22:1 God did tempt. This is the first occurrence of the word “tempt” (Hebrew nacah). It does not mean “tempt to do evil” (James 1:13), but is usually translated “prove.” Although God knew what Abraham would do, it must be “proved” to all (including even Abraham himself) that he loved God more than anyone else and that his faith in God’s Word was absolute, thus demonstrating the validity of God’s selection of him as father of the chosen nation.

22:2 whom thou lovest. It is providentially significant that this is the first occurrence of the word “love” in the Bible, referring as it does to the love of a father for his son. The New Testament makes it clear that this story of Abraham and Isaac is not only true historically but is also a type of the heavenly Father and His only begotten Son, depicting the coming sacrifice on Mount Calvary. In a beautiful design (no doubt Spirit-inspired), it is appropriate that the first use of “love in each of the three synoptic gospels (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) shows the Father calling out from heaven that “this is my beloved Son,” at the baptism of Jesus (which, of course, also speaks of death and resurrection). In the Gospel of John, on the other hand, where the word “love” occurs more than in any other book of the Bible, its first occurrence is at John 3:16: “God so loved the world” that He, like Abraham, was willing to sacrifice His beloved Son.

22:2 offer him there. Note that God did not actually tell Abraham to slay his son, though it was natural that he would so understand it, but to offer him (compare Romans 12:1).

22:3 young men. The Hebrew word for “young men” is the same as “lad,” referring to Isaac, in Genesis 22:5,12. Thus Isaac was not a little boy at this time, and was undoubtedly acquainted with the Canaanite practice of sacrificing their firstborn sons to their gods. He could surely have escaped from his aged father had he not been willing himself to obey God’s command.

22:4 the place. Moriah was about thirty miles away, and was the place where David would later plan the Temple (II Chronicles 3:1), and where Christ Himself would one day be offered as the Lamb of God.

22:4 third day. The “third day” speaks also of the period of Christ’s burial.