Lesson 8 – Abraham and Isaac

God provided a ram as a sacrifice for Abraham and Isaac. He provides the perfect sacrifice for our sin, His Son, Jesus, the Lamb  of God.

Opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Exploration Guide and the Lesson 8 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist sees Abraham and Isaac. Also paper and pencil will be needed.

What do you think is the best thing about being a dad? What do you think is the hardest thing about being a dad?

Watch the video, "Kids Perspective on Dads | The Fatherhood Project".

Abraham waited almost twenty-five years to have a son with his wife, Sarah. This lesson is about their relationship.

God Speaks

Abraham was ninety-nine years old and Sarah was eighty-nine when the Lord told them their son Isaac would be born within a year. Although both laughed about His giving them a son in their old age, they received God's promises by faith.

Read Genesis 21:1-7, about Isaac's birth.

Abraham and Sarah named the baby Isaac, as God promised. God also promised to give the Messiah through Isaac (Genesis 17:19).

What other promises did God make to Abraham in the twenty-five years since He had called him from Haran? Promises to multiply Abraham, to bring nations from him, to give him descendants as many as the stars in the sky and sand on the shores; to give Canaan as an everlasting possession; to give Ishmael twelve prince sons.

From page 2 of the leaflet, read Hebrews 11:11-12.

God kept all His promises to Abraham and Sarah through Jesus and also to you, God's baptized children and heirs of Abraham (Galatians 3:26-29).

 In this lesson, God tested Abraham. The Lord also tests us.

From page 2 of the leaflet, read Proverbs 17:3 and James 1:2-3, 12.

What does God give believers through testing? God tests our hearts to teach us to trust Him in all things. He loves us and wants to strengthen our faith and give us blessings that come from testing it, including steadfastness and a crown of life in Christ Jesus, our Savior.

Steadfastness means "being devoted, loyal, constant, unswerving, and firm" How does God give us steadfast faith through tests and trials? As we run into problems and turn to God and His Word for help, we learn to trust Him. We learn that God keeps His Word, and our faith grows. Like a muscle that gets stronger with exercise, we grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus as we trust God and depend on His Word in our daily lives (2 Peter 3:18).

Follow the directions under A test of faith on page 2.

Read Genesis 22 verses and answer the questions.

Verses 1-6

What did God tell Abraham to do? To take lsaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering in the place God would show him.

How did God's command contradict what He already told Abraham about Isaac? God said the promise of the Messiah would come through Isaac. He would fulfill His promises through lsaac. How could this happen if Isaac died? God's command for Abraham to kill an innocent child also would have gone against Abraham's conscience (God's Law in his heart).

What do you imagine Abraham felt in the three days it took to get to the mountain? They traveled three days. We can speculate about Abraham's conflicted feelings.

Why should we not trust our feelings to guide our faith? We should not base our faith on feelings that fluctuate and are often misplaced. Instead, we stand on God's Word, the firm foundation that reveals His faithful, steadfast love for us in Christ (Jeremiah 31:3).

How do Abraham's words in verse 5 show his hope that God would rescue or resurrect Isaac? Abraham told the servants he and the boy would worship God and return.

 Verses 7-8

What did Isaac question? How did Abraham's answer show his faith in God?  Isaac noticed they had everything for a sacrifice except a lamb, so he asked about it. Abraham said God would provide the lamb. This showed his confidence that God would keep His earlier promises and not take Isaac's life.

 Verses 9

List Abraham and Isaac's faithful actions in verse 9. Isaac trusted God and his father so much that he let Abraham tie him up for sacrifice. Abraham trusted God and stood ready to sacrifice Isaac.

As Abraham raised his knife to kill lsaac, who called to him from heaven? The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham, but the Angel identified used personal pronouns (v. 12: Me; v. 16:  Myself, l; v. 17:;v. 18: My). Most biblical scholars say this was Jesus before He became human, a theophany.

Abraham feared God (v. 12). Fearing God means to have deep respect, reverence, and awe for our holy and perfect God as sinners in need of His grace. Which actions of Abraham showed this fear of God? Abraham obeyed God and took lsaac to Mount Moriah. He set up the altar and wood. He put Isaac on the altar and raised the knife. All of these actions show Abraham's respect for God and His command.

How did the God provide the lamb for the offering, as Abraham had said He would in verse 8? He sent a ram, who was caught in a thicket by his horns.

Because Abraham did not withhold Isaac from Him, what promises did God give Abraham again (vv. 17-18)? God would bless Abraham and multiply his offspring as many as the stars in heaven and the sand on the seashore. His offspring would control the city gates of his enemies and bless all the nations of the earth.

God kept His promises to Abraham and saved Isaac out of His mercy, by grace through faith, just as He does us. Abraham's obedience was an external sign of faith in the one true God, which God gave Abraham.

As a summary, Abraham's faithful actions:

• Obeyed God and traveled three days to Moriah with Isaac
• Took Isaac and items for sacrifice
• Told his servants they were both going to worship God and would return
• Built an altar, laid wood on it, and tied Isaac to it
• Raised the knife to kill lsaac
• Replied "Here l am" three times: in verses 1 and 11 to show his readiness to listen and obey God, and in verse 7 to let Isaac know he was listening.

Isaac's faithful actions:

• Went to Moriah with his father, seemingly without questions
• Obediently carried wood for the sacrifice
• Trusted his father's answer about where they would get a lamb to sacrifice
• Watched and probably helped his dad build the altar
• Let himself be tied atop the wood.

What did God find out about Abraham when he tested him? Abraham remained steadfast. He trusted the Lord to provide a lamb for the sacrifice and to preserve or resurrect his son lsaac. God gave Abraham faith and kept His word by giving him a son who would carry the promises forward. This faith did not disappoint.

Did God save Isaac because of Abraham's obedient actions? No, God saved Isaac out of His mercy. He kept the promises He made to Abraham.

Continue with the question and verse on leaflet page 3.

Who is the "offspring'" who will bless the nations (v. 18)? Read Galatians 3:16 from the leaflet page. Abraham's Offspring is the promised Messiah, Christ.

This event, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his promised son, points us to the time when God gave up His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay for our sins.

We Live

Some events transcend time and history. They leave imprints called typology that relate to God entering the world as Jesus Christ. Typology differs from direct prophecy, which God specifically revealed.

The pattern of events in Genesis 22 is typology. Abraham's statement about God's providing a lamb is direct prophecy.

On the top of page 4 of the leaflet follow the directions.

• Abraham offered his promised son. / God gave His only-begotten Son.
• Isaac carried the wood. / Christ carried His cross.
• For three days, Isaac was as good as dead./Christ was dead for three days.
• The ram caught in the bush became a sacrifice. / The Lamb of God was sacrificed for the world's sin.
• Blessings were promised to all nations. /The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost.

Read "Altars" on pages 18-19 of the Bible Exploration Guide.

Read Genesis 22:8: "God will provide for Himself the lamb" and John 1:29: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Read Meaning 2 of the First Article of the Apostles' Creed from Luther's Small Catechism on page 4 of the leaflet.

Closing

As a closing prayer, listen to the video "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow".