Jan 9 thoughts

Of course this is the most dramatic story yet. Not much I can add to it but some things did strike me-
- I never really noticed that 'salvation' was the same as it was for Hagar and Ishmael as it was for Abraham and Issaac, they looked up and it was there. Presumably, it had to have been there before, but they had not seen it.
-I have heard that under the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is the very rock where they believe this took place. Of course they believe that the son of the 'almost sacrifice' was Ishmael and I'm sure we will not see it ourselves. As a matter of fact, I think a pic I saw on the internet said "a rare look at the stone". I'll try to research before or while I'm there if it truley is the stone or if it is legund.
-God had already made all these promises to Abraham, he didn't 'need' to do this to obtain God's promises but he acted in humble obedience and thus gave us a beautiful foreshadowing of God giving HIS own son.
-Interesting that right after the sacrifice is talk about the cave/tomb. Of course it's not Issaac's but it struck me.