Biblical Studies Dann Farrelly

Lesson 8: Old Testament Narratives, Part 1–2 DVD Session 2099

Session Outline: My Notes:

___________________________
For this specific two-part lesson, we recommend doing Part
___________________________
1 and 2 on two separate class days because the Review
___________________________
Questions for Part 1 need to be completed before doing Part 2.
___________________________
___________________________
Old Testament Narratives, Part 1 ___________________________
___________________________
I. Old Testament Narratives (0:00)
___________________________
A. Beautiful and Complex
___________________________
1. Example: teaching Noah’s Ark to children
a. While children may focus on the animals, adults ___________________________
are struck by the severity of the account of God ___________________________
beginning again with the human race. ___________________________
2. Embrace the joyful complexity and artistry of the Old ___________________________
Testament stories.
___________________________
a. These stories are not like Aesop’s Fables.1
___________________________
3. Old Testament narratives are not simple, fabricated
stories to illustrate a moral, but are complex and ___________________________
beautiful, full of details and the Holy Spirit. ___________________________
a. Examples: Book of Judges; son’s question ___________________________
about Noah’s Ark story ___________________________
B. Reveal God
___________________________
1. These narratives of God’s involvement with His
___________________________
covenant people and human history reveal God’s
heart, His ways, His mystery, His fierceness and ___________________________
holiness. ___________________________
2. God is not like us, just nicer and more powerful than ___________________________
us. He is altogether another Being. ___________________________
a. God is not made in our image. We are made in
___________________________
His image.
___________________________
3. God speaks for Himself about Himself.
C. Our Stories ___________________________
1. As those who have been grafted in as wild olive ___________________________
branches into the Israel of God, these narratives are ___________________________
also our stories (Romans 11, Galatians 6). ___________________________
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___________________________ D. Meaningful Then and Now

___________________________ 1. Example: ground swallowed Moses’ opponents
a. We can still see Who God is, who we are, and
___________________________
learn about the nature of spiritual leadership.
___________________________
2. These stories were specifically selected and
___________________________ edited for theological reasons not only for the Jewish
___________________________ community, but also for the church community.
___________________________ E. Finding Jesus In the Old Testament
___________________________ 1. During Speaker’s seminary study, the leadership
avoided bringing Jesus into Old Testament stories,
___________________________
because of the leadership’s ties with Jewish scholars.
___________________________
a. The seminary also cautioned against reading
___________________________ Jesus into Old Testament stories where they
___________________________ felt the story was only pertinent to that specific
___________________________ situation, and Jesus was not there.
___________________________ 2. During our own studies, we will find scholars who
span this wide spectrum of being comfortable with
___________________________
finding Jesus in the Old Testament stories and those
___________________________
who are not comfortable with finding Jesus in the Old
___________________________ Testament stories.
___________________________ 3. Different scholars will site statistics on what they feel
___________________________ are Messianic Scriptures in the Old Testament.
___________________________ a. Be cautious with statistics, as their full criteria
for Scriptures to qualify as Messianic may not be
___________________________
obvious.
___________________________
4. Consider each story in light of the author’s intent,
___________________________ and God’s intent as best as you can for as long as you
___________________________ can, before you bring in the bigger picture of salvation
___________________________ in Jesus to bear upon it.
___________________________ a. Example: Rahab (Joshua 6:25) and Achan
(Joshua 7:1)
___________________________
F. Strengths of the Narrative Style
___________________________
1. God likes to reveal Himself through stories.
___________________________ 2. Narratives are interesting. They pull us into the story.
___________________________ 3. They depict parts of life to which we easily relate.
___________________________ 4. We ask ourselves what we would have done in that
___________________________ situation.
5. Stories portray the complexities and confusing parts
___________________________
of life.
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6. They are usually easily remembered. ___________________________

7. God can include Himself as one of the characters in ___________________________
the story.
___________________________
a. Example: Speaker’s writing of musicals; God’s
use of Himself and angels in stories ___________________________
• Speaker’s own world view of what to expect ___________________________
in Christianity had been reduced to his ___________________________
experience, rather than letting Scripture inform ___________________________
his experience as to what was a normal
___________________________
experience for a Christian to have.
8. Be aware of the larger themes. ___________________________
9. Do not make God fit into our 21st century box. ___________________________
a. Examples: political parties; animal sacrifices ___________________________
10. Read carefully and look for clues from the text. ___________________________
a. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth2
___________________________
• Example: Joseph’s story for management
principles; God was with him (foundation of ___________________________
success) ___________________________
11. God is the Hero of every story. ___________________________
12. Pay attention to the voice of the narrator. ___________________________
a. Ask what the narrator knows.
___________________________
13. Characters are complex.
a. Sometimes, even good characters make bad ___________________________
decisions, or bad characters make good decisions. ___________________________
___________________________
II. A Narrative’s Components & Interpretation Principles (16:10) ___________________________
A. Plot — What and How
___________________________
1. Put the plot in the larger context of the character’s
journey with God, and the story will read very ___________________________
differently. ___________________________
a. Example: Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac ___________________________
2. Because we are influenced by the post-modern era ___________________________
and are motivated more by emotions rather than ideas,
___________________________
we project into the story and focus on what it would be
like to emotionally experience those events, at the risk ___________________________
of excluding the main point of the story. ___________________________
3. The larger plot puts the various episodes together. ___________________________
a. Example: Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac is ___________________________
a mini-plot within the larger plot of Abraham’s life
___________________________
with God.
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___________________________ B. Setting — Where and When

___________________________ 1. The Book of Ruth gives eight to ten clues of how
exceptional Bethlehem is.2
___________________________
a. Example: keeping the law; kinsman/redeemer
___________________________
principle is practiced
___________________________ • The subtle message is that Bethlehem was
___________________________ living correctly.
___________________________ 2. Read other books and commentaries to give insight
___________________________ to the setting such as:
a. How To Read The Bible for All It’s Worth2
___________________________
b. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old
___________________________
Testament3
___________________________ C. Characters — Who
___________________________ 1. Characters move the story along.
___________________________ 2. Notice what information the narrator does or does
___________________________ not give about the characters.
D. Viewpoint of the Narrator
___________________________
1. Notice if the narrator is against what is happening in
___________________________
the story, or has taken a neutral stance.
___________________________ 2. Sometimes a neutral stance is frustrating for the
___________________________ reader, because we want the narrator to tell us how to
___________________________ view the event.
___________________________ 3. The narrator may assume those familiar with
the Torah understand what is right or wrong, or the
___________________________
narrator leaves it to the reader to do his own study and
___________________________
research to find the answer.
___________________________ a. Example: Book of Judges
___________________________ b. The list of sinful behavior of the Israelites was
___________________________ long:
___________________________ • #1: The other nations had moved in while
they were supposed to conquer the land.
___________________________
• #2: They were killing each other instead of
___________________________
killing the inhabitants of the land.
___________________________ • #3: They turned to other Gods.
___________________________ • #4: A Levitical priest led the tribe of Dan into
___________________________ pagan worship.
___________________________ • #5: An Israelite town attempted to molest a
priest and raped his concubine.
___________________________
c. Example: Japheth sacrificed his daughter
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d. The reader wants the narrator to give a sense of ___________________________

justice, but the narrator does not. ___________________________
4. Sometimes the narrator will give an implied
___________________________
message.
___________________________
a. Example: Israelites as Canaanites (Judges)
• The narrator implies the Israelites should be ___________________________
judged as the other people groups who ___________________________
committed such sins were judged. ___________________________
b. Example: Solomon ___________________________
• The narrator lists Solomon’s material
___________________________
success, but the reader is to be familiar with
___________________________
Deuteronomy 17, which notes that a king
should not acquire great numbers of horses, ___________________________
wives, or silver and gold, and takes thirteen ___________________________
years to build his own house, when it only took ___________________________
seven to build God’s (Deuteronomy 17:14–20). ___________________________
E. The Big Picture
___________________________
1. We must see each mini-story in light of the big
___________________________
picture. This provides a better perspective.
a. Example: Israelites dying in the wilderness ___________________________
• Even after witnessing the most extreme and ___________________________
powerful manifestations of God on their behalf, ___________________________
the Israelites who died were the ones who ___________________________
were unwilling to fight for their new land
___________________________
because of the giants there.
___________________________
• We see through the big picture, that the
Israelites did not let God’s acts transform them. ___________________________
2. Do not miss the bigger context of the story by ___________________________
allowing our emotions to too quickly enter into the ___________________________
reading of the story. ___________________________
___________________________
Note: Speaker does not lecture on the next two narrative
___________________________
components in class, but we have included them here as
a reference for the homework assignment. DVD session ___________________________
goes directly to "H. Principles for Interpreting Old Testament ___________________________
Narratives." ___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
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___________________________ F. Comparison/Contrast (not included in DVD)

___________________________ 1. This literary technique is a major device used in Old
Testament narratives to develop plot and to move the
___________________________
story forward.
___________________________
2. Recognizing comparison and contrast is critical to
___________________________ our understanding of narratives.
___________________________ 3. Notice these comparisons and contrasts between
___________________________ David and Saul as developed over many chapters in
___________________________ I Samuel.
a. Introduction of each:
___________________________
• Saul: impressive, tall
___________________________
• David: young, smaller
___________________________ • (God looks at the heart.)
___________________________ b. In the face of danger:
___________________________ • Saul shirks his responsibility and buys his
___________________________ way out of fighting Goliath.
• David defeats Goliath, taking on a
___________________________
responsibility not even his own.
___________________________
c. Subtle differences:
___________________________ • Saul (implied) loses his father’s donkeys, and
___________________________ aimlessly looks for them, until taking his
___________________________ servant’s suggestion not to quit, but then not
___________________________ even recognizing the man of God who can
help him.
___________________________
• David keeps his father’s sheep and protects
___________________________
them from danger, including lions and bears.
___________________________ 4. David is everything that Saul is not. Understanding
___________________________ these comparisons and contrasts helps us understand
___________________________ these narratives.
___________________________ G. Irony (not included in the DVD)
1. Irony is the literary term used to describe situations
___________________________
where the literal or surface meaning of an event
___________________________
or episode is quite different—indeed, sometimes
___________________________ opposite—of the narrator’s real intended meaning.
___________________________ 2. Irony presents the narrative’s meaning with more
___________________________ force.
___________________________ 3. Irony allows the narrator to surprise the reader, often
with humor in the subtle meanings.
___________________________
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4. In irony, actions and events may have multiple ___________________________

implications. ___________________________
a. Usually one of the characters, or even the
___________________________
reader, misses out on some knowledge when
___________________________
failing to see the multiple implications.
5. Irony enhances narratives, making them fascinating ___________________________
to study and enjoyable to read. ___________________________
6. Examples: Listing Solomon’s material wealth, in ___________________________
light of Deuteronomy 17:14-20, is not praise but an ___________________________
indictment; the captured Ark of the Covenant is placed
___________________________
before the Philistine idol, but every day it falls and
___________________________
bows before God, and God strikes them with plagues;
the Philistines thought they won the war and captured ___________________________
God, but God invaded Philistia, returning with their ___________________________
gold tribute back to Israel. ___________________________
H. Principles for Interpreting Old Testament Narratives ___________________________
1. An Old Testament narrative usually does not directly
___________________________
teach a doctrine, but illustrates a doctrine or doctrines
___________________________
proposed elsewhere.
2. Narratives record what happened—not necessarily ___________________________
what should have happened or what ought to happen ___________________________
every time. ___________________________
a. Therefore, there is not always an individual ___________________________
identifiable moral application.
___________________________
3. The narratives are not like Aesop’s Fables in that
___________________________
they are told to illustrate a simple moral, like The
Tortoise and the Hare, rather they are part of an ___________________________
ongoing story.1,4 ___________________________
4. What people do in the narratives is not necessarily a ___________________________
good example for us. ___________________________
a. Most of the characters in the Old Testament
___________________________
narratives are far from perfect—as are their
___________________________
actions.
b. We are not always told at the end of a narrative ___________________________
whether what happened was good or bad. We are ___________________________
expected to be able to judge this on the basis of ___________________________
what God has taught us directly and categorically. ___________________________
___________________________
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___________________________ 5. Do not be “monkey see, monkey do” (do not just

___________________________ imitate exactly what is seen). Learn about God and His
ways from narratives, not simply imitating what is read.
___________________________
6. All narratives are selective and incomplete. All the
___________________________
details we want are not given.
___________________________ a. What does appear in the narrative is everything
___________________________ that the inspired author thought important for us to
___________________________ know.
___________________________ b. Example: John 21:25
7. Narratives are not written to answer all our
___________________________
theological questions.
___________________________
a. They have particular, specific, limited purposes
___________________________ and deal with certain issues, leaving others to be
___________________________ dealt with elsewhere in other ways.
___________________________ 8. Narratives may teach either “explicitly” by clearly
___________________________ stating something, or “implicitly,” teaching it without
actually stating it.
___________________________
9. In the final analysis, God is the Hero of all Biblical
___________________________
narratives.
___________________________ 10. Like interpreting the Gospels, note how the
___________________________ narrative is connected to the larger stories of Israel’s
___________________________ history and salvation history.
___________________________
___________________________
Old Testament Narratives, Part 2
___________________________
___________________________ III. Profound Points of Story, Verse by Verse (27:30)
___________________________
___________________________ Students share with other students what seemed most
___________________________ profound to them about Genesis 22:1–19, or new insights they
received.
___________________________
___________________________ Speaker welcomes the Holy Spirit to enlighten the truth to
___________________________ them.
___________________________
A. Observations About Genesis 22:1–19
___________________________
1. Verse 1:
___________________________
a. The time is later.
___________________________
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b. The narrator knows this is a test from God. ___________________________

Does Abraham know it is a test? ___________________________
c. Abraham answers the traditionally accepted
___________________________
way, “Here I am,” just as Eli taught Samuel
___________________________
(I Samuel 3).
2. Verse 2: ___________________________
a. There is no argument from Abraham about ___________________________
God’s instructions. ___________________________
b. God understands the depth of the relationship ___________________________
between Abraham and Isaac.
___________________________
3. Verse 3:
___________________________
a. Abraham does not fight with God, but sets out
early the next morning in quick obedience to God’s ___________________________
will. ___________________________
b. They brought wood with them for the sacrifice. ___________________________
4. Verse 6: ___________________________
a. The son carried the wood.
___________________________
• This reminds us of Jesus as the Sacrifice
___________________________
carrying His cross.
5. Verse 2: ___________________________
a. God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, but would ___________________________
He give Abraham more information later about ___________________________
where. ___________________________
6. Verse 4:
___________________________
a. Abraham saw the place for the sacrifice, rather
___________________________
than hearing God tell him specifically the place.
7. Verse 5: ___________________________
a. Abraham says, “We will worship and then we ___________________________
will come back to you.” ___________________________
• We should ask ourselves if Abraham was ___________________________
trying to stall, lie to control his son, lie to the
___________________________
servants, or were these declarations of faith.
___________________________
b. Worship is equated with sacrifice.
8. Verses 7 and 8: ___________________________
a. Isaac asks a key question, “Where is the lamb ___________________________
for the burnt offering?” ___________________________
b. Abraham answers, “God himself will provide the ___________________________
lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
___________________________
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___________________________ c. We wonder what was going through both Isaac

___________________________ and Abraham’s minds, and the inspiration behind
Abraham’s answer.
___________________________
• Example: Speaker’s childhood teaching of
___________________________
Isaac’s near death; visions of Pinocchio’s
___________________________ whale for Jonah’s story
___________________________ • We bring much of our own pre-context or
___________________________ understanding when we read the Scriptures.
___________________________ 9. Verse 9:
a. Isaac is bound.
___________________________
b. We wonder why he is bound.
___________________________ • Is Isaac fighting his father? What is his
___________________________ response?
___________________________ • We do not get any answers about those
___________________________ details from the text.
10. Verses 10 and 11:
___________________________
a. Abraham reaches for the knife, but the Angel of
___________________________ the Lord called to him to stop him.
___________________________ • From our pre-understanding, sometimes we
___________________________ think that Isaac was spared at the last minute,
___________________________ but from the text it seems to be sooner than
that.
___________________________
b. Abraham answered again, “Here I am.”
___________________________ 11. Verse 12:
___________________________ a. The Angel of the Lord said now He knew
___________________________ Abraham feared God, because he had not
___________________________ withheld his only son.
• The phrase, “only son,” is mentioned three
___________________________
times (verses 2, 12 and 16).
___________________________ • This reminds us of John 3:16, “He gave His
___________________________ one and only Son.”
___________________________ b. The Angel of the Lord said, “Now I know.”
___________________________ • We wonder if God did not know before this.
12. Verse 13:
___________________________
a. The ram is caught by the horns in the thicket.
___________________________ • While this may be a picture of Jesus’ crown
___________________________ of thorns, it is too early to try and make such
___________________________ comparisons. It is best to stay with the story in
___________________________ context as long as possible.

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13. Verses 15 through 18: ___________________________

a. God swears by Himself. ___________________________
b. God reiterates the covenant He made with
___________________________
Abraham.
• We wonder if God adds anything to the ___________________________
covenant at this time, and check it against the ___________________________
first mentions of the covenant (Genesis 12:2, ___________________________
Genesis 15:5). ___________________________
14. Verse 14:
___________________________
a. The narrator adds a note: “And to this day it
is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be ___________________________
provided.’” ___________________________
15. Verse 18: ___________________________
a. “All nations on earth will be blessed, because ___________________________
you have obeyed me.”
___________________________
• We would rather have the promise of
blessing based on God alone, but here we see
___________________________
the weight of the condition of blessing in the ___________________________
covenant going forth and being released: our ___________________________
obedience. ___________________________
___________________________
IV. Overview of Genesis 22’s Components (42:02)
A. Plot
___________________________
1. The plot begins with conflict: how Abraham responds ___________________________
to God’s seemingly outrageous request. ___________________________
2. Tension rises as Isaac realizes there is no lamb for ___________________________
the sacrifice.
___________________________
3. Abraham maintains faith, but faith in what?
a. Faith that he has rightly heard God?
___________________________
b. Faith that Abraham will do his duty? ___________________________
c. Faith that God will make this turn into something ___________________________
good because God is good? ___________________________
4. Abraham takes the knife to sacrifice his son.
___________________________
a. Will he do it?
b. Will God make him do it?
___________________________
c. Will God find another way? ___________________________
5. When we review this story against other Scripture ___________________________
and in light of the bigger picture, we see more. ___________________________
a. God called Abraham at age 75.
___________________________
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___________________________ b. Abraham was mostly obedient, but sometimes

___________________________ used a mixture of his own solutions.
• Example: takes family along; God intervenes
___________________________
when Abraham lies about Sarah’s identity;
___________________________ used Hagar to have an heir
___________________________ 6. Abraham experienced God’s faithfulness.
___________________________ a. Examples: mercy and rescue when Abraham’s
___________________________ ideas failed; victory when rescuing Lot;
announcement of Isaac; mercy, then judgment on
___________________________
Sodom
___________________________ 7. Abraham walked with God. In light of this, Abraham
___________________________ had faith in God’s goodness to do right by him and
___________________________ Isaac.
___________________________ a. In Harold Eberle’s book, Christianity
Unshackled, he states that this was not a blind
___________________________
leap of faith, but a reasonable assumption from a
___________________________ man who has walked with God and knows God.5
___________________________ 8. As with this story, look at Bible stories in the larger
___________________________ context.
___________________________ a. Example: God’s choice other than first-born
B. Setting
___________________________
1. It occurred sometime later than the previous story.
___________________________ 2. Abraham is directed to the region of Moriah and the
___________________________ mountain of the Lord.
___________________________ a. II Chronicles 3:1 links this mountain to
___________________________ Jerusalem and its temple.
3. Abraham’s journey begins and ends in Beersheba.
___________________________
4. At the time of the sacrifice, Abraham and Isaac are
___________________________ alone until the Angel of the Lord cries out from heaven.
___________________________ a. This Angel of the Lord could be a type of Christ,
___________________________ or a messenger angel.
___________________________ 5. There are stones for the altar, but no wood, so they
bring wood.
___________________________
6. There are thickets (where the ram is caught), so the
___________________________ setting is rather desolate on the mountain.
___________________________ C. Characters
___________________________ 1. God (appearing as the Angel of the Lord)
___________________________ 2. Abraham and Isaac
3. Two servants (with marginal roles)
___________________________
4. Absent lamb, then ram caught in the thicket
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5. Both Abraham and Isaac seem serene, even in this ___________________________

horrific scenario. ___________________________
6. God receives new information: “Now I know….”
___________________________
(verse 12).
D. Viewpoint of the Narrator ___________________________
1. God is testing Abraham. ___________________________
2. The narrator adds the note: “And to this day it is ___________________________
said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided’” ___________________________
(verse 14).
___________________________
E. Comparisons and Contrast
1. When we compare Isaac to the ram, we ___________________________
prophetically see Jesus in the future. ___________________________
2. Abraham is also compared to Father God. ___________________________
F. Irony ___________________________
1. Isaac, the one who potentially is going to be the
___________________________
sacrifice, sees that the fire and wood are there, but
___________________________
there is no sacrificial lamb.
2. Humanity gets to keep their sons, but the Heavenly ___________________________
Father’s Son still must be sacrificed. ___________________________
a. The grace of God comes to man, but 2,000 ___________________________
years later there would be no one to stop the ___________________________
sacrificing of God’s Son.
___________________________
G. Summary of Story In Paragraph Form
___________________________
1. God decided to test Abraham’s faith with the
unimaginable task of sacrificing his son. Abraham ___________________________
responded immediately and took wood, fire, a knife, ___________________________
and the child of promise, his son, Isaac. This time, ___________________________
Abraham did not do a dance. He did not have a ___________________________
different idea. He obeyed quickly. As he was about to
___________________________
kill his son, God stopped him and provided a substitute
___________________________
ram. Abraham sacrificed the ram and named the
place, “The Lord will provide,” or, “Jehovah Jireh.” God ___________________________
was pleased with Abraham’s faith and reiterated the ___________________________
covenant promises of blessing upon his descendants. ___________________________
God also declared the occupation of enemy cities ___________________________
by Abraham’s descendants and that the blessings
___________________________
given to all the nations of the earth would be because
___________________________
Abraham obeyed God.
___________________________
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___________________________ 2. Abraham made powerful faith statements in his

___________________________ town: we will worship, we will return, the Lord will
provide an offering, and a sacrifice for us (50:56 end).
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________ Old Testament Narratives, Part 1 - Review Questions:
___________________________
___________________________ 1. The goal of this exercise is to apply all of the Bible
study tools you have learned from the previous
___________________________
lessons. Briefly re-read the document “Short
___________________________
Step-by-Step Outline Inductive Bible Study.” This
___________________________ document can be found as an attachment in Biblical
___________________________ Studies, Lesson 1: Inductive Bible Study, Part 1–4.
___________________________ Then, read Genesis 22:1–19 from your Bible. Rather
than going through each step of the Inductive Bible
___________________________
Study as you have done before, on a separate piece of
___________________________
paper just write down your observations from Genesis
___________________________ 22:1–19. Then below, provide a summary of each of
___________________________ the Old Testament narrative components found in this
___________________________ same passage, these include: Plot, Setting, Characters,
View Point of Narrator, Comparison/Contrast and Irony.
___________________________
(Take approximately 30–60 minutes to complete this
___________________________
exercise.)
___________________________ Plot: (What and How) In this particular story the plot
___________________________ begins with the conflict. How will Abraham respond to God’s
___________________________ seemingly outrageous request? The tension rises as Isaac
realizes there is no lamb for the sacrifice but Abraham’s
___________________________
faith is rock solid. The question is, "In what does his faith
___________________________
lie?" Is his faith in that he has heard God, he will do his duty
___________________________ or that God will make this turn out for good because God
___________________________ is good? Abraham goes through the process to the point of
___________________________ picking up the knife to slay his son. Will he do it? Will God
make him? Or will God find another way?
___________________________
___________________________ Within the larger story, Abraham has been obedient but
___________________________ sometimes with a mixture of his own solutions. God says
___________________________ leave your family, he takes some of them with him. God
saves his wife and marriage and the covenant promise after
___________________________
Abraham thought it best to lie to the kings to protect his own
___________________________ life. He went along with his wife’s suggestion that Hagar
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give him an heir. Abraham had consistently experienced the ___________________________

faithfulness of the Lord, His mercy, His rescue, His victory ___________________________
in battle, His appearance and announcement of a son, the
___________________________
mercy He was willing to bestow on Sodom and His ultimate
judgment of Sodom.
___________________________
___________________________
Setting: (Where and When) The author tells us “Some
___________________________
time later,” to create some distance from the previous
___________________________
story. God directs Abraham to the “region of Moriah”
and eventually to a specific mountain called simply the ___________________________
“mountain of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 3:1 links Moriah with ___________________________
the location of the temple in Jerusalem. Abraham’s journey ___________________________
begins and ends in Beersheba. Father and son are alone in
___________________________
the moment, but the angel speaks from heaven. There are
___________________________
stones for the altar but no wood, thickets in which rams get
stuck, so it seems like a bit of a barren mountain. ___________________________
___________________________
Characters: (Who) The main characters are God,
appearing sometimes as the angel of the LORD,
___________________________
Abraham and Isaac. There are also two servants present. ___________________________
Additionally, the lamb is noticeably absent, while later a ram ___________________________
“mysteriously” appears. Both seem oddly serene throughout ___________________________
the story. God seems to get “new” information, “now I know”
___________________________
(verse 12).
___________________________
View Point of Narrator: The narrator begins by telling ___________________________
us, “God tested Abraham.” We question from the text if
___________________________
Abraham had figured this out or not. The narrator adds in
verse 14, “And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of
___________________________
the Lord it will be provided.’” The covenant name of God, ___________________________
YHWH Jireh (Hebrew) is the name Abraham gives the spot. ___________________________

There are numerous prophetic pictures that the divine

___________________________
author surely intended. Isaac is referred to as “your son, ___________________________
your only son” by God three times, but never by Abraham. ___________________________
This refers to the fact that Isaac is the child of promise, but ___________________________
also foreshadows the words of John 3:16, “your one and
___________________________
only son.” Abraham is sent to Moriah, which is the location
of Jerusalem, and also the place of the sacrifice of Jesus.
___________________________
Isaac even carried the wood (cross) up to the top of the ___________________________
mountain. The journey took three days, which may be more ___________________________

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___________________________ symbolic than literal. Finally, Abraham’s response to Isaac,

___________________________ “God himself will provide the lamb,” is filled with faith, but
also with prophecy.
___________________________
___________________________ Comparison/Contrast: The main comparison is between
Isaac and the lamb, and prophetically to Jesus. Abraham is
___________________________
also being compared to God the Father.
___________________________
___________________________ Irony: The main irony seems to be in Isaac’s question, “The

___________________________ fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the
burnt offering?” Moving beyond the local story to the cosmic
___________________________
one, humanity gets to keep their sons but the Heavenly
___________________________ Father’s son does not get a reprieve.
___________________________
___________________________
2. Next, take 15 minutes to note Abraham’s journey with
___________________________
God by listing the various headings found in Genesis,
___________________________ chapters 12–25. This is the literary context of the story.
___________________________ Chapter 12: The Call of Abram; Abram in Egypt
___________________________ Chapter 13: Abram and Lot Separate
___________________________ Chapter 14: Abram Rescues Lot
Chapter 15: God’s Covenant With Abram
___________________________
Chapter 16: Hagar and Ishmael
___________________________
Chapter 17: The Covenant of Circumcision
___________________________ Chapter 18: The Three Visitors
___________________________ Chapter 19: Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed; Lot and His
___________________________ Daughters
___________________________ Chapter 20: Abraham and Abimelech
Chapter 21: The Birth of Isaac; Hagar and Ishmael Sent
___________________________
Away; The Treaty at Beersheba
___________________________
Chapter 22: Abraham Tested; Nahor’s Sons
___________________________ Chapter 23: The Death of Sarah
___________________________ Chapter 24: Isaac and Rebekah
___________________________ Chapter 25: The Death of Abraham; Ishmael’s Sons; Jacob
___________________________ and Esau

___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
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3. Take all of the information you have gathered from ___________________________

Review Questions 1 and 2 and use it to complete the ___________________________
5-Step Interpretive Journey. (The 5-Step Interpretative
___________________________
Journey can be found on the document “Short Step-by-
___________________________
Step Outline Inductive Bible Study,” which is attached
to Biblical Studies, Lesson 1: Inductive Bible Study, ___________________________
Part 1–4.) Write one paragraph per step. ___________________________
Step 1: ___________________________
God decides to test Abraham’s faith with an unimaginable ___________________________
task, sacrificing his son. This time Abraham does not add
___________________________
his own solutions but responds immediately by taking
___________________________
wood, fire, a knife and the child of promise, his son Isaac,
to the place God directed him. He makes several FAITH ___________________________
declarations. “We will worship and we will return” and “God ___________________________
himself will provide the lamb”. As he nears killing his son, ___________________________
God stops him and provides a substitute—a ram. Abraham ___________________________
sacrifices the ram and names the place “The Lord will
___________________________
provide,” or YHWH Jireh (Hebrew). God is pleased with
___________________________
Abraham’s faith and reiterates the covenant promises of
blessings upon his descendants, occupation of enemy cities ___________________________
and blessing all of the nations of the earth “BECAUSE YOU ___________________________
HAVE OBEYED ME.” ___________________________
___________________________
Step 2:
As far as we know Abraham had nothing written to teach ___________________________
him about God. He had to rely on his experiences with ___________________________
God Himself. While we have both the Holy Spirit and the ___________________________
written Scriptures that specifically forbid sacrificing our ___________________________
children, Abraham was likely aware some human sacrifice
___________________________
was practiced in his days. We are far removed from the
___________________________
violent conflicts and bloodshed of Abraham’s era. Still,
there is a psychological, social, and spiritual divide as it is ___________________________
unfathomable to us that God would make this request to ___________________________
take our own children’s life. Abraham was a man of blood ___________________________
but we assume this was equally confusing and painful for ___________________________
him.
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
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___________________________ Step 3:
___________________________ This story is about God testing Abraham’s faith, which was
manifested in his obedience. The anchor of his faith is key.
___________________________
He had faith in the character of God, which likely led him to
___________________________ believe that the Lord would find a way to spare Isaac. We
___________________________ can read Abraham’s statements as “white” lies to control his
___________________________ son, the stalling tactics of a desperate man, or the confident
___________________________ assertions of a man of faith. The author of Hebrews said he
had faith God would raise Isaac from the dead.
___________________________
___________________________ We need to believe that Jehovah Jireh is still the provider
___________________________ of all of our needs today, even when He is the one making
demands.
___________________________
___________________________ Trust in God’s character and the history of His goodness
___________________________ to you. It is reasonable and rational to trust the same God

___________________________ who made the covenant with Abraham, prophesied and

produced the promised child, kept him safe and preserved
___________________________
his family line when he makes an extreme demand on you.
___________________________
___________________________ Step 4:
As we move into the New Testament we can see how
___________________________
God used Abraham to paint a prophetic picture of Jesus’
___________________________ sacrifice for us. Jesus was the Lamb God provided. He
___________________________ provides in all areas of life because that is Who He is. At
___________________________ the same time, we see that God is still looking for people of
___________________________ faith. Obedience and faith in His goodness are what please
our Heavenly Father.
___________________________
___________________________ Step 5:
___________________________ While the specifics of Abraham’s test will likely never be
repeated, as it seems powerfully linked to the death and
___________________________
resurrection of Jesus and was a test connected to the
___________________________
fulfillment of the central covenant of the universe, the reality
___________________________ that we may be tested by God in some areas is true. Tests
___________________________ of faith come in many shapes and sizes. They are always a
___________________________ challenge, or else they would not be a test. Once we pass
the test, then we have a “test-imony” to share. However, we
___________________________
generally do not attribute sickness or torment as a test from
___________________________
God. These are rather the result of the enemy’s influence
___________________________ and life in a fallen world.
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Abraham’s response was marked by complete obedience ___________________________

and total faith all the while he saw this event as a time of ___________________________
God’s provision. We should look for his provision even
___________________________
when He is making the demands.
___________________________
It is interesting that God said, “Now I know”. We often hear ___________________________
that tests are not so God can know, but so we can know
___________________________
what is in our heart and celebrate or adjust accordingly.
While this may be true, it is intriguing to see the way God
___________________________
chose to speak about this, and it must be held in tension ___________________________
with many other Scriptures about God. ___________________________
___________________________
At one level, this seems like such an outrageous request,
and it is. Yet, our nation requests that its sons and ___________________________
daughters die in battle for the cause of liberty. Christian ___________________________
parents raise kids to love God and follow Him though ___________________________
they may give their life on the mission field for His cause. ___________________________
Muslims who convert can face possible retaliation and
___________________________
death. Furthermore, perhaps we are too far removed
from the reality of 1st century life. When people became ___________________________
Christians they were considered dead to their families. ___________________________
Paul felt like and believed that he had already died in the ___________________________
moment of conversion. “I no longer live but Christ lives in ___________________________
me.” For the Lord, death is a doorway not an end. He knows
___________________________
that we are “but grass”. It is a shocking request, but maybe
not as shocking as we first thought. ___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Old Testament Narratives, Part 2 - Review Questions:
___________________________
1. What was the blessing promised to Abraham as it ___________________________
relates to Genesis 22:1–18? What caused God to ___________________________
give him that blessing and what can we learn from ___________________________
Abraham?
___________________________
The blessing that was promised to Abraham was that God
would bless him, make his descendants numerous, his
___________________________
descendants would take possession of the cities of their ___________________________
enemies and all the nations on the earth through Abraham’s ___________________________
offspring. This blessing was given to Abraham because ___________________________
of his obedience to God. Because Abraham was willing to
___________________________
radically obey God, even when the act of obedience might
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___________________________ result in the death of his son, God rewarded Abraham with
___________________________ the most radical blessing found in Scripture. Abraham had
a history with God and had experienced God’s faithfulness
___________________________
and goodness. Abraham knew God would provide.
___________________________
Sometimes we would rather believe that God’s blessings
___________________________ are based on Him alone, but in this narrative we see the
___________________________ weight of the condition of blessing in the covenant going
___________________________ forth and being released because of Abraham’s obedience.
___________________________ Through Abraham’s response to God we learn that God will
reward radical obedience and faith in His goodness with
___________________________
radical blessings.
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________ 2. What statements did Abraham declare that show us his
___________________________ absolute faith in God to provide for the burnt offering?
___________________________ Abraham made powerful statements of faith about his
trust in God’s faithfulness and provision. In Genesis 22:5,
___________________________
Abraham declared to his servant that he and Isaac would
___________________________
go and worship and then return. In Genesis 22:8 Abraham
___________________________ declared to his son, Isaac, that God himself would provide
___________________________ a ram for the burnt offering. Then in Genesis 22:14, after
___________________________ God had provided the ram for the burnt offering Abraham
___________________________ declared and named that place, “the LORD Will Provide.”
Abraham’s declarations of faith about God’s goodness,
___________________________
faithfulness, and provision became a permanent testimony
___________________________
of God’s provision.
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________ Old Testament Narratives, Part 1 - Discussion & Activation:
___________________________
1. Read again the Principles for Interpreting Old
___________________________ Testament Narratives found in Part 1 of this lesson. As
___________________________ you read through the list, see if an Old Testament story
___________________________ comes to mind that illustrates any one of these points.
___________________________ Find this story in the Bible and share it with several
other students, and point out how the principle is
___________________________
demonstrated in the story. The purpose of the exercise
___________________________
is to see how these principles of interpreting shed new
___________________________ light on how you look at these stories.
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Old Testament Narratives, Part 2 - Discussion & Activation: ___________________________

___________________________
1. Gather together with a few students and discuss any
___________________________
new insights or revelations God has revealed to you
about Genesis 22:1–19 that you had not known or had ___________________________
not understood before this lesson. ___________________________
___________________________
2. Old Testament stories are often part of the big picture—
___________________________
God’s plans and dealings with people over long periods
of time. What about one of your own life stories, can ___________________________
you see how it is woven into the bigger picture of ___________________________
your life? Partner with a fellow student and share your ___________________________
thoughts about how one of your life stories fits into the
___________________________
bigger picture of what God is doing in your life.
___________________________
1. Aesop, Aesop’s Fables, ed. D.L. Ashilman (New York: ___________________________
Penguin Group, 2007). ___________________________
2. Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible
___________________________
for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981). ___________________________
___________________________
3. John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas,
___________________________
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000). ___________________________
___________________________
4. Aesop, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” in Aesop’s Fables, ed.
___________________________
D.L. Ashilman (New York: Penguin Group, 2007).
___________________________
5. Harold R. Eberle, Christianity Unshackled (Shippensburg: ___________________________
Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2009).
___________________________
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are ___________________________
taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL ___________________________
VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by ___________________________
International Bible Society®. Used by permission.
___________________________
Reference Materials: ___________________________
___________________________
Duvall, J. Scott and Hayes, J. Daniel. Grasping God’s Word.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.
___________________________
___________________________
Fee, Gordon D. and Stuart, Douglas. How To Read The Bible ___________________________
For All Its Worth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1993.
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