Topical Bible: Faith: Trial of Abraham, when Commanded to offer Isaac

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The trial of Abraham's faith, as recorded in Genesis 22, stands as one of the most profound tests of obedience and trust in God found in the Scriptures. This event is pivotal in understanding the nature of faith and the relationship between God and His chosen people.

Context and Command

The narrative begins with God calling Abraham to a seemingly incomprehensible task. "Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will show you'" (Genesis 22:2). This command was not only a test of Abraham's faith but also a test of his love and obedience to God. Isaac was the child of promise, the son through whom God had promised to establish a great nation (Genesis 17:19). The command to sacrifice Isaac would have appeared to contradict God's earlier promises, yet Abraham's response was one of immediate obedience.

Journey to Moriah

Abraham's journey to Moriah is marked by silent resolve and unwavering faith. "Early the next morning, Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac" (Genesis 22:3). The three-day journey to the mountain was a period of intense internal struggle, yet Abraham's actions demonstrated his trust in God's faithfulness. He told his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you" (Genesis 22:5), indicating his belief that both he and Isaac would return.

The Sacrifice and Provision

As they ascended the mountain, Isaac, unaware of the full intent, questioned his father, "The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (Genesis 22:7). Abraham's response, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son" (Genesis 22:8), reflects his deep faith in God's provision. Upon reaching the designated place, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, and bound Isaac, laying him upon the altar. As he took the knife to slay his son, the angel of the Lord intervened, "Do not lay a hand on the boy... Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son" (Genesis 22:12).

The Ram and the Covenant

In a remarkable act of divine provision, Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. He sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham named the place "The LORD Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14), a testament to God's faithfulness and provision. The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time, reaffirming the covenant: "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore" (Genesis 22:17).

Significance in Scripture

The trial of Abraham's faith is referenced throughout Scripture as a model of unwavering trust and obedience. The Apostle Paul highlights Abraham's faith in Romans 4:20-22, emphasizing that his faith was credited to him as righteousness. The Epistle to the Hebrews also commends Abraham's faith, stating, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac" (Hebrews 11:17). This event foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of God's own Son, Jesus Christ, underscoring the theme of substitutionary atonement central to Christian theology.

The trial of Abraham, therefore, serves as a profound example of faith in action, illustrating the depth of trust and obedience required of those who follow God.

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Genesis 22:1-19
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said to him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
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Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
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Library

Abraham's Obedience
... came from a good or bad spirit, or commanded him to ... At that point Abraham's trial
finished ... He had shewn the completeness of his faith by the completeness of his ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon xiii abrahams obedience.htm

The Essence of God Never Appeared in Itself. Divine Appearances to ...
... well have not discerned the firmness of his own faith, had it not been proved by
such a trial. So here, too, Abraham called the name of the place "The Lord ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 11 the essence of god.htm

The Obedience of Faith
... Life has no trial which can turn the gracious ... When the Lord commanded Abraham to
quit his father's house ... may be thus summed up: "By faith Abraham obeyed." He ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/the obedience of faith.htm

In the Holy of Holies.
... In the time of Abraham, mercy ceased to plead with the guilty ... in 1844 was followed
by a period of great trial to those who still held the advent faith. ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /24 in the holy of.htm

Letter xix. --(For 347. ) Coss. Rufinus, Eusebius; Pr??f. The Same ...
... 4485] , and being strong in faith, and understanding ... time to time, circumstances
of greater trial are set ... tempted they are known, like Abraham, or suffering ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/letter xix for 347 coss rufinus.htm

In the Holy of Holies
... In the time of Abraham, mercy ceased to plead with the guilty ... in 1844 was followed
by a period of great trial to those who still held the advent faith. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the great controversy/chapter 24 in the holy.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... grievances, annoyances, fears, and other kinds of trial press us ... be a more difficult
question concerning Abraham and Samuel ... we keep the unity of the faith in the ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm

City of God
... the Power Delegated to Demons for the Trial and Glorification ... Father of the Nations,
and Seals His Faith in the ... is Related to Have Appeared to Abraham at the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/

Growth in Grace.
... Abraham's faith is often commended in the Bible ... This is an evidence of a broader
and more implicit faith, of a more ... is a luxury to us, rather than a trial and a ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xxii growth in grace.htm

Faustus Denies that the Prophets Predicted Christ. Augustin Proves ...
... enemy with a wooden nail, but the faith of the ... Abraham is commanded to sacrifice
his son: we may allow ... shedding of the ram's blood to do with Abraham's trial? ...
/.../faustus denies that the prophets.htm