Our word for today is also in chapter 22 of Genesis it is אַ֫יִל ram. It is used 159 times in the Old Testament. Most of the time it is used in the book of Leviticus where God is instructing the priests how the sin of the people, including the priest were to be handled. Leviticus 5:15-19 When anyone is unfaithful to the LORD by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, they are to bring to the Lord as a penalty a אַ֫יִל ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering… The priest will make atonement for them with the אַ֫יִל ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven. If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible. They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a אַ֫יִל ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven. It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of wrongdoing against the Lord.” The idea is that instead of the person who sinned against God paying the price for their own sin the ram was put to death as the sacrifice in place of the person. This is what happens in our chapter for today Genesis 22:13-14 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a אַ֫יִל ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the אַ֫יִל ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” God provided the sacrifice that took the place of Isaac Abraham’s son.
This points us to the sacrifice for our sins once and for all by the death of Jesus in our place. This is what God says in Hebrews 7:27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. Romans 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. We were in trouble and powerless to do anything about our sin that separated us from God but at just the right time God showed up and sent Jesus to die in our place. Just like God showing up at just the right time and providing the ram to die in place of Isaac. Jesus was put to death instead of us to set us free from our sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus took our place and became sin for us, so he got what we deserved death and we got what he deserved a right relationship with God. Isaiah 53:4-5, 10, 12 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed… Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin… he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Can you just imagine how relieved Abraham was when God provided the sacrifice that took his own son’s place so that he could live. This is how we should feel knowing that God provided Jesus in our place to be the sacrifice for our sins so that we can live.
