Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: Can you count the stars, Abram.
Speaker 1: Abram shook his head uncertain.
Speaker 2: You cannot, for there are too many. It is impossible.
Speaker 2: It is to be the same with your offspring. The
Speaker 2: great nation I shall make through your air would be
Speaker 2: as innumerable as the stars in the night sky.
Speaker 3: And they can't help it. You're never going to believe it.
Speaker 3: It's finally happened. God's promised to us.
Speaker 4: With child.
Speaker 3: You're going to be a father.
Speaker 4: Sarah has given you a son, Isaac Master. The boy's
Speaker 4: name is Isaac.
Speaker 1: They laughed until tears streamed down their faces. Everyone in
Speaker 1: the room began to harmonize with them. Years of pent
Speaker 1: up tension from yearning for a child had finally released, ironically,
Speaker 1: just like the babies.
Speaker 4: It is a miracle.
Speaker 3: It is our God, It truly is, Abraham. You have
Speaker 3: walked with our God for a long time and grown
Speaker 3: accustomed to his voice. I have always wondered how you
Speaker 3: sustained your faith all these years, waiting for the impossible.
Speaker 3: But now I hear his voice too.
Speaker 5: I hear his voice in the cries of our son
Speaker 5: here and last, and I hear it in all our laughter.
Speaker 5: God made me laugh when I first learned of his
Speaker 5: intentions for my life. But now everyone will laugh with me.
Speaker 6: Blessed be April by God Most High, creator of heaven
Speaker 6: and earth. In Him, you and your great nation have
Speaker 6: a protector and provider.
Speaker 1: Abram was pleased to know that he had done right
Speaker 1: by his God and that his reward would be something
Speaker 1: akin to a legacy, enduring and everlasting, just as the
Speaker 1: God Most High had promised him.
Speaker 7: Poised in trembling hands, a father's heart aches from an
Speaker 7: impossible command, shallo, my friends from here in the Holy Land,
Speaker 7: Amya l. Eckstein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
Speaker 7: Welcome to the Chosen People. Each week we'll hear dramatic
Speaker 7: stories inspired by the Bible, stories filled with timeless lessons
Speaker 7: of faith, love, and the meaning of life. Through Israel's story,
Speaker 7: we'll find this truth that we are all chosen for
Speaker 7: some thing great. If you've been listening along for a
Speaker 7: while now, first of all, thank you, as we say
Speaker 7: in Hebrew Todiraba, passion and heart has been put into
Speaker 7: this project, and we're only getting started.
Speaker 8: If you've been.
Speaker 7: Inspired, entertained, encouraged, and if you've been enjoying it. We
Speaker 7: would just love it if you shared your thoughts in
Speaker 7: a review. I love to read them and see what
Speaker 7: you're thinking and any feedback you have, and I can't
Speaker 7: wait to hear from you.
Speaker 8: Now.
Speaker 7: Let's begin in the cool desert night, under a sky
Speaker 7: spangled with stars. The story unfolds a tale of faith
Speaker 7: and fear, of pesting, and trust of obedience of the
Speaker 7: unknown Abraham, the father of nations. Here's the voice of
Speaker 7: God calling him to an unthinkable task.
Speaker 8: What does it mean to be tested by God? Come?
Speaker 7: Let's delve into this profound and perplexing story inspired by
Speaker 7: Genesis twenty two. Let's walk alongside Abraham up the mountain
Speaker 7: to a place where God's will and the human heart collide.
Speaker 1: Abraham lifted the water skin with care, tilting it gently
Speaker 1: to pour its precious contents onto the base of the
Speaker 1: tamarisk tree. The seedling had been planted after the covenant
Speaker 1: between him and Abimelek had been sealed, a symbol of
Speaker 1: peace in Beersheba. Each day since Abraham had made the
Speaker 1: solemn pilgrimage to this spot, watering the young tree, the
Speaker 1: parched earth drank eagerly. The water seeping down to the
Speaker 1: tender roots below. This ritual had replaced his legendary walks
Speaker 1: along the borders of his lands, a new duty that
Speaker 1: brought him solace and reminded him of the steadfastness of
Speaker 1: his God and the covenant they had forged. As Abraham
Speaker 1: turned to leave, he felt the familiar sa stillness envelop him,
Speaker 1: the world around him falling silent. The voice of his
Speaker 1: God shattered.
Speaker 2: The quiet Abraham.
Speaker 1: The sound of his name spoken with such authority startled Abraham.
Speaker 1: The formal address demanded his immediate response, and he answered
Speaker 1: without hesitation. He had felt the presence of his God
Speaker 1: each day, yet this call was different, as summons with
Speaker 1: a weighty purpose.
Speaker 2: Here I am listen.
Speaker 9: Carefully, take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love.
Speaker 9: Go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there
Speaker 9: as a burnt offering on one of the mountains.
Speaker 1: Abraham stood as if turned to stone, the words reverberating
Speaker 1: through him. The stillness lifted, leaving him alone with his
Speaker 1: tumultuous thoughts. His God was asking for Isaac, the son
Speaker 1: of the Promise, the child he had waited for so long,
Speaker 1: the one for whom he had sacrificed and journeyed far
Speaker 1: from his homeland. How could he reconcile this command with
Speaker 1: the promises his God had made?
Speaker 10: What's this terrible thing you've asked me to do? To
Speaker 10: give up the very promise I've been waiting for for
Speaker 10: for a quarter century. You're the one who has affirmed
Speaker 10: it time and time again, And now that's it. What
Speaker 10: happened to the seed, the great nation, the blessing?
Speaker 1: What Abraham's words seemed to fall to the earth. There
Speaker 1: was no response from heaven, just a gnawing, foreboding silence.
Speaker 4: Not even a.
Speaker 1: Breeze graced his ears. Abraham had left everything, endured hardships,
Speaker 1: and even sent away his first son, Ishmael, all for
Speaker 1: this promise, and now his God demanded Isaac as a sacrifice.
Speaker 1: The command was clear, but the purpose was shrouded in mystery.
Speaker 1: Abraham's heart ached as he recalled the pain of parting
Speaker 1: with Ishmael, a wound that had barely begun to heal.
Speaker 1: How could he bear to lose Isaac, the son who
Speaker 1: was to fulfill God's promise.
Speaker 2: Of a great nation.
Speaker 1: His mind was a tangled web of anguish and faith.
Speaker 1: Yet he knew the faithfulness of his God. Every promise
Speaker 1: had been kept, every word fulfilled, even when it seemed impossible.
Speaker 1: Abraham grappled with the enormity of the command, the clash
Speaker 1: between his love for his son and his unwavering faith.
Speaker 10: If you require this, there must be a purpose, a
Speaker 10: plan beyond my understanding.
Speaker 1: Doubt and dread gnawed at him, but his result hardened.
Speaker 1: He had to trust to obey, even when it defied
Speaker 1: all reason. He supposed that his God could do miraculous things.
Speaker 1: He had wrought plagues and brought victory. He had even
Speaker 1: brought Sarah's barren womb back to life. Perhaps he would
Speaker 1: do the same with Isaac. In his conflicted heart, he
Speaker 1: relented his God could not be denied. The promise would
Speaker 1: be fulfilled. Somehow. There had to be a way. There
Speaker 1: had to be a plan, something he was not seeing.
Speaker 1: He couldn't lose his nerve. He had to stay the course,
Speaker 1: unlike all those other times before, those times when he
Speaker 1: had deceived, or hid or taken matters into his own hands.
Speaker 1: The land of Mariah lay a three day journey away.
Speaker 1: He would need to prepare for this horrible task. He
Speaker 1: would also need to decide what to say to us
Speaker 1: Isaac and his wife. Abraham stopped in his tracks. Sarah
Speaker 1: the child that had grown inside her very womb. He
Speaker 1: was the answer to all of her deepest and most
Speaker 1: desperate prayers. How could he possibly take that son away
Speaker 1: from her? Going through with this act would cost more
Speaker 1: than one life. Abraham would be responsible for the death
Speaker 1: of his wife's faith, perhaps the death of their marriage
Speaker 1: as well. Abraham cried out in his heart in torment
Speaker 1: and fumbled for the comforting presence in the back of
Speaker 1: his mind. This would be the ultimate test of his faith,
Speaker 1: unlike anything he had experienced before. He reached out in
Speaker 1: his groaning and longing for comfort, and was surprised to
Speaker 1: find that he felt a distant, fluttering peace there in
Speaker 1: the back of his mind, where the presence of his
Speaker 1: God was often to be found. A simple question echoed
Speaker 1: back to him for the source. Would he cling to
Speaker 1: the sun he had been given or cling to the
Speaker 1: word of his God. Abraham found his wife Sarah in
Speaker 1: their tent, and he summoned all his courage As he braced.
Speaker 2: To speak to her.
Speaker 1: Abraham, she could immediately see that he was troubled. He
Speaker 1: stamped down his fears and his doubts, and he held
Speaker 1: fast to his flickering faith. He steadied himself and tried
Speaker 1: to will his thoughts to the here and now.
Speaker 2: I am here, Sarah, I.
Speaker 3: My husband, you are beginning to scare me.
Speaker 4: What is it?
Speaker 10: I I was out of the sight in Beersheba, where
Speaker 10: I planted the covenantry.
Speaker 3: What happened?
Speaker 2: Our God came to me.
Speaker 10: He has asked something of me, of us. He asks
Speaker 10: me to take our son Isaac to the land of
Speaker 10: Moriah and off him there. He is to be a
Speaker 10: burnt offering to our God.
Speaker 3: What did you say?
Speaker 10: I am to offer our son to our.
Speaker 3: God, Our son Isaac. Yes, the one God promised to
Speaker 3: us is to be slain. Yes, slain by your hand
Speaker 3: his father?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 3: And you're sure you did not misinterpret? Were you drunk
Speaker 3: or no?
Speaker 10: His beaning was plain as day, just as plain as
Speaker 10: the day he called me, Sarah. I know this is
Speaker 10: difficult to understand. I don't claim to understand it at all, either,
Speaker 10: But I sense this is a call I must answer.
Speaker 4: Trial.
Speaker 2: I must endure.
Speaker 3: A trial that would end in execution, the death of
Speaker 3: the very promise upon which our entire lives, Our entire
Speaker 3: legacy stands.
Speaker 10: I cannot believe I'm saying this aloud, but but yes,
Speaker 10: you would murder our son.
Speaker 11: I will do what our God asks of me.
Speaker 3: Even this, you look him in the eye and drive
Speaker 3: a blade into his throat like an animal. Abraham, listen
Speaker 3: to yourself. We loved the gods of her long ago.
Speaker 3: They were the ones who required sacrifices like this.
Speaker 11: Perhaps there's something more to the plan we do not see.
Speaker 11: It has yet to be revealed. But I must obey.
Speaker 11: We must have faith.
Speaker 3: You are going to do this thing. I see the
Speaker 3: determination in your eyes, the single mindedness of your heart.
Speaker 3: You know this act would devastate you, but you agree anyway.
Speaker 3: You know it would kill me as well. But still
Speaker 3: you come to tell me you didn't hide it or
Speaker 3: sneak around me. But nor are you asking me or
Speaker 3: seeking my counsel, Knowing full well, I would beg you
Speaker 3: not to go, not to do this terrible thing. But
Speaker 3: yet there you stand, resolved, unmoved.
Speaker 4: They do not know.
Speaker 12: How I will live with myself or what the future holds,
Speaker 12: but I must be obedient to the call of today.
Speaker 1: Abraham saw devastation in his wife's eyes. He could see
Speaker 1: a great war of faith and understanding raging within Abraham's
Speaker 1: sensed that this was as much a test of her
Speaker 1: faith as it was one of his.
Speaker 13: If you commit this act, I cannot accept you. If
Speaker 13: you go to the mountain and sacrifice our son, it
Speaker 13: will cost you your wife.
Speaker 3: Are you willing to risk the hate of your family
Speaker 3: for your God?
Speaker 1: Abraham considered the weight of her words. He could see
Speaker 1: his own consideration mirrored in her. He could see her
Speaker 1: thoughts as if they were his own. How much was
Speaker 1: Abraham's faith worth to him? What was he willing to
Speaker 1: sacrifice to demonstrate his trust in his God? He knew
Speaker 1: that his answer to both was of great consequence, more
Speaker 1: than consequence, utterly imperative.
Speaker 12: I am I trust that our Guard will provide and
Speaker 12: hold true to his promise to us. I would ask
Speaker 12: you to place your trust in our Guard as well.
Speaker 12: It is with a humble heart I ask at all,
Speaker 12: for I know it is you alone who can decide
Speaker 12: how to place your trust.
Speaker 1: Sarah inclined her head in answer. When she lifted her head,
Speaker 1: he saw tears fill her eyes, and they stood like
Speaker 1: that for some time, eye to eye, heart to heart.
Speaker 1: But she did not beg him. She did not ask
Speaker 1: him to not go and complete the task that had
Speaker 1: been given to him. She turned her back to him.
Speaker 1: Abraham watched her shoulders quiver. He stepped forward to comfort her,
Speaker 1: but didn't. His embrace would only add to the confusion
Speaker 1: and sorrow. Abraham rose early the next morning and prepared
Speaker 1: for the jail. He arranged for two young servants to
Speaker 1: accompany them to set and break camp and prepare meals.
Speaker 1: He split wood for the offering and packed it on
Speaker 1: the donkeys, remembering the sparse terrain around Mariah. Isaac met
Speaker 1: him with an expectant smile at dawn, just as he
Speaker 1: had told him.
Speaker 4: Oh, good morning, father, I'm ready for our journey.
Speaker 10: Good morning, my son.
Speaker 2: Come help me with the.
Speaker 4: Last of this wood.
Speaker 1: Abraham watched Isaac's arms load the wood. They were thin,
Speaker 1: but tight, and showing signs of growth from childhood to adolescence.
Speaker 1: Abraham's chest tightened at the thought that Isaac may not
Speaker 1: live to become a man. Abraham and the three set
Speaker 1: out for the land of Mariah. On the third day.
Speaker 1: Abraham recognized the terrain they neared the city of Salem,
Speaker 1: where he had once met the mysterious King Melchisedek. Much
Speaker 1: had changed in that meeting. As they approached a hilltop,
Speaker 1: Abraham felt a stirring, a confirmation.
Speaker 10: This was the place Di Dan came you all. This
Speaker 10: is the place where my son and I will depart
Speaker 10: from you. I will take the boy to worship on
Speaker 10: that mount, then we'll come back to you. Stay with
Speaker 10: the donkeys and prepare the camp.
Speaker 1: Abraham unstrapped the wood from the back of one of
Speaker 1: the donkeys.
Speaker 10: Isaac, I will have you carry this wood for our offering.
Speaker 10: It's too heavy for me to carry up to the mount.
Speaker 4: Of course, Father, lay it on my back.
Speaker 1: Abraham took the leather straps from the donkey and fastened
Speaker 1: a makeshift back from the same donkey's pack. Abraham's stomach
Speaker 1: tightened as he brought out some spare rope and his
Speaker 1: hunting knife. He felt sick as he gripped the worn
Speaker 1: handle and stared at the sharp, jagged edges of the blade.
Speaker 1: His fingers remember the grip and the strength required to
Speaker 1: pierce flesh. His body remembered the violence wrought by this knife,
Speaker 1: but absent with the war cries and bloodlust of battle.
Speaker 1: His young son stood demurely before him. Waiting for him
Speaker 1: to take his lead up the mount to their destination.
Speaker 1: Hands shaking, Abraham stowed the blade in the folds of
Speaker 1: his robe. He couldn't bear to look at it and
Speaker 1: be reminded of the task slated for it a moment longer.
Speaker 1: With his other hand, he fumbled for the flint buried
Speaker 1: in the pack on the still waiting donkey. Isaac doubled back,
Speaker 1: deftly found the flint and handed it to his father.
Speaker 1: His face was the picture of patience and expectance. Abraham's
Speaker 1: heart throbbed. He knew his son loved him more than
Speaker 1: anything and would do anything he asked for them. Abraham
Speaker 1: shoved that thought aside and gave him a tight smile
Speaker 1: before taking the lead, And so they began their ascent
Speaker 1: the Killer and the Innocent. Father and son hiked intense silence,
Speaker 1: traversing the rocky goat path cut into the hill, father
Speaker 1: lost in his thoughts, and son sensing his distress. Abraham
Speaker 1: did not trust himself to speak on their climb. Instead,
Speaker 1: he focused on placing one foot before the other, each
Speaker 1: step taking him closer to a moment that would surely
Speaker 1: alter the course of his life and legacy. Forever. Isaac
Speaker 1: could see they were nearing the top and began looking around.
Speaker 2: Father, Here I am, my son.
Speaker 1: Abraham could not help but recognize that he had given
Speaker 1: the same answer to his God only four days prior.
Speaker 1: Here I am. He had even uttered something similar to
Speaker 1: his wife. He found that if he thought too far
Speaker 1: ahead to the task at hand, he would become over whelmed.
Speaker 1: But he was here, he knew who he was and
Speaker 1: what he was called to do. He would not be
Speaker 1: overtaken with fear.
Speaker 4: I'm carrying the wood, and you have what you need
Speaker 4: for the fire. But where's the lamb for the burnt offering?
Speaker 1: Abraham swallowed. He found he could not bring himself to
Speaker 1: tell Isaac the truth about what or who would serve
Speaker 1: as the sacrifice for the burnt offering. Not yet, don't fear, Isaac.
Speaker 1: Abraham again paused, summoning his own strength, and encouraged his
Speaker 1: son with words meant for himself as well as Isaac.
Speaker 10: Our God will provide them the lamb for the burnt offering.
Speaker 1: Isaac accepted his father's words without question. Isaac was a
Speaker 1: simple soul, trusting and unyielding an optimism. His mind was
Speaker 1: untainted by the deep gnawing questions that plagued more intelligent men.
Speaker 1: Abraham adored his son more than life itself. He would
Speaker 1: gladly lay himself at the altar if it meant his
Speaker 1: son would live. But God had not asked for the father.
Speaker 1: He asked for the son. They approached the summit of
Speaker 1: the hill. The charcoal clouds above them were thick and unruly.
Speaker 1: Abraham secretly hoped lightning would strike him down before he
Speaker 1: had a chance to complete his task. Abraham identified the
Speaker 1: place that served as their altar. They placed stones in
Speaker 1: an oval shape, building the firewek. Isaac played the wood
Speaker 1: for the pyre, then faced his father expectantly. Abraham toyed
Speaker 1: with the rope, his other hand gripping the knife.
Speaker 10: My son, Ay, I must ask something of you.
Speaker 4: Whatever you ask of me, father, I'll do.
Speaker 1: Abraham's hearts strained at the words that his son's face,
Speaker 1: so eager to please, so eager to do whatever he
Speaker 1: could to ease his father's clear discomfort.
Speaker 2: Lay down across the wood.
Speaker 1: Isaac blinked at the command. Abraham saw confusion flash across
Speaker 1: his face, but he quickly mastered it into determination. Isaac obeyed,
Speaker 1: Now hold your feet in the hands.
Speaker 10: Steady, I'm going to fasten the ropes.
Speaker 4: Again.
Speaker 1: Confusion mixed with alarm made their appearance on Isaac's face,
Speaker 1: but he held out his arms and legs to be secured.
Speaker 1: Abraham stood back from the scene of his son held
Speaker 1: in bondage and tied to the wood that would serve
Speaker 1: as their altar. His arms were outstretched and his head
Speaker 1: slumped uncomfortably to one side. Though he was almost fully grown,
Speaker 1: he looked small and vulnerable looking up at his father.
Speaker 1: What now for Abraham was astonished at his son's submission,
Speaker 1: his willingness to trust completely in the words of his father.
Speaker 1: The boy he loved so much had come to love
Speaker 1: his God and was willing to follow the faith of
Speaker 1: his father, even unto death. Onto the wood, the wood
Speaker 1: he had unwittingly and unknowingly carried. The notion gave him
Speaker 1: the courage he needed to advance on Isaac and draw
Speaker 1: his knife. Upon seeing the knife, terror flooded Isaac's face.
Speaker 1: He gaped up at Abraham standing above him. He pulled
Speaker 1: on his restraints, fear and instinct taking over Father.
Speaker 4: What are you doing? What? I busts?
Speaker 1: The sound of fear and betrayal in his son's voice
Speaker 1: was visceral and gut wrenching. It unlocked a torment in
Speaker 1: Abraham's soul he had never imagined was possible, but he
Speaker 1: had come this far. Thunder rolled in the distance, and
Speaker 1: the winds began to churn violently. Abraham dug deep within himself,
Speaker 1: desperately drawing out enough grit and determination to lift the blade.
Speaker 1: There was no turning back, no faltering. Lightning struck a
Speaker 1: mere mile away, illuminating the horror on Isaac's face. Abraham
Speaker 1: squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear the sight of
Speaker 1: his son's terror. The thunder clapp'd again, and a chilled
Speaker 1: wind bit at Abraham's face. Tears rolled down his cheeks
Speaker 1: as he slowly, painfully lifted the blade high above his head. Legacy, destiny, dreams,
Speaker 1: the future. Isaac represented all those things. With one fell
Speaker 1: swoop of his blade. He would end it all, sacrifice
Speaker 1: it all for his God. Abraham poised to strike and
Speaker 1: shouted to the head Eavans. His voice billowed against the wind.
Speaker 1: He threw his hips back, cocked his arm, and began
Speaker 1: his descent into sorrow. Abraham, Abraham, the voice clapped alongside
Speaker 1: the thunder, Abraham dropped the blade immediately it fell to
Speaker 1: the ground with a clatter on the stones. Abraham shook uncontrollably.
Speaker 14: Here I am, here, here I am.
Speaker 4: Do not lay a hand on the boy or do
Speaker 4: anything to him. For now I know that you fear
Speaker 4: your God, since you have not withheld your only son
Speaker 4: from me.
Speaker 1: Abraham's eyes snapped open at that, and his eyes met Isaac's.
Speaker 1: He reached for his boy's face with trembling hands and
Speaker 1: kissed him. Isaac recoiled at first to his father's touch,
Speaker 1: but then relaxed himself. Relief flooded Abraham, and he quickly
Speaker 1: picked up his blade and cut his son's bonds. Isaac
Speaker 1: sat up slowly, without saying a word, and rubbed his wrists.
Speaker 1: His eyes were wide with shock. Isaac had heard the
Speaker 1: voice as well. Abraham sank to his knees, utterly spent,
Speaker 1: and sobbed. The voice of his God had faded, and
Speaker 1: Abraham began to hear the noises of the sparse wilderness
Speaker 1: begin to return. His senses narrowed in on a faint
Speaker 1: rustling that was coming over the ridge. He gathered his
Speaker 1: remaining strength, stood and took up his knife as he approached.
Speaker 1: The still bewildered Isaac stayed where he was on the
Speaker 1: locks and watched his father. Abraham palmed the handle of
Speaker 1: the knife. As he neared the edge of the hilltop,
Speaker 1: a ram was struggling to free itself from the dense
Speaker 1: thicket of shrubs. Its great horns were tangled in the
Speaker 1: gnarled branches, fixing it in place. Abraham nearly cried out
Speaker 1: in jubilation. This was not quite the lamb his son
Speaker 1: had inquired about, but this substitution would do. Abraham swiftly
Speaker 1: made the kill, grabbing the ram by the back of
Speaker 1: the foot to steady it to slit its throat. He
Speaker 1: called Isaac down to where the ram now lay dead,
Speaker 1: and the two of them carried it to the altar,
Speaker 1: lit a fire, and offered it to their God. Abraham
Speaker 1: ran a sooty and bloodied hand over his face as
Speaker 1: he could no longer contain the tears of relief that
Speaker 1: now freely flowed from his eyes. He pulled an equally
Speaker 1: relieved Isaac into his arms and embraced him, crying all
Speaker 1: the harder. The scene around them still for a second time,
Speaker 1: and again they heard the word of their God in
Speaker 1: their midst.
Speaker 4: By myself I have sworn, because you have done this
Speaker 4: thing and have not withheld your only sun, I would
Speaker 4: indeed bless you and make your offspring essence numerous as
Speaker 4: the stars of the sky and the sand on the
Speaker 4: sea shore.
Speaker 1: Abraham drew Isaac close again as he listened to the
Speaker 1: familiar words of his calling. His God was satisfied with him.
Speaker 1: He had passed this harrowing test, and now the promise
Speaker 1: was again being confirmed. But then the voice of God
Speaker 1: added to the familiar proclamation.
Speaker 4: Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies.
Speaker 1: Abraham wondered at that they were no conquerors, and they
Speaker 1: were not city dwellers.
Speaker 4: And all the nations of the earth will be blessed
Speaker 4: by your offspring, because you have obeyed my command.
Speaker 1: With that, the voice again fell silent, and the world
Speaker 1: around them resumed. Abraham and Isaac exchanged very few words
Speaker 1: as they watched the flames around the charred body of
Speaker 1: the ram begin to dwindle and die out. When the
Speaker 1: fire had at last consumed the sacrifice and had no
Speaker 1: more fuel to sustain it, they turned from the place
Speaker 1: and headed down the mound to the camp below. Abraham
Speaker 1: knew his son would have questions about this strange and
Speaker 1: mighty legacy he was to inherit, but that would come later.
Speaker 1: They enjoyed one another's company in amiable, if not exhausted silence.
Speaker 1: The topic remained untouched until days later, when they returned
Speaker 1: to camp and found an overjoyed and wildly relieved Sarah.
Speaker 1: She cried at the sight of them, bloodied and covered
Speaker 1: in soot and dust from the travel and the ordeal.
Speaker 1: Abraham held his family close, faith confirmed, tested and approved,
Speaker 1: and began to teach his precious son, Isaac, all the
Speaker 1: ways of his God.
Speaker 8: Wow.
Speaker 7: What an incredible story, one of the most heart wrenching
Speaker 7: stories that we've studied so far. Abraham, that ancient patriarch
Speaker 7: heres God's voice and what God asks of him is well,
Speaker 7: let's just say it makes you sit up in question
Speaker 7: everything you thought.
Speaker 8: You knew about God.
Speaker 7: To sacrifice his son, Isaac, the son that he prayed for,
Speaker 7: the son that he waited for, the son of Promise,
Speaker 7: the son through whom God had said all nations would
Speaker 7: be blessed. He tells him to go and sacrifice him.
Speaker 8: One minute.
Speaker 7: God is promising abraham descendants as numerous as the stars,
Speaker 7: and the next he's asking for the life of the
Speaker 7: promised child. You might find yourself asking what kind of
Speaker 7: God would make such a request. Is this the God
Speaker 7: of love and compassion? Or is this a test, a
Speaker 7: cruel test to see just how far Abraham's faith will go.
Speaker 7: It's easy to read these ancient texts and to miss
Speaker 7: the raw human emotion in them. Can you imagine Abraham's turmoil,
Speaker 7: the sleepless nights, the heavy heart, the pleading eyes of
Speaker 7: his son, And what about Isaac? How did he recover
Speaker 7: from this experience? What was his relationship like with Abraham
Speaker 7: and God after almost being killed. It's a Bible story
Speaker 7: that brings Abraham and Isaac and us as we read it,
Speaker 7: right to the brink, asking all of us to trust
Speaker 7: God with everything, even the unthinkable. That's what this story
Speaker 7: seems to push us towards. And then there's resolution. God
Speaker 7: stops Abraham at the very last minute. Aram is provided instead,
Speaker 7: Isaac lives.
Speaker 8: So what was it all for?
Speaker 7: Was it just a How could God ask this of someone,
Speaker 7: specifically Abraham, the holy patriarch of his chosen people. A
Speaker 7: possible answer to this can be found in the original
Speaker 7: Hebrew of the very verse in which God uses to
Speaker 7: issue his command. Chapter twenty two. Verse two reads like
Speaker 7: this in English. And then God said, take your son,
Speaker 7: your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to
Speaker 7: the region of Moria. Sacrifice him there as a burnt
Speaker 7: offering on a mountain. I will show you. This is
Speaker 7: what that important and scary verse sounds.
Speaker 8: Like in Hebrew.
Speaker 7: The yomer hahna et binra et yidra ashera hata et izrak,
Speaker 7: the lel ertamoria, the alusham leola alhad herim esarev amarlacha.
Speaker 7: So what is it that God is asking Abraham to do?
Speaker 8: Well. To answer that, we have to look at.
Speaker 7: A very important word in that verse, and that word
Speaker 7: is ollah.
Speaker 8: Let's say it again. The word is oh lah. Say
Speaker 8: it with me, oh Lah.
Speaker 7: Most translations interpret that word as a burnt offering, a sacrifice,
Speaker 7: and it's true that is the word that's often used
Speaker 7: for sacrifice. But ollah needs something else. Oh Lah also
Speaker 7: means that which goes up. That's the literal translation oh lah,
Speaker 7: which is translated in English and the Bible for Christians
Speaker 7: very often is burnt offering. Literally translates into that which
Speaker 7: goes up. One of our great Bible commentators says that
Speaker 7: when the moment came for Abraham to sacrifice his son,
Speaker 7: God stopped him as if to say, no, I don't
Speaker 7: want you to kill your son for me.
Speaker 8: I want you to dedicate him to me.
Speaker 7: As in ollah, as someone who rises high in his
Speaker 7: spiritual life.
Speaker 8: Right that word ollah that.
Speaker 7: We always think that God is saying, I want you
Speaker 7: to dedicate him to me as a sacrifice. No, no, no,
Speaker 7: God is saying, I want you to dedicate him to
Speaker 7: me as someone who rises high in his spiritual life.
Speaker 7: You know, in ancient world there were many pagan cults,
Speaker 7: and some of them believed that the greatest thing a
Speaker 7: parent could do would be to kill their child in
Speaker 7: the name of their God. That would prove their dedication
Speaker 7: to this God.
Speaker 8: Of theirs.
Speaker 7: Child sacrifices back then was mainstream. But in this Bible story,
Speaker 7: God is saying, no, I do not want that. I
Speaker 7: don't want your son to die for me. I want
Speaker 7: him to live for me.
Speaker 8: This was the epiphany of Abraham.
Speaker 3: This was a.
Speaker 7: Proclamation from God to the Jewish people and to the
Speaker 7: entire world a new concept. Yes, there have been many
Speaker 7: times in our history that we have sacrificed our lives
Speaker 7: for God, for who we are as His chosen people.
Speaker 7: But that isn't the main lesson here. We're not supposed
Speaker 7: to die for God. That's not the ideal. The story
Speaker 7: of Abraham and Isaac teaches us that the ideal is.
Speaker 8: To always be living for God.
Speaker 7: One area of the Fellowship's work that resonates deeply with
Speaker 7: me is the support that we provide to Israeli soldiers
Speaker 7: and veterans and their families. Among these brave souls are
Speaker 7: remarkable lone soldiers. These are young men and women from
Speaker 7: across the globe who arrive in Israel with no family.
Speaker 7: They're all alone, and they come to Israel driven by
Speaker 7: a sacred call to serve in the israel Defense forces
Speaker 7: protecting this holy land. I stand in awe of their courage,
Speaker 7: their readiness to step forward and declare. Sometimes at eighteen
Speaker 7: years old, here I am to the call to defend Israel.
Speaker 7: And I thought about the soldiers of the idea. While
Speaker 7: listening to today's Bible story, you might ask, why is that. Well,
Speaker 7: after stopping Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, the Angel pronounced three
Speaker 7: blessings over Abraham, but only one of those blessings was
Speaker 7: actually new. The other two had already been revealed to
Speaker 7: Abraham in earlier passages in Genesis that we've already looked at,
Speaker 7: we've already seen. The Angel promised Abraham that his descendants
Speaker 7: would be as numerous as the stars and the sand,
Speaker 7: and that they would conquer their enemies, and that all
Speaker 7: nations would be blessed through them. The message here strikes
Speaker 7: a very poignant chord, familiar to all Israelis who have
Speaker 7: served in the idef familiar to all parents with children
Speaker 7: of military age be included, and familiar especially to the
Speaker 7: families of every fallen soldier. May we never know with
Speaker 7: this blessing the Angel of God conveyed to Abraham that
Speaker 7: triumph over our enemies sometimes necessitates the willingness to offer
Speaker 7: up our sons and daughters, even at the cost of
Speaker 7: the ultimate sacrifice. Sometimes we have to pay with our
Speaker 7: lives in order to protect what's most sacred, God's values,
Speaker 7: God's land. It's something here in Israel every single person
Speaker 7: faces every single day, and that's why at the Fellow,
Speaker 7: thanks to our faithful supporters like you, we are able
Speaker 7: to work around the clock to comfort not only the
Speaker 7: orphans and the widows, but to comfort the brave.
Speaker 8: Young men and women of the.
Speaker 7: Israeli defense forces, as well as the families of the
Speaker 7: fallen soldiers who gave their lives defending our freedom. We're
Speaker 7: able to be there for these heroes to say you're
Speaker 7: not alone. Millions of Christians stand with you in your
Speaker 7: plight for freedom and recognize that you are not only
Speaker 7: living for God, but you're willing to die for Him
Speaker 7: as well. May their memories and their sacrifices never be forgotten,
Speaker 7: and may their courage inspire us all to stand firm
Speaker 7: and stand in faith in the face of adversity. And
Speaker 7: that's what the story of Abraham and Isaac and Mount
Speaker 7: Moriat is really about.
Speaker 8: It's about faith.
Speaker 7: Faith is a word that we often use, but do
Speaker 7: we really understand it. True true faith is more than
Speaker 7: just a belief. True faith is shown through obedience and
Speaker 7: trust in God's ultimate goodness even when his commands seem
Speaker 7: to defy our understanding, and true faith is often forged
Speaker 7: in the furnace of God's tests. In those moments of
Speaker 7: being tested, our trust in God's goodness is truly challenged,
Speaker 7: and it's in those moments, those most difficult moments, that
Speaker 7: our true faith is revealed. Do we have faith that
Speaker 7: God is good, that His ways are always for the best,
Speaker 7: even when we don't see it.
Speaker 8: To speak more on God's.
Speaker 7: Goodness through the Christian lens is our good friend, Bishop Lanier.
Speaker 14: Thank you ya elle Well. You've heard me use the
Speaker 14: word consequential a lot in our conversations, and I have
Speaker 14: really got to use it now because I'm telling you
Speaker 14: this is indeed one of the most consequential conversations events
Speaker 14: of our holy faith. You're more than familiar with. When
Speaker 14: God called Abraham and said to him, I want you
Speaker 14: to leave who you've been, with, whom you've been, where
Speaker 14: you've lived, all of that. I want you to follow me.
Speaker 14: Listen to my voice. And in the Christian Scriptures again
Speaker 14: in the Book of Hebrews chapter eleven, it says by faith,
Speaker 14: Abraham pursued a city whose builder and maker is Goden.
Speaker 14: But now at a situation where the Lord is basically
Speaker 14: saying to Abraham, I know that in your youth, in
Speaker 14: your seventy five year age, you were willing to leave
Speaker 14: everything and to follow me. Now I'm asking you now
Speaker 14: that you have your son, your only son of covenant,
Speaker 14: the one you love more than anything in the world,
Speaker 14: will you sacrifice him? Will you give me your entire future?
Speaker 2: Wow?
Speaker 14: Well, for Christians we see a remarkable typology here. What
Speaker 14: is a typeology, It's a theme, it's a sign, it
Speaker 14: is a motif, something in the Hebrew scriptures that's pointing
Speaker 14: something for us, even we would say greater in the
Speaker 14: Christian scripts. And this is a profound one here where
Speaker 14: God loved his only son. We're told the Book of John,
Speaker 14: chapter three, verse sixteen, for God so loved the world
Speaker 14: that he's sacrificist, or gave his only begotten son, And
Speaker 14: that Jesus baptism at the Jordan River by John, the
Speaker 14: voice of the Father spoke. And I don't believe everyone
Speaker 14: heard it, or there would have been a different reaction,
Speaker 14: but Jesus surely heard it, and he would need to
Speaker 14: hear it because in a matter of moments he would
Speaker 14: step into the wilderness. And the first temptation was if
Speaker 14: you are the son of God. Well, Jesus needed to
Speaker 14: hear that voice from the Father saying, this is my
Speaker 14: beloved son. And so we recognize This is indeed a
Speaker 14: powerful typeology for Christians. God said to him, I want
Speaker 14: you to take your son, your only son, the one
Speaker 14: whom you love most, and I wanted to go to
Speaker 14: Mount Moriah, and there you are to sacrifice him. To me,
Speaker 14: this could not make any sense, but Abraham had learned
Speaker 14: not to live by his senses. He had learned this
Speaker 14: won't be logical, it won't be rational or reasonable. But
Speaker 14: this is the kind of conversations I have with my God.
Speaker 14: So Abraham got up early. They packed up everything they
Speaker 14: were going to need for a three day trek. And
Speaker 14: you know, I've read that this is actually the moment
Speaker 14: when Abraham's wife, Sarah died. I don't know, but what
Speaker 14: I've read that says that when she got up and
Speaker 14: she looked, and she saw what they had packed, and
Speaker 14: maybe Abraham had even spoken some of his plans to her.
Speaker 14: I can't be sure, but somehow or another, she knew
Speaker 14: what was coming and it was too much, and it
Speaker 14: was there she died. And when he returned, he took
Speaker 14: her to Hebron and buried her in that cave at Makpilar.
Speaker 14: And it was after he buried Sarah that he surely
Speaker 14: began thinking more about his generations, didn't he We'll talk
Speaker 14: about that later. But again, it took Abraham and his
Speaker 14: entourage three days to make the journey to mak Pillar
Speaker 14: to Hebron. A thousand years later, David bought that threshing
Speaker 14: floor and built an altar there, and Solomon built a
Speaker 14: temper there. Isn't it remarkable that in all of Israel,
Speaker 14: the most contested spaces, most embattled are those not simply
Speaker 14: that God promised to Israel, but a you actually purchased
Speaker 14: it with money. Abraham bought Shachem, Abraham bought Mahpilai in Hebron.
Speaker 14: David bought the threshing floor in Jerusalem. And again those
Speaker 14: are the most some of the most contested areas in
Speaker 14: all of Israel. And it's then and there that Abraham
Speaker 14: makes one of the most profound statements of faith you're
Speaker 14: ever going to find in your Bible. He says to
Speaker 14: the men gathered, I'm taking my son up this mountain,
Speaker 14: and we're going.
Speaker 4: To worship there what.
Speaker 14: We're going to worship. That's how Abraham viewed this most
Speaker 14: consequential sacrifice he would ever make. I'm going to walk
Speaker 14: up this mountain build an altar, tie down my son,
Speaker 14: light the fire, take his life. And I consider all
Speaker 14: of it worship unto my God because it is surrender
Speaker 14: unto him. And what moves me supremely is that Abraham says,
Speaker 14: after we've worshiped together, my son and I are going
Speaker 14: to return to you at the bottom of this mountain.
Speaker 14: Now he had just said, I'm going to the top
Speaker 14: of the mountain. I'm going to do what my God
Speaker 14: said to do, which was to take his life. But
Speaker 14: then together, how do you reconcile that, Abraham? Well, it
Speaker 14: goes like this. My God called me many years ago
Speaker 14: and told me that my wife and I were going
Speaker 14: to conceive and bring forth the Son, and that through
Speaker 14: him was coming a nation of people. And I've lived
Speaker 14: by that promise since that moment. And I don't know
Speaker 14: how God's going to do what God's going to do,
Speaker 14: but I know he's God and He's going to do
Speaker 14: what God does. So if I indeed sacrifice the life
Speaker 14: of my Isaac and his body is consumed in these flames,
Speaker 14: this I know. If God has to take the ashes
Speaker 14: like he took the dust at creation and molded in
Speaker 14: his own image and exhaled his divine essence into my
Speaker 14: boy and bring forth a living soul all over again.
Speaker 14: I don't know how God's going to do it, but
Speaker 14: He's going to do whatever's required for himself to fulfill
Speaker 14: his promises to me. So I'm telling you we'll be back.
Speaker 14: I don't know how I got to the point. Maybe
Speaker 14: you did as well. Where we heard that Isaac was
Speaker 14: twelve or thirteen years of age when all of this
Speaker 14: went down. But I've studied this thing, and there are
Speaker 14: many Jewish writers who will say that, no, no, Isaac
Speaker 14: was actually thirty nine years of age, and that really
Speaker 14: makes sense after the fact when we find out he
Speaker 14: was forty and unmarried, and again we'll talk about that later.
Speaker 14: What moves me is Isaac, if he's indeed thirty nine
Speaker 14: years of age, he's fully strong, grown enough to resist
Speaker 14: this whole situation. He doesn't have to pack anything, or
Speaker 14: travel three miles or trek up the mountain, or lie
Speaker 14: down on an altar, or allow his father to tie him.
Speaker 14: He doesn't have to do any of this. He could
Speaker 14: have probably successfully resisted. And there's no record that God
Speaker 14: ever spoke to and told him what was coming, So
Speaker 14: why did you do it? Isaac because my father asked
Speaker 14: me to, because my father told me about his God,
Speaker 14: and I trust him.
Speaker 4: Again.
Speaker 14: Reminds me of Noah, doesn't it. There's no record God
Speaker 14: spoke to Noah's sons. But if my father says we
Speaker 14: need to build a boat, well hand me a hammer.
Speaker 14: And you know that in that climactic moment when Abraham
Speaker 14: reached back with the knife, and when he did it,
Speaker 14: all of a sudden an angel stopped him and said, Abraham, no, No.
Speaker 14: It was at that moment that Abraham heard the ram
Speaker 14: in the thicket and he knew where it was going.
Speaker 4: Now.
Speaker 14: I don't know about you, but I sure would have
Speaker 14: liked to have heard that ram the thicket when I
Speaker 14: was at the bottom of the mountain. I could have
Speaker 14: walked a little quicker up Mariah and wouldn't have taken
Speaker 14: me as long to build that altar. And if I
Speaker 14: just could have heard that ram before, That's not.
Speaker 2: The way faith works.
Speaker 14: We don't get to hear the ram cry until we're
Speaker 14: willing to lay down everything that matters to us upon
Speaker 14: that burning altar and take back only what God raises
Speaker 14: up himself. And I believe that from that sacrifice in
Speaker 14: those ashes. The only thing left from that ram was
Speaker 14: his horns, and that interesting we call them horns, and
Speaker 14: perhaps it was Abraham himself who cleaned them up and
Speaker 14: made a show far out of those things. And that's
Speaker 14: what God is asking from us. We would be willing
Speaker 14: to lay it all upon the altar and trust that
Speaker 14: no matter what the fire does, we might have nothing
Speaker 14: in the ashes but a praise.
Speaker 4: And it is enough.
Speaker 7: This chapter is included in the prayer books that Jews
Speaker 7: around the world read during the high holidays during the
Speaker 7: sacred season. We pray that just as God had compassion
Speaker 7: on Isaac and did not allow him to lose his life,
Speaker 7: that God might have compassion on us, constantly renewing our
Speaker 7: lives every minute. I think that this prayer is meaningful
Speaker 7: for us all as His chosen people, all of the time,
Speaker 7: that instead of death we embrace life, which God has
Speaker 7: blessed us with through His Holy Spirit. Here's a final
Speaker 7: blessing for you. Ivarre hashem vie schmercher Yeah, Heir hashempanave
Speaker 7: ileha virocher ye, Sir hashempanave lechra.
Speaker 1: Salon.
Speaker 7: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the
Speaker 7: Lord make his face shine upon you. May he be
Speaker 7: gracious to you. Made the Lord turn his face towards
Speaker 7: you and give you peace.
Speaker 1: Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only
Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of the Chosen People with Yaile Eckstein, edited by
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin,
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
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