Abraham Demonstrates his Obedience in the Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22: 1-18)

The Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22: 1-18):

God tests us as Christians. God can ask you to do something you find difficult. You are to obey Him because you love Him and want to live your life according to His will. God tested Abraham.

God told Abraham in Genesis 22: 2 (NKJV),

“Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Genesis 22: 2 (NKJV)

Abraham woke up the next morning and prepared his donkey. He set out on the journey to Mount Moriah with two young men, his son Issac (who was still a boy, that is, twelve years old or younger) and the wood for the burnt offering (that is, the sacrifice). When Abraham saw the location God had told him to go to, he asked the young men to wait with the donkey while he and his son went to prepare the sacrifice.

As Isaac walked with his dad to prepare the sacrifice he noticed they did not have everything they needed. So Isaac told his dad he could see they had the fire and wood for the burnt offering but he noticed they did not have the lamb. Abraham told his son God would provide and they continued on their journey.

Once Abraham got to Mount Moriah he built an altar. He then tied his son, placed him on wood and laid him on the altar to be sacrificed.

Abraham held a knife in his hand and raised his hand to kill his son. Before Abraham could harm Isaac the Angel of the Lord spoke to him from heaven, Genesis 22 verse 11-12 (NKJV) says;

But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” and He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Genesis 22: 11-12

Abraham looked up and saw there was a ram caught in the thicketA thicket is a dense group of bushes or trees. More (a dense group of bushes or trees). So he took the ram and sacrificed it instead of his son. Abraham called this place The Lord-Will-Provide (Jehovah Jireh).

The Angel of the Lord called Abraham again and told Abraham he would be blessed, and his descendants would be multiplied and own the gates of their enemies. The Angel also said all the nations of the earth will be blessed by his seed. Abraham was given all these blessings because he was willing to sacrifice his young son.