The Testing of Abraham and His Son Isaac

The Testing of Abraham

The story of the Testing of Abraham is well known within the Bible. Well known, as well as troublesome, as God orders Abraham to sacrifice his only beloved son.

This story is a challenge to the readers of the Bible, ever since it first appears in the Book of Genesis. To understand this Testing of Abraham it is important to recognize something. Often times we insert ourselves into the story. We may exclaim, “I could never do that . . . I could never do what Abraham did”. When we do that, we wrongly compare ourselves to Abraham.
This event, the Testing of Abraham, does not happen at the beginning of Abraham’s relationship with God. Most of us are really mere beginners. Abraham was not a beginner! The Lord called Abraham many years earlier. His call begins decades earlier in migrating to a land that he would not possess himself, but his decedents will. Abraham was not a beginner. He had a relationship with the Lord.

Abraham wandered on, but did not own the land. Years past, and his relationship with the Lord grew. Thirty years after the Lord’s promise, his son was born. Thirty years the Lord and Abraham cultivated their relationship. And he finally had a son Isaac. And, a few more years pass.

Abraham finally receives the Testing call from the Lord. Abraham was not at the beginning of his relationship with the Lord. As Abraham deepens his Spiritual Life, there comes this difficult call from the Lord.

A brief lesson for us in our own Spiritual Life. All Scripture is not always directed to us. Sometimes it is written for a person who has a maturity in their Spiritual Life. This difficult story within Genesis is one example.

If you are fearful about this story…as in “I could never to do that”. Do not be afraid, because most of us are not ready for this type of Test. We are at the beginning of our relationship with the Lord. Hear more about this lesson, within the audio.

While its clear most of us are not ready for this type of Testing, there are several lessons for us. Often times, when God gives us a gift or a grace, we focus on the gift. Rather, we must be grateful for the gift, but remain focus on the Lord. In reality, that is what is at the service of the Test of Abraham. Would he withhold the gift (his beloved son) from God, or would he focus on what the Lord wanted him to do? Listen further to the hidden greatness of this story!

Hear more about the Lord’s promise to Abraham. Further, listen to more about the Testing of Abraham within this audio, and understand this passage more deeply. Hear how this passage should impact our own relationship with the Lord.