First Thought

וְשָׁ֣מַרְתָּ֔ אֶת־מִצְוֺ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לָלֶ֥כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֖יו וּלְיִרְאָ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ׃

Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of Adonai your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. (Deuteronomy 8:6)

It is easy to follow Adoni’s commandments when they align with our desires. When they do not align, we face a more difficult decision. Do we follow in HIS ways, or do we continue in OUR ways?

In our Hebrew Quest Study Passage for this lesson, we will read the story of when Adonai commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. This passage is as beautiful as it is troubling. How could Adonai ask such a thing? How could Abraham willingly obey so easily? What is Adonai trying to teach us? What would I do if God asked a difficult task of me?

Ponder these things as you work through this Lesson and the study passage.

Figure 20.1: Western Wall plaza and Dome of the Rock with snow. The Temple Mount, specifically the rock enshrined by Islam’s Dome of the Rock, is the traditional location of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac described in Genesis 22. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands