Week of November 8, 2026

This Week in Sacred Scripture

 

GENESIS CHAPTERS 21, 22, and 23

 THE PROMISED SON, THE TEST OF FAITH, AND THE PROMISED LAND

 

(We are using the Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible in this study).

We use the Douay-Rheims in our Sacred Scripture lessons because it was translated into English from the Latin Vulgate, the Bible that helped shape the prayer and worship of the Latin Church for centuries. Some hand missals for the Traditional Latin Mass also use the Douay-Rheims for the English text alongside the Latin readings. Using it in our lessons helps us hear the connection between the Scripture we study and the Scripture the Church prays at Mass.

The Bishop’s Teaching

Last lesson, we considered the Lord’s visitation at Mambre, Abraham’s intercession for Sodom, and Lot’s deliverance. We also saw how God protected Sara in Gerara and how Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his household.

 

Genesis 21, 22 and 23 bring us to the birth of Isaac, the trial of Abraham’s faith, and the death and burial of Sara. We also follow Agar and Ismael into the wilderness, where God hears the boy and opens his mother’s eyes to a well.

 

We will read these chapters in the light of Sacred Tradition and the perennial teaching of the Catholic Church. Pay attention to the order of events. Abraham receives the son God has promised, is asked to offer him, and hears the promise renewed. Later he mourns Sara and buries her in the land where he still lives as a stranger.

 

Let us ask for faith to receive God’s word, obedience when it costs us something, and hope when we must entrust those we love to Him.

 

1. READ

 

This week I ask you to read Genesis chapters 21, 22 and 23 slowly. Notice what God promises, what He asks of Abraham, and what He Himself provides.

 

Genesis 21 opens with the fulfillment of the promise made to Sara. “And the Lord visited Sara, as he had promised, and fulfilled what he had spoken” (Genesis 21:1). Abraham names the child Isaac and circumcises him on the eighth day, as God commanded. When Isaac is weaned, Abraham holds a feast.

 

Return for a moment to Genesis 18. There Sara laughed when she heard that she would bear a son in her old age. Here she speaks of a laughter that others will share with her. The woman who once wondered how the promise could be fulfilled now has a son in her arms.

 

After the feast is described, the account turns to the question of inheritance. Sara asks Abraham to send Agar and her son away. Abraham is grieved for his son. God tells him that the line of the promise will continue through Isaac and also promises to make a great nation of Ismael.

 

Follow Agar into the wilderness of Bersabee. When the water runs out, she puts her son under a tree and sits at a distance because she cannot bear to watch him die. She weeps. God hears the boy, and an angel calls to Agar and tells her to take him by the hand. God opens her eyes to a well, and she gives the boy water.

 

Read the two parts of the account together. Isaac receives the inheritance of the promise. Ismael, too, receives a promise, and Scripture tells us that God is with him as he grows. The chapter gives us reason to attend to both sons and to see what God does for each.

 

The chapter closes with another well. Abraham tells Abimelech that his servants have seized a well by force. The two men make an agreement, and Abraham sets apart seven ewe lambs as testimony that he dug it. There at Bersabee, Abraham calls upon the Lord. Notice that he seeks peace with Abimelech while speaking plainly about the wrong that needs to be settled.

 

Genesis 22 opens with God calling Abraham and directing him to offer Isaac as a holocaust, an offering wholly consumed by fire. The Douay-Rheims uses the word “tempted” here in the sense of putting someone to the test. Keep that meaning in mind as you read.

 

On the third day Abraham sees the place afar off. He tells the young men who have accompanied him that he and Isaac will worship and return. He puts the wood on Isaac, and Isaac asks his father where the victim for the offering is. Abraham answers that God will provide.

 

Pause over that exchange. God has already said that the promised descendants will come through Isaac. Abraham must now obey without seeing how God will keep that promise. Hebrews will help us understand the faith with which he goes up the mountain.

 

Abraham builds the altar, binds Isaac, and reaches for the sword. The angel of the Lord calls to him and commands, “Lay not thy hand upon the boy, neither do thou any thing to him” (Genesis 22:12). Abraham sees a ram caught by its horns among the briers and offers it in Isaac’s place.

 

God renews His promise with an oath. Abraham’s descendants will be multiplied, and through his seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed. The chapter ends with news of the family of Abraham’s brother Nachor. Among the names is Rebecca, whom we will meet again as Isaac’s wife.

 

Genesis 23 begins with the death of Sara at Hebron, at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven. Abraham mourns and weeps for her. He then asks the children of Heth for a place to bury her, speaking of himself as “a stranger and sojourner among you” (Genesis 23:4).

 

Read the exchange with Ephron carefully. Abraham asks for the cave, offers to pay for the field, and weighs out four hundred sicles of silver in the hearing of the people. The field and cave are secured to him publicly, and there he buries Sara. In the land God has promised, the possession Abraham secures in this chapter is a place to bury his wife.

 

2. WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES

 

The Church holds Abraham before us as an example of the obedience of faith. He receives God’s word on the authority of God Himself and acts upon it. The Catechism places Sara’s conception of Isaac and Abraham’s offering of his son within this same life of faith (Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 144-146).

 

The Catechism reads Abraham’s trial as a purification of his faith (see section 2572). The son whom he is asked to offer is the very son through whom God has promised to give him descendants. Abraham can obey because he trusts God’s faithfulness and power, even over death.

 

St. James helps us distinguish a trial of faith from an inducement to sin. God can put faith to the test, and the trial can make visible the faith with which we obey Him. God never entices anyone to do evil. When a trial comes, begin with what God has already made clear in His commandments and ask for the grace to do the duty before you.

 

 

 

The command to spare Isaac belongs to the very heart of this account. God stops Abraham’s hand, and the ram is offered in Isaac’s place. The fifth commandment forbids the deliberate killing of the innocent. A claim of private inspiration can give no one permission to harm a child or set aside that commandment (see Catechism, section 2261).

 

Sara’s burial brings us to another duty. The Church teaches that we are to treat the bodies of the dead with respect and charity, in the hope of the resurrection. Burying the dead is a corporal work of mercy. Accompanying those who grieve is one way we can help them carry out that duty (see Catechism, section 2300).

 

The Church also prays for the departed and offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for them. We ask God to bring to the fullness of heavenly joy those who die in His friendship and still need purification. As we remember the Holy Souls this November, pray by name for the departed you have known and remember those for whom few people pray (see Catechism, sections 1030-1032).

 

3. SCRIPTURE ILLUMINATES SCRIPTURE

 

Read Galatians 4:21-31 alongside the account of Sara and Agar in Genesis 21.

 

St. Paul reads the two mothers and their sons as figures of two covenants. He directs us from bondage to the freedom of the Jerusalem above and calls his readers children of promise, like Isaac. As you read his allegory, keep in view the history on which it rests. Genesis also tells us how God hears Ismael and provides for him in the wilderness.

 

Then read James 1:12-15.

 

St. James speaks first of the blessing promised to the person who endures a trial. Then he teaches, “God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man” (James 1:13). Read those verses together as you return to the opening words of Genesis 22.

 

Now read Hebrews 11:8-19.

 

Hebrews gathers together Abraham’s pilgrimage, Sara’s receiving the promise, and the offering of Isaac. Notice how verse 19 explains Abraham’s faith. The words “Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead” (Hebrews 11:19) tell us what Abraham trusted God could do. With that in mind, return to Genesis 22:5 and notice what Abraham tells the young men about his and Isaac’s return.

 

Read Galatians 3:16.

 

St. Paul identifies the seed in whom the promise finds its fulfillment with the words “And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Read this alongside Genesis 22:18. The blessing announced to Abraham reaches all nations through Jesus Christ.

 

Then read John 19:16-18 and Romans 8:31-34.

 

St. John shows Our Lord going forth carrying His Cross. Recall Isaac carrying the wood up the mountain. St. Paul then directs our attention to the Father who gives His own Son for us, and to Jesus Christ who died, rose again, and intercedes for us. Read the two passages together to see how the offering on the mountain prepares us to contemplate Calvary.

 

Finally, read John 11:32-44 and II Machabees 12:43-46.

 

At the grave of Lazarus, St. John tells us, “And Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Our Lord then calls Lazarus out of the tomb. Let this passage accompany your reading of Abraham’s grief. In II Machabees, notice how belief in the resurrection gives Judas reason to make an offering for the dead. One passage shows us the place of tears. The other shows us something we can do for those who have died.

 

4. THE FATHERS

 

St. Augustine returns to Sara’s laughter in The City of God, Book XVI, chapter 31. He sees in her words at Isaac’s birth the joy of praise. He also follows St. Paul in reading Sara and Agar in relation to the two covenants, with Sara pointing to the Jerusalem above.

 

In chapter 32, Augustine explains that the trial makes Abraham’s obedience known. God already knows the heart. Augustine also reads Abraham’s action in light of Hebrews. The father trusts that God can restore to him the son through whom the promise must be fulfilled.

 

Augustine sees Christ in two details of the account. Isaac bears the wood, as Our Lord bears the Cross. The ram caught in the briers also calls to mind Our Lord, crowned with thorns before His Crucifixion. Read Genesis 22:6 and 22:13 again with these two images in mind.

 

St. Clement of Rome, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 31, recalls Abraham’s faithful deeds and draws attention to Isaac’s willingness. Clement gives us a way to linger over Isaac’s part in the account. He sees in Isaac a readiness to yield himself, a theme that leads us to consider the freedom with which Our Lord offers Himself.

 

5. FULFILLED IN CHRIST

 

What do Genesis 21, 22 and 23 have to do with Jesus Christ?

 

Isaac’s birth carries forward the promise given to Abraham. The blessing reaches its fulfillment in Christ, the promised seed, through whom people of every nation are called to share in the inheritance of faith.

 

On the mountain Isaac carries the wood and is spared. The ram is offered in his place. On Calvary the beloved Son of the Father carries His Cross and freely offers Himself for our sins. The Father gives His Son for us, and the Son gives Himself in love and obedience to the Father. His sacrifice accomplishes our redemption (see Catechism, sections 613-614).

 

Hebrews calls Isaac’s return a figure. He is given back to Abraham after being bound for sacrifice. Our Lord truly dies, is buried, and rises bodily from the dead. His Resurrection gives us the hope with which the Church lays her dead to rest.

 

When you assist at Holy Mass, remember that the one sacrifice of Calvary is made present sacramentally upon the altar. Unite to Christ’s offering an act of obedience that is difficult for you. Bring before Him the souls of your departed and pray for those who are mourning (see Catechism, 1366-1367).

 

Abraham buried Sara while still living as a pilgrim in the land of promise. We, too, bury those we love while awaiting what God has promised. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we remain faithful in our pilgrimage and hold fast to the hope of the resurrection.

Read

Read Genesis chapters 21, 22 and 23.

 

Read alongside them:

 

Galatians 4:21-31

James 1:12-15

Hebrews 11:8-19

Galatians 3:16

John 19:16-18

Romans 8:31-34

John 11:32-44

II Machabees 12:43-46

 

 

CARRY THESE WORDS WITH YOU

 

“God will provide himself a victim for an holocaust, my son” (Genesis 22:8).

 

REMEMBER

 

God keeps His promises. Abraham’s faith becomes visible in his obedience, and God Himself provides the offering. In Jesus Christ, the Father gives us His beloved Son, whose sacrifice redeems us and whose Resurrection gives us hope for our own.

Reflect

Sara rejoices after years of waiting. What gift of God have I received with too little gratitude? Can I thank Him for it by name today?

 

God hears Ismael in the wilderness. Who near me is in distress and easily overlooked? What help can I offer that answers a real need?

 

Abraham speaks to Abimelech about the well. Is there a wrong I need to address plainly and peacefully? What would a just resolution require of me?

 

Abraham goes to the mountain while the fulfillment of the promise is still hidden from him. What duty has God already made clear to me? Where am I waiting for certainty about the outcome before I obey?

 

Isaac carries the wood. When I assist at Holy Mass, what particular sacrifice or burden can I offer in union with Our Lord?

 

Abraham weeps for Sara and gives her an honorable burial. Is there someone who is grieving whom I could visit, call, or help this week?

 

Abraham calls himself a stranger and sojourner. Do my prayers and choices show that I am preparing for eternal life? Which departed soul can I remember by name in prayer today?

 

This week, thank God for one gift you have received, carry out one duty you have been putting off, and pray each day for the faithful departed.

Pray

Almighty and eternal Father,

 

You kept Your promise to Abraham and Sara and gave them Isaac in their old age. Give us grateful hearts, ready to recognize and remember the gifts we have received from You.

 

You heard Ismael in the wilderness and opened Agar’s eyes to water. Open our eyes to the needs of those around us. Give us the charity to help them and the patience to remain with them in their distress.

 

Strengthen our faith when we cannot see what lies ahead. Give us the courage to obey Your commandments and the humility to leave the outcome in Your hands.

 

Keep us faithful in the duties You have given us. When we must speak about a wrong, teach us to speak truthfully and seek peace with justice.

 

We thank You for giving us Your beloved Son. At Holy Mass, draw us more deeply into His offering. Receive our prayers, our labors, and the sacrifices we make in union with Him.

 

Comfort those who mourn. Teach us to honor the bodies of the dead and to pray faithfully for their souls. Bring the faithful departed undergoing purification into the joy of Your presence.

 

Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, keep us faithful on our pilgrimage. When our own earthly life is ended, grant us the grace to die in Your friendship and to rise in Christ.

 

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Next Week

Genesis Chapters 24 and 25

The Promise Continues Through Isaac