In the dusty terrain of Haran, a man woke up one day to the crowing of the cock.
"Time to milk the goats and take them to graze " exclaimed Abram to his wife Sarai, as he crossed the threshold of his tent and walked towards the pen where his animals were kept.
Having milked the she-goats, Sarai returned to the tent. She and her slave girl Hagar went to the area where the kitchen was to prepare a meal for Abram. (Remember, this was a tent so there were no walls separating the areas where they slept and ate).
Abram ate it the meal laid out for him with great relish, licking his fingers and then washing them in the finger bowl that Hagar presented to him. Then, he went out to begin the work of the day.
In the desert, he met the Lord who invited him to leave his father's house and go forth to a new land that He would take him to.
Puzzled, but full of faith, the family set out for this yet unknown land. As they travelled and rested, God showed him how he would be the father of a great generation, as numerous as the grains of sand.
Abram waited in faith even though he saw no sign of this promise coming true for him. His wife Sarai, however, was not a woman of great faith. After a while, she grew impatient in her childlessness. She summoned her slave girl and ordered her to have a child for her.
"Abram, God is not keeping his promise. You need to act to preserve the legacy. Here is Hagar, my slave girl. She will carry your child for us." Saying this, she withdrew to another tent and allowed the two to come together.
In another month, Hagar knew that she was carrying a child and ran to Abram to tell him the good news. Sarai was furious that Hagar had not told her first. She fumed inwardly but when Hagar started behaving badly towards her, she could tolerate it no longer.
"Who does she think she is!" she grumbled to Abram. "Get rid of her." But Abram pacified her, saying that the child in Hagar's womb was important for his legacy. So poor Sarai was forced to endure the taunts of her slave girl for a long time.
Hagar gave birth to a beautiful baby boy whom Abram named Ishmael meaning 'God Will Hear'. Abram loved the boy and groomed him as his heir. This upset Sarai a lot. So, she cried out to God for a child of her own. God heard her prayer and soon there was another baby boy whom Abram named Isaac, meaning 'He laughs'. (A strange name, yes? Ask your mother why he was named like this).
Now that Sarai had a legal heir for Abram, she started ill treating her slave girl and finally she got her and her son banished into the wilderness.
Isaac now became the apple of his father's eye and all was well in Abram's tent-hold. Or so they thought!
Time flew by. Isaac grew up to become a handsome young man - a skilled hunter and herdsman. He was strong and well-built, towering over his now fragile father.
One day, Abram heard God tell him that He wanted Isaac. He wanted Isaac killed as a sacrifice! He wanted Abram to kill his only legal heir!! Abram was troubled but his faith was stronger than his fear of losing his only son.
So, he called Isaac and without disclosing the plan, he told him to prepare the things for a sacrifice. Now, Isaac was an obedient child but he kept wondering what the reason for this sacrifice was. As they starting climbing up the mountain, out of his mouth came the twenty questions.
"Father, why are we going up this mountain?" His father replied, "I told you, to sacrifice."
"Father, what's the wood that I am carrying for?" " Son, for the sacrifice."
Father, how will we kill the animal for the sacrifice?" " With this knife, son."
Isaac looked at the knife in his father's hand and was silent for a while. Then he asked another question "How big is the animal?"
Abram paused for a moment, then looked at his son intently amd sighed "It should be as big as you, my son."
Now, Isaac got suspicious. There was no animal around them that was as big as he was. Just a few birds, a lizard - but no bull, or ram, or anything. He looked sideways at his father, gulped and asked a final question.
"WHERE IS THE ANIMAL TO BE SACRIFICED?"
Abram sighed again, and muttered, " Patience, my son. God Himself will provide the animal to sacrifice."
Dead silence! All the way to the top of that mountain. Both could feel the immense weight of that last answer.
Finally, they reached the rock on which the sacrifice was to be executed. Abram beckoned to his son to place the wood on the rock. Then he lit the wooden torch. Isaac knew what was expected of him. Obedience! He took a step towards the rock, looked at his father, saw the tears brimming in his eyes, then looked away and resolutely lay down on the wood. Abram let out a sigh, so loud that it felt as if he was about to collapse with sadness.
He started moving towards the rock, with the flaming torch in one hand and the knife in the other when ....a great gust of wind that blew out the torch and Abram dropped the knife in fright. A loud commanding voice spoke from the cloud that overshadowed the rock.
"Abram, STOP! Your faith has moved me. Release the boy and kill the ram." To Abram's amazement, they saw a ram caught in a thicket just nearby. A miracle! Both of them, father and son, caught hold of it and slaughtered it on the altar, setting it ablaze. Then, hugging each other, they made their way down the mountain, praising God for His mercy and grace.
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