Lesson III: Abraham and Isaac

Look up the story of Abraham and Isaac in your Bible, Genesis 22 Chapters 1-19. Read it together or have your child read it.  You can also watch the included video version of the story. Choose one or more of the activities below.

1) Art study: Look at the painting 1 included with  the lesson. Have the child look at the picture for 30 seconds. Then hide it, and see how many details your child can recall.  Show the picture again and ask the child to describe it. How is Abraham feeling in this picture? Do you think he is happy, or relieved that the angel has stopped him?

Look at painting 2, which is by the same painter.  What does this painting depict? Is it similar to the first painting? In what way?

2) The story of Abraham and Isaac is considered to have some similarities with the story of Christ’s crucifixion.  Sometimes it is said that the account of Abraham and Isaac prefigures the crucifixion. 

Use a dictionary at home or online to look up the meaning of the word prefigure. Then make a list of ways in which they stories are similar. Does thinking about both stories together change the meaning of them?

3) God tests Abraham, and Abraham shows that he trusts God by obeying him.  Another Biblical story that involves a test is about Job.  You can hear part of the story of Job here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFRQGz-gdPA

How do you think Job and Abraham’s situations were similar? Different?

5) Abraham was asked to give up something very important to him to serve God. What kind of service does God ask of us? (Going to church, helping others, giving to those in need.)What kinds of things might we have to give up in order to serve God. A game we would like to play, sleeping in, a toy we would like to buy? 

Find some old magazines or flyers and make a collage. On one side paste (or draw) examples of how we can serve God. On the other, past (or draw) pictures of things we might be asked to give up.