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Abraham’s Unfaltering Faith, November 7
Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and ... offer him
... for a burnt offering.
Genesis 22:2
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The Lord saw fit to test the faith of Abraham by a most fearful trial. If he had
endured the first test and had patiently waited for the promise to be fulfilled in
Sarah, and had not taken Hagar as his wife, he would not have been subjected to
the closest test that was ever required of man. The Lord bade Abraham, “Take
now thy son, ... whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer
him there for a burnt offering.” ...
Abraham did not disbelieve God and hesitate, but early in the morning he took
two of his servants and Isaac, his son, and the wood for the burnt offering, and
went unto the place of which God had told him.... Abraham did not suffer paternal
feelings to control him and lead him to rebel against God. The command of God
was calculated to stir the depths of his soul. “Take now thy son.” Then, as though
to probe the heart a little deeper, He added, “Thine only son Isaac, whom thou
lovest”; that is, the only son of promise, “and offer him.” ...
Three days this father traveled with his son, having sufficient time to reason
and doubt God if he was disposed to doubt. But he did not distrust God....
Abraham believed that Isaac was the son of promise. He also believed that
God meant just what He said when He bade him to go offer him as a burnt offering.
He ... believed that God who had in His providence given Sarah a son in her old
age, and who had required him to take that son’s life, could also ... bring up Isaac
from the dead.
Abraham left the servants by the way and proposed to go alone with his son to
worship some distance from them.... Firmly walked on that stern, loving, suffering
father by the side of his son. As they came to the place which God had pointed
out to Abraham, he built there an altar and laid the wood in order, ready for the
sacrifice, and then informed Isaac of the command of God to offer him as a burnt
offering. He repeated to him the promise that God several times had made to him,
that through Isaac he should become a great nation, and that in performing the
command of God in slaying him, God would fulfill His promise....
Isaac believed in God.... After affectionately embracing his father, he submitted
to be bound and laid upon the wood. And as his father’s hand was raised to slay
his son, an angel of God, who had marked all the faithfulness of Abraham ...,
called to him out of heaven, and said, “Abraham .... Lay not thine hand upon the
lad ...: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son from me.”—
The Story of Redemption, 80-82
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