Why Command Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac?

I came across a young man questioning the wisdom of God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. I prayed Lord give me what to say. Here it is...

“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.”

The point of Abraham's testing was to reveal his own heart to himself. God obviously knows the end from the beginning. He also knows our thoughts afar off. Abraham was challenged with sacrificing the most important and beloved thing he had, his son Isaac. Turns out that he was willing to go through with God's command because of his vehement love for God.

Sometimes we don't know how we'll respond in a given situation until we are right there in it. I saw a lot of people jumping to their deaths from the Twin Towers on 9/11. They may have never ever considered suicide until they were faced with no escape from the burning buildings. God showed Abraham his own heart.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, their innocent eyes were opened and they died a spiritual death. God killed an innocent animal to make clothing for their nakedness. Because of that God said without the shedding of blood is no remission for sin. That's why innocent animals were sacrificed. It was not for God's enjoyment, it is the consequence of sin. The psalmist David said to God, "You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise." God prefers a soul that is broken about the wrong they did, not dead animals.

The Lord did not allow Abraham to go through with killing his son, proving that it was only a test. When God says, "Now I know..." it is clearly allegorical since He is all-knowing. And, because we needed the shedding of blood for the penalty of our sin, God proved His love by sacrificing His son that we believers might live as a result. God is a jealous God but His love is not selfish. As our Creator, He longs for our love and devotion to Him only, and His decisions are not for selfish gain, they're for our profit.

That young man asks hard questions, and many others also ponder them and are afraid to ask. I'm glad he asked. The message of the cross may seem like foolishness but it is the power of God to save the perishing... to reclaim our dying souls for eternal life instead of eternal damnation. It is written, "In the wisdom of God it pleased Him through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." I hope this helped him.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove