1. To test Abraham's (and Isaac's) will to obey.
   
   
2. To test Abraham's belief in God's rightful dominion over the creation and His consequent right to take the life of any creature, for God is the author of life and death.
   
   
3. To test Abraham's belief in God's wisdom. For, although, reason tells us that killing our (innocent) children is against the natural law and is contrary to justice, nevertheless, God's wisdom is greater than human wisdom, and God expected Abraham to believe that He had His reasons.
   
   
4. To test Abraham's belief in God's goodness, that God could never command a sin to be committed. Indeed, if a sovereign orders his subject to perform an evil act, then the former is not thereby excused, but in fact his culpability is even greater than that of the subject. This reasoning applies to God especially by virtue of the greatness of His power and the extent of His dominion. Further, if God were to order a person to commit a sin and then punish him for doing so (although perhaps less than for disobeying), then this would clearly be unjust. If He were to order a person to commit a sin and then reward him, then this would effectively nullify the existing spiritual law and establish another, at least in this one case. So this would be a very strange miracle. Besides, laws of the spirit may have a different status from the laws of the material universe, and it is doubful that God could reward a person for acts that make him less like God.

   In other words, obedience to a God thought to be unholy and wicked was useless. That Abraham passed this test is attested by his saying that "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." (Gen 22:8) It would seem at first glance that the best way for Abraham to comply in this case would have been to refuse to sacrifice Isaac; nevertheless, this would have caused him to fail the first test. Further, God knew Abraham's state of mind, and that was surely enough for Him.
   
   

5. To test Abraham's belief in God's trustworthiness in keeping promises, for God had said to Abraham previously: "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations." (Gen 17:4) To permit the sacrifice of Isaac would have meant that God was a liar, and Abraham had to discard that idea.

Since God never had the intention of allowing the sacrifice to be completed, there is no inconsistency with His prohibition of child sacrifice to Israel as described in Leviticus.

October 5, 2006