On The Mountain Top: Genesis 22 Bible Study

Introduction 

Welcome back to The Daily Manna!

Today we cover Genesis chapter 22. Today we witness one of the most tense moments in Scripture, the call to Sacrifice Issac. After a 3-day journey to Mount Moriah, Abraham must choose to obey and trust God or fail the test. This chapter reminds us That true faith and trust in God means to walk and obedience and trust, Even when it comes to those we love and things we treasure. 

Before reading on, take a moment to read Genesis 21 in full. This study is meant to guide reflection, not replace the Word of God itself.

Summary of chapter 22

Genesis 22:1–2 – God Tests Abraham: 

God tests Abraham by calling him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering. This command strikes at the very heart of God’s promise, yet Abraham responds with readiness when God calls his name.

Genesis 22:3–5 – Abraham’s Immediate Obedience: 

Early the next morning, Abraham sets out for the region of Moriah with Isaac and two servants. When they near the place, Abraham tells his servants, “We will worship and then we will come back,” showing faith that God would still fulfill His promise.

Genesis 22:6–8 – Isaac’s Question and Abraham’s Assurance:

As they climb the mountain, Isaac notices they have everything except the sacrificial animal. When he asks, “Where is the lamb?” Abraham replies, “God Himself will provide the lamb,” revealing his deep trust in God’s provision.

Genesis 22:9–12 – God Stops the Sacrifice:

Abraham builds the altar, arranges the wood, and binds Isaac. As he lifts the knife, the Angel of the Lord calls out and stops him. God affirms that Abraham truly fears Him because he did not withhold his beloved son.

Genesis 22:13–14 – God Provides a Substitute:

Abraham sees a ram caught by its horns and offers it in place of Isaac. He names the place Jehovah-Jireh (“The Lord Will Provide”), declaring that God supplies what His people need at the right time.

Genesis 22:15–18 – God Reaffirms His Covenant: 

God speaks a second time, blessing Abraham for his obedience. He promises to multiply his descendants like the stars and assures him that through his offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, a prophecy pointing forward to Jesus Christ.

Genesis 22:19–24 – The Family Line Continues:

Abraham returns to his servants and they settle in Beersheba. The chapter closes with the genealogy of Nahor, introducing Rebekah, who will later become Isaac’s wife and move God’s covenant story forward.

Key themes and meanings 

Faith Tested

Genesis 22:1-2 NIV

[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.”

God doesn’t test Abraham to break him but to reveal and strengthen his faith. This chapter shows that genuine faith is proven through obedience, even when God’s instructions don’t make sense. 

I would also like to point out that God hates human sacrifice. And yes this is controversial, but that means abortion as well. We can see that God hates human sacrifice in a few different areas of the Bible. 

Leviticus 20:1-5 NIV

[1] The Lord said to Moses, [2] “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. [3] I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. [4] If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, [5] I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.

Jeremiah 19:4-5 NIV

[4] For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. [5] They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind. 

1 Kings 11:7-8 NIV

[7] On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. [8] He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

Surrender and Trust

Genesis 22:2 NIV

[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.”

Abraham models total surrender. Notice here how God says “your only son whom you love”. He knew how precious Isaac was to Abraham, He was testing him to see how much Abraham trusted him. Abraham is willing to give God what he loves most, believing God’s character even when he doesn’t understand God’s command. 

The next day Abraham got up and went to the region of Moriah. Now this is actually really interesting because this was actually What later would become Jerusalem. More specifically it was the Hill, Golgotha which Jesus would later be crucified on (but more on that later). 

Genesis 22:5 NIV

[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.”

This verse suggests possibly that Abraham knew that God would resurrect Isaac. From here we see Abraham taking Isaac of the mountain. Isaac notices that there's fire and wood but asks Abraham “Where's the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answers by saying “got himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering my son” 

Abraham then built an altar and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son. And laid him on the altar then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son but the angel of the Lord called out to him and told him not to lay a hand on the boy. He said “ now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” this means that Abraham has passed the test of trusting God.

To fear God doesn't necessarily mean to be afraid. Here it means to revere him, or to put no one above God. It means to trust him above everything. 

God’s Provision (Jehovah-Jireh)

Genesis 22:13-14 NIV

[13] Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The ram caught in the thicket shows that God provides at the exact moment it’s needed. His provision sustains His promises. This theme is captured in Abraham naming the place “The Lord Will Provide.”

Obedience Brings Blessing

Genesis 22:16-18 NIV

[16] and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, [18] and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

God reaffirms and expands His covenant after Abraham obeys. This pattern appears throughout Scripture: obedience brings deeper relationship and fuller blessings. One of these blessings actually involves you and me. Through Jesus Christ, an offspring of Abraham, all nations on earth are blessed. It is only through Jesus that we have eternal life. 

Foreshadowing of Christ

Genesis 22 is one of the strongest Old Testament pictures of Jesus:

1. A Beloved Son

Genesis 22:2

“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love…”

Matthew 3:17

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…”

Isaac is the loved, promised son. Jesus is the Beloved Son given for the world.

2. Carrying the Wood

Genesis 22:6

“Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac…”

John 19:17

“Carrying His own cross, He went out to the place of the Skull…”

Isaac carries the wood of his sacrifice; Jesus carries His cross — the wood of ours.

3. Offered on a Mountain

Genesis 22:2

“…go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there on a mountain I will show you.”

Luke 23:33

“When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him…”

2 Chronicles 3:1 (Important connection!)

“Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah…”

The same mountain range where Isaac was offered is where Jerusalem — and Calvary — would later stand.

4. A Substitute Provided

Genesis 22:13

“Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram… and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.”

John 1:29

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

1 Peter 3:18

“Christ suffered for sins once for all… the righteous for the unrighteous.”

Jesus is the ultimate substitute — the Lamb God provides.

5. A Blessing for All Nations

Genesis 22:18

“…through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed…”

Galatians 3:16

“The promise… was spoken to Abraham and to his seed… meaning one person, who is Christ.”

Acts 3:25–26

“…God said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up His servant, Jesus… He sent Him to bless you…”

The blessing promised to Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus.

Reflections for today

1. What is God asking me to trust Him with right now, even if I don’t fully understand His plan?

2. Are there areas of my life I am holding too tightly, instead of surrendering them to God?

3. How have I seen God provide for me in difficult or uncertain seasons?

Conclusion

Genesis 22 reminds us that faith is not just believing in God’s promises, it’s trusting His heart even when the path is painful or unclear. Abraham’s obedience reveals a faith anchored in who God is, not in what he could see. And in the end, God proves Himself faithful once again, providing exactly what was needed and keeping His covenant secure. This chapter also points us forward to Jesus, the true Lamb God provided for our salvation. As we reflect on Abraham’s journey, we’re invited to bring our fears, our hopes, and our most precious things to God, trusting that He is faithful, He is good, and He will provide.

Prayer

Father,

Thank You for the reminder that You are my Provider and that Your plans for me are always good. Help me to trust You like Abraham did — even when I don’t understand the path ahead. Give me the courage to surrender every area of my life into Your hands. Teach me to walk in obedience, confi

dent that You will provide everything I need at the right time. Lord, strengthen my faith and help me keep my eyes on Jesus, the Lamb You provided for my salvation.

In Jesus’ name, amen.