Genesis 22:1-19

Genesis 22:1-19

[1] And it came to pass after  these things,  that God  did tempt  Abraham,  and said  unto him, Abraham:  and he said,  [2] And he said,  Take now  thy son,  thine only  son Isaac,  whom thou lovest,  into the land  of Moriah;  and offer him  there for a burnt offering  upon one  of the mountains  which I will tell  thee of. [3] And Abraham  rose up early  in the morning,  and saddled  his ass,  and took  two  of his young men  with him, and Isaac  his son,  and clave  the wood  for the burnt offering,  and rose up,  unto the place  of which God  had told  him. [4] Then on the third  day  Abraham  lifted up  his eyes,  and saw  the place  afar off.  [5] And Abraham  said  unto his young men,  Abide  ye here with the ass;  and I and the lad  yonder  and worship,  and come again  to you. [6] And Abraham  took  the wood  of the burnt offering,  and laid  it upon Isaac  his son;  and he took  the fire  in his hand,  and a knife;  both  of them together.  [7] 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?  [8] And Abraham  said,  My son,  God  will provide  himself a lamb  for a burnt offering:  both of them  together.  [9] And they came  to the place  which God  had told  him of; and Abraham  built  an altar  the wood  in order,  and bound  Isaac  his son,  and laid  him on the altar  upon  the wood.  [10] And Abraham  stretched forth  his hand,  and took  the knife  to slay  his son.  [11] And the angel  of the LORD  called  unto him out of heaven,  and said,  Abraham,  and he said,  [12] And he said,  Lay  not thine hand  upon  the lad,  neither do thou  any thing  unto him: for now  I know  that thou fearest  God,  seeing thou hast not  withheld  thy son,  thine only  son from me. [13] And Abraham  lifted up  his eyes,  and looked,  and behold behind  him a ram  caught  in a thicket  by his horns:  and Abraham  and took  the ram,  and offered him up  for a burnt offering  in the stead  of his son.  [14] And Abraham  called  the name  of that place  as  it is said  to this day,  In the mount  of the LORD  it shall be seen.  [15] And the angel  of the LORD  called  unto Abraham  out of heaven  the second time,  [16] And said,  By myself have I sworn,  saith  the LORD,  for because  thou hast done  this thing,  and hast not  withheld  thy son,  thine only  son: [17] That in blessing  thee, and in multiplying  thy seed  as the stars  of the heaven,  and as the sand  which is upon the sea  shore;  and thy seed  shall possess  the gate  of his enemies;  [18] And in thy seed  shall all the nations  of the earth  be blessed;  because  thou hast obeyed  my voice.  [19] So Abraham  returned  unto his young men,  and they rose up  together  to Beersheba;  and Abraham  dwelt  at Beersheba. 

What does Genesis 22:1-19 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

In obedience to God"s command Abraham took his promised heir to Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord. Because Abraham was willing to slay his uniquely begotten son God restrained him from killing Isaac and promised to bless him further for his obedience. Abraham memorialized the place as "the Lord will provide."
God called on Abraham to make five great sacrifices: his native country, his extended family, his nephew Lot, his son Ishmael, and his son Isaac. Each sacrifice involved something naturally dear to Abraham, but each resulted in greater blessings from God.
This incident also demonstrates the strong confidence that Abraham had in God at this time. He believed God was even able to raise Isaac from the dead ( Hebrews 11:19). This is why he was willing to slay him. Jewish tradition refers to this chapter as the Akedah, from the Hebrew word wayya"aqod, translated "bound," in Genesis 22:9. [1]
"With this chapter we reach the climax of the faith life of Abraham-the supreme test and the supreme victory." [2]
"The seventh crisis [3] comes at a point in the narrative when we least expect it and is without question the greatest crisis of all. After all obstacles have seemingly been surmounted and all potential rivals eliminated, God now asks for Abraham"s only son whom he loves. The gracious intervention of God and the reaffirmation of the basic promise of121-3in2215-18 would seem to conclude the Abraham cycle at the moment when faith triumphs over the greatest obstacle of all, death." [4]