Moriah
“Seen of Yahweh”
Summary
The mountain where Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac and where Solomon later built the Temple.
☩Abraham's Test
God commanded Abraham: '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' (Genesis 22:2). After three days' journey, Abraham built an altar and bound Isaac, but God provided a ram as substitute.
☩The Temple Site
'Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite' (2 Chronicles 3:1). This identification links Abraham's sacrifice with the Temple—the place of atonement.
☩Typological Significance
Abraham's offering Isaac, his 'only begotten son' (Hebrews 11:17), on Moriah prefigures the Father offering His Son for the world's redemption. Abraham's declaration 'God will provide himself a lamb' (Genesis 22:8) received ultimate fulfillment when Christ, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed near this same mountain.
☩Name Meaning
Abraham named the place 'Jehovah-jireh' ('The LORD Will Provide'), commemorating God's provision (Genesis 22:14). The name Moriah may mean 'seen of Yah' or 'vision of the LORD,' connecting with both Abraham's experience and the Temple where God chose to 'put his name.'