[Illustration: _"God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt
offering"_]

But just at that moment the angel of the Lord out of heaven called to
Abraham, and said:

"Abraham! Abraham!"

And Abraham answered, "Here I am, Lord." Then the angel of the Lord
said:

"Do not lay your hand upon your son. Do no harm to him. Now I know that
you love God more than you love your only son, and that you are obedient
to God, since you are ready to give up your son, your only son, to God."

What a relief and a joy these words from heaven brought to the heart of
Abraham! How glad he was to know that it was not God's will for him to
kill his son! Then Abraham looked around, and there in the thicket was a
ram caught by his horns. And Abraham took the ram and offered him up for
a burnt-offering in place of his son. So Abraham's words came true when
he said that God would provide for himself a lamb.

The place where this altar was built Abraham named Jehovah-jireh, words
in the language that Abraham spoke meaning, "The Lord will provide."

This offering, which seems so strange, did much good. It showed to
Abraham, and to Isaac also, that Isaac belonged to God, for to God he
had been offered; and in Isaac all those who should come from him, his
descendants, had been given to God. Then it showed to Abraham and to