Section Ten

Isaac and Abraham

Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. It is noted right at the beginning of the story that God does this in order to test Abraham. The story goes: • God asks Abraham to take Isaac to a mountain that will be shown to him • Abraham loads his donkey, gets two of his servants and Isaac and heads off • On the third day of the journey, Abraham sees the mountain • Telling his servants to stay behind, he walks to the mountain with Isaac and the wood and the things necessary to start a fire • Isaac notices the kit needed for a burnt offering. He asks Abraham where the lamb to be slaughtered for the offering was. Abraham says that God will provide it • Abraham builds an altar, places the wood and is ready to kill Isaac when God tells him to stop • Abraham looks and sees a ram caught in a thicket. He sacrifices the ram and not Isaac This test and Abraham’s willingness to obey God is held up an an example of faith in Hebrews Chapter 11 verses 17 to 19