The Mountain of Testing

LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD

WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND

WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND

WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH

(Deuteronomy 6:5)

Abraham was a rich man. He possessed everything he wished. He loved his wife very much. He had many servants, animals and tents. But he wasn’t satisfied with all his riches because he waited for many years for God to fulfil his special prophecy to him.

God, the Almighty, had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. But how could this be fulfilled when he had no son? This question was the turning point of Abraham’s life. He kept asking God in his prayers, When will You fulfil Your promise? When will You grant me a son?

God answered the prayers of Abraham and fulfilled His promise. He gave Sarah, Abraham’s wife, a son although she was very old.

Nobody expected this miracle to happen. But everything is possible with God!

Abraham and Sarah were very thankful to God. Isaac, their son, became a source of happiness and they loved him with all their hearts.

Suddenly something very unusual happened. One night when the servants were sleeping and Sarah and Isaac rested in their tent, Abraham heard the voice of God calling him, Abraham! – Here I am, he answered. God continued speaking to Abraham. Take Isaac, your beloved son, to Mount Moriah and offer him to me as a holy sacrifice.

Abraham was astonished and started to think: What did God tell me? Do I have to offer the dearest thing I have? God just fulfilled His promise and gave me Isaac, and now, shall I sacrifice him?

What would Abraham do? Would he obey God? Does he love God more than his son? What would he decide? In the holy Bible we read: Early the next morning Abraham got up.

God asked Abraham to do a difficult task, but Abraham did not delay his decision. He carried it out immediately. He ordered two of his servants to accompany him. He saddled the donkey, collected the wood, a knife and the fire. Then he called Isaac, his beloved son: Come, my son, we will go to Mount Moriah to offer a sacrifice to God.

The journey was tiring and took three long days. Abraham was walking silently ahead of the others, with his head bowed. Many thoughts came to his mind. He could not understand why God asked him to do such a difficult task. But Abraham wanted to obey God, whatever the cost. So his faith grew stronger and he came to the conclusion: God can make my son Isaac alive again, even if I offer him as a sacrifice.

After Abraham, Isaac and the two servants walked three days, Abraham saw Mount Moriah from far away. Then he turned to the two servants and said, Stay here with the donkey until I return with my son from the mountain. We are going to worship God.

Abraham took the firewood from the donkey’s back and put it over Isaac’s shoulder. Abraham himself took the fire and the knife.

Abraham and Isaac went silently up to Mount Moriah. Suddenly Isaac stopped. He looked at his father and asked him: Father? – Yes my son. Isaac said, We have everything that is important for the sacrifice: the wood, the knife and the fire. But where is the lamb for the offering?

What should Abraham answer? His heart was so heavy when he answered Isaac, My son, God Himself will bring a lamb for the burnt offering. Then they went on.

Do you know the meaning of the burnt offering? It means the complete offering, where no part of the offered animal is put aside. It is not honourable to offer God half of something, He deserves the whole thing.

Abraham and Isaac stood on the top of Mount Moriah. This mountain is the lowest of the mountains surrounding Jerusalem today.

Abraham gathered large stones to build an altar. Isaac helped him. Then they arranged the wood on the altar. Everything was prepared except the sacrifice itself.

Where is the lamb? Isaac looked around to the right and to the left. Then Abraham came nearer to his son and looked at him with eyes full of love.

Then the impossible happened. Abraham tied Isaac with a rope – which was more than he could bear – but he wanted to obey God, whatever it would cost. Abraham offered the dearest that he had.

Abraham laid Isaac on the altar. What could Isaac’s thoughts have been at this moment? Abraham took the knife in his hand and held it up high. But at that moment the angel of the Lord called out to him, Abraham... Abraham!

Abraham looked around him and said, Here I am.

The angel answered: Do not raise your hand against your son, because now I know that you love God more than anything. You have not withheld from me your only son.

Abraham looked up with relief and joy. Suddenly he saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. This was the sacrifice which God had prepared instead of Isaac, and Abraham offered it to God.

Abraham experienced anew that God is compassionate, gracious, and slow to anger. He accepted a ram instead of a sinful man.

Isaac was also full of praise to God, because He saved him from death and gave him a new life.

Abraham was very happy and thankful because God allowed him to untie his son and to offer the ram as a sacrifice instead. Abraham called the place where he built the altar, The Lord will provide.

After Abraham had offered the ram to God, the angel of the Lord called Abraham and told him: God swears by Himself: Because you have done this and you were ready to offer even your only son to Me, I will bless you and multiply you and give you many grandchildren and their children will be as many as the stars in the sky and like the sand on the seashore. You will be called a father of many nations and many nations will be blessed because you obeyed My command.

Abraham and Isaac went back to the waiting servants. How happy was their return

God had given Isaac to Abraham a second time. He could not explain the great love of God to his son. Abraham did not know that he and Isaac were a sign from God Himself who, many centuries later, would offer His beloved Christ as an atoning for the world to save us all from our sins.

How great is the love of God!

Can you find the picture of the ram? He is hiding in the bush. To find him you have to turn the page upside down. Draw a line around him.

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