1 “And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 2 And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 3 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come again to you. 4 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together. 5 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father; and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? 6 And Abraham said, God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son; so they went both of them together. 7 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 8 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 9 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham; and he said, Here am I. 10 And he said, 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. 11 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. 12 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh; as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be provided. 13 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, 14 and said, By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; 15 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 seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 16 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice. 17 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) After what things did the Lord especially test Abraham? How well did Abraham know the voice of the Lord? V. 1. Note 1. (2) What startling command did that voice give? What was still left untold? V. 2. (3) How long did Abraham wait before obeying? Who went with him? What did they take with them? V. 3. (4) What did Abraham see on the third day? V. 4. (5) What remarkably truthful statement did Abraham make to the young men? V. 5. (6) Upon whom did he place the wood? What other well-beloved Son carried the wood? Who carried the fire and the knife? V. 6. What do these symbols mean as types? (7) What endearing words now fell from the lips of Isaac? And where was his father? What did Isaac then vividly behold? What did he not yet see? V. 7. Compare with Christ in the garden. (8) What prophetic reply did Abraham make? Still how did they go on? V. 8. Did the heavenly Father and His only-begotten Son ever part in Spirit? (9) When they came to the place that the Lord had indicated, what four things did Abraham do? V. 9. (10) What did Abraham then stretch forth his hand to do? V. 10. (11) What voice did he hear addressing him? What did Abraham say? V. 11. (12) What command did the angel give him? What did the angel of the covenant say he knew? V. 12. Did Abraham now know the voice? Was Isaac the promised seed? (13) What substitute was here presented? V. 13. (14) What did Abraham call this place? What saying was common when Moses wrote? V. 14. Note 2. (15) Who called Abraham the second time? From what place? V. 15. (16) By whom did he make his oath? V. 16. Why? Heb. 6:13-18. (17) What promise is renewed in this oath? Gen. 22:17, 18. In what sense would Abraham’s seed possess the “gate of his enemies”? (18) Why was God now able to “give” His covenant? V. 18. Note 3. (19) To whom did Abraham and Isaac now go? and where did they all go together to dwell? V. 19.
Suggestive Readings.—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” pp. 145-155; “Spirit of Prophecy,” pp. 97-101.
NOTES.
ADDITIONAL STUDY.
1. Read Genesis 20 and 21, and note Abraham’s relations with Abimelech, his test of faith and obedience in sending away Hagar and Ishmael according to Sarah’s word.
2. That the everlasting covenant was made with others than Abraham, see 2 Sam. 23:5; Isa. 54:10, etc.
3. At his birth he was called Isaac, laughter, rejoicing. How does this illustrate the birth of Christ?
4. Satan’s design in tempting us is our destruction; God’s design is our salvation. Study carefully Heb. 11:17-19.
5. Name in order, and locate as far as possible, all the places where Abraham sojourned or pitched his tent since leaving Haran.
6. Abraham had forsaken home, countrymen, and earthly friends, had become a pilgrim in a strange land, had been entirely separated from Lot, had exiled Hagar and Ishmael, and now was asked to offer up his only-begotten son. Why was all this? See James 2:21-23.
7. How many times did the Lord renew His promise to Abraham? Note the additional surety in each case.
8. Draw a careful parallel between Abraham and Isaac’s experiences in this chapter, and that of the Father and Son before and at Calvary.
