Why did God test Abraham? (Gen 22:1-19)

I must admit that this passage used to strike fear in my heart (and still does to some extent). Coming from a Christian background where obedience was emphasised above all, this incident in Abraham’s life always evoked for me the image of a stern God who demands anything that might be precious to us and wants to destroy our joy and happiness. I realise that for many, this reading is also troubling because God seemingly demands child sacrifice when the rest of Scripture is clear that such a thing is wrong. Once again, I shall return to this second question in a separate post, but for now, it is important to read this story on its own terms and reflect on what it intends to communicate.

Why test Abraham?

God is testing Abraham and that immediately raises questions. Surely, God can see into the human heart, so why does He need to test him? Also, what is the test about? When God puts someone to the test, it is often transformative for the person undergoing it, much like testing or assaying precious metals separates them from the dross.[1] This works on the principle that the former do not oxidise on high temperatures, so that for instance, in an alloy, lead oxidises when heated, while silver does not and the latter can be extracted by the procedure. It is also the case that enduring testing times becomes a witness to outsiders. Thus, Abraham is forever remembered for his faithfulness to God. While God’s election of him was not based on any of his qualities, as if he had earned the Lord’s choice of him, nevertheless, his obedience strengthened that bond with God, so that the promises of blessing and nationhood were affirmed because of his obedience (Gen 22:16-18). Finally, God’s testimony that ‘Now I know that you fear God’ (Gen 22:12) suggests that He is not a remote manipulator clinically observing human suffering while knowing all along how it will turn out but one who is engaged in the relationship and where He cares about the outcome.[2]

What the test is about

The statement also clarifies what the test was about. Fear of God in the Old Testament does not mean dread or terror but respect, awe and acknowledgement of God and His presence. People who fear God know that He sees what they are doing and because they respect Him, they live godly lives, so that the phrase becomes a shorthand for faithfulness and obedience to the Lord. God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice his son, then, is a test to see where Abraham’s affections and commitment lie. Does he love God more than His gifts and blessings? It is easy to see why someone would follow God when they benefit from the relationship. This is, in fact, the gist of the accusation against Job who was richly blessed by God (‘does Job fear God for nothing?’ – Job 1:9). It is when we are stripped of those benefits God gives that our true affections are revealed. Are we fair-weather friends of God or do we cling to Him still when the going gets rough? God’s Word probes and cuts deep into our hearts.

Why tests are necessary

Scripture often presents us with dramatic situations where particular issues come into sharp focus. Although our experience is likely to be more mundane, the question this passage poses is still relevant. Do we love God for His own sake? Sometimes it is hard to know how we might react until we are stripped of what we value, whether it is certain people that we rely on more than on God Himself, financial stability, a fulfilling career, health, or something else. God, however, is not cruel when He puts our commitment to the test. Rather, He knows that real and flourishing life only comes from a right relationship with Him. It is when we trust Him and Him alone that we are renewed and are made whole. If our hearts are captured by people and things, even good and necessary ones and ones that God has given us, we turn away from Him and slowly lose our connection to the source of LIFE. When we live like that, we let death slowly take over in a spiritual sense. May we be people who choose God above all.

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[1] Walter Moberly reflects on the nature of testing for transformation and on the analogy of metallurgy inherent in some OT passages on testing. The Bible, Theology and Faith: A Study of Abraham and Jesus (Cambridge: CUP, 2000), 97-102.

[2] Ibid., 105-106. The question of God’s knowing is a difficult one. Some interpreters argue that He really does not know the outcome in advance because He has given us free choice, others dismiss the doubts around God’s omniscience (all-knowing) and argue that the sentence reads ‘so that you may know’, i.e. the person tested or outsiders may know. Yet others read the phrase as merely anthropomorphic (human-shaped) language about God, i.e. a characterisation of God as if He were a human being (similar to talking about God’s hands/arms as if He had human shape). While Moberly’s reflection does not solve the dilemma of God’s omniscience and human free will, it draws attention to the dynamics of the relationship with God, that He is engaged in the relationship and how human beings respond to adversity matters to Him.

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