1Abram went up out of Egypt—he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him—into the South. 2Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3He went on his journeys from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on Yahweh’s name. 5Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, herds, and tents. 6The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together; for their possessions were so great that they couldn’t live together. 7There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land at that time. 8Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are relatives. 9Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
10Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. 11So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves from one other. 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh.
14Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15for I will give all the land which you see to you and to your offspring forever. 16I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring may also be counted. 17Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its width; for I will give it to you.”
18Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh.
Gen 22:2 “offer him there for a burnt offering” - The sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22:2)
Genesis 22 is known as the Akedah ("binding") account. Just as God called Abraham and gave him a mission in Gen 12:1-3, God again calls Abraham in Gen 22:1-6 to give him a mission. God's call on Abraham in Gen 12:1-3 includes the promise of future descendants if Abraham will obey God's command. In Gen 22:1-6 the command is that Abraham has to offer his son, the fulfillment of God's previous promise, as a burnt offering.
At the onset of the Akedah account, it is clearly spelled out that the motif of this command is to test Abraham. The motif of divine "test" is popular throughout the Old and New Testaments. God tested people individually and collectively. Deut 8:2 says that God tested the people of Israel multiple times during their journey to the promised land. The Tyndale Bible Dictionary defines "test" as follows: "The process of proving one’s worth. When ascribed to God in His dealings with people, it means that God tests the faith and moral character of His people" (Elwell, "Test"). By not withholding his son to safeguard his own future, Abraham proved both to God and to himself his total trust in God. The outcome of Abraham's test was much bigger than just securing his son's life. The patriarchal blessing God initially promised to Abraham in Gen 12:1-3, which was repeatedly reassured (Gen. 13:14-16; 15:4-6, 18-21; 16:10; 17:1-8, 19-21) was ensured (Gen 22:16-18).