Genesis 22:8, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb…”

The story surrounding the land of Moriah has always struck an emotional chord in my heart. There’s something sad, yet soothing, about the word, Moriah. Mount Moriah is the site where Solomon’s Temple was built, and it was also the location of the Second Temple during Jesus’ earthly ministry 2,000 years ago. For many people today, it is best known as the Temple Mount. Two Muslim structures now occupy that space. For the past several years, they have only been accessible to those of the Muslim faith. I was able to go into the Dome of the Rock before these restrictions were imposed. The Dome of the Rock sits on the place where Abraham intended to offer his son, Isaac, until God stopped him.

If you look at Genesis 22:8, most translations leave out the word “Himself.” I suppose they feel it is redundant. Some rearrange the verse to read, “God Himself will provide a sacrifice.” Sometimes our rearranging of words can alter the meaning of what was said. Abraham’s statement was in response to his son, Isaac, asking, “Where is the lamb?”

The wording of the King James Version adds a depth of prophetic insight that some translations miss. Did God provide a sacrifice for Abraham so that he didn’t have to give his son? Yes, He did. However, we know that what God did not require of Abraham, He required of Himself. Hundreds of years later, John the Baptist answered Isaac’s question when he saw Jesus coming to be baptized: “Behold the Lamb…” God gave His Son. He provided a part of the Godhead as a sacrifice for all mankind. Moriah: land of sacrifice, land of atonement, land where a relationship with the Father is restored.