Gen. 22:1-24 Two Sections

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Abraham Tested

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

2Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

This is where I see the promise of God unfolding. He has asked Abraham to take his one and only son, which he has waited for a lifetime to have, to offer as a sacrifice. In this same way, Christ was offered as a sacrifice. He took all the sins of the world upon His shoulders. All of them. Thank You, God.

3Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.

I see faith here. When Abraham says, "We will come back to you," I believe he trusted God to save his son. Maybe he did not know how, just like we don't know how to get through some situations, but if we only had that much faith!

6Abraham 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. 7Isaac spoke up and 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?"

8Abraham answered, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

It is at this point, if this were a movie, I would have lost it. Can you imagine what Isaac's father must have been feeling? Was he praying? Did he know? Did he really trust God that much? Did he lie to Isaac? I want answers! lol.

9When they reached the 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. 10Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

12"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."

This is how I get confused about the angel of the LORD and God Himself. The angel is speaking to him, right? Then why is he speaking as though he were God?

13Abraham 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. 14So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

15The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from Heaven a second time 16and said, "I swear by Myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and not withheld your son, your only son, 17I 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, 18and through your offspring all nations on earth will blessed, because you have obeyed Me."

19Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Am I the only one who is curious about what Isaac thinks about this whole matter? I cannot imagine my father bounding me up on an altar! Did he have any scars emotionally, or is this a new phenomena?

Nahor's Sons

20Some time later Abraham was told, "Milcah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kamuel (the father of Aram), 22Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidiaph and Bethuel." 23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. 24His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maachah.

Please remember to check Bible.org's reading/discussion of Chapter 22. It is very thought provoking.

Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Heb. 13:1-3

Originally posted 1/28/2006 @ 9:53 pm