Abraham and Isaac

Introduction: After some time, Abraham sent Ishmael away to establish his own lineage, leaving Abraham with only one son, Isaac, the son of promise. 1 There came a time that God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" and he replied, "Here I am." Then

God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will show you." Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. Abraham took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. So Abraham cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the mountain in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here

with the donkey while I and the boy go up on the mountain. We will worship and then we’ll come back to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire

and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God will provide himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."

And the two of them went on together. When they reached t he place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because

you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself,

declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."