Finally, twenty-five years after God promised Abraham to make him a great nation, Sarah gave birth to a son in her old age, just as the Lord had said. They named him Isaac, which means ‘laughter’, because Sarah had laughed when God said she would have a son. Isaac grew and became a young boy.
One day God spoke to Abraham and said, “Abraham, take your son, your only son, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on the mountain.” So the next morning, Abraham chopped wood for the fire and put the wood on a donkey. He took fire and a knife. He called two servants and his son, Isaac, and they began to travel to the place God had told him about.
When they saw Mount Moriah in the distance, Abraham told the servants, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go to the mountain to worship and then we will return to you.” Then Abraham put the wood onto Isaac, took the fire and the knife himself, and continued on with his son.
While they were walking, Isaac asked Abraham, “Father?” Abraham said, “Yes, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire is here. The wood is here. but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb (ram) for the burnt offering.”
When they reached Mount Moriah, Abraham built an altar from stones and placed the wood on it. Then he bound Isaac’s hands and placed Isaac on the altar. Then he took the knife and was about to strike Isaac when the angel of the Lord called to him and said, “Abraham! Stop! Do not harm the boy. Now I know that you truly fear God since you have not held back from me your son, your only son.”
Then Abraham turned around and saw a ram with its horns caught in the thicket. Abraham took Isaac off of the altar and sacrificed the ram in place of his son Isaac. That is why they called that place, “The Lord provides.”
After Abraham sacrificed the ram, God spoke to him again through his angel. “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. And your seed shall defeat their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."