King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Monday. January 19, 2026
Chapters: Genesis 22-24
Message: Genesis: God Tests Abraham
Hello My Friend,
I want to offer an apology for the informality of my recent devotions. I began working in the field last week and needed to catch up on two weeks of unfinished tasks. Whenever my schedule becomes demanding, my writing can become more textbook than heartfelt. I try to avoid that, because my desire is for you to see that I am no different from you—simply someone whom God has entrusted with the gift of teaching His Word. I realized after it had taken me a couple of hours to get started this morning that God’s tests can come in all forms. As we continue in the reading of Genesis, Abraham was about to be put to the ultimate test of faith. Shortly after he established himself in Beersheba and called upon the name of the LORD, that was when God had a called him.
[Genesis 22:1-4 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And 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. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.]
While Abraham did have another son, Isaac was his only begotten son in the sense that he alone was the promised heir through whom God would raise up a nation for Himself. The trial Abraham faced is an example of what is called “divers temptations”—not temptations to sin, but challenges that test the depth and faithfulness of one’s devotion to God. Every Christian encounters such divers temptations, [James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.]
Boy, I feel as though I have fallen short in God’s tests these past few years, because my patience has been so limited. Abraham, however, did not hesitate or procrastinate; he obeyed immediately. And this was not a journey that would take only a few days. Can you imagine the thoughts that must have filled his mind during those three long days of travel? Nevertheless, after about forty years, Abraham had finally came to understand that God would fulfill His plan one way or another, and that He did not need Abraham’s help to accomplish it. Now consider Isaac. He was fully aware that a sacrifice required an animal, he even asked where it was.
[Genesis 22:6-9 And 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. 7 And 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? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9 And 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.]
Now, can you imagine what was going through Isaac’s mind at this point? We do not know if he cried out to his father or not, but I imagine that he was quite scared and confused. Especially as he watched his father take a knife and was about to kill him.
[Genesis 22:10-13 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And 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. 13 And 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.]
I can only imagine how quickly Abraham pulled Isaac from the altar and how he wasted no time in offering up the ram God had provided. There are many conclusions we can draw from this moment, but one thing stands out: after everything Abraham had experienced—his trials in Egypt, his separation from Lot, the situation with Hagar, his encounter with Abimelech, and the miraculous birth of Isaac—his faith had grown to such depth that he believed God would work a miracle even if he did offer up his son. Notice what the Angel says, [for now I know that thou fearest God,].
Would God have continued to use Abraham had he not been willing to sacrifice his son? Perhaps not. Although it was never God’s intention for Isaac to be offered up, it was essential that Abraham be willing, for that willingness demonstrated both his faithfulness to God and his confidence in God’s Word. In fact, the Angel of the LORD called out to him a second time to affirm and confirm this very truth.
[Genesis 22:14-18 And 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, 16 And 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: 17 That 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; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.]
[Jehovah‑jireh; The LORD will provide.] God truly did provide Himself a Lamb for the ultimate burnt offering—One who would redeem not just a single soul, but all who come to Him in faith. I can honestly say that I do not know whether I would have possessed the kind of faith Abraham displayed; at times I feel as though I fail Him repeatedly in this very area. Yet I am certain of one unchanging truth: God will always provide, [Philippians 4:18-19 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.]
Interestingly, Sarah is the only woman in Scripture whose age at death God chose to record. Her passing was mourned not only by Abraham and Isaac, but also by the Canaanites. Though they were not believers, they still honored Abraham and desired to show their respect by offering him the land he sought as a burial place.
[Genesis 23:1-6 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. 5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, 6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.]
Since Abraham did not yet officially own any of the land in which he dwelt, he approached the natives and requested to purchase a piece of land in Hebron. And even though they insisted that he did not need to pay for it, Abraham refused to accept the land as a gift.
[Genesis 23:13-16,19 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. 14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, 15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. 16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. 19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.]
Think about it: this purchase represented not only the burial place for Sarah, but also the future resting place for Abraham and his family. It carried an even deeper meaning that points to salvation through Christ; First, it was bought with a price, just as Christ purchased our salvation with His own blood. Second, it was a sure possession, meaning the purchase was sealed and never to be sold again, just as our salvation is secure when we receive Christ as our Saviour. And third, it served as a token of Abraham’s faith and his expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promise that the land would one day become the inheritance of his children.
[Hebrews 11:17-19,35,39-40 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.]
Now, after Sarah was buried, Abraham’s health began to decline rapidly, and he recognized that it was time for Isaac to have a wife. Yet he did not want Isaac to marry a woman from Canaan, nor did he want Isaac to leave the land of promise. Therefore, he sent his servant to seek a wife on Isaac’s behalf. Abraham gave no detailed instructions—only that she must be from among his own kin, the family of his brother.
[Genesis 24:1-4 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: 3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.]
Placing his hand under Abraham’s thigh was an oath of submission, signifying his position as a servant and his readiness to carry out whatever commands Abraham might give. Even if he were unable to find a willing suitor, he vowed that he would make the effort, and that willingness alone was all that was required of him. That is all God expects of us as well. He does not ask us to accomplish the impossible—that belongs to Him alone. What He does expect is that we faithfully do our part, and He will take care of the rest, [Psalms 115:11 Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.]
Abraham, feared that if Isaac went there himself that he might be tempted to stay there, but in no way wanted him to have wife of the people of the Canaanites who had no fear of God whatsoever. Although he had no idea what and who he was looking for, he headed to Nahor’s house. When he arrived in Mesopotamia he saw a well, and since he had no idea where to go next he did the best thing he could possibly do, pray to God.
[Genesis 24:10,12-14 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 12 And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.]
What a fitting place to find a suitable woman, for it was the responsibility of the young unmarried women to draw water from the well. All the servant needed was someone from Nahor’s family who could at least point him in the right direction. And while he was still praying, a woman appeared—one who not only belonged to the family of Nahor, but who also graciously offered water to him and to the camels.
[Genesis 24:15-16,21-24 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? 24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.]
God, answering prayer is the ultimate testimony of our faith because when we discover that He answered them we tell everyone about it. The servant was no exception, he did what every person does when they realize that God was in the details, he told the whole story of Abraham and how he sent him.
[Genesis 24:26-29,31,33 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. 27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren. 28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things. 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. 31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.]
It does come natural to us as we discover that God does answers our prayers quite frequently, to give praise and honor to Him immediately or almost immediately after realizing it. Then it seems as soon as we start praising Him for what He has done here comes the devil trying to throw a wrench in our excitement. Now, after hearing the servant’s testimony, I am sure they had many questions. Yet even before he asked whether there was a suitable woman willing to return with him, Bethuel and Laban immediately offered Rebekah and oddly enough she did not hesitate to go with him.
[Genesis 24:49-51,55-58 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD hath spoken. 55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. 56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. 57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. 58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.]
It comes naturally to us, when we recognize that God has answered our prayers, to give Him praise and honor immediately or almost immediately. Yet it often seems that as soon as we begin to rejoice in what God has done, the devil attempts to throw a wrench into our excitement. The next morning, Abraham’s servant was eager to return home, but Laban and Rebekah’s mother wanted them to wait ten days before departing. However, the servant was determined not to delay Abraham any longer.
[Genesis 24:60-61,63-64,66-67 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. 61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.]
I love how they declared to her that she would be the mother of “thousands of millions.” In a sense, since we become joint‑heirs with Abraham when we receive Christ as our Saviour, we also become, spiritually speaking, sons and daughters of Isaac and Rebekah, [Galatians 3:26-29 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Although you try us by the testing our faith every now and then, it never comes without void, and while we do not always understand the ways in which You do test our faith, you already know the outcome, you are just trying to convince us of our faith. Lord, Lead me and guide me, give me Your power to trust You no matter what You ask of me, keep my heart tender and fearing You, not out of obligation, but out of respect. Give me Your strength to fight evil temptation, let me not be hindered from fulfilling Your will for my life, and fill me with Your love, mercy, and grace that I may accomplish all that You have for me to do. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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