at
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
all the people after him, that God did not wish children or men killed
as offerings for worship; and while all the people around offered such
sacrifices, the Israelites, who came from Abraham and from Isaac, never
offered them, but offered oxen and sheep and goats instead.

These gifts, which cost so much toil, they felt must be pleasing to God,
because they expressed their thankfulness to him. But they were glad to
be taught that God does not desire men's lives to be taken, but loves
our living gifts of love and kindness.

THE STORY OF JACOB

After Abraham died, his son Isaac lived in the land of Canaan. Like his
father, Isaac had his home in a tent; around him were the tents of his
people, and many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle feeding wherever
they could find grass to eat and water to drink.

Isaac and his wife Rebekah had two children. The older was named Esau
and the younger Jacob.

Esau was a man of the woods and very fond of hunting; and he was rough
and covered with hair.

Jacob was quiet and thoughtful, staying at home, dwelling in a tent, and
caring for the flocks of his father.

Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob, because Esau brought to his father
that which he had killed in his hunting; but Rebekah liked Jacob,
because she saw that he was wise and careful in his work.

Among the people in those lands, when a man dies, his older son receives
twice as much as the younger of what the father has owned. This was
called his "