Genesis 22:1-19 -- Isaac to be sacrificed

Genesis 22:1 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. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.

Can you imagine what Abraham must have been thinking?  God gave him this son, through whom was promised a great nation and now God wants Abraham to sacrifice him?  You know Abraham was wondering how God was going to fulfill the promise if Isaac had died?  Perhaps he believed God would bring Isaac back or that, as Isaac mentioned to Isaac later, that God would provide the lamb.

Genesis 22:7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”
And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”
Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

If the Lord told you to take your child and sacrifice him or her, would you?  Would you willingly give us your son or daughter for the Lord?  Abraham was.  Abraham was ready to offer his son as a sacrifice.  To honor his God.

Genesis 22:11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
He replied, “Here I am.”
12 Then He said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said: “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”

The Lord stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and provided a ram as a substitute.  The Lord has also sacrificed his only son for us.  He sent Jesus to earth to bare the punishment for our sins so that through him we may be saved and not suffer the wrath of God.

Genesis 22:15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command.”
19 Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.

You may have noticed that these passages repeatedly state that Isaac was his only son. At this time, even though Ishmael was still alive, Isaac was the only one residing in the home.  Ishmael and his mother had been driven out and Ishmael no longer considered his son.  You may also notice that this says "Because you have done this" I will bless you with numerous offspring, but the Lord had already promised Abraham prior to this that his offspring would be numerous and a great nation.  The Lord already knew Abraham would be faithful, but wanted him to demonstrate his faithfulness through this act.  It is a sign to all other believers of how faithful we should be.  If God tells us to do something we should do it.  No questions.  No hesitation.