In obeying God by faith, Abraham acted according to God's revelation (vv. 3-4, 9-10). Everything Abraham did in this chapter was absolutely of God. Abraham did not initiate anything nor do anything according to his concept. Nothing was done by his desire or understanding. God told Abraham what to do, how to do it, and where to do it. In every aspect of his action in offering Isaac, Abraham acted according to God's revelation and instructions.
Abraham went to Mount Moriah, the place of God's choice. In verse 2 God told Abraham to go into the land of Moriah and offer Isaac on one of the mountains of which He would tell him. In the next verse we are told that Abraham "rose up and went to the place of which God had told him." Before Abraham began his journey, God must have told him which mountain He had chosen. In verse 4 we are told that "on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off." Abraham did nothing according to his concept or choice; he did everything according to God's revelation.
What Abraham did in Genesis 22 is an important seed in the Bible. As I have already pointed out, Abraham's descendants, the children of Israel, were commanded by God to go three times a year to Mount Moriah to worship God and there to offer to Him their burnt offerings. We have seen that Mount Moriah became Mount Zion, the very center of the good land. Abraham was the first to worship God with the burnt offering on Mount Zion. Eventually, we all shall be on Mount Zion worshipping God. On the one hand, in the church life today, as true descendants of Abraham, we are on Mount Zion; on the other hand, we are on our way there. What Abraham did in chapter twenty-two was the seed. His descendants, the Israelites, were the development of this seed, and we today are the further development of the seed. We all, including Abraham, shall be in the harvest of the seed. Perhaps one day we shall shake hands with Abraham on the eternal Mount Zion and say to him, "You were on the ancient Mount Zion, we were on the new testament Mount Zion, and now we are all together here on the eternal Mount Zion."
Verse 4 indicates that Abraham traveled for three days, for we are told that on the third day he saw the appointed place afar off. In the eyes of God and according to Abraham's feeling, Isaac had been killed for three days. On the third day Abraham not only offered Isaac; he also received him back. Hence, the third day is surely a sign of resurrection. It is very meaningful that the Bible does not call it the second or fourth day. If you look at a map, you will see that the distance between Beer-sheba and Moriah is approximately fifty-five miles. According to the ancient method of travel, it would have taken two days to journey from Beer-sheba to Moriah. On the third day Abraham put Isaac on the altar, and then what he offered to God was given back to him in resurrection. This is marvelous. We all must see the seed here. Praise the Lord that today we are Isaacs, not Ishmaels. We are not journeying southward toward Egypt; we are traveling northward to Mount Zion.
In order to see this, we must have the life at Beer-sheba, because only this life builds us up and qualifies us to be the burnt offering for God's satisfaction and to receive the vision. The name Moriah means "the vision of Jah," that is, the vision of Jehovah, the vision of the Lord. This has two meanings—that we see the Lord and that the Lord sees us. On Mount Moriah Abraham undoubtedly saw God and God saw him. Likewise, on today's Mount Zion we have a vision. There is no cloud here. We are not in darkness; we are in the vision. The church life is a vision in which we see God and God sees us.
The translators are troubled about how to render verse 14, uncertain whether it should be "in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen" or "it shall be provided." According to the King James Version, verse 14 says, "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." Other versions say, "In the mount of the Lord it shall be provided." Some versions even say, "On the mount of the Lord he will see." Although this verse is difficult to translate, it is easy to understand according to our experience. God's provision is always His vision. Whenever we participate in and enjoy God's provision, we have a vision. We see God and He sees us. Because we are in His provision and have the vision, everything is clear, nothing is opaque, and there is no separation between us and Him.
Where is God's provision today? It is in the church life on Mount Zion. We all can testify what a provision there is in the church life. As we are enjoying the provision, what a vision we have! We see God. We see eternity. Here in the church life everything is crystal clear and transparent in God's eyes and in ours, and nothing is opaque. We did not have this experience in Christianity. When we were there, we were in a low dungeon that was opaque on every side. But today in the church life on Mount Zion we have the full provision with the full vision. We see God and are seen by Him; God sees us and is seen by us. In God's provision, everything is transparent.
Abraham went to a primitive region, built an altar on a mountain, and there offered his only son Isaac (vv. 9-10). To build an altar there was not easy, and to offer his only son by killing him was even more difficult. But he did this. He truly meant business with the Lord. We also must build an altar and offer what God demands. This surely will cost us something.
We have seen the record of Abraham's obedience by faith. The faith with which he was thoroughly infused by God gave him this obedience. It was this infused faith that brought him to Mount Moriah where he enjoyed God's provision and had a thoroughly transparent vision from God. At that time there was no one on earth nor in the whole universe who was as clear about divine things as Abraham was. There, on Mount Moriah, Abraham experienced God's provision and received a clear vision. Everything was clear in his eyes. We must not read Genesis 22 merely as a story. We must receive divine light from it and see that Abraham's experience is being repeated in us today. Praise the Lord that we have today's Beer-sheba and Moriah. We are not going downward to Egypt; we are traveling upward to Mount Moriah, where we shall enjoy God's provision and have a transparent vision.