Abraham’s journey led from a promise of descendants to a mountain where God asked him to surrender the son through whom that promise would come. Along the way, four altars marked encounters with the Lord that still speak powerfully about obedience, worship and God’s unfailing provision.
A Biblical Archaeology on TBN episode follows those biblical locations across Israel, tracing a journey that reaches beyond Abraham’s lifetime to salvation through Jesus Christ.
At Shechem, near the great tree of Moreh, God promised the land to Abraham’s descendants. Abraham responded by building an altar to the Lord who appeared to him, as recorded in Genesis 12:6-7. His journey into unfamiliar territory had brought him face to face with an extraordinary promise.
Near Bethel, Abraham built another altar and called on the name of the Lord. Later, near the trees of Mamre at Hebron, he again built an altar. Across the land, his worship accompanied his steps of faith.
Then came Moriah.
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In Genesis 22, God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac. Abraham obeyed, but before he could kill his son, the Lord intervened. A ram caught in a thicket became the sacrifice in Isaac’s place. God had provided.
The covenant behind Abraham’s journey rested on God’s commitment to fulfill His word, Bible Society in Israel director Victor Kalisher explained in the episode.
Discussing the covenant ceremony in Genesis 15, when God caused Abraham to fall into a deep sleep, Kalisher said, “This means that Abraham is not an active part of the covenant, but God is taking the full responsibility over this covenant. It’s an unconditional covenant.”
That promise also carried a blessing reaching every nation through the Messiah.
“So, the purpose of the Mosaic law is to bring us into the hands of the Messiah, to the realization that we need an eternal sacrifice,” Kalisher said.
The call to surrender continues.
“To build our own altar is a commitment to God,” Kalisher said.
Composer David Loden described answering that call by moving to Israel with his wife, guitars, suitcases, limited money and one-way tickets. He went on to help develop Hebrew worship music for congregations of believers in Jesus.
But his obedience included moments of doubt. Loden recalled walking on a beach and questioning whether everything he had believed about God was merely stories.
The next day, he recalled receiving a word from God: “It is not your faith that’s important. It’s my faithfulness.”
“And it’s true for all of us,” Loden said. “It’s true for all of us.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
