The Lamb, The Goat

Gen. 22:8  

And Abraham said, “the Mighty One will provide (or show) Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” 

Abraham later said that future generations would worship on the mountain where this took place and call it ‘YHWH will appear’ (Gen. 22:14 Peshitta). 

Shortly after YHWH had called Abraham a prophet two chapters earlier (Gen. 20:7), a story is told about Hagar and Ishmael. Gen. 21:9-21. When Sarah kicked Hagar and Ishmael out of Abraham’s home, Hagar soon came to be in a desperate situation. Having no resources, her only water for drinking was eventually diminished. She quickly lost all hope and hid her son in some bushes so she would not have to see him die from water deprivation.  

When she cried out in tears, YHWH answered her and assured her that he would not die and that he would become a great nation. YHWH opened her eyes and showed her a well to give water to her son. According to Genesis 21:19, the well had been in front of Hagar’s eyes all along. However, YHWH had to open her eyes before she could see it. 

In Genesis 22:8, Abraham told his son Isaac that YHWH would reveal the lamb. Seeing that YHWH had just called Abraham a prophet, his statement to his son had greater implications than the narrative might suggest. He also foretold that YHWH would reveal the Lamb to those who, like Hagar, need YHWH to open their eyes.

In John 1:29, the prophet Yochanan ben Zechariah (John the Baptist) recognized who Yeshua was as he was approaching and declared: 

Behold! The Lamb of the Mighty One who takes away the sin of the world!

He understood the Messianic nature of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isa. 53:6-7: 

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And YHWH has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

The language used in this prophecy is also used in Leviticus 16:21-22 concerning the scapegoat: 

putting [all their transgressions and sins] on the head of the goat, and shall send it away… The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a land cut off from the living.

The lamb mentioned in Genesis 22:8 cannot be understood as simply pointing to the ram used in the story. It can also be seen as a prophecy about Yeshua, the Scapegoat who would take away the sins of Abraham’s descendants.

Yeshua, YHWH’s Messenger who redeems (Gen. 48:16; Isa. 63:9), also carries our sins (Exo. 23:20-21; Isa. 53:4, 12). This means that Yeshua can identify with the animals used in two different ancient ceremonies. As the lamb of Passover, Yeshua redeems us from slavery to our sinful nature. As the goat of Yom Kippur, He takes our sins upon Himself.