Session 1
the command and Abraham’s response.
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him,
“Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” he said,
“your only son Isaac, whom you love,
go to the land of Moriah,
and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey,
and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac.
He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about.
Believers are to be obedient to God alone.
Distribute copies of Pack Item 7 (Handout: Genesis Time Line) and
briefly summarize the events in Genesis 1-21.
Highlight where today’s session falls on the time line.
Referencing Pack Item 2 (Poster: Outline of Genesis 20-50) and
Pack Item 3 (Poster: The Patriarchs),
set the context for the session.
On the board, draw a quick sketch of hills and valleys.
Utilizing Understand the Context, label Abraham’s ups and downs in Genesis 12-21.
Distribute copies of Pack Item 8 (Handout: Background of Genesis).
Direct the group to keep the handout for future sessions.
Explain that in Genesis 22, Abraham received a very specific command from God.
this is not a validation of human sacrifice.
identify the actions Abraham took to prepare for his difficult task.
Isaac
Personal name meaning “laughter.” This could indicate the joy that his parents felt after decades of waiting on God’s promise. It also could refer to their snickers when God announced his upcoming birth (Gen. 17:17; 18:11-15). While the Bible reveals less about Isaac than other patriarchs, he received the covenant promises and extended the line of promise to his son, Jacob. In the New Testament, Isaac appears in the line of Jesus (Matt. 1:2; Luke 3:34) and is highlighted in Hebrews as an example of godly faith (Heb. 11:20).