Abraham and Isaac

Abraham was a the leader of the Jewish faith. God called him and told him to leave his country and family and go to the country that God would give him. He and his wife had been unable to have children.
God promised him three things:
He promised that he would be the father of a great nation.
He promised that God would be the God of him and all his descendents.
He and his descendents would take possesion of the land of Canaan.
In return Abraham promised that he and his descendents would be circumcised.


Later when Abraham's son Isaac had been born Abraham was told by God to go to the mountain of Moriah and sacrifice him there. Abraham was so obedient to God that he packed up, as instructed. He went with two servants and his son. He carried the fire and the knife and Isaac the wood. Abraham left his two servant. Isaac asked Abraham where the lamb was for the burnt offering. Abraham replied 'the Lord will provide.' When the arrived at the right placed on the mountain, Abraham built an altar and he bound his son to it. As he was holding the knife to kill Isaac an angel called from heaven and told him to stop. They told him that instead he should sacrifice the ram which was in the thicket. The angel told him that he had proved himself worthy of the promises God had given him. The ram was offered as a sacrifice instead.

Things to note from the sacrifice
Abraham could not be the father of a great nation if his only son was dead. God was testing his faith and asking him if despite finally recieving the son he had waited for, for many years, was he willing to put God before him?
Did Abraham still have great faith? Or had his son become an idol to him?
Isn't it incredible that he had the faith to trust that the Lord would provide?
We learn about Abraham that he

• Has a lot of faith

He has the courage to sacrifice his only son, who was going to be the beginning of his nation.

• He is very obedient

He is asked to do something by God, and he does it immediately. He really loved his son. But he loves God even more.

• He had proved that he loves God.

He loves God more than anything. He is not going to withold anything from God.

But why did God ask him to do this?