February 25, 2026

Genesis 22 - pointing towards Christ

This has to be one of the greatest chapters in all of scripture and history. I have to take this one verse by verse.

Verse 1 - God tempts Abraham, which means He tested him. Abraham sought after greater knowledge and righteousness, and the Lord revealed to him the Plan of Happiness in Abraham chapter 3, and told him the plan was to prove His children to see if they would do all things which the Lord commanded them. Obedience, the first law of heaven. I believe it's the first law for two reasons. First, blessings are predicated on obedience - this is an eternal truth, it's part of heavenly physics, just like gravity. And second, it is the first law given and the first law broken in the pre mortal life -it is also a core part of agency. The first law and the greatest gift, inseparably connected. So, back to the story - the Lord is going to prove Abraham just as He said He would, and as Abraham yields and obeys, he will receive a greater knowledge (understanding of the Plan, of our Savior, and of our Father - _and_ of himself).

Verse 2 - I love how the Lord emphasizes "thy _only_ son" in similitude of the Only Begotten Son of God. This is where we really start to get into a very close symbolism of the Atonement of Christ. God commands him to go to Moriah. This name means "seen/chosen by Yahweh" or "God is my teacher". This makes me think of our Savior seeing the Plan, understanding His role and sacrifice, and choosing it out of perfect love for us. Also, how fitting that God taught Abraham and Isaac the hardest and most beautiful lesson here? Later, this became the site of Solomon's Temple, where sacred covenants are made binding God's children to Him and His Son. On other note about the name Moriah that is only coincidental since the language origin here is Hebrew and not Latin, but the root Mor or Mort in Latin means death. From a coincidental, Latin perspective, it looks like Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son in a place named death, but we know what happens, and death is overcome - our Savior overcame both types of death. I believe coincidental symbolism can be just as powerful as intentional when it points us towards Christ.

Verse 3: Abraham rose up early. Obedience is the first law, but how quickly we obey is a spectrum. I love how Abraham _ran_ to meet the holy men, or angels, in previous chapters, and he woke up early, didn't sleep in or procrastinate, to obey the Lord.

Verse 4: "the third day" may be simple coincidence because it took three days to travel, but I'm the switch of symbolism related to our Savior's sacrifice and victory over death, I do not think we can ignore the significance of three days.

Verse 6: Abraham laid the wood on Isaac's back for him to carry up the hill. The footnotes in this verse point to John 19:17 where the cross was placed on our Savior's back for him to carry up Galgatha to be crucified.

Verse 7: Isaac asks where the lamb is for the offering, teeing up the most beautiful symbolism ever given. I don't talk about Isaac much in this analysis, but I want to now related to this verse. Isaac symbolizes the Lamb of God. Can you imagine how he must feel when he learns? How he must feel afterwards? And how this symbolic lesson must have blessed him throughout his life? We strive to draw closer to our Savior each day - he felt portions of what our Savior felt. He was obedient, willing to drink his bitter cup. He trusted his father, and he trusted his Father. I'm sure Isaac had a very close relationship with his Savior going forward, and I can't imagine how our Savior must have felt for Isaac, and then again how He thought of Isaac as He later went through the Atonement for Isaac individually. I also wonder what emotions the Savior felt for himself as He watched this symbolism play out? "This is my lot, my purpose. I am the sacrifice. I don't want to suffer the sum of all sorrows, but I don't want my family to suffer either. I will do it because I love them". I can also imagine, similar to Isaac looking around and saying "wait a minute, where's the Lamb", the possibility of our Savior in the premortal council going saying something like "Father, but where is the Lamb? How will the fall be overcome?"

Verse 8: Abraham told Isaac that "God would provide himself a lamb". The English here reads two ways. First God will provide a Savior to overcome the fall, and second, God (Jehovah, Jesus) will provide _himself_ as a sacrifice to overcome the fall. This is also beautiful because while Abraham must be in the depths of sorrow, his faith in God providing becomes both a prophesy that God will provide a sacrifice to save the world, and that in that very moment, God will provide a sacrifice to take the place of, and save, his son Isaac.

Verse 9: Abraham laid his only son, who he'd waited longer than a lifetime for, on the alter. We don't do animal sacrifice anymore since the Savior's sacrifice was the last of it's kind. We are now commanded to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit - this was always the spirit of the law of sacrifice. With Isaac upon the alter, can anyone deny that Abraham had laid before God a broken heart and a contrite spirit?

Verse 12: I love again how the Lord emphasizes "only son" when saying that Abraham had not withheld his only son from the Lord. In the same way, God would not withhold His Only Begotten Son from Abraham and the world. Abraham did not withhold his obedience, his agency, or his sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. When we lay the same on the alter, we draw upon the power of the Atonement of Christ and are covered by Him.

Verse 13: Just as Abraham had said earlier God provided a ram in place of Isaac. This ram, in a very literal and intimate way, points directly towards our Savior. Because of the fall, a sacrifice must be made. We cannot be perfect or cleanse itself, the Messiah paid the price for us. Otherwise, we should perish and experience an ultimate and eternal spiritual death - separation from our Father in Heaven. The ram took the place of Isaac to be sacrificed. Never, in all of history, has the sacrifice of an animal so tenderly, so directly, and so powerfully symbolized the sacrifice of Jehovah for us. And for _each_ of us _individually_. Christ atoned for each of us just as individually as the ram replaced Isaac.

Verse 14: Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh, or Jehovah will see. And He did see. We've looked at this through many perspectives so far, but what about the perspective of Jehovah? What is He thinking and feeling at this time as he watches Isaac go through this? As He watches Abraham go through this, how does Christ see His Heavenly Father? What tender emotions does this invoke? I think everyone understood the Plan of Redemption and, even more importantly, each other that day.

Verse 16: The Lord renewed His promises with Abraham to multiply his seed. As stated previously, this becomes the location of the temple, and as we enter into a covenant relationship with the Lord in temples today, we receive the same promises Abraham received.

Verse 18: Because of Abraham's obedience (first law of heaven), his seed shall bless all the nations of the earth. That blessing being the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into salvation and exaltation. Also, note the symbolism - because Abraham did not withhold his son, everyone will be blessed, just as the Father giving His son results in the ultimate blessing for everyone. An added beauty, the Son of God, the Messiah, comes through Abraham's lineage.

I learned that Isaac means "he laughed", and the name came because when the Lord told Abraham that Sarah would bare a son, they both laughed. In English, this sounds like questioning "a hundred year old man and a 90 year old woman will have a baby?". But a better translation is rooted in joy - they laughed for joy. Isaac later becomes the most intimate symbol of our Savior's sacrifice. His name is so perfect. In the premortal life, when the plan was presented and we learned that we could be redeemed because of our Savior, we shouted for joy. I love how beautifully entwined the symbolism of Isaac and the Savior are. Men are that they might have joy - it's the "why" behind everything, and that joy does not exist without our Savior. I am glad to laugh, and cry, joyfully because of this.

Symbols point is towards Christ and prepare us for Christ. As a symbol of Christ, Isaac plays a role in preparing the world for the coming Messiah. Preparatory, or forerunner, roles are often called Elias. I'm not aware of Isaac having this title, but it is neat to think of the similarities Isaac has with one who was given the title - John the Baptist. Both were conceived by parents in old age past the appointed time of conception and both significantly point towards Christ.

In Genesis 18:14, the Lord asks a question in response to Sarah's laughter regarding the promise she would bare a son. He said, "is anything too hard for the Lord?". It's neat to think that he's talking about the birth of Isaac, who symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ. When looking at the effects of sin and a fallen world, it may be tempting to think it cannot be overcome, but is anything too hard for the Lord? Even an infinite intercession isn't too much. He did overcome it. And further, more personally, we can overcome anything and everything because of, and with, the Lord. Again, simple phrases in the Old Testament, inspired by something simple like laughter, pointing towards Christ.

I heard a quote that "Babylon does not offer exit permits" which made me think of places I've been that offer parking validation so you can exit the lot without having to pay yourself. Babylon does not validate parking, and cost to exit is intentionally designed to be so high that no one can afford to leave on their own. But there is one who can pay the price and open the gate. One who _has_ paid the price. The intentional cost is meant to overcome pride and bring us to our knees and to our Savior, and He will make the rest possible.

As part of the Plan of Redemption, we are given laws. Two of which include the law of obedience and the law of sacrifice. Obedience is essential, and when commandments are involved, often represents the first action required - do it. This is the letter of the law, which we must follow. Sacrifice elevates obedience to the spirit of the law - obeying for the right reason.

Abraham's willingness to obey the Lord and sacrifice his son (and in turn, a broken heart and contrite spirit) was the most perfect example of following the letter AND spirit of the law to ever occur before him and after until the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father.

We need both of these pieces. Obedience must be followed, but without the sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit, obedience becomes works alone -we must accept our Redeemer's grace through a broken heart and sacrifice. I love Abraham's example of this.