At the beginning of Genesis chapter 22, the words “After these things” appear. After what things? I think Scripture means everything in Abraham’s life from chapter 12 where Abram is called by God until chapter 22 when God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son. But, what would make a man willing to kill his son?
For some reason, I always see this scene in chapter 22 as God opening the skies and showing Himself to Abraham, speaking audibly and Abraham being a little frightened at the situation. But, as James says (James 5:17) these Old Testament saints were just like us. Abraham most likely just heard God in the same still small voice that you and I do. He just learned to recognize it and obey.
Abraham went through a lot over the 10 chapters from 12 through 21. He was tested again and again, and Abraham learned to trust God and the promises He made. I believe Abraham knew God so well by chapter 22 that there was no doubt left in him. Much of what he believed by faith in chapter 12, he now knew to be true by chapter 22.
Genesis 22:1-3 (ESV)
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
As we grow as Christians, we should see our trust, our faith, in God becoming more and more sure. What we learn in the trials of our lives should produce something. It should produce endurance (James 1:3) and certainty. So the more we’re tested, the better prepared we are for the next trial. And, God is like the proverbial piano teacher. If we fail the test, we’ll need to take it over and over again until we get it right.
When I was in school, I took a lot of test. It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized the full purposes of these tests. Testing has a number of purposes: It tells the teacher how we’re doing with the material presented. It shows us how well we know the material. It keeps us on task or we’ll fail the tests. It also prepares us for the final test, the big one, that’s coming.
In the same way, God tests us. While an omniscient God doesn’t need to know how we’re doing, He knows it already, He does want us to know how we’re doing and keep on our toes for future tests as well as the big final test at the end.
Tests also force us to know the material well. I believe we can know God so well by the series of tests He presents in our lives that much of our faith eventually will become knowledge. We don’t just believe in God, we know He exists and we know Him.
So, welcome those trials as friends. God is producing in you a believer who will stand strong in his faith and be able to deal with the fiery darts of the evil one.
James 1:2-4 (ESV)
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 