Testing – God is testing Abraham – how far will he go? Does Abraham love me for me or only for what I have given him? Testing – Abraham is testing God – what kind of God or Friend makes these requests? Testing – Both wondering just how far Abraham will go, both wondering how far God will allow him to go?
The boy and his father reach the site. Abraham builds the altar, God looking to see whether Abraham will take the next step and Abraham wondering when and if God will stop the process.
Abraham binds his son Isaac in preparation for the sacrifice, God looking to see whether Abraham will take the next step and Abraham wondering when and if God will stop the process?
Abraham places his bound son Isaac on the altar. Nothing is heard from Isaac, the focus is only on Abraham, and Abraham’s focus is on God’s silence, God looking to see whether Abraham will take the next step and Abraham wondering when and if God will stop the process.
Abraham reaches for the knife and raises it towards his son, God looking to see whether Abraham will take the next step and Abraham wondering when and if God will stop the process.
God blinks.
Fearful that Abraham would indeed take the next step, God calls out to Abraham to drop the knife. “Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou art a god fearing man, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.
God looking to see whether Abraham will take the next step, now knows he will, and Abraham wondering when and if God will stop the process, now knows that God will stop before Isaac’s life is lost.
We have come to the end of this testing of friendship. Both God and Abraham have won.