At the age of 75, Abraham enrolled in the “School of Faith.” Now he was over 100, and he was still having soul-stretching experiences. We are never too old to face new challenges, fight new battles, and learn new truths. When we stop learning, we stop growing; and when we stop growing, we stop living.
亚伯拉罕75岁时加入了“信心之府”。现在年已百岁的他仍面临属灵的考验。我们需要以“活到老,学到老”的精神持续面对新挑战、新考验及新真理。当我们停止学习时，我们就会停止成长；当我们停止成长，生命也会止息。
Genesis 22 records the greatest test that Abraham ever faced. Offering Isaac on the altar was the hardest test Abraham ever faced, but he came through victoriously because he trusted God (Heb. 11:17–19). He had experienced resurrection power in his own body (Rom. 4:19–21), so he knew what God could do. It was a test of faith, whether he will trust God. This is far more difficult than the previous tests involving Lot and Ishmael.
《创世记》22章记载了亚伯拉罕所面临的最大考验。将以撒献在祭坛上是亚伯拉罕一生最大考验，但他因为信靠神而得胜了（来 11:17-19）。他曾经亲身的经历了复活的大能（罗4:19-21），所以他知道神必定也能使以撒复活。这是对信心的考验，审查亚伯拉罕是否会相信神。这远远比早前有关罗得和以实玛利的考验来得更大。
It was also a test of hope, for God’s plan of salvation for the world was wrapped up in Isaac. If Isaac died, how could the Jewish nation be built and the Savior be born? But Abraham had a living hope because he trusted in the living God (1 Pet. 1:3).
这也是对盼望的考验，因神拯救世界的计划与以撒息息相关。如果以撒死了，犹太民族将如何建立起来，救主怎么诞生呢？但亚伯拉罕有生命的盼望，因为他相信永生的神（彼前1:3）。
Certainly it was a test of love. In verse 2, you find the first use of the word love in the Bible. Abraham loved his son, but he loved God more. Isaac was God’s gift to Abraham, but the gift had to become a sacrifice to God. If the gift becomes more important than the Giver, it becomes an idol.
当然，这也是对爱的考验。在第2节中，你会发现“爱”这字首次出现在圣经里。亚伯拉罕爱他的儿子，但他更爱神。以撒是神赐给亚伯拉罕的礼物，但这礼物也必须成为献给神的祭物。如果礼物比赐予礼物的神更加重要，那神的礼物就成为偶像了。
After He tests us, God reveals Himself to us in a new way (John 14:21–23). The name Jehovah-Yireh means “the Lord will see to it” or “the Lord will provide.” The ram was God’s provision for Isaac, and Jesus Christ is God’s provision for the whole world. In this experience, Abraham saw Christ by faith and rejoiced (John 8:56).
神考验了我们之后，祂会以新的方式向揭示自己（约14:21-23）。耶和华以勒意思是“耶和华会看顾”或“主耶和华必预备”。公羊是神为以撒预备的，而耶稣基督是神为全世界预备的。通过这次的考验，亚伯拉罕因着信看见基督并欢喜（约8:56）。
Praying the Scripture 用经文祷告
- The command to Abraham to sacrifice his son was repeated thrice by God in verses 2, 12 and 16. This would mean killing the son and ending the promise of the Abrahamic Covenant. Such action would seem illogical, irrational and incomprehensible, yet Abraham obeyed (v. 3). This was a test of faith and test of hope – whether you can trust God even if you do not understand. Pray that you will remember that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts. (Isa 55:9)
神三次命令亚伯拉罕把自己的儿子献上（2，12和16节）。这相等于要杀死自己的儿子，终止亚伯拉罕之约的应许。这样的命令似乎不合逻辑、不合理、更难以理解，但亚伯拉罕却顺服了（3节）。这是对信心和盼望的考验——即使我们无法明白的时候，我们是否愿意信靠神？请祷告你会谨记：神的道路高过我们的道路，祂的意念高过我们的意念（赛55:9）。
- The Lord knew Abraham loved his son dearly: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love. (Gen 22:2) This is his only son he got after waiting for 100 years. The test is whether Abraham love his son more than God. If our hearts desire anything more than God, that desire, regardless good or bad, becomes our idol. What is the ultimate desire of your heart? In a sense, we are also being tested like Abraham every day. Do we love God more than anything in the world? Let’s pray that we love God more anything in the world.
主知道亚伯拉罕非常疼爱自己的儿子：“你带着你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，你所爱的以撒。”（创22:2）这也是他等待了100年后唯一的儿子。这次的考验是要测试亚伯拉罕是否爱自己的儿子，过于爱神。如果我们对任何事物的渴望是大于神的，无论它是好是坏，那已成为我们的偶像。你心里最大的渴望是什么呢？在某种程度上，我们每天也在经历像亚伯拉罕一样的考验。我们爱神过于爱世界的任何事物吗？请祷告我们确实爱神超过世界上任何的事物。
