Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but God tests us to bring out the best! The most severe tests do not come from people, but from the Lord; and yet the greatest blessings always accompany them. It is the saint that walks closest to the Lord that God tests for His glory.
When God told Abraham that Isaac must be offered as a burnt offering, He was testing Abraham's faith. True faith is always tested! God did not want Isaac's life, He wanted Abraham's heart. Isaac was dear to Abraham, and God wanted to be sure that Isaac was not an idol, standing between Him and Abraham. Abraham proved that he loved God even to the point of sacrificing his own son. Abraham's obedience brought joy to God, and God's response was one that brought joy to Abraham.
The offering of Isaac is a wonderful type of Christ. Isaac was born miraculously to a woman too old to bear children; Christ was also born miraculously to a woman who had never known a man. Both Christ and Isaac were persecuted by their brethren, and both were obedient unto death. Isaac carried the wood for the altar, and Christ carried the cross. Isaac questioned his father, and Christ asked, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?".
As Christians, we should remember that God is never late. Just as He supplied the ram as a substitute for Isaac, He will always supply the substitute required when our faith is tested.
