us, His bride. Now read verses 20 to 23. The first woman being born and named in the Bible. Who is she who is hidden in these verses? The bride to be of Isaac! We don’t read about her for about 20 years — when she goes to meet Isaac!