LET'S READ SCRIPTURE

  Isaac and Abimelek 1 Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar.  2 The  Lord  appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.  3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.  4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring  all nations on earth will be blessed,   5 because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.”  6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar. 7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this pla...

Abraham Tested 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.  4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,  7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood ...

  The Covenant of Circumcision 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the  Lord  appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty ; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.  2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,  4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.  5 No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham,  for I have made you a father of many nations.  6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.  7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.  8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I wil...

  The  Lord ’s Covenant With Abram 1 After this, the word of the  Lord  came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. ” 2 But Abram said, “Sovereign  Lord , what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit  my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”  3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the  Lord  came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”  5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring  be.” 6 Abram believed the  Lord , and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, “I am the  Lord , who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” 8 But Abram said, “So...