A Test of Faith
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Let’s try for a moment to imagine that we are Abraham. God has faithfully kept His promise to provide a son. Isaac was the heir through whom God would fulfill the promises He made years earlier.
Now, imagine being told to take that joy and hope—Isaac and what he represented—and kill him in sacrifice to God. That is what God asked Abraham to do.
What would we do? What would we think? Imagine the searching questions of faith that would go through our heads:
- Who will I decide to love less (Matthew 10:37): my only son or the living God?
- Will I trust that obedience to God will be for my good and my son’s good (Deuteronomy 10:13), even if it seems painful or confusing at this time?
- What am I willing to sacrifice in my life in order to obey God? Everything?
Though God never tempts us to sin, He does test our faith (James 1:3). Faith can be easy when our lives are operating smoothly, with few trials or hard decisions. Faith, however, is most vital when things are not going well. How will we react to trials? Will we continue to obey God?
What was Abraham’s reaction? Some imagine Abraham arguing with God, weeping uncontrollably or fighting off Sarah to obey the command. Tomorrow, we will learn what Abraham’s reaction actually was—and what we can learn from it.
For more articles on the importance of having faith, read the articles in our section on “Faith.”
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “Obedience Before Understanding.”
