The heart-wrenching task
Genesis 22:1-2 – And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt {test} Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Did Abraham sacrifice his son in the end?
Read Genesis 22:1-19
Remark: No. As difficult as it is to understand why God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, we must emphasize that the challenge lies not in any approval of child sacrifice, but in the severe test Abraham was called to endure.
What does God think of child sacrifice?
Leviticus 18:21 – And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 12:31 – Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Who stopped the sacrifice of Isaac?
Genesis 22:10-12 – And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Remark: God, through His angel, stopped the sacrifice before it could take place. If the reason it did not happen had been Abraham’s hesitation or Isaac fleeing, we would be left uncertain about God’s intentions and His goodness. But it was God who stopped it. Therefore, either God changed His plan, or there must be another explanation. Let us first examine whether God could have changed His mind—for instance, if He initially intended for Isaac to be sacrificed but later had mercy.
Could God have changed his mind?
Malachi 3:6 – For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Numbers 23:19 – God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent {change his mind}: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Remark: No. In that case, another explanation must be found for why God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
Did God intend for Isaac to really be sacrificed?
Genesis 22:12-13 – And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Remark: No. If God had truly intended for Isaac to be sacrificed, He would not have sent an angel to stop it, as we have already seen. Moreover, the appearance of a ram caught by its horns in the bushes—within Abraham’s view, yet behind him so that he had not noticed it earlier—is an astonishingly convenient “coincidence.” While it was not unheard of for a ram to become trapped, the fact that Abraham did not see it on his way to the site or while preparing the wood strongly suggests a divinely appointed event.
Was God going to allow Abraham to murder and thus sin?
Exodus 20:13 – Thou shalt not kill {murder}.
Genesis 22:1 – And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt {test} Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
James 1:13-16 – Let no man say when he is tempted {to do evil; to sin}, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man {with evil}: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Remark: The wording in Genesis 22:1 indicates that this was a trial, not merely a request or religious duty that God expected Abraham to perform. A trial tests the faith of the believer. Since murder is a sin, and God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13–16), the test Abraham faced was not a temptation to do evil. This further suggests that God never intended for Abraham to carry out the act, but rather tested how far he was willing to go in obedience.
Jeremiah 7:31 – And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
Jeremiah 19:5 – They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind …
Remark: Not only does God forbid child sacrifice—calling it an abomination that He hates—but the Bible also states that such a thing never came into His heart or mind. This is further evidence that God never intended to allow Abraham to go through with the sacrifice of Isaac.
A lesson we cannot forget
What was going through Abraham’s mind?
Genesis 21:12 – And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Remark: God told Abraham that “in Isaac shall” his seed be called, meaning that Isaac would become the progenitor of the numerous descendants God had promised (Genesis 13:14–16; 15:5; 17:19). If this promise was to be fulfilled through Isaac, then it necessarily follows that Isaac would have to live on and have children.
Hebrews 11:17-19 – By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Genesis 22:7-8 – And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Remark: Paul writes that Abraham believed God would resurrect Isaac after the sacrifice. This contrasts with his words to Isaac: “God will provide Himself a lamb.” Abraham likely also hoped that God would intervene and provide an animal. That hope was fulfilled—but only after Abraham had surrendered all expectation of escape and accepted that he must go through with the sacrifice, trusting that God would raise Isaac. This reveals an inner conflict in Abraham, yet he did not view God as evil. He remained confident that God would keep His promises.
Should we fear that God could test us in such a way?
Genesis 22:1 – And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt {test} Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
1 Corinthians 10:13 – There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Romans 15:4 – For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Remark: You and I are not Abraham, and there is no indication that God would test anyone else in such a way. Even if He did, as we saw in Abraham’s case, God would not allow us to go through with something harmful, but would help us endure the trial as far as necessary. Ultimately, the lessons from Abraham’s trial have been recorded for our benefit, making it unnecessary for anyone else to face such a test for the sake of learning.
What would happen if Abraham was not able to bring himself to sacrifice Isaac?
1 John 4:1 – Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Remark: Abraham could have failed the test without it affecting his salvation. God’s request conflicted with His own moral law from the outset. Had Abraham disobeyed, he would not have been guilty of wrongdoing, since he would have been upholding the moral law that forbids murder and human sacrifice—especially of children. This trial was designed to reveal a deeper lesson to Abraham and the world—a lesson that will be explored below.
Genesis 16:1-6 – Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Remark: Before the sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham had previously distrusted or failed to listen to God on several occasions—lying about his wife being his sister (Genesis 12:11–13; 20:2) and doubting God’s promise by having Ishmael with Hagar (Genesis 16:1–6; 17:17). Yet God remained with him, forgiving his failures and continuing to teach and guide him. There is no indication that God would have responded differently if Abraham had refused to sacrifice Isaac. Moses, who disobeyed by striking the rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:7–12), was still ultimately saved (Jude 1:9; Matthew 17:1–3). Thomas, who doubted the resurrection, was also met with grace and understanding by Jesus (John 20:27).
What did God intend with this trial?
Genesis 22:8, 14 – And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. / [14] And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh {Yhvh will provide}: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
John 8:56 – Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 8:32 – He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
John 1:29 – The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Remark: God did not intend to torment Abraham with this exceedingly difficult task. Rather, He sought to reveal to Abraham—and to the world—what it meant for Him to give up His own Son, so that this understanding might touch the hearts of generations of believers to come.
How does Isaac represent Christ?
Genesis 22:6, 9 – And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. / [9] And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Isaiah 53:7 – He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Remark: Isaac foreshadows Christ—not only as the beloved and true son of the father, emphasizing the depth of the father’s sacrifice—but also as a willing offering. Isaac carried the wood himself, much like Jesus carried the cross. This was no task for a small child; Jewish tradition and scholars suggest Isaac was between 15 and 25 years old—a young man. Abraham, being over 100, could have been easily resisted, yet Isaac offered no struggle. He accepted the necessity of the sacrifice and obeyed his father, just as Christ willingly came to save us. The biblical account records no protest or resistance from Isaac, echoing how Jesus, during His crucifixion, did not open His mouth in defiance. Remarkably, the location—Mount Moriah—is where the temple was later built, near the very place where Jesus would be crucified.
Abraham as the main example of faith
James 2:23 – And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Galatians 3:7-8 – Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
