Bible ReadingGenesis 22:1-181. And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
[33:15]2. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
[33:20]3. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
[33:30]4. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
[33:30]5. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
[33:57]6. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
[33:59]7. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
[34:08]8. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
[34:14]9. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
[34:20]10. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
[34:20]11. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
[34:39]12. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
[34:43]13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
[35:03]14. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
[35:12]15. And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
[35:19]16. And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
[35:19]17. That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
[35:19]18. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
[35:42]Exodus 4:2-42. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
[55:14]3. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
[56:04]4. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
[57:08]1 Samuel 1:1111. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
[01:03:41]1 Kings 17:12-1612. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
[01:10:20]13. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
[01:11:17]14. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
[01:11:17]15. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
[01:11:50]16. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
[01:12:34]Observation questions- What details in Genesis 22 show how precious Isaac was to Abraham, and what actions show Abraham’s immediate obedience to God? [41:14]
- What did Abraham tell the young men before going up the mountain, and what does his statement reveal about what he expected God to do? [43:13]
- What did Isaac notice was missing from the sacrifice, and how did Abraham answer his question? [44:15]
- In each account, what was placed in God’s hands: Abraham’s Isaac, Moses’ rod, Hannah’s Samuel, and the widow’s last meal? What made each gift costly? [01:13:03]
Interpretation questions- God stopped Abraham before Isaac was harmed and provided a ram “in the stead of his son.” How does this substitute help explain why Jesus is called the Lamb of God who takes the sinner’s place? [44:28]
- Abraham believed that he and Isaac would return from the mountain. How does faith in God’s promises help a believer obey when God’s way is difficult and the outcome cannot yet be seen? [43:29]
- Moses’ rod was still an ordinary stick, yet it became known as “the rod of God” after Moses surrendered it. What does this show about God’s ability to use an ordinary skill, job, resource, or opportunity? [57:14]
- Hannah made her vow while deeply burdened, but she kept it after Samuel was in her arms. Why can it be harder to keep a promise to God after the prayer has been answered? [01:04:13]
Application questions- What is most precious in your life right now—a family member, health, future plans, financial security, a job, a dream, or something else? In what practical way could you place that area afresh under God’s care this week? [01:16:43]
- Open-handed surrender does not mean loving people or good gifts less; it means recognizing that they already belong to God. Is there someone or something you are tempted to hold too tightly because of fear? What would trusting God with it look like? [49:34]
- Moses’ rod represented his livelihood and the one thing he felt he still had left. What ability, possession, experience, or role in your life may seem too important to release to God’s direction? [56:32]
- Hannah kept her word to God even though it was painful. Is there a commitment to God, to your family, or to the church that needs renewed faithfulness? What is one honest next step toward keeping that commitment? [01:05:25]
- The widow obeyed God when her supplies appeared to be almost gone. Where do you feel tempted to say, “I cannot give, serve, forgive, or obey because I do not have enough”? How might God be calling you to take a faithful step without demanding to see the full provision first? [01:11:50]
- God’s blessings are not a promise that every surrendered believer will become wealthy. What are some blessings that money cannot buy, and where have you seen God supply what was needed for His will? [01:16:17]
- Romans 12 calls believers to present themselves as a living sacrifice. What would a fresh surrender of your whole life to God sound like in your own words—not just one area, but your time, relationships, possessions, and future? [01:17:17]
