Motivation Morsel - November 5, 2026
Genesis 22 (vii) After these things, G-d tested Avraham. He said to him, “Avraham!” and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitz’chak; and go to the land of Moriyah. There you are to offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will point out to you.”
3 Avraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, together with Yitz’chak his son. He cut the wood for the burnt offering, departed and went toward the place G-d had told him about. 4 On the third day, Avraham raised his eyes and saw the place in the distance. 5 Avraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go there, worship and return to you.” 6 Avraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Yitz’chak his son. Then he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went on together.
7 Yitz’chak spoke to Avraham his father: “My father?” He answered, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Avraham replied, “G-d will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son”; and they both went on together.
9 They came to the place G-d had told him about; and Avraham built the altar there, set the wood in order, bound Yitz’chak his son and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10 Then Avraham put out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
11 But the angel of Adonai called to him out of heaven: “Avraham? Avraham!” He answered, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy! Don’t do anything to him! For now I know that you are a man who fears G-d, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 Avraham raised his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Avraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides] — as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.”
15 The angel of Adonai called to Avraham a second time out of heaven. 16 He said, “I have sworn by myself — says Adonai — that because you have done this, because you haven’t withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will most certainly bless you; and I will most certainly increase your descendants to as many as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the cities of their enemies, 18 and by your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed — because you obeyed my order.”
19 So Avraham returned to his young men. They got up and went together to Be’er-Sheva, and Avraham settled in Be’er-Sheva.
(Maftir) 20 Afterwards, Avraham was told, “Milkah too has borne children, to your brother Nachor — 21 ‘Utz his firstborn, Buz his brother, K’mu’el the father of Aram, 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Yidlaf and B’tu’el. 23 B’tu’el fathered Rivkah. These eight Milkah bore to Nachor Avraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Re’umah, bore children also: Tevach, Gacham, Tachash and Ma‘akhah.
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The Most High Tests Whom He Loves
The Most High brought Abraham to a “Test of His Faith” when He commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the son through whom the covenant promises were supposed to come. This was a true test of Abraham’s fear, obedience, and trust.
The passage says in Verses 3-5 that Abraham rose early, traveled three days with Isaac and two servants, and told the servants that he and Isaac would go worship and return. There are many different explanations offered about this part of the story. The most common thought of many biblical scholars and teachers is this act reflected Abraham’s deep faith and trust that the Most High could even raise Isaac from the dead. And, having bound Isaac and placed him on the altar that was built, an angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from harming Isaac at the last moment. G-d provided a ram caught in a thicket as a substitute sacrifice. The narrative says, “Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Jehovah Jireh: Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides] — as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.””
Many parallel this Genesis 22 narrative with the carrying of the wood, binding Isaac to the altar, and the substitute ram as a direct prefiguring of the death of Yeshua the Messiah, His being offered by G-d the Father on Calvary (which tradition links closely to the Moriah region).
Because of Abraham's unwavering faith and obedience, the angel proclaimed that “the Most High swears by Himself to most certainly bless Abraham, and most certainly increase his descendants to as many as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand on the seashore. Abraham’s descendants will possess the cities of their enemies, and by his descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed the Most High’s order.” And Beloved, we, believers in the Messiah, are the seed of Abraham and that promise is still being fulfilled today (read Romans 4). HalleluYAH.
Genesis 22 ends with Abraham, Isaac, and the servants returning home to Be’er-Sheva, and the final verses set up the story for Isaac’s wife to be found among his father’s people.
HalleluYAH! This is a beautiful story about how much the Most High loves His children and wants us to trust Him to walk us through the many assignments, hard places, and unknown situations. Like Abraham, our faith and obedience should be that the Most High is a promise keeper. If he asks for the promise to be sacrificed, He is well able to restore it. I pray this encourages those who are walking through one of these faith testing situations right now to keep walking and keep trusting the Most High. He has a good and expected end for His children. The Most High plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future (cf. Jeremiah 29:11). Tell yourself, “It’s only a test you’re going through, and it’s going to be over real soon.” Keep your faith. The Most High tests those whom He loves (cf. Deuteronomy 13:3; Proverbs 17:3; James 1:3–4).
Shalom Aleikhem
Enjoy, “It’s Only A Test!” by Bishop Trotter
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