Introduction To Burnt Offerings
If you’ve been in church for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the story of Abraham and Isaac. It’s one of the most well-known accounts in the Old Testament. But most people stop at the surface — a father willing to sacrifice his son, God stepping in at the last second, and a ram caught in a thicket.
But if that’s all we see here, we’ve missed the whole point. The Bible goes deeper eternally.
Genesis 22 is not just a story about faith. It’s not just about obedience. It’s a prophetic picture of the greatest act of love and the greatest act of judgment the world has ever seen — God providing Himself as the burnt offering. If you don’t believe me, you can open your eyes today and see the truth in the Bible.
Now, a burnt offering in the Bible wasn’t just an animal being killed. It was a sacrifice that was completely consumed by fire. Nothing was held back. Nothing was kept for the priest. It all went up in smoke before the Lord.
And that’s important, because when Jesus Christ died for our sins, He didn’t just suffer physically on the cross — His very soul was made an offering for sin, bearing the fire of God’s wrath so we would never have to.
Genesis 22 is the foundation. From here on, every burnt offering in the Old Testament is a shadow of what happened at Calvary, and what happened in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
So today, we’re going to step into this mountain scene with Abraham and Isaac. We’re going to see the wood, the fire, the knife, the question, the prophecy, and the substitute. And we’re going to realize that 2,000 years later, on another hill not far from here, God kept His promise: He provided Himself a Lamb for a burnt offering.
I. The Testing of Abraham’s Faith
Genesis 22:1-2
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
God tests faith to prove it genuine. God didn’t tempt Abraham to sin. He tested Abraham. Isaac was Abraham’s only son of promise — a type of God’s only begotten Son. The land of Moriah is not random — it will become central to God’s plan of redemption.
God commands Abraham to offer Isaac there upon ONE OF THE MOUNTAINS. Mount Moriah is the same ridge where Solomon built the temple—the altar for sacrifices stood in this very location. Golgotha or Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, is just outside the walls of Jerusalem on the same mountain range.
You’ll see later in verse 14 that the place is called Jehovah-Jireh. This is a prophecy: In this mount, God will provide the Lamb. Almost 2,000 years later Jesus carried His cross up the same ridge to the final burnt offering. Make sure you understand what I’m saying here. This is Bible. This is not a made up fairy tale. I’m going to show you this in the Scriptures.
Now, look closely again right there at the end of verse 2, before you start bashing me out there about Jesus being a burnt offering. God commands Abraham, EXACT WORDS, offer him there for a burnt offering. I didn’t say it. God said it.
III. The Picture of Substitution in the Burnt Offering
Genesis 22:3-4
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
Isaac carried the wood — Jesus carried His cross. Look, there’s way too many parallels here to try to ignore all of these things and to say this isn’t a picture of Jesus Christ and the offering He made for us.
Three days in Abraham’s mind = death and resurrection.
Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy.
Burnt offering = completely consumed — a picture of total judgment for sin.
In the Law of Moses, a burnt offering wasn’t just killing an animal and placing a piece on the altar — it was the entire animal being completely consumed by fire.
Leviticus 1:9
But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Burn all — not some, not most, but all of it was burned. Nothing from the burnt offering was eaten by the priests (unlike peace or sin offerings). It was reduced to ashes — nothing left but smoke and residue.
Fire represents God’s wrath and judgment. When an animal was completely consumed upon the altar, it showed that sin deserves complete destruction, God’s judgment leaves nothing untouched, and there’s no partial penalty. The whole penalty was paid.
And keep in mind that it wasn’t just a lamb being killed on the altar. It was a burnt offering.
Ephesians 5:2
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Now, you can try to discount this all you want out there. Burnt offerings are described as a sweetsmelling savour to God. Was Jesus Christ a burnt offering? Please, let’s keep studying the Bible.
We know Isaac is going to be offered as a burnt offering. Abraham’s one and only son. Hey, this is a picture of Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus was a burnt offering. How? His body wasn’t burned. So what else was left to be a burnt offering? The Bible clearly says His soul was not left in hell and hell is a place of fire and burning.
And look, I’m not going to back off of this. This is the Scriptures. I was there for a little while, but I go back to the Scriptures. And I MUST stick to the Scriptures. And there’s absolutely overwhelming evidence that Jesus was a burnt offering. The Bible CLEARLY says these things. Jesus is the ultimate burnt offering.
And look, we will not decrease faith in God’s words. Don’t do it. It’s right here in the Bible.
IV. Isaac’s Question – The Missing Lamb
Genesis 22:6-7
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
The cry of the Old Testament: Where is the Lamb? Please make sure you see that right there. I want you to see it all. This is amazingly important to see. Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering. He laid it upon Isaac HIS SON. And he took the fire in HIS HAND.
And then we see the cry throughout all of the Old Testament. Again, make sure you see it in God’s words: “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Isaac wasn’t the Lamb of God.
The answer to “Where is the Lamb?” is clearly answered in the New Testament.
John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:34-36
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. 35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
The Son of God equals the Lamb of God equals Jesus Christ equals the burnt offering for our sins. “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Don’t miss this wisdom from the Bible. Don’t choose to go with a man’s word, the words of a professor in a college, a seminary, a pastor, a preacher, a highly respected man in this world OVER the word of God.
Jesus is the Lamb of God. And it’s not just one Scripture. There’s tons of them that tell you Jesus is the Lamb of God. Isaac said, “Where is THE LAMB for a BURNT OFFERING?”
V. Abraham’s Prophecy – God Will Provide Himself
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.
Not “for Himself” — but Himself. The burnt offering was a prophecy of God in human flesh enduring the fire of judgment for our sins.
Now, I want to make sure you don’t miss this. Look, if there are people out there telling you that Jesus wasn’t a burnt offering, you get to make your choice right now. You’re here and you’re seeing this. You’re online and you’re seeing this. You get to make the choice. Increase your faith in God’s words or decrease your faith in God’s words.
Here it is—all right there for you to see with the eyes that God gave you. Or to hear with the ears that God gave you. Let’s slow it down.
“And Abraham said, My son, God will provide HIMSELF a LAMB for a BURNT OFFERING.” Now don’t try to twist these words and slither your way out of that as the devil would. We’ve all done that before. Don’t try to ignore the depth of God’s words either.
People will hate me and reject me for preaching what God’s word says, but let me tell you, I don’t care. I’m going to continue with what God says. Hate me for that and please tell me whose side you’re on while you’re at it.
If Jesus, God Himself, wasn’t a burnt offering, then you call God a liar. You do. And I’m not going to do that. Men are the liars. God is not the liar.
Let’s say it one more time: “God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”
And look, some will attempt to take the way of the serpent and slither right out of that verse for some reason. Don’t do it. They will try to say that it means God would provide the burnt offering right then and there. And God does, but God doesn’t provide a lamb. And God doesn’t lie to us either. The Scriptures are 100% truth.
VI. God’s Substitute Provided
Genesis 22:9-10
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Genesis 22:11-12
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Genesis 22:13-14
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 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.
The angel of the Lord stops Abraham because Isaac is not THE BURNT OFFERING we’re talking about here. Jesus Christ is THE BURNT OFFERING.
And then a RAM is provided for the burnt offering. Not a lamb. A ram. The underlying words are different. Don’t try to say there is no prophecy of Jesus Christ within these Scriptures. Ram and lamb are different words. A lamb is a young sheep or goat often under a year old. A ram is a full grown male sheep with horns. These are not interchangeable terms in Hebrew or in English.
The ram was the immediate substitute for Isaac but was the prophetic Lamb that Abraham spoke of here. The ram saved Isaac from dying that day, but THE LAMB saved you from hell forever. There’s a big difference there.
In verse 13, you see the term “In the stead of” — this is the language of substitutionary atonement. The ram didn’t save Isaac’s soul from sin. Jesus Christ saved Isaac’s soul from sin. “Offered him up for a burnt offering.”
Make sure you see the last part too that I mentioned earlier. “Jehovah-jireh” equals IN THE MOUNT OF THE LORD IT SHALL BE SEEN. He’s telling you this is a prophecy of Jesus Christ. We’re talking about Jesus Christ.
He will be a burnt offering. There is 100% nothing to doubt here. In Genesis 22 alone, the phrase “burnt offering” is used in verse 2, verse 3, verse 6, verse 7, verse 8, and verse 13. This is a prophecy of Jesus Christ and the word burnt offering is used 6 times. There are exact words that say: “God will provide HIMSELF a LAMB for a BURNT OFFERING.”
VII. Application – The Burnt Offering is About Complete Judgment
Isaiah 53:10
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Burnt = nothing left but ashes. Jesus’ body died on the cross; His soul was made an offering for sin. The fire of God’s wrath was fully poured out — and in that mount, God provided.
This is God’s way of saying: “My justice is total. My wrath is complete. When Jesus stands in your place, nothing is left you to pay.”
Completely paid for in death and hell. For the wages of sin is death. A physical death and a spiritual death. God’s judgment for your sin was paid for in full by the Lord Jesus Christ. He took God’s judgment for sin which includes hell.
And if you don’t believe Jesus is a burnt offering for our sins just after seeing Genesis 22, I’ll show you more in the future. This doctrine is taught clearly and abundantly throughout the Bible.
Conclusion: Did Jesus Go To Gell—The Burnt Offering
Genesis 22 is not just history — it’s prophecy. On the very mountain where Abraham lifted the knife, God lifted the cross. On the same ridge where Isaac was spared, Jesus was not spared. We are all spared by Jesus Christ. You can see this.
The fire of judgment that should have consumed you and me was taken by Jesus Christ. And He suffered for us. But He conquered death and hell for us. He’s the only one that could have done that. God alone is THE only Savior.
Jesus Christ is THE BURNT OFFERING prophesied of within the Holy Scriptures. And that’s the truth. It’s your decision to take it or leave it. I highly recommend you take it. Believe the Scriptures. Increase your faith!
Let’s pray.
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