Abraham's Biggest Test (Genesis 22)

Does God sometimes test our faith severely? Does a test also increase our trust in God? Did Abraham’s test foreshadow the cross of Christ? Let’s look at Genesis 22.

How did God test Abraham’s faith? Was it perhaps Abraham’s biggest test of his life? What has been our biggest test?

Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” (Genesis 22:1-2 NLT)

What did Abraham do? Did he delay obeying God? Was his son already dead in his mind for three days? Does this picture Jesus being dead for three days?

Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off. Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:3-7 WEB)

Is there a clue to Abraham’s faith in his reply to his son, God will see to it? Did he trust the previous promise about Isaac? Did he trust that God would resurrect Isaac?

Abraham said, “The lamb for the entirely burned offering? God will see to it, my son.” The two of them walked on together. They arrived at the place God had described to him. Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. (Genesis 22:8-10 CEB)

What does the letter to the Hebrews tell us was in Abraham’s mind during this very difficult test of his faith?

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only son, to whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he also received him back. (Hebrews 11:17-19 LSB)

Did an angel stop him? What was the angel’s conclusion? Does God know that we truly obey God?

But the Lord's angel shouted from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. “Don't hurt the boy or harm him in any way!” the angel said. “Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son.” Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the bushes. So he took the ram and sacrificed it instead of his son. Abraham named that place “The Lord Will Provide.” And even now people say, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:11-14 CEV)

What was the angel’s second message?

Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By Myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies. And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command.” (Genesis 22:15-18 HCSB)

Where did Abraham live? Beer-sheba is still a town today, called locally Be'er Sheva.

After this, Abraham returned to his servants and they set out together for Beer-sheba, where Abraham settled. Now after these things somebody told Abraham, “Look, Milcah has given birth to sons for your brother Nahor. Uz is his firstborn, Buz is his brother, and Kemuel is the father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” Bethuel fathered Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Also, his concubine Reumah gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. (Genesis 22:19-24 ISV)

Does God sometimes test our faith severely? Does a test also increase our trust in God? Did Abraham get his son back? Did God get His Son back in the resurrection? Was this a foretaste of the cross? You decide!