The Sacrifice: Abraham and Isaac - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

THE SACRIFICE
by Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards

Julia took one last peek into her backpack. Towel
. . . sandals . . . sunscreen . . . comb . . . snack .
. . . Yep! She was sure everything was in there. She
placed the bag beside the door, then ran to help Mom
pack the baby's things. She had always loved little
Jared from the first day he was born, but now that he
could walk and was old enough to play with her, it was
even more fun having a little brother.

While Mom made sure they had enough diapers and all the
important things, Julia rummaged through the toy box to
find the shovels, buckets, and other beach toys.
Finally, they piled everything into the car and were on
their way.

Jared jabbered and giggled as she made sand castles
and he knocked them down. Julia held his hand tightly
and they squealed with glee as they tried to outrun the
ocean waves. When Jared became tired and started
getting fussy, she took him to Mom, who always knew
just what to do.

After having a small snack, Jared fell asleep, so Julia
walked along the water's edge picking up seashells. She
was careful to choose only the larger shells, and she
knew she would have to keep them away from Jared,
because he would put them in his mouth. Jared always
tried to eat EVERYTHING!

Julia liked being the big sister. She liked to
help take care of Jared. She knew she would never, ever
do anything on purpose to hurt him, because she loved
him so very much.

* * *

Abraham and Sarah dearly loved their new baby boy.
They cuddled him and fed him. They played with him and
giggled when he wrapped his little hand around one of
their fingers. They laughed when he smiled for the
first time, and they were absolutely thrilled when he
spoke his first word. Somehow, before they even knew
what had happened, he was walking and talking and had
grown to be a young man. Isaac was the joy of their
lives.

Abraham spent a lot of time with Isaac, teaching
him to love and obey Yahweh. He told Isaac the story about
how Yahweh had talked with him and told him to count the
stars. He made sure that Isaac knew he was a special
child that had been promised by Yahweh. As Isaac grew, he
learned to worship Yahweh just as his father Abraham did.

One day Yahweh spoke to Abraham: "A--bra-ham . . . ."

"I am here," Abraham replied.

"Take your son Isaac,
whom you love so much,
and go into the land of
Moriah, and offer him
there as a burnt
offering. I will tell you
which mountain when you
get there," Yahweh
commanded.

Abraham loved Isaac more than anything else in the
whole world and would never do anything to hurt his
son, but he knew he had to obey the voice of Yahweh.

* * *

Early in the morning, Abraham got up and put a
saddle on his donkey. He called for Isaac and two of
his young servants. They all went together to chop wood
for the sacrifice. Then they started on their journey
toward the place Yahweh had told Abraham to go.

For three days they traveled, eating food they had
taken with them and sleeping on the ground. On the
third day, Abraham looked into the distance and saw the
place where Yahweh was leading him.

"You stay here with the donkey
while I take Isaac with me to go
worship Yahweh," Abraham said to his
servants.

Abraham picked up the wood and gave it to Isaac to
carry. Then he picked up his torch in one hand and his
knife in the other, and they started toward the
mountain together. While they were walking, Isaac began
to wonder about some things. Finally, he just had to
ask.

"Hey, Dad. I have the wood, and you
have the fire, but we didn't bring
an animal. Don't we need a lamb for
the sacrifice?"

Abraham, fully believing that Yahweh had everything
under control, spoke quietly:

"Yes, Isaac. Yahweh will provide
himself a lamb for the burnt
offering."

* * *

When they finally arrived at the exact place Yahweh
had told him of, Abraham started looking for large
rocks to build the altar. Carefully he placed one rock
on top of another until the job was done. After that,
he placed the wood, which Isaac had carried, on top of
the altar. Then, after looking around one last time, he
had to do the very hardest thing he had ever done in
his whole life.

He gave Isaac one last, long hug, and, with tears in
his eyes, he tied up his son and placed him on the
altar. Of course, Isaac didn't want to be sacrificed as
a burnt offering, and Abraham, as a loving father,
didn't want to do it, but they both knew they had to
obey Yahweh, so there was no struggle between them.

Abraham picked up his knife. . . .

He raised it high in the air above
his head. . . .

Just as he was
getting ready to
kill his own son,
he heard the
voice of the
angel of Yahweh
cry out from
heaven:

"ABRAHAM . . .
ABRAHAM!"

"I am here," Abraham replied.

"DON'T KILL YOUR SON!
DON'T HURT HIM! Now I
know that you love ME
more than anything else,
even more than your own
son."

Abraham looked up, and there -- right in front of
him -- was a ram caught in the thick bushes. Abraham
quickly untied Isaac, then caught the ram and put it on
the altar. Abraham used his knife to kill the
sacrifice, then used the torch to light the fire.

There on the mountain, Abraham and Isaac worshipped Yahweh together. They called the name of that place
"Yahweh-yireh," which means, "Yahweh is my provider."

The angel of Yahweh called from heaven to Abraham a second time,
saying:

"Because you have done this and
have not withheld even your son
from me, I will bless you, and you
will have many descendants, and all
the nations of the earth will be
blessed because of you."

Abraham and Isaac walked down the mountain
together, rejoicing that Yahweh had provided the ram
and made another great promise to them. They met the
servants at the bottom of the mountain, and they all
started on their three-day journey back home.

***********

THINK!

Where did Yahweh tell Abraham to take Isaac?
How many people went on the journey?
What did Isaac notice that was missing?
Did Yahweh want Abraham to kill his son?
What did Yahweh provide for the sacrifice?

REMEMBER

Always obey Yahweh and believe in Him to provide your needs.

A VERSE TO LEARN

"Abraham believed Yahweh . . . and he was called the friend of
Yahweh" (James 2:23b).

LET'S PRAY

*****************************************************
Dear Yahweh, thank You for all the wonderful things
You have provided for us. Help us to remember
that if we always obey and believe in You,
You will meet our needs. In Yah'shua's Name. Amen.
****************************************************

CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Genesis 22:1-19

You can view this Bible story in full color with pictures and
resources to go along with the story at
http://childrenschapel.org/biblestories/isaac.html

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