I thought God would never test anyone’s allegiance to Him. Is that right?
In reality, the Lord often tests our allegiance or our faith in Him. One good example is found in Abraham. We read in Genesis 22:1-2, “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”” (NASB). In this extraordinary chapter, the Lord tested Abraham’s faith in Himself. Did Abraham trust the Lord enough to do what He asked Him to do even though it seemed contrary to all that he knew about the Lord and the Lord’s promises to him?
We read earlier in Genesis 17:19, “But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” The covenant the Lord had made with Abraham would continue through his son, Isaac, and his descendants. Yet here the Lord is telling Abraham to kill Isaac, who at this point, had no descendants. How did Abraham react to this test of faith? We read in Genesis 22:3, “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 wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” Not only did Abraham obey the Lord, he obeyed Him immediately! Getting some rest and rising early, Abraham began his journey in faith. He fully expected to offer Isaac as an offering to the Lord. He fully expected that Isaac would die, yet he told his servants in verse 5, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”
How can we understand what Abraham was thinking at this point? Hebrews 11:17-19 tells us, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.” Abraham expected to slay his dear son, believing that God would raise him from the dead. Remarkable faith! I encourage you to read Genesis 22 to learn about this testing of Abraham’s faith. Just as Abraham was about to slay his son, we read the words of the Lord in verse 12, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” What a test of faith! Abraham passed this great test. His faith in the Lord was evidenced in the greatest way.
Just prior to the Lord’s people entering the land of Canaan, we read Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 8:1-2, “All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers. You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, TESTING YOU, TO KNOW WHAT WAS IN YOUR HEART, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”
The Lord doesn’t test us because He doesn’t know how faithful, we are. Instead, He tests us because WE don’t know how faithful, we are…and we’ll only realize it when times of testing come. The psalmist prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; TRY ME and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24).
We have these encouraging words in James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (442.4)