Genesis 22:8

‘God himself will provide a lamb’. Abraham said this so that Isaac would not be afraid. He still did not know what would happen.

Abraham trusted God and Isaac trusted Abraham. And after this time, Isaac himself learned to trust God. Sometimes we are like that. An adult trusts God. A child has not yet learned to trust God. But the adult tells the child that God will provide for them. And the child believes the adult. As the child becomes older, he himself learns to trust God.

‘God himself will provide a lamb’. This had another meaning that Abraham did not know about. Many years later God provided the Lord Jesus as an *offering. (See John 1:29; John 1:36.)

v9 They came to the place that God had mentioned. Abraham built an *altar there. He laid the wood on it. Then he bound his son Isaac. He laid Isaac on the wood that was on the *altar. v10 Abraham stretched out his hand and he took the knife. He was ready to kill his son. v11 But the *Lord’s *angel called from heaven. He said to him, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And Abraham answered, ‘I am here.’ v12 The *angel said, ‘Do not kill the boy and do not hurt him. Now I know that you respect God. You were ready to give to me your son, your only son.’

v13 Abraham looked up. He saw a male sheep that could not escape from a bush. Its *horns were in the bush’s thorns (sharp points). So Abraham went and he seized the sheep. He then burned it on the *altar. It was an *offering instead of his son. v14 So Abraham called the place ‘The *Lord will provide’. People still say today, ‘The *Lord will provide on his mountain.’