# 201 So Many Shadows

The Book of Genesis

Day 201

Ge 22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.  4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.  5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."

Have received God’s promises like a welcome guest, Abraham doesn’t hesitate to obey God. He starts out the very next morning and heads to the land of Moriah. It’s a three day journey, which is quite significant, as we shall see later. Abraham brings a donkey, some wood, some provisions, and two young men.

Why did he bring along the two young men? It’s not like he needed their help. In fact when the time came to carry the wood and actually perform the sacrifice, the two young men were told to stay behind with the donkey!

This entire grand event in the history of the people of faith in the One True God,  was rife with shadows of the grandest event of all times. …the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

We have the shadow of the father offering his only son.

The three day journey, picturing the three days in the grave.

Abraham’s assertion to the two young men , “We will come back to you!” a picture of  his faith in the resurrection.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews puts it this way:  Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"  19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

Then there’s the picture of  Isaac being laid upon the wood, just as Jesus would be laid upon the wood of the cross of Calvary some 2000 years later on this very same mountain!

And let’s not forget about the two young men.  Could they be a picture of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit who on that day at Calvary would withdraw from the third person of the Trinity, and watch Him die for the sins of the world from a distance? “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me!”

So many shadows! So many pictures left for us and others that we might see and also believe in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, and the resurrection unto eternal life. “In Isaac ( a picture of Jesus) your seed, (the seed of the true children of Abraham) shall be called.” 

Pray: Thank You Father for all the pictures You have painted for us in Your Word, may they point us to the reality of Your love for us, demonstrated in the laying down of the life of Your only Son, and raising Him up again that we may have life.