Study Desk

Then Abraham answered, "I thought no one in this place respected God and that someone would kill me to get Sarah.

When God told me to leave my father's house and wander in many different places, I told Sarah, ‘You must do a special favor for me. Everywhere we go tell people I am your brother.'"

Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his servant girls so they could have children.

Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. Everything happened at the time God had said it would.

He circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old as God had commanded.

And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.

But God said to Abraham, "Don't be troubled about the boy and the slave woman. Do whatever Sarah tells you. The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac.

God heard the boy crying, and God's angel called to Hagar from heaven. He said, "What is wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid! God has heard the boy crying there.

Then God showed Hagar a well of water. So she went to the well and filled her bag with water and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy as he grew up. Ishmael lived in the desert and became an archer.

Then Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his army, and said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do.

So make a promise to me here before God that you will be fair with me and my children and my descendants. Be kind to me and to this land where you have lived as a stranger—as kind as I have been to you."

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and prayed to the Lord , the God who lives forever.

After these things God tested Abraham's faith. God said to him, "Abraham!" And he answered, "Here I am."

Then God said, "Take your only son, Isaac, the son you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Kill him there and offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took Isaac and two servants with him. After he cut the wood for the sacrifice, they went to the place God had told them to go.

Abraham answered, "God will give us the lamb for the sacrifice, my son." So Abraham and his son went on together

and came to the place God had told him about. Abraham built an altar there. He laid the wood on it and then tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the wood on the altar.

The angel said, "Don't kill your son or hurt him in any way. Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from me."

Then Abraham looked up and saw a male sheep caught in a bush by its horns. So Abraham went and took the sheep and killed it. He offered it as a whole burnt offering to God, and his son was saved.