Equipped 2026: "Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 20-25)" by Chance Hicks

very, very quickly.

It's a section that's going to draw our attention to both Abraham and Isaac.

And we're going to see some interesting things about Abraham.

Abraham we're going to find is a prophet of God.

Abraham will become a father again with the birth of Isaac.

Abraham will be a worshiper who goes to the mountain of Moriah to offer his son in response

to the command of God.

Abraham will be a widower who mourns over the loss of the love of his life.

Abraham will be a father who's searching for a wife for his son.

And Abraham will be one who knows the blessing of God and shares that and gives all that

he has to his descendants.

But the section isn't really about Abraham and Isaac.

It's a section of the book of Genesis that is about the friend of Abraham.

It's a section of the book of Genesis that helps us to know our God.

You think about the words of James in James chapter 2, Abraham was called the friend of

James 2 · chapter mention

God.

But God was also the friend of Abraham.

And so it's a passage, yes, where we'll interact with Abraham and Isaac, but it's a passage

in a section of the book of Genesis that allows us to interact with and know the friend

of Abraham that helps us to know the God of Abraham that you and I might be drawn to friendship

with God, closeness with him, intimacy with him.

It's interesting how Genesis 20 begins.

We have been in the book of Genesis from Genesis 12 through 25, the life of Abraham, but it

really is divided into two sections.

And it has been interrupted briefly with the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, and now

in chapter 20 we pick up the life of Abraham again, and it's interesting that it begins

in a very similar way to how Genesis 12 began, with Abraham journeying.

And he will go south and he'll go into the region of Gerar, and again, as Abraham has

done earlier in his life, Sarah will say, I'm his sister, and we'll have this awkward

interaction between Abraham and Sarah and a foreign king.

And it's in this section that we learn so much about God.

The first thing we'll pick up in Genesis chapter 20 is that the friend of Abraham, our God,

Genesis 20 · chapter mention

is the pursuing God.

Genesis 20 begins with Abraham journeying south, and he goes into the region of Gerar,

and here it will be where Sarah will say she is Abraham's sister again.

But why is it that Abraham is journeying south?

Abraham journeys Genesis chapter 12 because God says to him, I want you to leave your

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

kindred, I want you to leave your homeland, I want you to go to a land that I'll show

you.

Abraham journeys Genesis chapter 12 into the land of Egypt because there's famine.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

But there is nothing in the text of Genesis chapter 20 that says Abraham is journeying

Genesis 20 · chapter mention

because.

We aren't given a specific reason why Abraham is heading south.

It seems in our passage, Abraham is heading south because Abraham is having some struggles

and some difficulty with his faith.

Have you ever had struggles and difficulty with your faith and your relationship with

the Lord?

I think that seems to be what's happening in Genesis chapter 20 and why Abraham's like,

Genesis 20 · chapter mention

you know what?

I think it might be time for me to just move on.

Abraham has prayed to God, and you know what God's answer was?

No.

Genesis chapter 17.

Genesis 17 · chapter mention

Oh, can't it just be Ishmael?

Can't he just be the heir, the one that you've promised me?

And God says, no, Sarah will have a son.

Abraham has just prayed, Genesis chapter 18, for Sodom and Gomorrah, and he thinks the

Genesis 18 · chapter mention

answer to his prayer has been yes.

If there are 10, will you spare it?

Yes, I'll spare it for the sake of 10.

Abraham goes home, I think, confident that there are 10 righteous there, and the answer

to his prayer is yes, and Sodom and Gomorrah are going to be spared.

And the last time we see Abraham, the end of Genesis 19, he's going up to the place

where he has talked with God, and he looks out over the plain, and Sodom and Gomorrah

are going up in smoke.

And I think Abraham's faith is struggling.

And so he goes.

He travels.

He heads south.

And the one who is supposed to be the one that God will fulfill the promise through

Sarah, he's willing to put her at jeopardy.

Look, just say you're my sister.

Like there is no fear of God in this place anyway.

I'm afraid they're going to kill me.

I'm afraid we'll die.

You just say this to protect my life.

He isn't fully trusting in God as his shield, protector, and deliverer.

He's taking some of those things on his own shoulders because I think his faith is struggling.

In fact, look in our text down at verse 13 and listen to how he talks to Abimelech and

to the language he says, and it came to pass when God caused me to wonder from my father's

house that I said to her, this is the kindness that you should do for me in every place wherever

we go, say of me, he is my brother.

Listen to how he is describing what we know as the life and journey of Abraham to this

point.

And he's like, listen, God caused me to wonder.

And the term he uses is something like to reel, to stagger.

God's got me out here just staggering around like a drunk man and I don't know what's happening.

Abraham's faith is shaken and he's trying to walk away.

But guess where his God is?

His God is pursuing him.

The text says in verse 1, Abraham journeys.

But notice what verse 3 says, but God came to Abimelech.

Abraham's thinking about walking away and God is in hot pursuit of his prophet Abraham,

trying to bring him back to a great deep faith in the Lord.

As you read through the events of Genesis chapter 20, this interaction between Abraham

Genesis 20 · chapter mention

and Abimelech, what we learn is God is pursuing not just Abraham.

God is also pursuing Abimelech and he's interested in the people of Gerar.

And so they show up there.

Sarah is a beautiful woman and so the king takes her, but God has intervened.

And he appears to Abimelech in a dream and he's like, hey, the one you have taken is

this man's wife.

And he's like, whoa, I did this in the integrity of my heart.

I have not sinned against her, haven't been involved with her in any way.

And the Lord's like, yes, I know.

I have intervened.

I have been involved in this situation and I have kept you from doing that.

And it's in this saying that God says, he is my prophet.

Not when Abraham is on the mountain of Moriah offering Isaac, God saying, there he is, that's

my prophet.

And it's when Abraham's faith is shaken and he is in the midst of this crazy scene that

God says, he's my prophet.

He's the one who belongs to me.

And so a period of time goes by because God has closed up all of the wombs in the city

of Gerar and all of the women are unable to produce children.

And so some period of time has gone by where they have discovered this.

And God says to Abimelech, you're going to have my prophet pray for you.

And the wombs will be opened.

What's happening?

God is pursuing and showing to himself, showing to Abimelech and to the people of Gerar who

he is and what his power is like.

That they might stand in awe of the God of Abraham.

That they might stand in awe of Jehovah.

Abraham will pray for the people of Gerar.

That the Lord would open their wombs.

And you know that's what he's been waiting for, for nearly 25 years now.

For God to do just that in his family with his wife.

And I think when Abraham sees the power of God closing and opening wombs in the city

of Gerar, it helps to rebuild his faith.

It helps to strengthen his confidence and trust that God will indeed keep his promise.

Here is God's servant whose faith is struggling and where is his God?

Not letting him walk away.

Supporting him with everything that he has, drawing him to his side, strengthening his

faith.

Our God is the pursuing God who seeks people to respond to him in faith.

How do we know that our God is a pursuing God?

Look no further than Jesus.

For the Son of Man has come, not just to save that which is lost, but the Son of Man has

come to seek and to save that which is lost.

Our God is a God of pursuit and when he finds us struggling in our faith as his people,

guess where he is?

He's coming to restore our faith, to build our faith, to strengthen us.

And even if we aren't his people, guess what he's doing?

He's in pursuit.

He wants us to know him and so he has offered to us Jesus that our faith in him might grow.

Going into Genesis chapter 21, God is the pursuing God.

Genesis 21 · chapter mention

He is the fulfilling God.

It's after Abraham has prayed and seen what happens in Gerar that the Lord visits Sarah

and now her womb is opened and God fulfills his promise.

There are two scenes of God fulfilling his promise in Genesis 21.

The first one is found in verses 1 through 6 and the second one is down in the second

half of the chapter.

But God fulfills his son promise and then begins to fulfill his land promise.

And so we see Sarah being able to become pregnant with Isaac and we see Isaac born and we see

the joy that fills the scene.

Here's God who has been promising this back from Genesis chapter 12 and now God fulfills

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

the promise of a son and Abraham and Sarah hold Isaac in their arms and they are just

full of joy and cheer at the birth of Isaac.

But you drop down in chapter 21 to verses 22 and following and there is another odd

scene of interaction between Abraham and Abimelech.

And they come together and they're sharing a moment together and Abraham's like, hey

you know your servants have taken a well away from me and Abimelech's like, what?

I didn't know anything about that, what are you talking about?

And so they make a covenant together that this well that Abraham has dug will belong

to him and there's this exchange of seven new lambs and they call the name of the place

Beersheba, the well of seven or the well of oath.

And by the end of the chapter, Abraham is also planting a tree and he calls on the name

of the Lord, the everlasting God and he stays in the land of the Philistines many days.

What is happening?

Why is it important that Abraham and Abimelech have a conversation about a well and now suddenly

Abraham possesses a well and a tree in Beersheba?

That's important because this is God's down payment.

It's the beginning of his fulfillment of the land promise.

God has fulfilled the promise of a son but God has also promised some other things to

Abraham and to his descendants.

That they're going to have this land of Canaan, this land that flows with milk and honey and

now Abraham finally has some property there, a well.

And he has life and provision now but there is something here that's pointing toward the

future.

He plants a tree.

That's not going to be some kind of provision in this moment.

It's talking about and looking forward to the future.

And so this is a chapter that's all about God being a God who is faithful and trustworthy,

a God who fulfills his promises.

How do we know God is the fulfilling God?

Look no further than Jesus.

Paul would write of him in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 20, all the promises of God in

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

him that is Jesus are yes and amen.

He is the seed, Galatians chapter 3 and verse 16, to Abraham and to his seed were the promises

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

made not to seeds as of many but to seed as in one and that seed is Jesus the Christ.

Abraham was waiting for a son promise and a land promise.

You and I have from God a son promise and a land promise.

God has fulfilled the son promise in Jesus.

This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, hear him.

A son who has been given for us that we might be saved from the wrath of God, that we might

have life in him.

But we're looking forward, aren't we, to God fulfilling a land promise for us?

We're looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth wherein righteousness dwells,

2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 13.

2 Peter 3 · chapter mention

We're looking forward to a land of rest, a land of relief, Hebrews chapter 4 and verse

Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

9.

And just like Abraham received a down payment, a well, and planted a tree, don't you and

I have the promise in the pages of the New Testament of a down payment, a guarantee of

our inheritance, 2 Corinthians chapter 1, Ephesians chapter 1.

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

The Holy Spirit of God has been given to us as his people as the guarantee, the down

payment of an inheritance that is to come.

A land where we dwell together in the very presence of our God.

The God of Abraham is the fulfilling God.

Staying in Genesis chapter 1 and Genesis chapter 22, you find also that the God of Abraham

Genesis 1 · chapter mention Genesis 22 · chapter mention

is the providing God.

In between these two scenes in Genesis 21 of God providing his son and then God beginning

to fulfill the promise of the land, there is a scene where God provides life in the

face of certain death, followed by Genesis chapter 22 where God provides life in the

Genesis 22 · chapter mention

face of certain death.

And it's interesting how Moses puts this together as he is writing by inspiration this story

of Abraham and he paints for us two parallel scenes in which Abraham entrusts both his

sons to the care and provision and protection of God.

We're familiar, I think, with Genesis 22 and the instruction that Abraham is to take Isaac

and he's to go up onto the mountain and he is to offer him there and we learn that God

is Jehovah Jireh, the God who sees and the God who provides and he rises early in the

morning and he makes the journey and the angel of heaven stops him.

But if you'll read Genesis 21, you'll find a very parallel thing happening already between

Abraham and Ishmael.

Isaac is born and by the time he's weaned, Ishmael is scoffing and laughing at him and

Sarah is like, dude's got to go, like we got to get him out of here.

And Abraham, the text says, verse 11, is very displeased.

He's distressed.

Ishmael means something to him.

Like a few chapters ago, he was pleading with God for Ishmael to be the son of promise.

And so Abraham is struggling with what to do.

Genesis verse 12, Genesis 21, God said to Abraham, God's going to give instruction.

When we get to Genesis 22, how's the chapter going to begin?

God's going to give him some instruction.

And so he says, listen to her voice, send the bond woman and her lad away.

I will also make a nation of the son of the bond woman because he is your seed.

God is saying to Abraham, trust me with Ishmael.

Just send them away and trust me that I will make of him a great nation, I'll take care

of him.

Verse 14, Abraham rose early in the morning.

We'll read that again in chapter 22 and verse 3.

Abraham took bread and a skin of water and put it on her shoulder.

You get to chapter 22 verse 6, he will take wood and he'll lay it on Isaac, his son.

What's happening in this scene of chapter 21 verse 16, let me not see the death of the

boy.

The death of Ishmael is certain in the mind of Hagar.

They have run out of water and they're out in the middle of the wilderness and she's

like I'm putting you under this shrub and I'm going under this shrub over here and I'm

not going to look at you because I don't want to see you die.

Death is certain.

Verse 17, the angel of God called out of heaven to Hagar.

What ails you Hagar, fear not.

God has heard the voice, lift up the lad, I will make him a great nation.

Verse 19, another parallel, God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.

In Genesis 22, Abraham will lift up his eyes and he will see a ram caught in a thicket

by its horns.

Two scenes of certain death, Ishmael and Hagar are out in the wilderness, there is no water,

there is no provision, my son is about to die.

God intervenes from heaven and he provides a well of water for life.

God will instruct Abraham, Genesis 22, take your son, your only son, the son whom you

love and take him to the mountain of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering.

It's a scene of certain death.

Burnt offering means he's going to be consumed, he will be the offering given to the Lord.

It's God's way of saying to Abraham, entrust Isaac to me.

I know I have just given him to you, entrust him to me.

And Abraham rises up early in the morning, makes the journey and on the third day he

says to his servants, you stay here with the stuff, the boy and I are going yonder to worship

and we're coming again.

And Isaac's like, hey, I see we got the wood, you're holding on to the fire, where's the

offering?

And you see the progression and growth of Abraham's faith, I think, and Abraham says,

the Lord will provide.

Can you imagine the conversation as the altar is built and Abraham's like, you know, I said

the Lord would provide and he has, the offering is you.

I don't know about you, but Abraham's past the age of 100, Isaac's maybe in his 20s,

get into a little scuffle, Isaac can get away.

I think Isaac is learning something about trusting in God and faith.

And he's willing to comply with Abraham.

And it's when Abraham draws the knife that God, as he has done before, calls out of heaven

and says, I have provided something else.

A ram caught in the thicket by its horns.

There are so many beautiful allusions to Jesus in Genesis 22.

God is the providing God who provides life in the face of death.

How do we see that most clearly and most beautifully?

Jesus.

God provided water in the face of death.

Who is Jesus?

John chapter 4 and verse 10.

John 4 · chapter mention

Ma'am, if you knew who I was, you would have asked me and I would give you living water.

Who is Jesus?

The one offered in our stead.

The one who was crowned with the crown of thorns, the lamb, slain so that we might have

life.

Paul describes it beautifully in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 6.

Ephesians 2:1–6

You who were dead in trespasses and sins, death was certain.

He has made alive in Jesus.

God has provided for us life in the face of certain death.

It's interesting as you think about Genesis 21 and 22, when you think about God being

the fulfilling God and God being the providing God, how these two sections are interwoven

together.

There's a scene of fulfillment, a scene of provision, a scene of fulfillment, a scene

of provision because when God fulfills his promises, he provides.

And when God provides, what's he doing?

He's fulfilling his promises.

That's just how our God works on behalf of his people.

Moving in Genesis 22 and then into the description of Abraham as a widow mourning over the death

of Sarah in Genesis 23, what we find is the God of Abraham who wants to be our friend

is the resurrecting God.

The scenes of offering Isaac and burying Sarah point to resurrection.

How is it that Abraham can entrust Isaac, the son of promise, the son whom he loves,

to God?

The Hebrew's writer helps us by showing us what he's thinking about, what's in his mind,

where his faith is.

That's Hebrews 11, 17 to 19, accounting that God was able even to raise him from the dead.

What does Abraham believe about the God who is his friend?

That he has resurrection power.

That if Abraham takes the life of his son, God has the power to raise him to life again.

Carry that into Genesis chapter 23.

Genesis 23 · chapter mention

Genesis 23 is a transaction between Abraham and the sons of Heth and a man by the name

of Ephron.

Because at the age of 127, Sarah dies and Abraham comes to mourn for her.

Just read through the chapter and just underline all of the times that there's a reference

to bury her or burial place.

I mean, it just fills the chapter.

It's all about Abraham seeking a place to lay the body of his wife to rest.

He begins, though, by confessing that he is a stranger and a foreigner, a visitor in this

place.

But he wants to buy a certain field and a cave that's in it.

The cave of Machpelah and it's on the side, the area of Mamre.

It's important from Genesis 18.

This is where the Lord and a few of his angels have visited with Abraham and where they have

made the promise, hey, this time next year, Sarah's going to give birth.

Isaac's going to be born.

And so Abraham purchases a burial place.

He speaks to Ephron and he's like, hey, I want your field.

And Ephron's like, hey, you can have it.

And he's like, well, don't give it to me.

I will pay for it.

And he's like, okay, it's 400 shekels of silver.

And he's like, yeah, sure, I'll give you 400 shekels of silver.

And so they have this exchange and Abraham buries Sarah there.

I think the burial is also about his belief in resurrection.

And you find this in Hebrews chapter 11 in the section preceding verses 13 to 16.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

All these died in faith, not having received the promises.

They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims.

Well, that's exactly how Genesis 23 begins.

Abraham confessing that he is a foreigner and an alien here.

And then the text goes on in Hebrews chapter 11 to say that they were looking for a country.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

And he says, if it was the one that they had come out of, they would just turn around and

went home.

They were looking for a better country, a heavenly one.

And Abraham buries Sarah in confidence that he serves and is loved by and friends with

a resurrecting God who's going to bring her to life again.

God's the resurrecting God who gives life beyond the grave.

See Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus, John chapter 11.

John 11 · chapter mention

I am the resurrection and the life.

Lazarus, come forth.

Listen to Jesus in the coast of Caesarea Philippi, Matthew chapter 16.

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

Here's what they're going to do to me and on the third day, I'll rise again.

And then the angels are like, hey, what are you doing here?

Why are you looking for the living amongst the dead?

He is not here.

He is risen.

And Paul described it in 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection of Jesus.

That's the first fruit of resurrection.

Because he is alive again, we have the hope and confidence of living again and it's intended

to comfort the hearts of God's people.

Who is our God?

He's the God of resurrection.

Genesis chapter 24 is another interesting chapter in the life of Abraham.

Genesis 24 · chapter mention

Abraham will call his servant and will send him back to his homeland to find a wife for

his son Isaac.

God want Isaac to have a wife from the Canaanites in whose land we dwell and so he is going

to make an awkward covenant with a servant to go back and find a wife.

But as you read through the chapter, Abraham says to this servant,

God is going to go before you.

God is going to be involved in this scene all the way through.

He's the one who's going to be guiding and directing and fulfilling his promise.

And so just read through Genesis chapter 24 and follow this servant and just mark the

Genesis 24 · chapter mention

number of times that there is reference to the Lord leading or the Lord guiding or the

Lord directing or the Lord prospering the way.

And so the servant finally makes it to the land of Abraham of where he came from and

his family and he prays to God.

And he makes a request asking the Lord to bless the journey and he's like, here's what

I would like.

I'm going to go to the well and when the women are coming out, I'm going to make a request

for drink.

And may it be Lord that the one who not only provides drink for me but then just turns

and says, hey, let me draw for your camels also.

Let that be the one that you have chosen for Isaac.

And even before he gets done praying, here comes Rebecca coming to the well to draw water.

And the servant says, hey, can you draw some water for me?

And she's like, sure.

She draws him some water and as he begins to drink, she's like, let me draw for your

camels as well.

And he's like, alarm bells.

The Lord might be blessing in this very moment and he learns who she is, belongs to the family

of Abraham.

And he's like, we have made it.

And just read through the chapter and he is constantly saying, the Lord brought me here.

The Lord led you here and Rebecca is willing to go because who is God?

He's the God who guides his people and leads the way.

Don't you see that most clearly in Jesus?

He's walking by the Sea of Galilee and he sees two fishermen casting their nets into

the sea and he says to them, follow me.

He sees Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom and he says to Matthew, follow me.

How is Jesus going to describe discipleship?

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

I am the way, the truth and the life.

No man comes unto the Father but by me.

Who is Jesus?

He is the pioneer of our faith.

He is the trailblazer, Hebrews 2 and verse 10, the captain of our salvation, the one

who has paved the way that we might follow behind him.

Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 20, he's the forerunner who has entered into the veil that

Hebrews 6 · chapter mention

we might follow behind him.

The same God who was guiding the servant of Abraham is the same God who continues to lead

and guide his people.

Just think about the words of David in Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd and he just lets

me wander wherever I want to go and he has no care and concern.

So the Lord is my shepherd and he leads me into green pastures and still waters.

He leads me in the way of righteousness for his namesake.

When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I'll fear no evil because you're

with me.

Your rod and your staff are comforting.

He's the shepherd who goes before leading the way and when difficulty comes, he's the

shepherd who is by our side and he's even the shepherd who follows behind.

That's how the psalm ends.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

Whose goodness?

Whose mercy?

It's the goodness and mercy of our shepherd who guides and leads and directs his people.

Our section ends in Genesis 25.

The God of Abraham who wants to be our friend is the blessing God.

Chapter 25 is God blessing Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac.

Abraham has another wife by the name of Keturah, number of children by her.

And so God just continues to bless the life of Abraham.

And he turns and he gives all of his inheritance, he gives all of his things to his children.

Verse 11 says, the Lord blesses Isaac.

And so we expect then at verse 11 where we're learning that God blesses Isaac after the

passing of Abraham that we're about to read about God's blessing of Isaac.

But the first thing I read about is God's blessing of another son of Abraham by the

name of Ishmael.

That God keeps his promise to make of Ishmael a great nation.

That's what he said when he said to Abraham, listen to the voice of Sarah and send her

away.

I will make of him a great nation.

You entrust me to him, I'll take care of him.

And that's what you see in Genesis 25, that God has kept his promise, he's been faithful

and he's blessing Ishmael and there are 12 princes that come from him and Ishmael just

enjoys God's care and God's blessing.

And then the chapter turns, verse 19, to God blessing Isaac.

Rebekah has been barren for some time and now finally the Lord listens to the plea of

these two and the Lord opens the womb of Rebekah and she doesn't just have a child, a son,

there are two sons in her womb.

But not just two sons, there are two nations that are in her womb.

The first one is born and his name is Esau because he's red and hairy all over.

But the second one is right behind him holding to his heel and so he'll be called Jacob,

supplanter.

And then we just hit the fast forward button quickly in Genesis 25 and suddenly the passage

just says the boys grew, but we're jumping like 20 years.

And Esau is out hunting, Jacob's home whipping up a pot of gumbo and Esau comes in from the

field tired and he's like, that stuff smells delicious.

I'd love some of that.

And Jacob's like, just give me your birthright, I'll give you a pot, give you a bowl.

And they make the exchange.

Who is God?

He's the God of blessing, isn't he?

Look no further than Jesus.

Acts chapter 3, the preaching of Peter in the city of Jerusalem, says that God sent

Acts 3 · chapter mention

Jesus as the chapter ends to bless us.

That we have in Jesus, Ephesians 1 and verse 3, access to all spiritual blessings in the

heavenly places.

But what are we going to do with the blessings of God?

Esau's willing to trade them.

Esau is willing to hand over the blessings of God for just a taste.

Like if you'll just give me just a little bit of that stew to take away my hunger in

this moment, I'll just give it to you.

But you seem to see in Jacob, one who really wants the blessing of God.

Where are we?

I mean, think about the statement of Jesus in Matthew 16, 26.

What will a man give in exchange for his soul?

People will trade the blessing of God for just about anything.

It's a section of scripture that is about Abraham and Isaac.

But it's not just about Abraham and Isaac.

It's about the God of Abraham.

Abraham's friend.

That we might have a better, clearer picture of who God is, that our heart might be inclined

not to trade his blessing in for something that will never fulfill, never satisfy, that

will leave us lacking.

So that we will see our God as the God who is pursuing us, who wants us to know him,

who wants us to come to faith in him, that he might fulfill his promises to us and provide

for us everything that we need along the way, promising us resurrection and eternal life.

Saying on this road, I'll never leave you and I'll never forsake you.

I'll guide you and lead you in every path for my namesake.

And you can live now in my blessing.

And you can live in my blessing for all eternity.

May the God of Abraham, the friend of Abraham, be our God and our friend as well.

Thank you for that wonderful lesson on Abraham and Isaac and God is our friend.