posted on Sep, 15 2003 @ 09:22 PM
This was a test for Abraham to show that God will keep His promises. For in Genesis 17:1-8, we have:
Genesis 17
1. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless.
2. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers."
3. Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
4. "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
5. No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
6. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
7. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your
God and the God of your descendants after you.
8. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will
be their God."
What God was saying (three times already) was Abraham was going to have a lot of grandchildren who will have a lot of children who will have a lot of
children .....
Later on we read in Genesis 17:19
Genesis
19. Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an
everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
So Abraham knew that he would become the father of a nation through his son to be born, Isaac.
So when we get to Genesis 22:2
Genesis 22
2. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on
one of the mountains I will tell you about."
3. Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled 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."
Abraham knew that God had a plan, perhaps God meant to resurrect Isaac, perhaps God would stop the sacrifice. However Abraham knew that Isaac would
live because God promised that Abraham would become the father of a nation through his son Isaac and this meant that somehow Isaac's life would be
spared.