Genesis 22:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

NIV: Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together.

NASB: Abraham said, 'God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' So the two of them walked on together.

CSB: Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." Then the two of them walked on together.

NLT: God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,' Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

KJV: And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

NKJV: And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

Isaac and Abraham are walking together toward the spot where the sacrifice of a burnt offering will be made. Isaac has asked where the lamb is. Abraham now responds somewhat cryptically: God will provide for Himself the lamb. What Abraham does not tell Isaac is that God's command was for the sacrifice to be Isaac (Genesis 22:1–2).

Of course, Abraham's willingness to obey this command is not driven by blind faith or evil. Instead, Abraham seems convinced that God has some plan, behind the scenes, to make all things right. That fits perfectly with the experiences Abraham has had with God so far in his life: seemingly impossible situations working out to prove God's righteousness.

Given his response, we're left to wonder if Abraham imagines that God will indeed stop this and provide a literal lamb in some way. Or, does Abraham mean that God has provided Isaac as the lamb for Himself, referring to Isaac's miraculous birth? Or, that God has provided Isaac as the sacrifice but intends to raise him from the dead? We can't fully know. In any case, Abraham does not flinch in continuing to move toward fulfilling God's command. Judging by his actions, his faith in God's goodness, character, and power remain absolute.

Touchingly, Isaac's simple trust in his father also remains intact. A young man who can carry wood up a mountain could not be overpowered by an elderly man—when Isaac is bound on the altar, he has to allow it to happen (Genesis 22:9). The two obviously care for each other. Abraham continues to show his willingness to give to God this boy he loves, trusting the Lord to do what is right.

Genesis 22:1–19 takes place over the course of a few days, when Isaac is perhaps a teenager. God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son as a burnt offering. Abraham sets out to obey without hesitation, acting in complete trust that God, somehow, will make all things right. Abraham stops the sacrifice only when the Lord intervenes. For his deep trust and obedience, the Lord renews and emphasizes His blessing on Abraham and his offspring, as well as promising to bless all nations through Abraham's descendants.

In a test of Abraham's faith and obedience, God commands Abraham to do a terrible thing: kill and offer his son Isaac, whom he loves, as a burnt offering. Abraham sets out to obey without hesitation, having finally learned to trust God's goodness over his own misunderstandings. Instead of allowing the boy to be sacrificed, the Lord calls out to Abraham moments before he kills Isaac, laying bound on an altar. Because of Abraham's obedience, God renews and emphasizes His promises of blessing, multiplied offspring, and victory over future enemies.

In the previous chapter, the long-promised Isaac was finally born to Sarah and Abraham, while Abraham's other beloved son, Ishmael, was sent away to be cared for by God apart from them. Now God tests Abraham's faith and obedience by commanding him to offer his precious son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham sets out to obey without hesitation, stopping only when the Lord cries out to him. For Abraham's obedience, God renews and emphasizes the blessing on him and his offspring. This marks the beginning of the end of Abraham's story, as the book of Genesis transitions to focus on Isaac and his descendants.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.