IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

God Tells Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac

Date: Mar. 12, 2025

Passage

Genesis 22:1-24 (ESV)

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And 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 they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 22:2

He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Such a command is unthinkable – a reverting of God’s promise. The test for Abraham was to trust God with not only his own life, but with his son – his only son – whom he loves. This is the first time the word love appears in the Bible. Abraham’s love for Isaac is a foreshadow of God’s love for his Son Jesus (Mt 3:17), whom he sacrificed for us. Silently preparing, taking the journey, engaging with Isaac as they ascend the mountain, even to the point of binding the boy and wielding the knife – all of it tested Abraham’s confidence in God who would “provide;” Abraham’s faith was justified.

The name Moriah means region of seeing. In a play on words, Abraham calls the place “YHWH sees to it,” or “the LORD Provides.” It meant more than he could imagine. The ram provided atonement for Isaac; the temple built here centuries later provided atonement for Israel (2Ch 3:1). But the temple points to Jesus (Jn 2:19-21), and his atoning sacrifice opened the way of salvation for all people. The LORD Provides indeed!

God tested Abraham because he wanted to transfer the covenant from being conditionally based on Abraham’s obedience (12:1-3) to an unconditional covenant based on God alone (16).

Prayer: Father, you have provided everything in Jesus. Help me to trust you with all that I love.

One Word: The New Covenant is unconditional

Daily Bread

Seek Me and Live

Amos 5:1-13

Key Verse: 5:6a

  Seek the LORD and live,
    lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
    and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,

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