The Bible records many of the places where Abraham traveled during his life. At the beginning of Genesis 22, Abraham had been dwelling in the region of Beersheba, about 40 miles east of the Dead Sea. It was there that Sarah, his wife, gave birth to their firstborn son, Isaac. It was there, years later, that God directed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering.
God was testing Abraham, but Abraham didn’t know that. He received a command from the one true God, all he knew was that he was expected to obey it. Many modern-day atheists and unbelievers point to this account as an example of how cruel and disgusting the Biblical God is. But that’s looking at Scripture with the lens of worldly reason. That’s like trying to read a book with the wrong eyeglass prescription, every word would appear fuzzy and distorted. We need the lens of the faith to clearly understand what went on that day at Mount Moriah.
When we human beings test something, we want to see what it’s going to do. “Try giving it a little more gas, maybe then the car will start…” “Try putting a little more salt in the guacamole, maybe that will get the flavor right…” We want to know if the cause will produce the desired effect. Is that how it works for God? Does God test our faith so that he can find out how faithful we are? Does that make any sense?
In Psalm 147:5 we read: "Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite."
God knows you better than you do. He knows exactly how faithful you are. So why then does God test us? It’s not for his benefit, but for ours. When God tests his children, like Abraham and like us, He does a valuable thing. By testing our faith, He proves to us that our faith is real, that we truly are His redeemed children, and that no trial will overcome our faith.
O God of Abraham and Isaac, test me and strengthen my faith according to Your will. Amen. |
