Abraham Learns Faith in God
God promised that Abraham and Sarah would be the parents of a great nation (Gen. 17:15-16). Years later the first fruits of this promise were realized with the birth of their son Isaac (Gen. 21:2). Genesis 22 represents the ultimate test for Abraham. God commands him to, in effect, throw it all away by offering his son as a human sacrifice. But through the years Abraham had learned to completely trust God, so much so that he was fully confident that his son would somehow survive this sacrifice. He told Isaac, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Finally, Abraham had learned that God is completely faithful to keep every one of his promises. Since God had promised to raise up a nation through his son, then even Isaac's sacrifice on an altar could not prevent the realization of this promise.
- Neal