The declaration of the apostle James that "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man," is seemingly contradicted by the statement in Genesis that "God did tempt Abraham." The word "tempt" is generally used in the sense of influencing, or endeavoring to influence one to do wrong, but it also means "to prove; to test; to try." It was in the latter sense that "God did tempt Abraham." Abraham was not tempted to do wrong, but he was tempted in the sense that his faith in God was put to the test. It was required of him that he go into the land of Moriah and offer up, as a burnt offering, his only son, Isaac.
To us, who can look back upon his experience and see how his son was restored to him, it is difficult to realize how great was the trial to the grand old patriarch. Isaac was his only son, and in him was the only hope of the fulfilment of the promise, made forty years before, that the seed of Abraham should be as the stars of heaven. This demand seemed to take away his last hope, but his faith in God never wavered; he believed that in some way the promise would be fulfilled.
To obey, it was necessary to take three steps. First: "Take now thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest." Second: "Get thee into the land of Moriah." Third: "Offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." The first and second made the third possible.
