Genesis 22:1–24
22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.”
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.
7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”
And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”
Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
He replied, “Here I am.”
12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
14 And Abraham named that place The LORD Will Provide, so today it is said: “It will be provided on the LORD’s mountain.”
15 Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven
16 and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the LORD’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son,
17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies.
18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”
19 Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.
REBEKAH’S FAMILY
20 Now after these things Abraham was told, “Milcah also has borne sons to your brother Nahor:
21 Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram,
22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
23 And Bethuel fathered Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
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📜 Lecture: The Testing of Abraham and the Promise Renewed (Genesis 22)
Good morning, everyone. Today we are focusing on one of the most pivotal and challenging narratives in the entire Hebrew Bible: Genesis chapter 22. This chapter is often called "The Binding of Isaac" (or the Akedah in Hebrew) and it serves as a profound test of faith, obedience, and God's provision.
I. The Command: A Supreme Test of Obedience (vv. 1–2)
The chapter opens starkly: "God tested Abraham." The nature of this test is unprecedented in its severity.
The Demand: God commands Abraham to take his son, Isaac, his "only son, whom you love," and offer him as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah.
The Stakes: Isaac is the son of the promise. He is the child through whom Abraham was told his descendants would become a great nation. Sacrificing Isaac is not just giving up a child; it is seemingly destroying the entire future God had promised.
The Paradox: How could the God who promised a great lineage through Isaac now command his destruction? This is the ultimate spiritual and ethical dilemma Abraham faced.
II. The Journey: Silent and Resolute Faith (vv. 3–8)
Abraham's response is one of immediate, silent obedience. There are no recorded protests, pleas, or arguments, unlike his earlier conversation with God over Sodom.
The Preparation (v. 3): Abraham rises early, saddles his donkey, prepares the wood, and sets out. His promptness underscores his resolve.
The Three-Day Walk (v. 4): The journey to Mount Moriah lasts three days, a period of sustained anticipation and emotional agony for Abraham, emphasizing the intentionality of his decision.
The Foreshadowing (vv. 5–6): Abraham tells his young men, "The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you." This statement is often interpreted as a remarkable expression of faith—Abraham likely believed God would raise Isaac from the dead to keep the promise, as referenced later in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:19).
The Burden: Isaac carries the wood for his own sacrifice, a powerful image of quiet, shared suffering.
The Question (v. 7): Isaac asks the innocent, heartbreaking question: "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
The Answer (v. 8): Abraham's iconic reply: "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." This is a definitive declaration of his trust in God's power and provision.
III. The Provision: Interruption and Revelation (vv. 9–14)
At the final, crucial moment, God intervenes.
The Binding (v. 9): They arrive at the location. Abraham builds the altar, arranges the wood, and binds his son Isaac, placing him on the altar.
The Climax (vv. 10–12): As Abraham raises the knife, the Angel of the LORD calls out from heaven. The sacrifice is prevented.
The Validation: The angel declares: "For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me." The test is complete, and Abraham's ultimate loyalty is confirmed. The test was not for God's knowledge, but for Abraham's demonstration.
The Substitute (v. 13): Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. He offers the ram as a burnt offering in place of his son.
The Name (v. 14): Abraham names the place Yahweh-Yireh, meaning "The LORD Will Provide." This name serves as an eternal reminder that in our greatest need, God provides the solution.
IV. The Promise Renewed: The Covenant Confirmed (vv. 15–19)
Following the demonstration of faith, the covenant promise is powerfully reiterated and sworn by God Himself.
God’s Oath (v. 16): God swears "by myself," because there is no one greater for Him to swear by. This makes the promise absolute and unchangeable.
The Blessing (v. 17): The promises are amplified:
Countless Offspring: "as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore."
Victory: "Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies."
The Global Impact (v. 18): The promise is clarified to include a universal blessing: "And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command." This highlights that Abraham's faith has consequences far beyond his own family.
V. Postscript: Rebekah’s Family (vv. 20–24)
The chapter concludes with a seemingly disconnected genealogy, but it is vital for setting up the next phase of the narrative.
News from Nahor: Abraham receives news about the descendants of his brother, Nahor.
The Key Figure: The list includes the name Bethuel, who is the father of Rebekah. This information is crucial because Rebekah will soon become the wife of Isaac (Chapter 24), ensuring the continuation of the promised lineage.
Conclusion
Genesis 22 is a story of ultimate trust. It defines what it means to put God before one's dearest possessions and even one's destiny. It answers the question of whether Abraham's faith was genuine. It establishes the principle of substitutionary provision—the ram for the son—and it permanently seals the covenant, confirming that God is faithful and will provide what is needed to fulfill His own promises.
Does anyone have questions about the ethics, theology, or narrative structure of this profound chapter?
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