*Genesis 22:1-19
God tests Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice Isaac, but an angel intervenes at the last moment, and a ram is provided instead.
- God’s Testing of Abraham:
- God calls upon Abraham and instructs him to take his son, his only son Isaac, whom he loves, to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains God will show him.
- This command is a test of Abraham’s faith and obedience to God’s will, challenging him to sacrifice his beloved son.
- Abraham’s Obedience:
- Early the next morning, Abraham rises and prepares for the journey as God commanded.
- He saddles his donkey, takes two of his servants and Isaac with him, and sets out for the land of Moriah.
- The Journey to Moriah:
- After three days of travel, Abraham sees the place in the distance where God had directed him.
- He instructs the servants to wait with the donkey while he and Isaac proceed to worship God, promising to return to them afterward.
- Isaac’s Question:
- As they journey, Isaac notices that they have the wood and the fire for the offering but asks his father about the lamb for the burnt offering.
- Abraham responds that God will provide the lamb for the offering, indicating his trust in God’s provision.
- Abraham’s Preparation for Sacrifice:
- Upon reaching the place God had designated, Abraham builds an altar and arranges the wood for the burnt offering.
- He binds Isaac, his son, and places him on the altar, ready to sacrifice him as God had commanded.
- Divine Intervention:
- Just as Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac, the angel of the Lord calls out to him from heaven, telling him not to harm the boy.
- The angel praises Abraham’s obedience and faithfulness and informs him that God has provided a ram caught in the thicket as a substitute for Isaac.
- God’s Blessing and Promise:
- Abraham sees the ram and offers it as a burnt offering instead of his son Isaac.
- The angel of the Lord blesses Abraham, reaffirming God’s promise to bless him abundantly and multiply his descendants.
- The Naming of the Place:
- Abraham names the place “The Lord Will Provide” (Jehovah Jireh), acknowledging God’s provision of the ram for the sacrifice.
- This event becomes a proverbial saying, emphasizing God’s faithfulness and provision for His people.
22:1 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.
22:2 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.
22:3 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.
22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
22:6 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.
22:7 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? 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
22:9 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.
22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
22:12 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.
22:13 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.
22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
22:19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.