Why was Abraham asked to kill Isaac?

Answer 1

Context. Context. Context.

It is a story about God testing Abraham's faith.

Abraham lived hundreds of years before the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and the Jewish people.

Abraham lived in a society where human sacrifice and child sacrifice was the normal thing to do.

God was just beginning to reveal himself to mankind and Abraham did not have the Bible or much of anything else to go on.

Abraham knew that his son was a gift from God. If God demanded that Abraham kill the son, then Abraham, although it probably broke his heart, would do it.

Under the same circumstances (context) would we be able to follow God's will?

Under the much easier circumstances that we live in today, can we follow God's will as Jesus revealed it to us?

With the Ten Commandments, the Prophets, and especially Jesus Christ as part of our current circumstances (context), God would not put us to this test.

But we do have similar issues to tackle, like abortion where we kill our children who are miraculous gifts from God just like Isaac was to Abraham.

In abortion we sacrifice our children to the gods of lust, convenience, economy, and selfishness.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

As most people who have answered have shown, it was a test of Abraham's faith, and for God to see if he would obey and trust God to any extent. (God does NOT know in advance what people will do under all circumstances, as many mistakenly profess. That is what this life is all about -- a test.)

However, there is an aspect that is lacking in the above answers. God was also setting a dynamic prophecy of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Abraham was a type of God the Father, and Isaac a type of Jesus Christ. God portrays these prophetic types of the Father and Jesus many times in the Old Testament.

Answer 3

He asked this in order to test Abraham's faith primarily. A second reason was to portray in advance for us the lengths He would go to in order to show us His love.

A little known fact is that the mountain He was told to sacrifice Isaac on, Mount Moriah, through the spans of time would come to be know as Calvary. Thus, the mountain that God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and eventually spared, would one day become the very hill that God would sacrifice His one and only Son.

Why is this important? It shows us that whenever God asks something of us we can rest assured that He will never ask something of us that He would not willing do Himself, the ultimate aspect of leadership.

Answer 4

Abraham proved his faithfulness to God by his willingness to sacrifice his son and God proved His faithfulness to Abraham in providing a ram as a sacrifice so Isaac could live and fulfil the promise made to Abraham.

God keeps his promises. Abraham believe it.

Answer 5

To prophetically illustrate what God would do with his own son, about 2,000 years into Abraham's future, and to demonstrate the strength of Abraham's faith ... to both Abraham, and his son Isaac.

Answer 6

The question, "Why was Abraham asked to kill Isaac?" is given. God was allowing Abraham to prove his faith to himself. God already knew what He was going to do.

Answer 7

As a test of Abraham's faith in God.
(Abraham had already received the promise the God would bless the world through Abraham's son, Issac.)

Genesis 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Answer 8

Ultimately, as the father of faith, an example of obedience to the Father who would provide a way through the Son of the Father.

Answer 9

It would be more proper to say "sacrificed".

It was God testing the faith of Abraham .

Answer 10

To test Abraham's faith? Read the part in your bible again. :)