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“Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test . . . He said, ‘Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the hills that I will point out to you’” (Genesis 22:1-2). The test was frightening, but Abraham retained his belief in God. Since the divine imperative he had received through prophecy was clear and categorical, he humbly obeyed it. Although Abraham did not understand the reason or purpose behind the command, he knew it emanated from God – Creator of the world and source of life, goodness, truth, justice, and morality – so he accepted it. He woke up early, took his only son to Mount Moriah, and bound him on the altar in preparation for the sacrifice. Suddenly, an angel called to Abraham from heaven with a message from God:
“Abraham! Abraham! . . . Do not raise your hand against the boy or do anything to him. For I know now that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me . . . By Myself I swear, the Lord declares: Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your favored one, I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sand on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes. All the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your descendants, because you have listened to My voice” (Genesis 22:11-12 and 16-18).
It was clear in retrospect that God never intended for Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Such was the practice of the surrounding idol worshipers, who would sacrifice their children to appease their gods. Rather, God wanted to reveal the power of Abraham and Isaac who were willing to sacrifice everything in order to reveal God’s word and bring blessing to the world. Centuries later, the Divine Presence dwelled on Mount Moriah, the place of the binding, and the Jews built the Holy Temple there. For generations, the binding of Isaac has served as a stellar model of faith, a symbol of self-sacrifice to sanctify God’s name and the ultimate portrayal of faith and morality in the world.
