January 17 Daily Devotional

Genesis 21–22

Abraham and Sarah moved away from Hebron. They went to the southeast and lived for a while at Gerar. Here God gave them the child of promise. The son was called Isaac. At that time Abraham was an hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. They were glad and thankful, for they had been waiting about twenty­-five years for the child. After living at Gerar for some time they decided to leave this place. They moved to Beersheba, still farther south, on the border of the desert. Here Abraham dug a well, planted trees and lived for a long time.

Abraham listened to God’s voice and tried to do his will. Even when it was not easy to obey, he was ready to do what God asked of him. After Isaac was born, God noticed that Abraham’s love for his son was very strong. He knew that Isaac was the son of promise. He knew that in this child were bound up the promises of God for the future. By and by the boy grew up. Abraham did not neglect to instruct him about God and the heavenly things, about man’s sinfulness and the way of salvation.

At one time God did tempt Abraham and said unto Abraham, “Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, 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.” It was not easy for Abraham, but he knew it was God’s demand, and so he obeyed without asking why. He took two young men and Isaac, also an ass laden with wood, and started out from Beersheba. On the third day they saw the mountain from a distance. Abraham left the servants with the ass to wait by the road­side, while he and his son went on. As they were walking, Isaac ventured to ask, “Father, here is the fire and wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham replied, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”

Having arrived at Moriah, Abraham built an altar and placed the wood on the altar. Then he bound the hands and feet of his son and placed him on the altar. After that he stretched out his hand and took the knife to offer his son. At that moment he heard a voice from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham … Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. He went and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. Again he heard the voice from heaven, “Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee … and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”