- 1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
- 2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
- 3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
- 4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
- 5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
- 6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
- 7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
- 8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
- 9And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
- 10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
- 11And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
- 12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
- 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
- 14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
- 15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
- 16And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
- 17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
- 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
- 19So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
- 20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;
- 21Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
- 22And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
- 23And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
- 24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

GENESIS 22
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
Genesis 22 — Abraham’s faith is tested, Isaac is spared, and the Lord provides a ram for the offering.
About this illustration
The image captures the instant after intervention: the knife is lowered, Isaac is unharmed, and the ram is visible. The heavenly command is represented by light rather than a bodily depiction of God.
Scripture basis: Genesis 22:1–24King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence

The Biblical Frescoes of the Catacomb of Priscilla
Third-century burial chambers on Rome's Via Salaria preserve layered Christian images of rescue, resurrection, prayer, shepherding, and biblical memory within an active funerary landscape.

4QCommentary on Genesis A (4Q252)
Six Hebrew columns interpret selected Genesis problems, calculating the Flood within a 364-day calendar and reading Jacob’s blessing of Judah as an enduring claim to rule.

4QJubileesᵃ (4Q216) and Rewritten Genesis
The oldest substantial Hebrew witness to Jubilees retells Genesis and early Exodus through heavenly tablets, covenant law, and a jubilee calendar, while its material form challenges assumptions of a perfectly stable text.

Chester Beatty Biblical Papyrus IV: Genesis 9–44
An early-fourth-century papyrus codex preserves broad stretches of Greek Genesis from Noah through Joseph, giving substantial pre-medieval evidence for the Septuagint's patriarchal narratives.

Bet Alpha Synagogue Mosaic
The Bet Alpha synagogue floor combines the Binding of Isaac, a zodiac calendar, and a Torah-shrine panel in a dated late-antique Jewish worship space.

Sepphoris Synagogue Mosaic
A richly figured synagogue pavement excavated by Hebrew University, including the binding of Isaac, zodiac imagery, offerings, and Temple furnishings. Shows late antique Jewish visual interpretation of Genesis 22 and Temple worship in Galilee.
Prophecy Events

The Beloved Son Offered on Moriah
Abraham is commanded to offer Isaac, the beloved promised son, and receives him back when God provides a substitute.

Abraham's Seed Blesses All Nations
God promises that every family and nation of the earth will be blessed through Abraham’s offspring.
Sermons

No Looking Back
Pastor Dean Odle uses an old family plow to illustrate Jesus’s warning in Luke 9:62 about following Him without looking back. Beginning with Romans 8 and John 10, he argues that discipleship requires continually hearing Christ’s voice, resisting the flesh, and surrendering self-will. He examines the excuses in Luke 14, shares personal accounts of ministry decisions, correction, and restoration, and turns to 1 John 2 and Proverbs 3 to urge trust in God’s direction. The sermon closes with warnings drawn from Lot’s wife and the parable of the talents, calling listeners to examine their faith, abide in Christ, and move forward in obedient, fruitful service.

Skyfall 2024: Surrendered by Pastor Nancy Odle
In “Skyfall 2024 - Surrendered by Pastor Nancy Odle,” Pastor Nancy Odle presents a Scripture-centered message about sacrifice and surrender, biblical love, family discipleship. Drawing especially from Ephesians 3:1, Genesis 22, Matthew 10, 1 Kings 18:2, the teaching emphasizes that worship and discipleship require surrendering personal comfort, control, and self-interest to God. Odle connects that foundation with the conviction that biblical love is demonstrated through truth, patience, sacrifice, and conduct toward others.

Abraham Was Not a Torah Follower: Walking by Faith
Pastor Dean Odle contrasts New Covenant faith in Jesus Christ with efforts to place Christians under the Mosaic covenant. Beginning in Romans 3 and answering an appeal to James 2, he argues that believers are justified apart from the deeds of the law, while genuine faith still produces obedient action. James’s examples of Abraham and Rahab, in his reading, describe works that respond to God’s present command—not Sabbath, feast, dietary, circumcision, or other covenant observances.
Showing 1–3 of 4 sermons