The Expression & Correlation Of God’s Heart: The Test To Which Abraham Was Put

“God tests Abraham, telling him to take his only son, Isaac, whom he loves, and offer him as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah.” -Genesis 22:12

When I think of Abraham and the promised child Isaac, I think to myself how much the Lord looks upon us with a loving heart to give Abraham such a promise.

On the other hand, I also think to myself of how we, as people, not understanding the heart of the Lord, put things in another direction when it comes to understanding His heart for us.

What I want you to see here is the test that the Lord put to Abraham in order to help us bring about the correlation between Abraham and what the Father has for us in Christ. Let me explain.

First, the Father promised a child to Abraham and Sarah when it was literally impossible for either of them to physically produce children because of their ages and barrenness (Genesis 18:9-15).

Then, after the promise was fulfilled and Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5), the second thing we discover is that the Lord then put Abraham to the test of heart concerning that promise, to sacrifice his own promised son.

Now also consider that Isaac was the Lord’s idea, not Abraham’s. The Bible is clear when it tells us in Matthew 6:33, we are to, “…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

In other words, “…and all these things shall be added unto you” come secondary to the Lord.

When we look at Matthew 13:45-46 we find that the kingdom of Heaven, when it is found, is “…like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

Therefore, one that finds the Lord sells all that he/she has, not the other way around (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Can you imagine the pain and the anguish, the mental suffering and torment that Abraham was going through when asked to sacrifice his promised child?

Like so many of us, I’m sure Abraham would have given away everything that he had owned to ensure the life of his child could be preserved. Yet, we find that the test merely reveals that the Lord wanted to know if He had the throne of Abraham’s heart first and foremost (Deuteronomy 8:2).

Today, in contrast to Abraham, I truly wonder how many of those who talk of how they love the Lord would pass the same test that Abraham did? They will discover the idols that they serve by not obeying the Lord the way that Abraham did, such as their husbands, their wives, their children, their friends, their businesses, their ministries, their wealth, their homes, their cars, etc. (Luke 14:26).

Friends, remember, the Lord is not going to bless you with something that is going to put an idol in His place. Never. He does not bless His children with idols; He dethrones them (1 Samuel 5:4).

Yet, again, if the Lord does bless you, often, like Abraham, it will be put to the test (Matthew 6:33).

Let’s go through this…

Do you remember when the Lord demanded that Abraham take Isaac, the promised child, that he might put him on the altar unto the Lord?

Here is the breakdown account from Genesis 22.

The Command

God tests Abraham, telling him to take his only son, Isaac, whom he loves, and offer him as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah (Genesis 22:1–2).

The Journey

Abraham rises early, saddles his donkey, takes two servants and Isaac, and travels for three days to the designated mountain (Genesis 22:3–4).

The Ascent

Abraham leaves the servants behind, lays the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac, and carries the fire and knife himself (Genesis 22:5–6).

Isaac’s Question

Isaac asks where the lamb is for the burnt offering. Abraham replies that God will provide a lamb. Genesis 22:7–8

The Altar

Abraham builds an altar, binds Isaac, places him on the wood, and reaches for the knife to slay him (Genesis 22:9–10).

The Angel’s Intervention

An angel of the Lord calls from heaven to stop Abraham, noting that his fear of God is proven because he did not withhold his son (Genesis 22:11–12).

The Provision & Blessing

Abraham sees a ram caught in a thicket by its horns, and sacrifices it instead. He names the place Jehovah-jireh, and the Lord reaffirms a massive blessing upon his descendants.

Did you notice that when the Lord saw Abraham’s faithfulness unto Him (that He had the throne of his heart), what the Lord said unto him?

“for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” -Genesis 22:12

The Lord wanted to see from Abraham what took precedence in his own heart: the blessing that the Lord gave, or the very One that gave the blessing.

And once he passed the test, we read:

“And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” -Genesis 22:15-18

Friends, do you see the relation of Abraham and the Father, and the expression of His love towards us, sacrificing His Son to redeem us back unto Himself. Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” -John 1:29

There is a profound prophetic symbol or model of God the Father’s sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is the Father’s heart towards us.

Let me now show you some key parallels between Isaac and Jesus Christ.

Typological Element

Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22) – Jesus Christ (New Testament)

The Son Offered

God commands Abraham to sacrifice his “beloved son, your only son, Isaac” (Gen. 22:2) – God the Father sends His “only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

Carrying the Wood

Isaac carries the wood for the burnt offering up the mountain (Gen. 22:6) – Jesus carries His own wooden cross up to Golgotha (John 19:17).

The Location

The sacrifice takes place in the region of Moriah (Gen. 22:2), traditionally linked to the Jerusalem temple/calvary region – Jesus is crucified on a hill just outside Jerusalem.

The Outcome / Substitute

Isaac is spared at the last moment, and God provides a ram caught in a thicket as a substitute (Gen. 22:13) – Jesus is not spared, acting as the ultimate Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Resurrection Imagery

Abraham believes God can raise Isaac from the dead; receiving him back is described “in a figurative sense” as coming from death (Heb. 11:19) – Jesus physically rises from the dead on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3–4).

The Heart of God Revealed

While Abraham’s test measured his own obedience and faith, the dramatic reversal on Mount Moriah underscores the core contrast and revelation of the Gospel:

• Human Sacrifice Halted: God stops Abraham from harming Isaac, demonstrating that the Lord does not require human sacrifice.

• The Father Who Does Not Withhold: Romans 8:32 makes the direct theological connection: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

• Divine Provision: Just as Abraham named the place “The Lord Will Provide” (Jehovah Jireh) because God supplied the ram, Christian theology views the cross as God Himself providing the ultimate substitute that humanity could never provide: God’s own Son, Jesus the Christ.