A Call to Worship the Lord the Righteous Judge.

Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.

The Offering of Isaac

22 Now it came about after these things, that ^(A)God tested Abraham, and said to him, “^(B)Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ² Then He said, “Take now ^(C)your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of ^(D)Moriah, and offer him there as a ^(E)burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” ³ So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴ On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” ⁶ And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and ^(F)laid it on his son Isaac, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. ⁷ Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the ^(G)lamb for the burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will ^[a]provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

⁹ Then they came to ^(H)the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built ^(I)the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and ^(J)laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to ^[b]slaughter his son. ¹¹ But ^(K)the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹² He said, “Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now ^(L)I know that you ^[c]fear God, since you have not withheld ^(M)your son, your only son, from Me.” ¹³ Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. ¹⁴ And Abraham named that place ^[d]The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord ^(N)it will ^[e]be provided.”

¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, ¹⁶ and said, “^(O)By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly ^(P)multiply your ^[f]seed as the stars of the heavens and as ^(Q)the sand, which is on the seashore; and ^(R)your ^[g]seed shall possess the gate of ^[h]their enemies. ¹⁸ And ^(S)in your ^[i]seed all the nations of the earth shall ^[j]be blessed, because you have ^(T)obeyed My voice.”

²³ By faith ^(A)Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the ^(B)king’s edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, ^(C)when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to ^(D)endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin, ^26 (E)considering the ^[a]reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the ^(F)reward. ²⁷ By faith he ^(G)left Egypt, not ^(H)fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though ^(I)seeing Him who is unseen. ²⁸ By faith he ^[b](J)kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that ^(K)the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them. ²⁹ By faith they ^(L)passed through the Red Sea as through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were ^[c]drowned.

³⁰ By faith ^(M)the walls of Jericho fell down ^[d](N)after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. ³¹ By faith the prostitute ^(O)Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies ^[e]in peace.