旧约人物：亚伯拉罕--凭信献上最好的
创世记二十二章1至14节
1这些事以后，神要试验亚伯拉罕，就呼叫他说：亚伯拉罕！他说：我在这里。
2神说：你带着你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，你所爱的以撒，往摩利亚地去，在我所要指示你的山上，把他献为燔祭。
3亚伯拉罕清早起来，备上驴，带着两个仆人和他儿子以撒，也劈好了燔祭的柴，就起身往神所指示他的地方去了。
4到了第三日，亚伯拉罕举目远远的看见那地方。
5亚伯拉罕对他的仆人说：你们和驴在此等候，我与童子往那里去拜一拜，就回到你们这里来。
6亚伯拉罕把燔祭的柴放在他儿子以撒身上，自己手里拿着火与刀；于是二人同行。
7以撒对他父亲亚伯拉罕说：父亲哪！亚伯拉罕说：我儿，我在这里。以撒说：请看，火与柴都有了，但燔祭的羊羔在那里呢？
8亚伯拉罕说：我儿，神必自己预备作燔祭的羊羔。于是二人同行。
9他们到了神所指示的地方，亚伯拉罕在那里筑坛，把柴摆好，捆绑他的儿子以撒，放在坛的柴上。
10亚伯拉罕就伸手拿刀，要杀他的儿子。
11耶和华的使者从天上呼叫他说：亚伯拉罕！亚伯拉罕！他说：我在这里。
12天使说：你不可在这童子身上下手。一点不可害他！现在我知道你是敬畏神的了；因为你没有将你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，留下不给我。
13亚伯拉罕举目观看，不料，有一只公羊，两角扣在稠密的小树中，亚伯拉罕就取了那只公羊来，献为燔祭，代替他的儿子。
14亚伯拉罕给那地方起名叫耶和华以勒(意思就是耶和华必预备的意思)，直到今日人还说：在耶和华的山上必有预备。
信息分享
同样道理，神要造就我们，愿意我们在基督里不断成长。因此，祂的教室和训练场地，往往不会是安乐窝。
以撒面对试验时有多大的年纪？圣经没有说，我们只知道他娶利百加的时候是40岁。
经文说：「神试验亚伯拉罕。」（1节）撒但试探我们，是要叫我们跌倒；但神却利用这些试验来建立我们的信心。神要亚伯拉罕献以撒为祭（2节），这个命令既奇怪也似乎没有甚么合理的理由。创世记中没有记载亚伯拉罕当时的感受和思想，甚至也没有记载他的妻子撒拉是否晓得这件事。
然而，如果细读经文，你会看到亚伯拉罕卓绝的信心。我们来看第5节他对仆人说的话：「我们去敬拜神，然后便回来」。希伯来书十一章17至19节清楚表明，亚伯拉罕信神会使以撒从死里复活，并借以撒使他的后代繁衍。
请同时留意亚伯拉罕和儿子之间的对话。他们一同前往献祭的地点。在那之后，一个更伟大的父亲和一个更伟大的儿子一同走向髑髅地。以撒有神预备好的祭品来替代，但基督却没有。祂自己成了我们和我们的罪的替代品。
让我们来读第17至18节。它说：「我必赐大福给你……因你听从了我的话。」让我们将它的次序倒转：「因你听从了我的话……我必赐大福给你。」这个原则永不改变：顺服必带来祝福。
紧记神的心意：我们要经过试验，信心才能成长。
OLD TESTAMENT HEROES: Faith Offering Its Best
Genesis 22:1-14
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
Message
In the same way God seeks only our good. His desire is to see us grow in Christ. Even so, His 'proving ground' or classrooms are not always comfortable places, are they?
How old was Isaac when this test took place? We have no idea - we only know he was 40 when he married Rebekah.
'God tested Abraham.' (v.1) Satan tempts us to pull us down. God allows tests to build up our faith. Yet there seems very little reason for God's strange command (v.2) to sacrifice Isaac. The Genesis record gives us no insight into Abraham's feelings or thoughts at that time. We are not even told if his wife Sarah knew what he was about to do.
However, if you read carefully the details, you will see Abraham's incredible faith coming through. Look at verse 5 and his words to the servants, 'We will worship, then we will come back to you.' Hebrews 11:17-19 clearly indicates that Abraham believed God could raise up Isaac from the dead and still fulfill His plans.
Notice also the conversation between the father and the son. They went together to the sacrificial spot. A greater Father and a greater Son went to Calvary together. There was a substitution for Isaac. There was none for Christ. He was the substitute for us and for our sin.
Look too at the words of verse 17 and 18. Reverse their order and take them to yourself. 'Because you have obeyed me, I will surely bless you.' That principle still holds good. Blessing always follows obedience.
REMEMBER GOD'S PLAN: Faith should always grow under testing.