The Greatest Test of All

We don't like tests. It starts early — from school days we dread that word. We are tested out of compulsion by the system to move to the next level. During the test we prepare, sweat, and we pass or fail. This applies to school, jobs, sports, and many other things in life. But here is the thing — even though none of us enjoy "The Test," we all enjoy the outcome once we pass. Even if it means "just pass." As you pass, you move up through the life ladder.

God our Father works the same way. He tests each of us to move us through this spiritual walk with him. We pass to go to the next level of his plans for our life. Many times we fail to know if it is a test or a temptation, and we fall and stay stuck in the same place. We can learn a great deal from our forefather Abraham, whom God tested. It was the "Greatest Test of All" that the Bible records — and the outcome was so significant that God swore on himself (Gen 22:16). This promise gives way for us all to experience God. God gave his only Son Jesus as a mediator so that everything he promised to Abraham, we can experience too.

[Galatians 3:18 NIV]  18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

[Galatians 3:29 NIV]  29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Test - Short Story : God called Abraham and told him to take his only son Isaac — the son he loved, the miracle child of promise (Abraham was 100 yrs / Sarah was 90 yrs when they had this miracle child)— and go to the region of Moriah. There, God asked him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham obeyed without question. Early the next morning he set out with Isaac, two servants, and enough wood for the offering. On the third day, he left the servants behind, walked up the mountain with Isaac, built an altar, bound his son, and raised the knife. At that very moment, the angel of the Lord stopped him. Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket — God had provided the sacrifice. Abraham named that place "The Lord Will Provide." - Jehovah Jireh

Abraham enrolled in the "School of Faith." Now he was over 100, and he was still having soul-stretching experiences. Genesis 22 records the greatest test that Abraham ever faced. True, it also presents a beautiful picture of our Lord's sacrifice at Calvary, but the main lesson is obedient faith that overcomes in the trials of life. Abraham teaches us how to face and handle the tests of life to the glory of God. Consider five instructions.

Lesson 1 — Expect Tests from God

[Genesis 22:1, 11 NIV]  1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. ... 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

In the "School of Faith" we must have occasional tests, or we will never know where we are spiritually. Abraham had his share of tests right from the beginning:

• "Family test" — When he had to leave his loved ones and step out by faith to go to a new land (Genesis 11:27–12:5).

• "Famine test" — Which Abraham failed because he doubted God and went down to Egypt for help (Genesis 12:10–13:4).

• "Fellowship test" — When he gave Lot first choice in using the pastureland (Genesis 13:5–18).

• "Fight test" — When he defeated the kings (Genesis 14:1–16)

• “Fortune Test” – In this he said no to Sodom's wealth (Genesis 14:17–24).

• "Fatherhood test" — Which he failed when Sarah got impatient and suggested Abraham have a child by Hagar (Genesis 16).

• "Farewell test" — When the time came to send Ishmael away, Abraham passed even though it broke his heart (Genesis 21:14–21).

Difference between Temptation and Trials

As believers of Christ, we need to learn to distinguish between trials and temptations.

Temptation	Trial (Test)
Comes from our own sinful desires (James 1:12–16)	Comes from the Lord with a purpose
Used by the devil	Used by the Holy Spirit
Aims to bring out the worst in us	Aims to bring out the best in us
Leads toward sin and spiritual death	Leads toward growth, maturity, and faith
Often feels logical and attractive	Often feels unreasonable and difficult
Pulls us away from God	Draws us closer to God

Why would God give Abraham a son and then ask Abraham to kill him? All believers face similar temptations to sin (1 Cor. 10:13), but not all believers experience the same trials of faith.

[1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV]  13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

God's testings are tailor-made for each child of God, and each experience is unique. God never asked Lot to face the tests that Abraham faced. Why? Because Lot was being tempted by the world and the flesh and never grew to the place of maturity that Abraham reached. In one sense, it is a compliment when God sends us a test; it shows God wants to "promote us" in the "School of Faith." God never sends a test until He knows you are ready for it.

How Should You Expect a Test?

• Be connected with God, hear his voice — How did God deal with Abraham? He called him by name: "Abraham!" And his response was, "Here I am." The second time, the same response is heard in the mountains of Moriah — the angel of the LORD called out, "Abraham! Abraham!" and his reply was the same: "Here I am." Same readiness. Same availability.

• Rooted through the Word of God — This is the only way we know if it is a test (trial) or temptation (through self). Abraham's life tests — all seven of them — are a testament to this.

• Obedience to God — Offer yourself in obedience to him: "Here I am." Implicit obedience is seen in Abraham. Not delayed — immediate. We read this in [Genesis 22:3 NIV]  3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.

• No questioning God — Questioning produces unfaithfulness and gives way to Satan's temptation. Abraham never questioned God. Look at what God asked:[Genesis 22:2 NIV]  2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." Follow God's direction as he asks you to do

Key Things - Lesson 1

• God's tests are tailor-made for each of us.

• God tests us to grow, Satan tempts to fall into sin – Know the difference of test and temptation.

• A test from God is a compliment — it means he knows you are ready for promotion in the School of Faith.

• Stay connected to God through his Word, respond with obedience — "Here I am" — and never question his direction.

Lesson 2 — Focus on Promises, Not Explanations

[Genesis 22:5 NIV]  5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

We live by promises, not by explanations. Consider how unreasonable God's request was. Isaac was Abraham's only son, that he got after a long time, and the future of the covenant rested in him. Isaac was a miracle child, the gift of God to Abraham and Sarah in response to their faith. Abraham and Sarah loved Isaac very much and had built their whole future around him. When God asked Abraham to offer his son, He was testing Abraham's faith, hope, and love.

When God sends a trial to us, our first response is usually, "Why, Lord?" and then, "Why me?" Right away, we want God to give us explanations. Of course, we know that God has reasons for sending tests — perhaps to purify our faith (1 Peter 1:6–9), or perfect our character (James 1:1–4), or even to protect us from sin (2 Cor. 12:7–10) — but we fail to see how these things apply to us. The fact that we ask our Father for explanations suggests that we may need to learn more about God and / or our own self

Abraham heard God's word and immediately obeyed it by faith. He knew that God's will never contradicts God's promise, so he held on to the promise "in Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Gen. 21:12). Abraham believed that even if God allowed him to slay his son, He could raise Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:17–19).

Faith does not demand explanations; faith rests on promises. Abraham told the two servants, "We will worship and then we will come back to you." He believed the promises and had faith in them — he did not ask questions of God.

When God makes a word or promise to you, know this — it is purer than silver and gold (Psalm 12:6). It will never pass away (Matt 24:35).

[Psalm 12:6 NIV]  6 And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.

[Matthew 24:35 NIV]  35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Key Things - Lesson 2:

• Faith does not demand explanations — faith rests on God's promises. His Word is purer than silver and gold, and it will never pass away.

• When the trial feels unreasonable, hold on to the promise. Abraham did not ask "Why?" — he said, "We will worship and we will come back."

Lesson 3 — Depend on God's Provision

What is needed for a burnt offering? Wood, fire, and the sacrifice (a lamb or dove). Abraham had all three prepared — Isaac, wood, fire, and a knife.

[Genesis 22:2–3 NIV]  2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.

But his son did not know. Isaac asked his father a question, and Abraham's response was pure faith:

[Genesis 22:7–8 NIV]  7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

When God sends trials, he will provide provisions to make a way out of that. There are powerful lessons from this father-son conversation:

• Respect for Father and Son — Both conversations were with deep respect. "Father?" "Yes, my son?" This is the beauty of a godly household.

• Godly teaching — Abraham and Sarah did not just live Godly lives themselves — they raised their children Godly. Isaac knew what a sacrifice offering was because he had seen his father do it multiple times. Parents are teachers to the next generation. Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

• Obedience to Father — Isaac offered himself to be placed on the altar. He did not fight with his father. Knowing this could mean his death, he did not resist. What an awesome obedience to his father Abraham. We (Parents) need to have that attitude to Jesus, and our kids to us (Parents).

• No questioning or probing — Isaac did not probe further or ask questions that were not needed. He stopped after Abraham responded, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

The one who has called is faithful — he will provide the provision to us. He provided Abraham the sacrificial offering: [Genesis 22:13–14 NIV]  13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

God is our Jehovah Jireh (HE PROVIDES).

Key Things - Lesson 3:

• When God sends the trial, he also sends the provision. Abraham declared it: "God himself will provide." And God did.

• God’s provisions come at the right time – not even a millisecond delayed. As he is perfect all the time – He gave the Sacrifice lamb when he asked to stop.

• A godly home produces children who know the ways of God — who respect, obey, and trust without unnecessary questioning.

Lesson 4 — Seek to Glorify Christ

Every blessing and every test is to glorify Christ.

It is not for us to enjoy — most of us think all the blessing is for us to enjoy, but a faithful servant always asks, "What should I do with this for my master?" We have to have that in heart and soul.

Here again in Abraham's story — he demonstrated what Christ did for us on the cross. He gave his one and only son. Glory to him.

[Genesis 22:9–11 NIV]  9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

Abraham did what God spoke in Romans 12:1 — offering it as true and proper worship.

[Romans 12:1 NIV]  1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Key Things - Lesson 4:

• Every blessing and every test is an opportunity to glorify Christ.

• Abraham's willingness to offer Isaac foreshadowed the cross — God giving his one and only Son for us.

• A faithful servant does not hoard the blessing. He offers it back as true and proper worship.

Lesson 5 — Look Forward to What God Has for You

In the final test, God promised again — this time on himself — to do what he said he would do. What an awesome thing to receive:

[Genesis 22:16–18 NIV]  16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

This final oath is different from the earlier blessings:

Earlier Blessings (Genesis 12, 13, 15, 17)	Final Oath (Genesis 22:16–18)
God promised Abraham	God swore by Himself
No divine oath — a promise to him	Oath-bound promise — "I swear by myself"
Descendants described separately	Descendants described together — "through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed"
Stars of the sky (Gen 15:5)	Stars of the sky and sand on the seashore— combined imagery in one oath
Progressive revelation	Complete and final confirmation
Faith being formed	Faith fully tested and approved — "because you have obeyed me"

Key Things - Lesson 5:

• When you pass the test, God does not just bless you — he swears on himself. The promise moves from words to an oath that cannot be broken.

• Look forward to what God has for you. The test is not the end — it is the doorway to God's complete and final confirmation of his plan for your life.

Finally, Abraham came away from this trial with a deeper love for the Lord. He gained a new name for God — Jehovah Jireh, "The Lord Will Provide." He gained a deeper understanding of God's heart. And he received the greatest oath God ever made to a human being. The test was not God's cruelty — it was God's promotion.

Today, we stand as heirs of that same promise. Not because of what we have done, but because of what Abraham's faith unlocked and what Christ's sacrifice fulfilled.

[Galatians 3:29 NIV]  29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The test is not the end. It is God's way of taking you to the next level. He is the same Jehovah Jireh to bless us & provide us with all that we need. We need to be open to receive the blessing.