The Binding of Isaac

The Binding of Isaac

We as believers know of the typology of Genesis 22

There are parallels:

He was begotten

He was promised

Genesis 22 is called the Akeidah in Hebrew

7 days a week it is read in morning prayer service

It is read on Rosh Ha Shanna

It is read once during regular reading cycle.

It is read 367 times a year

It is the most read and cherished chapter in the Bible to the Jews

(Hebrews 11:17-19, Hendrickson Literal Translation) "By faith, being tested, Abraham offered up Isaac . . . reckoning that God was able to raise him from the dead; from where indeed he obtained him in a parable."

What parable??

In what parable did Abraham obtain Isaac from the dead?

NIV render the passage as follows: "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."

Now lets look at rabbinic literature

R. Judah says: When the sword touched Isaac's throat his soul flew clean out of him. And when He let His voice be heard from between the cherubim, "Lay not thy hand upon the lad." The lad's soul was returned to his body. Then his father unbound him and Isaac rose, knowing that in this way the dead would come back to life in the future; whereupon he began to recite, "Blessed are You, LORD, who resurrects the dead." (Pirkei Rabbi Elieazer)

Because Jewish tradition and the Rabbinic writings treat Isaac as if he actually did die upon the altar, Isaac became an early symbol for resurrection.

The Midrash goes on to further emphasize the connection between Isaac, his Akeidah and resurrection, even going so far as to state that on Isaac's merit, all the dead will be resurrected in the future.

By virtue of Isaac who offered himself as a sacrifice on top of the altar, the Holy One blessed be He, will resurrect the dead in the future, as it is said, "To hear the groaning of him who is bound; to open up release for the offspring appointed to death." (Psalm 102:21) "Him who is bound" is interpreted as Isaac bound on top of the altar. "To open up release for the offspring appointed to death" [is interpreted] as the dead whose graves the Holy One, blessed be He, will open up so that He may set them on their feet in the Age to Come. (Mekilta Simeon)

The haftarah is II Kings 4:1-37

The story of the death of the Shunnamite's son and his miraculous resurrection at Elisha's hand.

Both stories were about boys prophetically promised to barren women who subsequently died and were miraculously restored.

But did Isaac really die?

Probably not, but it is definitely a concept well cemented in the early traditions and parables of Rabbinic Judaism.

The ram’s horns

It is believed that the left horn was used at Sinai at the giving of the Torah

The right horn will be used to herald the arrival of messiah

Slight problem though

"Was not the ram burnt as a burnt offering together with its horns, skin and flesh? How could this be the source of the shofar that was blown on Mount Sinai?"

Rabbi Bechaye says   "The answer is that God created a new ram out of the ashes." How can the horn from Isaac's ram be the horn that will herald the Messiah when that ram was completely burned? The answer is simple. The Ram was resurrected.

Genesis 22:8
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Speaking of Abraham's ram, there is an interesting textual problem around the description of this ram. It is an anomalous grammatical form in verse 13 which has caused many a Rabbi to scratch his head. The verse literally reads, "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a ram after caught in the thicket . . ." The Hebrew word "achar" is best translated as after. Its appearance in the text here seems somewhat clumsy and misplaced. In order to explain this, several possible interpretations have been made. The most widely accepted is the KJV, which renders the sentence, ". . . and behold, behind him, a ram caught in a thicket."

The sages struggle with the word. Does it mean the ram was behind Abraham? One commentator suggests that it means that the ram was caught in the thicket only after Abraham saw it. Another says that it was after the proceeding events that Abraham saw the ram. Still another opinion has it that Abraham saw the achareit yomim, "the last days." There are still other explanations, and all of them are possible, but none seem completely satisfactory. The question is, "Where and when did Abraham see the ram?" More literally, the construction of the sentence implies that he saw the lamb "afterwards." Some believers have suggested that perhaps it is a reference to a prophetic vision. Perhaps what is being implied is that when Abraham looked up, he saw not only this ram caught in the thicket, but he saw a future sacrifice, one that would come long after his day.

Where did and when did Abraham see the ram? Yeshua makes a statement about what Abraham saw. He says in the Gospel of John: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." (John 8:5-6) What did Abraham see? Perhaps he saw the Lamb provided by God.

It is recorded for us in the Mishnah (Avot 5:6) that this particular ram was created for this purpose since the first days of creation. In other words, Isaac's ram was prepared for sacrifice since the foundation of the world. In the same way, Peter described the Master as "a lamb without blemish or defect, chosen before the creation of the world." (1st Peter 1:19-20)

There are more parables and stories around the Akeidah. The Midrash is full of them. Some are well known and remembered even today. Some are more obscure. For example, consider the manner in which the midrash attempts to resolve the question of Isaac's absence at the end of the Genesis narrative. The Torah reads thus:

"So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba." (Genesis 22:19)

In the same stark, simple language with which it began, the Torah concludes the story of Akeidah by stating that Abraham returned to his servants and they went together to Beersheba. Conspicuously absent is Isaac. Why does the Torah not say, "Abraham and Isaac returned . . ." Twice previously the Torah emphatically stated that Abraham and Isaac went together. But here, at the conclusion of the passage, Abraham returns alone. Isaac is not seen in the Torah again until he meets his bride, Rebekah.

It is believed that Isaac remained in Salem to study under Melchizedek.

This being a Jewish book it sure sounds Christian

what does the word Akeidah mean? The word is actually derived from the Hebrew verb akod translated as "bound" in verse nine. It is an unusual word. Akod literally means "ringed" or "striped." Rashi explains that the use of this verb refers to the stripe-like marks left by ropes on the ankles and wrists of a person who is tied hand and foot. A person bound in this manner would bear the impression of the ropes on their skin. It is from this particular verb, akod, that we derive the word Akeidah. Therefore, the entire story is named after the marks left on Isaac's body.

Even the skeptic will have to admit that the Messianic foreshadowing, down to the choice of a single word, is astounding. Was it not Yeshua who was bound for sacrifice in such manner that his wrists and ankles were marked, even scarred for all eternity?