007. Abraham Passes a Severe Test of Faith

Abraham Passes a Severe Test of Faith
About 5 minutes, from Gen. 22

Participants (No need to memorize lines; the aim is to relive sacred events,
not to perform)
Â Â Sarah
Â Â Abraham
Â Â Isaac
Â Â Voice (of God)
Â Â PrompterÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Shout a brief line, and Echoes repeat it.
Â Â EchoesÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Children and all adults who want to take part. Echoes need no script.

Voice	Abraham! Abraham! Take your only son Isaac whom you love to Mount Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on a mountain that I’ll show you.
Prompter & Echoes	Abraham’s only son!
Sarah	Abraham, I’ve never seen you so distressed!
Abraham	Oh, Sarah! God told me to offer our son Isaac on Moriah as a burnt offering!
Sarah	What? You surely heard wrong, Abraham! Isaac is our only son, born by a miracle in our old age. He is the only one through whom God’s promises can be fulfilled.
Abraham	Yes! And God promised to bless all nations through my descendant. Alas! I must obey God!
Sarah	Abraham rises early and splits wood for the burnt offering. He saddles his donkey, and leaves with two young servants and Isaac our son.
Isaac	Father, we have been traveling three days now. We are at the foot of Mount Moriah.
Abraham	You two servants stay here with the donkey. My son Isaac and I will go up and worship, and then return to you.
Isaac	I will carry the wood for the burnt offering, father.
Abraham	Good. I will take the fire and the knife.
Isaac	We must be close now, but I don’t understand. We have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
Abraham	God will provide, my son.
Isaac	We are at the top, father. I will help build the altar and arrange the wood.
Abraham	Son, God told me to do this. I must tie you up and lay you on the altar.
Isaac	What? Sacrifice me? (Look up) Dear God, you told my father to slay me? Can it be? If it is so, then I must obey.
Prompter & Echoes	We must obey God!
Isaac	I let my father bind me and lay me on the altar.
Abraham	My heart is breaking! I cannot do it! But I must! I must! I raise the knife to slay my son.
Prompter & Echoes	How terrible!
Voice	Abraham, Abraham! Do not harm him. I know that you fear God, as you did not withhold your only son from me.
Prompter & Echoes	Baa!
Isaac	What is that noise I hear coming from those bushes?
Prompter & Echoes	Baa! Baa!
Abraham	There! In that thicket! A ram is caught by its horns!
Isaac	My father rushes to catch the sheep. He unties me and offers it in my place.
Abraham	I name this place, THE LORD PROVIDES.
Prompter & Echoes	God provides our crucial need!
Voice	Abraham! Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will greatly bless you. I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the skies and the sand on the seashore.
Abraham	I believe, and God reckons it to me as righteousness.
Prompter & Echoes	The righteous shall live by faith!
Voice	Because you have obeyed my voice, in your descendant all peoples on earth will be blessed.
Prompter & Echoes	In Jesus we are blessed!