Easter Season · A Fourth Reading Easter Vigil · Year C
Genesis 22:1-18
Abraham Tested
April 16, 2028
Overview & Insights
“God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:8)
In an episode repulsive to a contemporary audience, God commands Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a whole burnt offering. How could the God who created life and blessed humans with fertility require his faithful servant to offer up his only, beloved, son as a sacrifice? How could God ask Abraham to give up the son of promise for whom he had waited so long? On the other hand, how could Abraham obey God’s command without energetically entreating for Isaac’s life as he had done for Sodom and Gomorrah (18:23–32)? These are hard questions, and the text only hints at answers. The text’s reticence at becoming engaged with these kinds of questions belongs to the artistic design of the narrative, which is to keep in focus the central issue of Abraham’s wholehearted obedience to God in regard to his firstborn.
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Commentary
Genesis 22 Commentaries (multiple authors) BibleHub
Gathers a dozen classic and modern commentaries verse by verse in one place for quick comparison.
Genesis 22 Bible Commentary Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik's plain-language, pastoral walk-through is easy to preach from directly.
Genesis 22 Commentary Precept Austin
Offers a detailed, cross-referenced inductive study with links out to related word studies.
Genesis 22 (Barnes' Notes) StudyLight
Albert Barnes gives a careful older exegetical reading that many other commentaries still build on.
Commentary on Genesis 22:1-14 Working Preacher
A preaching-focused RCL commentary from Luther Seminary aimed at the Sunday sermon writer.
Background & Word Study
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
Why is the binding of Isaac a Lenten and Vigil reading?
Abraham is ready to offer his only son, and God provides a ram in his place, a story the church reads as a shadow of the Father who did not spare his own Son.
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