The Bible Book

50

NOW I KNOW

THAT YOU

FEAR GOD

GENESIS 22:12, THE TESTING

OF ABRAHAM

T

he demand God makes

of Abraham—to sacrifice

his own son—is one of the

most extreme tests of faith in the

Bible. The fact that Abraham’s son

Isaac is the long-awaited child of

promise makes the sacrifice even

harder to fulfill.

At the start of Abraham’s story,

when God first tells him to set out

into the unknown, he promises

to make of him “a great nation,”

implying Abraham will have many

descendants. He later promises

Abraham offspring as numerous

as the “dust of the earth.” Despite

God’s promises, after many years

of marriage Abraham and his wife

Sarah remain childless. When

Abraham complains to God about

his plight, God’s reply is to tell him

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Genesis 16:1–22:19

THEME

Sacrifice

SETTING

Early 2nd millennium bce

Beersheba and the region

of Moriah, a three-day donkey

ride from Beersheba.

KEY FIGURES

Abraham Son of Terah,

“an ordinary man,” who

becomes father of Ishmael

and Isaac.

Sarah Abraham’s wife,

mother of Isaac.

Hagar Sarah’s maidservant

and mother of Abraham’s

first-born son Ishmael.

Isaac Son of Abraham

and Sarah.

US_050-053_Abraham_and_Isaac.indd 50 21/09/17 11:26 am