BibleProject | One Story: Foundations of the BibleNäide

Today’s reading opens with a scheming man, a fractured family, and questions about the future of God’s plan. God chose Abraham and his family to rescue and bless the world. But this family keeps trying to take God’s promise on their own terms, hurting themselves and the people around them in the process.

Still, God refuses to give up on them. He gives Abraham a chance to act in faith by instructing him to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. It is a shocking, unsettling test. However, as we’ll learn in today’s video, a test from a good God presents an opportunity.

And Abraham aces the test! Instead of succumbing to fear, he demonstrates the kind of radical trust needed to partner with God. Abraham and his descendants must trust that God’s promises are always true and that he alone can give and sustain human life. Abraham and Sarah will soon die, but passing this test ensures God’s partnership will live on through their son, Isaac. The next generation will have its own tests and opportunities to walk with God.

Reflection questions:

• What parallels do you notice between Hagar’s near loss of Ishmael in Genesis 21:8-21 and Abraham’s near loss of Isaac in Genesis 22:1-19?
• Read God’s speech to Abraham in Genesis 22:15-18 closely. What hyperlinks do you see to other stories you’ve read in Genesis so far? What do they tell you about this moment?