Study Desk

But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, "Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.

Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.

And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer,

About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. "God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do," Abimelech said.

Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord , the Eternal God.

Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am."

The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.

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

When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

"Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son."

Swear by the Lord , the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.

For the Lord , the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.

"O Lord , God of my master, Abraham," he prayed. "Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.

"Praise the Lord , the God of my master, Abraham," he said. "The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master's relatives."

"So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord , God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission.

"Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord . I praised the Lord , the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master's niece to be his son's wife.

After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev.

where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. "I am the God of your father, Abraham," he said. "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant."

Isaac asked, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" "The Lord your God put it in my path!" Jacob replied.

"From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine.