A Test of Faith

Abraham taught his son Isaac to love Jehovah and to trust all of Jehovah’s promises. But when Isaac was about 25 years old, Jehovah asked Abraham to do something that would be very hard to do. What was it?

God told Abraham: ‘Please, take your only son and offer him as a sacrifice on a mountain in the land of Moriah.’ Abraham had no idea why Jehovah had asked him to do that. But he still obeyed Jehovah.

Early the next morning, Abraham took Isaac and two servants and went toward Moriah. After three days, they could see the mountains in the distance. Abraham told his servants to wait while he and Isaac went off to offer a sacrifice. Abraham gave Isaac firewood to carry, and Abraham took a knife. Isaac asked his father: ‘Where is the animal that we will sacrifice?’ Abraham answered: ‘My son, Jehovah will provide it.’

When they finally arrived at the mountain, they built an altar. Then Abraham tied Isaac’s hands and feet and put him on the altar.

Abraham picked up the knife. At that moment, Jehovah’s angel called from the heavens: ‘Abraham! Do not harm the boy! Now I know that you have faith in God because you were willing to sacrifice your son.’ Then Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in the bushes. He quickly untied Isaac and sacrificed the ram instead.

From that day on, Jehovah called Abraham his friend. Do you know why? Abraham did whatever Jehovah wanted him to do, even when he didn’t understand why Jehovah had asked him to do it.

Jehovah repeated his promise to Abraham: ‘I will bless you, and I will multiply your children, or offspring.’ This meant that Jehovah would bless all good people through Abraham’s family.