Abrahams Loyalty To God


Later Jehovah tested Abraham, saying to him, "Abraham"; and he answered,

"Here am I." Jehovah 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 and saddled his ass and took two of

his servants with him, and his son Isaac. When he had split the wood for
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the burnt-offering, he set out for the place of which God had told him.

On the third day, when Abraham looked up and saw the place in the

distance, he said to his servants, "Stay here with the ass, while I and

the lad go over there. When we have worshipped, we will come back to

you."



Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt-offering and laid it on Isaac,

his son. And he took the fire and the knife, and they both went on

together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!"

and Abraham answered, "Yes, my son." Isaac said, "Here is the fire and

the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?" Abraham answered,

"My son, God will himself provide a lamb for a burnt-offering." So the

two went on together.



When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the

altar there and laid the wood on it and bound Isaac his son and laid him

on the altar upon the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand, and took

the knife to kill his son. But the angel of Jehovah called to him from

heaven, saying, "Abraham, Abraham!" and he answered, "Here am I." And he

said, "Do not put your hand upon the boy, nor do anything to him, for

now I know that you love God, for you have not refused to give your son,

your only son, to him."



Then Abraham looked up, and he saw a ram caught in the thicket by his

horns. So Abraham took the ram and offered him up as a burnt-offering

instead of his son. And he named the place Jehovah-jireh, which means,

"Jehovah will Provide."



The angel of Jehovah again called to Abraham and said, "Jehovah

declares, 'Because you have done this thing and have not kept back your

son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will make your

children as many as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is

on the seashore, so that they shall conquer their enemies, and all the

nations of the earth shall ask for themselves a blessing like theirs,

because you have obeyed my command.'"



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