Sarah: Abraham, What is wrong?
Abraham: (wearily) Nothing Sarah, The boy and I are just going for a walk to the mountain.
Sarah: A walk to the mountain? What mountain? The mountains are at least two days walk away! What is all this about?
Abraham: Just leave it alone, Sarah.
Sarah: Leave it alone? Abraham, you are over a hundred years old. You have no business going for a stroll to the mountains.
Abraham: (firmly but with obvious effort) God told me to go to the mountains and make a sacrifice, so I will go. If he commands then I will do it, and that is that. No matter what.
Sarah: A sacrifice? Well, I suppose if God commands it, you must obey. I will tell the servants to get you some wood and a lamb.
Abraham: That won’t be necessary. (Drops wearily into a seat)
Sarah: Abraham, you know you can’t count on finding enough wood for a sacrificial fire on the mountain. You must take it with you. I suppose there will be plenty of rocks around to build the altar.
Abraham: Fine, order the wood to be cut. That is not what I meant.
Sarah: (interrupts) And the lamb should only take a day or so to find…do you think we should have a bull instead? Or maybe a ram. Did God tell you what animal he wanted sacrificed?
Abraham: (sighing) Yes
Sarah: Well? What does He want you to bring to sacrifice?
Abraham: Isaac.
Sarah: Yes, Isaac can lead whatever animal it is. He should be with you in case you need any help. Besides, he can’t get enough training in how to please the Lord with a sacrifice…. (Abraham silently weeps) Abraham! (Kneels at his feet) What is wrong? Please tell me. Maybe I can help, nothing can be so bad that together we can’t face it.
Abraham: Sarah, you don’t understand. God wants me to sacrifice Isaac.
Sarah: Sacrifice Isaac!! No, you must have heard wrong. God would never ask you to do that. Isaac is our only child and he is the fulfillment of God’s promise to us. Why would God ask us to kill him?
Abraham: (frustrated) I don’t know Sarah. I don’t always understand what God asks. I only know that I am pledged to obey him. He said to sacrifice my son. Don’t you think I asked God if I had heard wrong! Don’t you think I am as stunned as you? God does not explain himself to me. He gave me a command, I must obey.
Sarah: But Isaac!! Our laughter? (pleading) He was God’s promise to us, Abraham. His birth was impossible when it happened. That was almost 2 decades ago. Surely God would not ask so much of one man. Not Isaac!
Abraham: (angry) He was the promise of God and he is God’s to do with as he pleases. Do you think I like this, Sarah? (quietly) Isaac is my heart. The only one I love more than our son is God. (Resolved) If Yahweh commands this, I will obey. There is nothing more to be said.
Sarah: (very quiet, mourning) Oh Isaac, my son. (Both sit quietly) Are you going to tell him? How will you get him to agree to this? He is much stronger than you, how will you tie him down to the altar if he doesn’t want you to?
Abraham: (tiredly) I don’t know Sarah. I don’t even know exactly where I am going yet. I will have a long walk to think about the best way to do this. Order the servants to gather the wood. I must be on my way. (Sarah starts to leave, slowly) (Long silence) Sarah, I would have spared you the knowledge of this.
Sarah: No, it is better that I know. I will pray for you and Isaac. (Pause) Abraham, are you sure you haven’t made a mistake?
Abraham: No Sarah, there is no mistake. (Sarah leaves) (Looking up to the heavens) God, I don’t know how I am going to do this. My son, my Isaac. But as you have commanded, I will obey.
Song: God Will Provide A Lamb. (by Michael Card)
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© Linda Wyke, All rights reserved
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies
are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In
exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified
of when and for what purpose the play is performed. She may be contacted
at: Beengraced@aol.com