Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God’s Work with Israel

105 O give thanks to the Lord. Call on His name. Make His works known among the people. ² Sing to Him. Sing praises to Him. Tell of all His great works. ³ Honor His holy name. Let the heart of those who look to the Lord be glad. ⁴ Look for the Lord and His strength. Look for His face all the time. ⁵ Remember the great and powerful works that He has done. Keep in mind what He has decided and told us, ⁶ O children of His servant Abraham, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! ⁷ He is the Lord our God. What He has decided is in all the earth.

⁸ He has remembered His agreement forever, the promise He made to last through a thousand families-to-come, ⁹ the agreement that He made with Abraham, and His promise to Isaac. ¹⁰ He gave it to Jacob as a Law, to Israel as an agreement that will last forever. ¹¹ He said, “I will give the land of Canaan to you as your share,”

³⁷ Then He brought Israel out with silver and gold. And there was not one weak person among their families. ³⁸ Egypt was glad when they left. For they had become afraid of Israel. ³⁹ He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light at night. ⁴⁰ They asked, and He brought them quails for meat. And He filled them with the bread of heaven. ⁴¹ He opened the rock and water flowed out. It flowed in the desert like a river. ⁴² For He remembered His holy Word with Abraham His servant. ⁴³ And He brought His people out with joy, His chosen ones with singing. ⁴⁴ He gave them the lands of the nations. They were given what others had worked for, ⁴⁵ so that they might do what He told them and keep His Law. Praise the Lord!

Abraham Is Tested

22 Later God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” Abraham said, “Here I am.” ² God said, “Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love. And go to the land of Moriah. Give him as a burnt gift on the altar in worship, on one of the mountains I will show you.” ³ So Abraham got up early in the morning and got his donkey ready. He took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac. He cut wood for the burnt gift. And he went to the place where God told him to go. ⁴ Abraham looked up on the third day and saw the place far away. ⁵ He said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go to that place and worship, and return to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt gift and had Isaac carry it. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together. ⁷ Then Isaac said to Abraham, “My father!” Abraham answered, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “See, here is the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the burnt gift?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will have for Himself a lamb ready for the burnt gift, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

⁹ Then they came to the place that God told them about. Abraham built the altar there, and set the wood in place. Then he tied rope around his son Isaac, and laid him upon the wood on the altar. ¹⁰ And Abraham put out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” And Abraham said, “Here I am.” ¹² The angel of the Lord said, “Do not put out your hand against the boy. Do nothing to him. For now I know that you fear God. You have not kept from Me your son, your only son.” ¹³ Then Abraham looked and saw a ram behind him, with his horns caught in the bushes. Abraham went and took the ram, and gave him as a burnt gift instead of his son. ¹⁴ Abraham gave that place the name “The Lord will give us what we need.” And it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be given.”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time. ¹⁶ He said, “I have promised by Myself, says the Lord, because you have done this and have not kept from Me your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will bring good to you. I will add many to the number of your children and all who come after them, like the stars of the heavens and the sand beside the sea. They will take over the cities of those who hate them. ¹⁸ Good will come to all the nations of the earth by your children and their children’s children. Because you have obeyed My voice.” ¹⁹ So Abraham returned to his young men. And they got up and went with him to Beersheba. Abraham made his home there.

Faith

11 Now faith is being sure we will get what we hope for. It is being sure of what we cannot see. ² God was pleased with the men who had faith who lived long ago.

³ Through faith we understand that the world was made by the Word of God. Things we see were made from what could not be seen.

¹³ These people all died having faith in God. They did not receive what God had promised to them. But they could see far ahead to all the things God promised and they were glad for them. They knew they were strangers here. This earth was not their home. ¹⁴ People who say these things show they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ They did not think about the country they had come from. If they had, they might have gone back. ¹⁶ But they wanted a better country. And so God is not ashamed to be called their God. He has made a city for them.

¹⁷ Because Abraham had faith, when he was tested, he gave his son Isaac as a gift on the altar in worship. God had made a promise to Abraham that He would give him a son. And yet Abraham was willing to give his only son as a gift on the altar in worship. ¹⁸ God had said to Abraham, “Your family will come from Isaac.” ^{(A) 19} Abraham believed God was able to bring Isaac back to life again. And so it may be said that Abraham did receive him back from death.