The Sacrificial Son

By Danny Saavedra

“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” – Genesis 22:8 (NIV)

Do you remember from our story yesterday when God made Abraham that crazy promise that He would give him a son even though he was an old man? Well, guess what! That promise came true! 

Abraham had a son named Isaac. But Abraham’s story doesn’t end there. One day, God asked him to do a very hard thing. God asked Abraham to take his son, whom he loved so much, and go to a mountain to give him to God as a sacrifice. That might feel like if your parents asked you to take your favorite toy and give it away— never to see it again. 

Abraham probably wondered what God was thinking. How could He ask him to do this? Remember, Abraham had waited a long, long time for his son Isaac. But God always keeps His promises and said that Abraham would have a big family one day. 

Even though Abraham didn’t understand, he trusted God and believed He would provide a lamb as the sacrifice instead of Isaac. And He did! Because Abraham had so much faith in God, God said to him, “Because you obeyed me, I will bless you.” 

Sometimes it’s hard to know why God does the things He does. But there are three things we can always count on: God loves us, He is good, and He always keeps His promises.