阅读经文 

亚伯拉罕经过了多次信心的考验。神呼召亚伯拉罕去到另一个地方，他照做了。（参创 12:1-7）神应许给亚伯拉罕一个后嗣，他也相信了。（参创 15:4-6）神说，亚伯拉罕家的所有男子都要受割礼，成为神与他和属他的后裔所立之约的标记，亚伯拉罕也照做了。（参创 17:9-14）

但现在亚伯拉罕面临着一个最艰难的考验。在得了他的儿子以撒并在他的成长中看到神的应许成就之后，神告诉亚伯拉罕要把以撒献上。因此，亚伯拉罕信神甚至可以使死人复活来成就祂的应许，（参来 11:19）他最终以顺服回应了神。亚伯拉罕爱以撒，但他更爱神。而且神持守了祂所有的应许。所以亚伯拉罕信靠神。

以撒说：“火与柴都有了，可是献燔祭用的羊羔在哪里呢？”亚伯拉罕说：“我儿，神必自己预备作燔祭的羊羔。”亚伯拉罕就筑了一座祭坛，准备把他的儿子在那里献上。（参创 22:7-10）

但神不希望以撒被献祭；神所要的是亚伯拉罕的舍己之爱。在这动人心魄的信仰考验中，神预先向我们表明，祂的独生子耶稣将为救赎我们被献上。对于以撒，神预备了一只替代的羔羊，而耶稣为我们成了神预备的羔羊。神“没有顾惜自己的儿子，为我们众人舍了祂的命”。（参罗 8:32）

Abraham had already passed through several tests of his faith in God. God had called Abraham to move to another land, and he did (Genesis 12:1-7). God had promised to give Abraham an heir, and he believed (15:4-6). God had said that all the males in Abraham's household were to be circumcised to be part of God's covenant with him and his descendants, so Abraham did that too (17:9-27).

But now Abraham faced the hardest test of all. After receiving his son Isaac and seeing him grow in fulfillment of God's promises, Abraham was told by God to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. So, trusting that God could even raise the dead and keep his promises (see Hebrews 11:19), Abraham responded in obedience. Abraham loved Isaac, but he loved God more. And God had kept all his promises. So Abraham trusted God.

Isaac said, "The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb, my son." Abraham then prepared the altar and got ready to offer his son there.

But God did not want Isaac sacrificed; God wanted Abraham's love. In this gripping test of faith, God was pointing ahead to show that Jesus, his only Son, would become a sacrifice for us. For Isaac there was a substitute lamb, and Jesus became the Lamb of God for us. God "did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:32).