Page 72 - Bible History

ABRAHAM, THE FATHER OF THE CHOSEN PEOPLE 45
They had traveled three days when Abraham saw the mountain in the distance. Then he said to his serv­ ants, ''Stay you here with the ass. I and the boy shall go yonder and, after we have o ered sacri ce, we shall return to you.''
He took the wood for the sacri ce and laid it upon Isaac. He h self carried in his hands re and a sword. Together they started out for the mountain.
After a while Isaac asked, ''My father, we have re and wood, but whe e is the victim for the sacri T '' '' God will provide it, my son,'' Abraham replied.
When they reached the place which God had shown him, Abraham built an altar and laid the wood in order upon it. He then bound Isaac and placed him upon the pile of wood. As he was raising his sword to sacri ce his son, an angel of the Lord called him from Heaven, "Abraham, Abraham." He answered, '' Here I am.'' The angel said, '' Lay not thy hand on
the boy, neither do thou anything to him. Now I know that thou fearest God and hast not spared thy o y­ begotten son for His sake.''
Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by the horns in the bushes nearby. He took Isaac o the altar and o ered the ram as a sacri ce to God instead of his son.
Then the angel repeated the promise to Abraham, The ''Thy children shall be as numerous as the st_ ars in promi
Is
the heavens and as grains of sand on the seashore, and repe ed
in your children shall all nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice.''
Soon after this, Sara died in Hebron. Abraham