Wonder of the Word Kids Audio, Day 5

Day 5: Genesis 17-23, Abraham (Pt. 2)

Transcript

INTRO

Narrator: Hello! I’m Nana Helen. I’m excited to be with you today, as we learn more about God’s Word. If you were able to do your Bible study at home with the page on our website, you already know who we’re talking about in this lesson. If you haven’t done that yet, don’t worry about it. You can always go back and catch up what you missed. And don’t forget, keep working on our memory verse.

Today we’ll be learning more about Abraham. He learned to trust God little by little, just like we do. He didn’t always do things right, but God helped him. God also made some very important promises to Abraham. There were three of them. The first was that He would give his family land, then… He would give Abraham and Sarah children and grandchildren and their family would become a great nation. The last promise was that God would bless him, make his name great and that all the people of the whole world would be blessed through him. All of those promises have come true!

God also asked Abraham to do some hard things like leaving his relatives and going to a land God would show him.

When Isaac became a young man, God gave Abraham the hardest test he had ever had. Let me read it to you. Genesis 22:2 says this,

“Take your son,” God said, “your only son, Isaac, whom you love. Go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Can you imagine how hard that would have been for Abraham? I’m sure he was really sad and wondering what would happen. He knew God’s promises included Isaac. So even though God was asking him to do something very, very hard, he knew he could trust him. He just needed to obey. In the book of Hebrews it tells us that his faith in God helped him to obey. We’re going to take a few minutes to imagine what it might have been like to travel the 3 days to the mountain that God wanted him to go to. We don’t really know what he and Isaac talked about on the way, but it might have been something like this.

Music interlude

Audio Drama 1

Abraham: Isaac, Isaac! Where are you, son?…Isaac! (serious voice)

Isaac: I’m over here, Dad! Fixing this pole that broke on one of our tents. Do you need me to help you with something?

Abraham: No… well, yes, I do need you. God spoke to me...

Isaac: What? Are you serious? I wish I could have heard Him! What did He tell you?

Abraham: He wants you and me to go to the land of Moriah to build an altar on a mountain that He will show us, and then offer a burnt sacrifice. We are to leave early tomorrow morning.

Isaac: That’s quite a distance, Dad. It will take at least two days to get there! Maybe three.

Abraham: I know, Isaac. But that’s where He said to go and I have learned over the years that the best thing I can do is trust Him and obey. We’ll need to get some things packed today; some food, wood for the fire, maybe take that small tent along.

Musical interlude, then morning sounds, birds waking up, packing noises, donkey braying

Abraham: Good morning, Isaac. Did you sleep well? Ready to go?

Isaac: I’m ready to go…. I just finished telling Mom goodbye, but sleep well? I was too excited! I’m just so glad I get to spend this time with you, Dad.

Abraham: Ah…you are a treasure, I love you so much (with lots of feeling). (sound of a hug) Everything’s ready and our two young servants will be going along to help with our supplies.

Isaac: I’m glad to see your donkey saddled….I was wondering if you might want to ride… it’s a long way and.....

Abraham: and…I’m old, right? Oh come on, I was only 100 years old when you were born. Let’s go.

(SFX of walking, donkey)

Isaac: Dad, last night I lay awake thinking about something you said yesterday. You said that you learned over the years that the best thing you can do is trust God and obey Him. How did you learn that? When did it start?

Abraham: Hmm. Now that’s a good question. It all started when I was 75 years old. That’s the first time God spoke to me.

Isaac: What did He say to you?

Abraham: He told me to go from my land where I lived, leave all my relatives and go to a land that He would show me. That was a big request. We lived in Haran and we were doing quite well, but God brought us all the way to this land. After we got here, God spoke to me again. He made a promise to me, one that I think about all the time.

Isaac: What kind of a promise? And has He kept it?

Abraham: It was a really big promise, Isaac. It had 3 parts to it.

Isaac: Really? What were they?

Abraham: Here’s the first one. He said… “to your offspring…I will give this land.” I didn’t have any offspring, children yet, but I built an altar and worshiped Him, and believed that what He said would be true.

Isaac: But I don’t understand that. We don’t own any land.

Abraham: Ah… did you listen carefully? God said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” I might not live to see that. And you might not either. But it will happen! Whatever He says, He does… He keeps His word. And that’s not the only time he talked to me about the land. The second time God told me to look north and south, east and west from where I was standing. And then He wanted me to walk all around this land because, He said, he would give it to our family. Isaac, it’s a beautiful land. Let’s just stand still a minute and …look.

Isaac: I’m going to do what you did and look in all four directions. (Moving sounds, sighs) You’re right, Dad. It’s amazing to think that maybe someday it will all belong to our family.

Abraham: Maybe? Did you say maybe? (chuckle) No son, not maybe. It will.

Abraham: You know, we’ve come a good way today. I think we should find a campsite. It looks good right over there so why don’t we stop for the night. These old bones are tired of riding on this donkey. (donkey stops)

Isaac: Here, Dad, let me help you off. (Abraham groans a bit).

Abraham: Not like it used to be (chuckle)! Let’s build a fire. (fire crackling) All right son. Well, we’ve had a good meal and a good fire, and I can see the questions written all over your face. You never were very good at hiding those from me. Now, what’s on your mind?

Isaac: You said there were 3 parts to the promise. What was the second one?

Abraham: He said he would make me into a great nation. That one has been really hard for your mom and me over the years. And you know the story….she couldn’t get pregnant. To believe and trust the promise of our family becoming a nation, well, just seemed impossible.

Isaac: So did you stop believing God would keep that promise?

Abraham: I sure felt like it sometimes. But God spoke to me one night and told me to go outside and look at the stars. I remember it as if it happened just yesterday. It was a clear night. I looked up and just stared. There were SO many of them, thousands and thousands and…. God said “Count them if you can!” He told me our family would grow to be that many. And, … I believe Him.

Isaac: I can tell that you really listen to God and believe what he says. And Dad, I want to learn. I want to do that, too.

Abraham: It’s not easy, son. But it’s good. I know that for sure. Even like right now, this trip is hard. It would have been much easier to stay at home, but I must obey him. I have experienced his faithfulness and love for many, many years, and I know I can trust him.

Isaac: You sounded a little sad when you said that. Are you all right?

Abraham: I am. This trip is just hard for me.

Music interlude

Morning sounds, birds chirp

Isaac: (sleepily) Morning, Dad. Did you sleep ok?

Abraham: Well, it wasn’t as good as my bed in our tent at home, I can say that much!

Isaac: Agreed! I think I had a few rocks under my bedding.

Abraham: But it looks like a good morning, doesn’t it? Let’s get out the bread your mom sent and eat while we walk.

(appropriate sounds)

Isaac: Dad, you said last night that this trip is hard for you and you seem kind of sad. I don’t understand. But why don’t you tell me again about when I was born. That always makes you laugh.

Abraham: You are so right, it does. Imagine, all these promises and you weren’t even here yet. God spoke to me again. It was when I was 99 years old. (Chuckle) God told me that your mom, Sarah, would have a child. He would bless her and nations and kings would come from our family.

Isaac: What did you do?

Abraham: Well, what I usually did when God spoke to me. I fell down, facedown, but when I thought about what God was saying, I thought …how can a 99-year-old man and an 89 year old woman have a child! And… I laughed. I thought, “This can’t happen!”

Isaac: Oh Dad, what did God do?

Abraham: He was so gentle with me. He said, Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac.

Isaac: God picked my name?

Abraham: He did, son. And do you know what it means?

Isaac: You told me… Ummm,… I remember. It means…. Laughter! (starts laughing, Abraham joins in)

Abraham: Yes! You were born when I was 100 and your mom was 90 years old. And after you were born, she said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me!”

Isaac: I can just hear her saying that! I’m so glad you brought me along…..I love hearing about all this. But could you tell me about the third promise God made to you? I was laying awake last night wondering what it was.

Abraham: He said he would bless me and make my name great. And that all the people, all the nations of the world will be blessed through me.

Isaac: Make your name great? What does that mean?

Abraham: I’m pretty sure it means I will be well respected, admired by lots of people, and many people will know about me.

Isaac: Dad, I can see how that is true. Lots of people around us really look up to you. He has blessed you in that way. But I don’t understand how all the nations of the world will be blessed through you. That sounds ……well, it sounds impossible. How will that happen?

Abraham: I don’t know, son. That one is a mystery to me and I haven’t seen an answer to it yet. I think His plans are much bigger and grander than I can imagine so I just have to believe it’s true.

Pause, traveling sounds

Abraham: Ahhh! I know it’s early but we need to stop. We’ll camp here for the night and tomorrow we’ll reach the place God will show us. (said with some sadness)

Music transition.

Abraham: Isaac, Isaac, wake up! Wake up, son.

Isaac: (Stirring, yawning, slowly getting up) I’m coming….I’m coming.

Abraham: It’s time for us to be going. Here’s some breakfast for you (seriously). Go ahead and eat while I pack our things.

(eating, packing sounds)

Abraham: We’ll leave the donkey here with our men. I can see the place in the distance where we are to go. We’ll go there and worship our God, and then we’ll come back here.

Isaac: I’m ready.

Abraham: Isaac, can you carry the wood for the offering? I have the fire and the knife.

Isaac: Sure, Dad.

(Both walk for a bit without talking.)

Isaac: Dad, we have the wood, the fire and the knife, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?

Abraham: (deep sigh) God himself will provide the lamb for the offering, my son.

(Both walk for a bit without talking)

Isaac: You seem really quiet this morning. Is something wrong?

Abraham: (deep sigh) God has given me a very hard test. This is the hardest thing He’s ever asked me to do. I just…I need some time to think.

Isaac: That’s okay. I’ll be quiet.

(Both walk without talking.)

Abraham: This is the place. We need to build an altar.

Isaac: I’ll help you. (Picking up stones and piling them)

Abraham: I’ll arrange the wood on it. (wood piling sounds, then quiet)

Isaac: Dad, what about the sacrifice?

Music transition

Narration

Narrator: The Bible says Abraham tied up his precious son and put him on the altar. He was ready to obey what God had asked him to do. And then he raised his knife, but God stopped him. The voice of the Lord called out to him….

God: Abraham! Abraham!

Abraham: Here I am.

God: Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.

(Abraham: (deep sigh of relief) (Ram bleating, struggling in the brush))

A ram, caught right there in the thicket by its horns! That will be our sacrifice to the Lord. Oh Isaac, He provided. Here, let me get you down. Oh, son, Oh my son, God has provided!

Isaac: …. Yes, He did, Dad! (Seriously) …… I heard His voice! (said with realization and wonder) Here, I’ll help with the ram.

(capturing ram, fire starting)

God: Abraham! This is my declaration: Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, I will indeed bless you and make your family as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, your family, because you have obeyed my command.

Abraham: All I can do is bow in worship. (getting down on the ground)

Isaac: I’m joining you! (getting down on the ground) I really heard His voice! I heard His promises, Dad. He said them again! Because you obeyed, all the nations of the earth will be blessed! It’s all true! All of it will happen! And…and I’m part of it! (said with wonder and conviction)

Music transition

Closing

Narrator: Hmm.. I am so glad Abraham obeyed God. And did you know that all 3 promises God made to him have happened? His name has become great! It is mentioned in the Bible 294 times. We know about him… People all over the world know about him even though he lived thousands of years ago.

What about the promise of land? He did give Abraham’s family the land of Israel. We’re going to learn about that when we study the book of Joshua.

The third promise was that all the nations of the world would be blessed. How did that happen? Do you know who came from his family years and years later? It was Jesus!

And think about this. When Abraham reached out and took the knife to kill his son….what did God do? He provided a substitute, a ram caught in the thicket. Isaac was spared. He lived!

The Bible says that God did not spare His own son, Jesus, but offered Him up for us all.

We talked about John 3:16 last time, but let’s go back to it.

For God loved the world (that’s you and me) in this way. He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

He was our perfect substitute. He took the punishment we deserve for our sin. Why? Because God loves us SO much and He wants us to be with Him forever in heaven someday! What do we have to do? The same thing Abraham did. Believe! Believe what God says with our whole heart! Believe that Jesus died in our place.

Pray: Thank you Jesus for taking the punishment we deserve. If there is a child listening today that has not believed in You, please help them to do that. I am so thankful that You love us so very much. Amen.