Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son?
I’ve always wondered about this. The obvious answer was to test Abraham’s faith, however, if the Lord were to test my faith this way, I doubt I’d pass the test. I think about my nine-year-old son, so young, innocent, trusting, and I think about the love I have for him in my heart. If the Lord asked me to sacrfice my son…I don’t think I could do it. Actually, I know I couldn’t do it.
Someone mentioned to me that Abraham’s “sacrifice” was symbolic – it was symbolic of the Lord sacrificing his son, Jesus, for all humankind. I do understand and see the symbolism in the example, but, I still struggle to understand God’s reasoning in asking this of Abraham. In addition to being symbolic, someone mentioned to me that Abraham is the father if the Jewish nation, and testing is faith was done for this reason?
Why do you think God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son? Do you remember studying about this in Sunday school when you were a kid? Please, share your thoughts!
Abraham’s Faith Confirmed
Genesis 22:1-2, 9-12
Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
2 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.”
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”