God Tested Abraham
Biblical Sculpture by Sherry Heller
SHARING MY HEART AND PASSION
FOR CREATIVITY, FINE ART AND THE BIBLE
Hello Dear Ones!
If you’ve ever wondered whether or not God tests people, then just read the story of Abraham.
Abraham proved his faith in God when he obeyed Him by taking Isaac, his only son, up on Mount Moriah to offer him up to God. Abraham KNEW God and HIS WAYS and HIS CHARACTER and TRUSTED HIM. That was why he was able to obey God on Mount Moriah.
Take special notice of verse 5: He said to 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.”
And also notice verse 7 & 8:
7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
Let’s read Genesis 22: 1–18
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to 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.”
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
No doubt about it, God TESTED Abraham. And Abraham believed God would come through for him in whatever way God chose to do that.
Did he believe God would raise Isaac from the dead?
Was he believing that God would stop him before he lowered the knife?
Was he expecting the ram to be on the mountain?
We don’t know exactly what Abraham was thinking as “he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” But we do know he trusted God’s love for him completely and he knew God’s plan was ultimately good.
I pray we will trust and obey God, whatever He asked of us. But it’s hard to trust someone you don’t know. We need to KNOW HIM and HIS WAYS, HIS CHARACTER and HIS NATURE. The more we know Him, the more we will be able to trust Him. There is no one like Him! Don’t compare Him to anyone. He is 100% trustworthy, 100% of the time.
O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.
The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure.
As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Before you leave, take a look at my Abraham, Isaac & the Ram sculptures on this page!
Blessings,
Sherry
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