Abraham’s Story: Death of the Promise?

Genesis 22

Personal Note: Thank you for being part of the Living Grounded community. It’s a privilege to engage with God’s Word together. Last year, we studied the book of Genesis, and that study is available on our YouTube channel. This year, we are making our way through the entire Bible by considering God’s story in God’s people. We’ll explore the major characters in Genesis, Moses and the exodus, Joshua and the conquest, the judges and kings of Israel, and a survey of the prophets. Then we will move into the New Testament and study the life of Jesus in the Gospels and the book of Acts. By the end of this year, we will have a grasp of the flow, connections, and people of the Bible. 

Have you ever been tested by God? Faced a major challenge, a difficult decision, or an obstacle that felt impossible? Isn’t the journey with Jesus supposed to be smooth sailing? Why would God send trials into our lives? Today, we will consider an unimaginable test. Let’s see what we can learn and apply. 

Abraham, now one hundred years old, and Sarah, ninety, had laughed when God promised them a son. But nine months later, God had the last laugh. God told them to name their son Isaac, meaning “he laughs,” turning their laughter of doubt into laughter of joy. Abraham now had two sons, Ishmael by Hagar and Isaac by Sarah. However, the sons didn’t get along. When Sarah felt Isaac was threatened, Abraham sent Hagar and the sixteen-year-old Ishmael away (Gen. 21:8-21).[1] He lost a son that day. Would he lose another?  

After Hagar and Ishmael had departed, “God tested Abraham” (Gen. 22:1). God instructed Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, an offering of total surrender (Gen. 22:2). Nothing about this request seemed right. Aside from Abraham’s deep love for his only son, obeying the command would nullify the promise God had made. The instruction “appeared to make faith utterly irrational.”[2] 

Today, we occasionally hear of someone with a mental illness claiming that God told them to hurt someone. That message is not from God. Here, we understand that sacrificing Isaac was the test, not the plan. However, Abraham didn’t know the full extent of the plan, yet he didn’t hesitate in his obedience. As God instructed, early the next morning, he cut the wood for the offering, loaded it onto a donkey, and set out with Isaac and two servants for the land of Moriah, a fifty-mile journey. 

After three days of travel, they arrived at their destination. One can only imagine the heaviness and doubts in Abraham’s heart during those days on the road, and now as he made his way up Mt. Moriah with only Isaac. 

Along with the dread and misgivings, something else was happening in Abraham’s heart. He never lost his faith in God's promises. He told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you” (Gen. 22:5). On the way up the mountain with Isaac, when his son noticed they had the fire and the wood but no lamb for a burnt offering, Abraham replied, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Gen. 22:8). The writer of the book of Hebrews described this unwavering faith by saying that Abraham believed “that God was able even to raise [Isaac] from the dead…” (Heb. 11:17-19). 

The focus of this story is Abraham’s unshakable faith. God had given a beloved son to a one-hundred-year-old man and his ninety-year-old wife. God would not destroy the son of promise. And don’t miss Isaac’s obedience. He was old enough to carry the wood for the fire (Gen. 22:6), so he could have tried to escape. Instead, Isaac submitted to being bound and placed on the altar, knowing what came next.  

When Abraham took the knife with a trembling hand to end his son’s life, “the angel of the Lord[3] called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me’” (Gen. 22:11-12).

Abraham looked around and saw that God had indeed provided a sacrifice, a ram whose horns were caught in the thick brush. He named the place “The Lord will provide,” in Hebrew, Yahweh Yireh (sometimes translated as Jehovah Jireh). Moses added, “as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided’” (Genesis 22:14). While they were on the mountain, “the angel of the Lord” reiterated his covenant with Abraham (Gen. 22:16-18). What an amazing encounter Abraham and Isaac experienced that day.

As we consider this story, let’s wrap up with this question: How could Abraham surrender himself to trusting the word of God when that very word seemed to be contradictory?[4]

Bible scholar Edmund Clowney notes that this is the same question Satan posed to Jesus during our Lord’s temptation in the wilderness. Jesus had fasted for forty days when Satan said, in essence, “Jesus, if you are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world, why did God drive you out here in the wilderness to let you die of starvation? It must be that God’s command cannot be trusted. God is not much of a father to let his son die in the desert. If you are really the Son of God, take matters into your own hands and turn the stones into bread since God won’t do it for you.” Clowney concludes, “So Abraham might have been tempted: to defy God’s command, and in that way to cling to the reality of the situation rather than the sheer word of God.”[5]

God needed a person who trusted him completely to be the father of a great nation. Abraham passed the test of obedience. God needs us to trust him completely to become the people he desires us to be. We learn from Abraham that God can always be trusted, even when we don’t understand. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Reading and reflection: Genesis 22. What might God be asking you to surrender that is closely tied to your security, identity, or future? How are you responding—stalling, negotiating, or trusting?

Talking to God: Ask God to give you the confidence to take him at his word.

Have questions? Please send your questions to our team. We're happy to assist as we explore God's Word together. Submit your question below, and we'll respond soon. If you're interested in learning more about a relationship with Jesus or seeking spiritual guidance, let us help you take the next step. 

Click here to check out THE LIVING GROUNDED YOUTUBE CHANNEL and please hit “SUBSCRIBE.” The more subscribers, the broader the reach. 

SAVE THE DATE: Bible Immersion trip to Israel: November 4-14, 2026.