Why Did God Test Abraham?

"God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" and he said, "Here I am."

God said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

God had spoken to Abraham many times, so there must have been no mistake in Abraham's mind that this was God. He must have been shocked and asked why and tried to argue with God, but the scriptures don't record it.

Why did God test Abraham in this way? After Abraham obeyed God and took Isaac and was about to kill him, God prevented it and came and said, "Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

At first, I thought this was an unusual test for one man. But things have happened in my life to show me that is not true. I now believe this test is given to every person.

Many years ago, when my daughters were young adults, something happened that caused them great suffering. I began to question God's love and goodness. I decided that if he could allow such suffering I wanted nothing to do with him. I left him for five years. I couldn't bear to speak to him. But one thing I did do; I read every book I could find on why God allowed suffering.

Finally, at the end of that time, I gave up. I hated living without God. I understood more thoroughly why God allowed suffering and asked him into my life again. I told him I might possibly get mad at him again and I heard him speak to my mind, "I can take anything you can dish out."

A few years later, my daughter Christine contracted strep throat. She became very ill and none of the antibiotics would work. They said she had one of those new "super bugs." They had to take her tonsils out. After she was home she began spitting up blood. She grew pale and shaky and her husband took her to the hospital. As they drove away, I knew she could die. I had known she could die of this illness at Christmas time when she was in the hospital and couldn't swallow, then got allergic to penicillin and her tongue swelled up.

She had suffered terrible pain, and I didn't know what would happen now. I looked up to God and told him I trusted him. If he let her die, I would accept it. I prayed for her, but I said, "Your will be done, not mine." It was an awful day.

When Christine went to emergency blood began to spew out of her mouth. They had to do an emergency surgery right then and there. Apparently, the surgeon had nicked something in her throat and it had now opened up. If she hadn't made it to the hospital on time, she would have died.

I think we are all tested on whether we will trust God when someone we love is suffering. Whether our children have an illness, or our husband leaves us or our mother dies or we have an illness ourselves. Will we blame God and hate him for it? Will we turn from him, or will we trust him. Do we love our family and ourselves more than God?

Jesus addressed this in Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

Since Jesus had already preached how we must love everyone, including our enemies, he must not have meant we should hate people. He must have meant we are to put him first in our life above all others, even our own lives. Will we trust him in the face of death and suffering?

I was a tough case, it took me a long time to learn to trust God, yet he waited patiently for me. Then I was tested again. In the beginning, I thought I had loved and trusted God, but I didn't. When sorrow came, I turned away. This was shown to me and then it was up to me what to do about it. I hope I have truly learned to trust him.