Abraham And Isaac

Abraham feared God and obeyed His commandments; and God promised to bless Abraham greatly. He gave him riches in cattle, silver, and gold, and said that the land of Canaan would belong to him and his descendants. God also gave him a son in his old age, whom he loved very dearly and named Isaac. But God intended to test Abraham, to see if he loved Him above all else.

One day God told Abraham to take his son Isaac and journey to the land of Moriah; there he was to build an altar and offer Isaac as a sacrifice. It was a strange command, but Abraham knew that God would not ask him to do wrong, and believed that even if he killed his son, God was able to raise him to life again. So he rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, took two of his servants and wood for the fire, and then, accompanied by Isaac, started on his journey. On the third day they came near the place God had pointed out, and Abraham left the servants with the donkey while he and his son went on alone.

As they walked, Isaac—who carried the wood while his father carried the knife and the fire—said, "My father." Abraham replied, "Here I am, my son." Then Isaac said, "Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering."

The altar was built, Isaac was bound and laid upon it, and Abraham's arm was raised to strike the blow that would take his son's life. Then God called to Abraham, "Do not lay your hand on the boy, nor do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

Abraham looked up, and behind him saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns; he took it and offered it as a sacrifice to God.

So God tested Abraham; and also provided the lamb for the burnt offering Himself, as Abraham had said.