Abraham Obeyed the LORD
This is the story of the testing of Abraham and Isaac. It is an example of trust and obeying the LORD God even when it was hard and sad. Genesis 22:1-18
Sarah and Abraham loved Isaac their son. Isaac was living evidence that the LORD God keeps His promises and is faithful. Sarah was over 100 years old when she gave birth to Isaac. Isaac had grown up to be a good young boy. Several years later the LORD God tested Abraham. The LORD told Abraham to take his son Isaac, his only son, the son Abraham loved so much, to the land called Moriah. Abraham was to make a burnt offering upon one of the mountains to the LORD God.
Abraham was broken hearted but trusted what the LORD told him to do. Early in the morning Abraham rose up, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. They took wood for the burnt offering, and went unto the place that God told him to go.
They had journeyed for three days and could see their destination in the distance. Abraham said to his servants to stay with the donkey. Isaac and Abraham went up to worship as the LORD had told him to do. Together Abraham and Isaac climbed the steep pathway toward that place where the LORD was showing them. Poor Abraham, his heart was breaking and he could not speak as they walked.
Isaac was the first one to speak to his father Abraham. He said here is the firewood but here is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham told him that the LORD would provide the lamb. They walked on.
When they finally reached the place, Abraham built an altar and set the wood on it. Then he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the stone altar. Abraham looked up into the heaven and slowly raised his knife to slay his son. Then an angel of the LORD called out, “Abraham, Abraham: Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”
Suddenly, Abraham heard the sound of a ram bleating in the bushed. It was caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham was so happy. Abraham cut Isaac loose, took the ram, and sacrificed it unto the LORD. So Abraham called that place “Jehovahjireh.” That is a hard name to pronounce it is Mount Moriah and it honors this very story where the angel LORD prevented Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac and provided the ram as a substitute. The angel of the LORD called Abraham a second time. The message the angel of the LORD gave Abraham was; “for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that 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; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Abraham and Isaac were so happy because Abraham had obeyed the LORD God and He was happy with him.
What We Can Learn From This Story?
The LORD God was testing Abraham to see if he still loved the Him. Some believe that it was a test more to show Abraham how much he loved the LORD God. It is important to trust and obeying the LORD God even when it was hard and sad.
Abraham did not know the reason why God should ask him to give Isaac back as an offering. He could not understand how the promises concerning Isaac would be fulfilled if now he must offer Isaac upon an altar, just like the lambs which he had given to God at other times. But Abraham believed that God understood why, and so he was not afraid to obey. Abraham knew that he had surely pleased God, and Isaac knew that his life was precious in the sight of the LORD God.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Abraham Obeyed the LORD:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Oct 2014.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1632,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2014, October) “Abraham Obeyed the LORD:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1632 ,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2014) “Abraham Obeyed the LORD:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (October), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1632 , (accessed).
