Bible Story - A Man to Kill His Only Son as Sacrifice

The Boy Isaac

Abraham was a servant of God whom God promised that He would give him a son whose descendants would be a great nation.

That son was born to Abraham when he was 100 years and his wife whose name was Sarah was 90 years.

Abraham named the child Isaac.

Isaac was Abraham’s only son. He earlier had a son by a slave woman named Hagar. But Abraham’s wife, Hagar told him to send the slave woman and her son away because she (Hagar) didn’t want the slave woman’s son to inherit any part of Abraham’s wealth.

Abraham sent Hagar and her son away and was only left with Isaac as an only son.

God Commands Abraham to Offer Isaac as a Sacrifice

One day, God tested Abraham’s faith. He called Abraham and said to him, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.”

Abraham obeyed God. Early the next morning, he cut some wood for the sacrifice, loaded his donkey and took two of his servants along with his son, Isaac. Then they started going to where God had told him about.

On the third day, Abraham saw the place in the distance. He told his servants to stay with the donkey so that Isaac and him would go a little further to worship God and then come back. The servants stayed back.

Abraham placed the wood for the sacrifice upon Isaac’s shoulder while he himself carried the fire and knife.

As both of them were going, Isaac said to Abraham, “Father?”

Abraham answered, “Yes, my son?”

Isaac said, “I see that you have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?”

Abraham told Isaac that God Himself would provide the lamb for the sacrifice. Both of them continued walking together.

Abraham About To Kill His Son as a Sacrifice

When they came to the place God had told Abraham about, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top the wood. He then picked up the knife to kill him but the angel of God called Abraham from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!”

He answered, “Yes, here I am.”

The angel said, “Don't hurt the boy or do anything to him. Now I know that you honor and obey God, because you have not kept back your only son from him.”

Abraham looked round and saw a ram that was caught by its horns in a thicket. He took the ram and offered it as sacrifice instead of his son Isaac.

Abraham named the place “The LORD Provides”. Till today, people still use the name as a proverb. They would say, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided”

God’s Angel Speaks Again to Abraham

The angel of God called a second time to Abraham from heaven. The angel said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son, I swear by my own self that I will bless you richly.

I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. They will conquer their enemies, and through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed — all because you have obeyed me.’ ”

After that, Abraham went back to his servants, and they traveled home again to a place called Beersheba, where Abraham lived for quite sometime.

Genesis 21:1-21; 22:1-19

Questions:

Where did God tell Abraham to take his son Isaac to?

What did God tell Abram to do to his son when he got there?

Did Abraham obey God?

Among everything that Abraham needed to offer sacrifice to God, what did Abraham’s son tell him wasn’t available?

What did God’s angel tell Abraham when Abraham picked up a knife to kill his son Isaac?

When God’s angel stopped Abraham from killing his son, Isaac, what did Abraham see when he looked back?

Summarize in your own words what God said through His angel to Abraham when the angel called Abraham a second time.