Week 8: Genesis 22 – God Always Provides

Week 8: Genesis 22 – God Always Provides

As a family, read Genesis 22 together. Afterwards, share the following discussion.

What happened?

Abraham had waited for a very long time for Sarah, his wife, to have a child. The Lord did what He had promised and gave them a son, Isaac. God also promised that through Isaac He would build a great nation, His chosen people.

God came to Abraham to test him. He told Abraham to sacrifice his Isaac on an altar. So early the next morning after cutting the wood for the burnt offering, Abraham and Isaac set out for Mount Moriah, the place God told him to go. While on the journey, Abraham believed that God would “provide a lamb for the burnt offering.”

Abraham had faith that God would intervene in order to keep His promise of making a great nation from Isaac’s descendents, even if it meant raising Isaac from the dead. So God sent an angel to stop Abraham.  Just then they saw a ram stuck in the bushes close to where they were standing. God provided the sacrifice so Abraham and Isaac could worship Him together. God saw that Abraham was willing to obey Him and not hold anything back, not even Isaac.

Why is this important to us, today?

God never intended for Isaac to die. He wanted Abraham to prove that he loved God more than he loved his son – a son that Abraham had waited for and on whom all the promises of God rested. Simply put, God was testing Abraham.

The purpose of God’s testing is always to strengthen our character and deepen our commitment to Him. Abraham strengthened his commitment to God through this extremely difficult situation. He proved that his faith was genuine, not just something he talked about.

We can talk about our faith and how we’re ready to trust God and obey His commands, but sooner or later we’re going to have to put some action behind our words. How would you respond if God told you to do something that just didn’t make sense?  Would you look to Him for strength to get through the situation or would you take matters into your own hands?

Spend a few minutes talking about what you just read by answering these questions together:

How did Abraham’s actions display trust and faith in God? How had Abraham’s previous experiences with God prepared him for this test?

How can we better follow God this week?

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths.” God never promised that the Christian life would be easy, but He did promise that He is always there for you. He will never leave you. No matter how old or young you are, God wants you to trust Him for EVERYTHING. Spend a few minutes discussing how God is strengthening your faith and trust in Him.