Where Is the Lamb? Yeshua in Genesis 22
- Ron Cantor
- Jul 11
- 4 min read
Shabbat Shalom!
“God will provide for Himself the lamb.” Those words, spoken by Abraham to his son Isaac on the slopes of Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:8), echo across the pages of Scripture like a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled.
Isaac had just asked the question every reader is wondering: “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7)
Abraham’s response reveals a deep trust in God—but also something more. They had everything they needed, but the lamb. You have to wonder if Isaac was getting a little suspicious?
The Unexpected Provision
When they reached the summit and Abraham prepared to sacrifice his only son, the angel of the Lord stopped him. Isaac was spared. But then, in a nearby thicket, Abraham saw a ram—not a lamb—caught by its horns. He sacrificed it in Isaac’s place.
It was a powerful moment: God provided a substitute. But the detail is striking. Abraham said God would provide a lamb, yet God provided a ram. Why?
שֶׂה
(seh) in Genesis 22:8 is a general word for a young sheep—often translated “lamb,” especially in sacrificial contexts.
אַ֫יִל
Because the lamb was still to come.
Understanding Ancient Covenants
In the context of ancient Near Eastern covenants, two parties would pledge loyalty—even to the point of sacrificing their most treasured possessions. When God entered into covenant with Abraham, He eventually asked for Abraham’s most prized possession—his son Isaac, the child of promise. In a stunning act of obedience, Abraham offered Isaac, trusting that God could raise him from the dead if necessary (Heb. 11:17–19). But because of the covenant relationship, Abraham could also, in turn, call upon God for His most treasured possession—His Son, Yeshua, the Lamb of God. On Mount Moriah, God provided a ram in Isaac’s place, but the true fulfillment came centuries later when God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all—ironically, less than a kilometer from Mount Moriah. This mutual exchange reveals the depth of covenantal love: Abraham gave his son in faith, and God gave His Son in redemption.
A Prophecy in Disguise
Thus, Abraham’s words, “God will provide the lamb,” weren’t just a statement of faith—they were a prophecy. They pointed forward to another day, on another hill near Moriah, where another beloved Son would carry wood on His back.
But this time, there would be no voice from heaven to intervene.
No ram caught in the thicket.
No substitute to take His place.
Because He was the Lamb.
As John the Baptist earlier proclaimed: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Yeshua was the Lamb that Abraham had foretold. The ram on Mount Moriah was a shadow; Jesus was the substance. As Derek Kidner writes, “Abraham’s words proved more prophetic than he could have guessed: the saying was gloriously fulfilled at Calvary.”¹
The Heart of the Gospel
Genesis 22 gives us a breathtaking glimpse of the gospel long before the crucifixion. We see:
- A father willing to give up his only son.
- A son submitting to his father's will. (We often overlook the faith of Isaac, trusting Abraham to bind him to the altar.)
- A substitutionary sacrifice provided by God.
But it’s only in Yeshua that these elements reach their full expression. He is the Lamb God provided—not just for Isaac, but for all of us.
“He was pierced for our transgressions… and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:5–7)
The Church Father Ambrose of Milan once reflected, “Isaac bore the wood, but [Messiah] bore the cross. Isaac was bound by his father, but Christ was bound by his own will.”²
So, Where Is the Lamb?
Abraham's answer was fulfilled in the Messiah. The Lamb has come. The Lamb was slain. The Lamb has risen.
So if you ever find yourself wondering if God sees you, if He will provide, if He understands the weight you carry—remember this: He has already provided the Lamb. The actual word for provide is Yireh—you have probably sung the song, Jehovah Jireh, but it doesn’t mean provide. Well, not technically. It means God sees… He sees the need, and he provides it. In this sense, Abraham had to wait 2000 years, but wasn’t the answer the greatest of all time?!
[1] Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008), 140.
[2] Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Christian Faith, trans. H. De Romestin, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 10, ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 256.
A merciful, loving, kind God would not expect from Abraham to make a bigger sacrifice than he was willing to make himself.