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Abraham and Isaac — Abraham, Isaac, God
Old Testament · Genesis 22:1-19

Abraham and Isaac

God tested Abraham's faith in a way no parent should ever have to face. He called Abraham to take his beloved son Isaac to the region of Moriah and offer him there as a sacrifice. Without arguing or hesitating, Abraham rose early the next morning, saddled his donkey, gathered wood for the offering, and set out with Isaac and two servants.

On the third day, Abraham saw the place in the distance. He left the servants behind, placed the wood on Isaac's shoulders, and carried the fire and the knife himself. As they walked, Isaac asked, "Father, we have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?" Abraham answered simply, "God himself will provide the lamb."

At the place God had shown him, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, and bound Isaac upon it. Just as he raised the knife, an angel of the Lord called out from heaven, stopping him. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," the angel said. "Now I know that you fear God."

Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a nearby thicket. He offered it in Isaac's place, and named that spot "The Lord Will Provide" -- a reminder that God sees, and God provides, even in our hardest moments of trust.

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  1. 22:1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
  2. 22:2And 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.
  3. 22:3And 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.
  4. 22:4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
  5. 22:5And 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,
  6. 22:6And 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.
  7. 22:7And 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?
  8. 22:8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
  9. 22:9And 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.
  10. 22:10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
  11. 22:11And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
  12. 22:12And 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.
  13. 22:13And 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.
  14. 22:14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
  15. 22:15And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
  16. 22:16And 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:
  17. 22:17That 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;
  18. 22:18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
  19. 22:19So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
Read the full chapter in the Bible (Genesis 22) →

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