Story 7: Abraham’s Test

Genesis 22:1-19

The Bridge: Abraham loved his son Isaac very much. This was the first time in the Bible the word LOVE appears. God wanted to see if Abraham loved Him more than Isaac. The pagan nations around Abraham sacrificed their children all the time, but God had never asked the sacrifice of a child before, just animals. As a test of Abraham’s trust, God asked him to offer his son to Him.

The Story:

• God said , “…Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you” (Genesis 22:2).
• Remembering all of God’s promises that He had made about blessing him with many descendants through Isaac, “Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3).
• Abraham told the young men, “…Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you” (Genesis 22:5). Abraham trusted that God would keep His promise to bless him with descendants from Isaac.
• “Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son…” (Genesis 22:6-8).
• He then tied up Isaac, laid him on the altar, and was ready to slay his son with his knife when the Angel of the Lord stopped him.
• And the Lord said, “…now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son from Me” (Genesis 22:12). God provided a ram that was caught in the thicket to sacrifice as a substitute.

What are the similarities between Abraham offering his son Isaac and God offering His Son Jesus?

What is the major difference?