As related in the twenty-second chapter of Genesis the story of Abraham and Isaac, when interpreted literally, presents to mankind a concept of God which might even make Him seem to be a bloody Moloch, demanding human sacrifice as a token of unquestioning obedience to His commands. St. Paul has well said, "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." Let us then consider the true spiritual meaning of this familiar story of the Old Testament. The Bible narrative opens with the statement that "God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, ... Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."
The phrase "God did tempt Abraham" seems to ascribe to perfect and changeless good an evil nature, delighting in the betrayal of the race of Adam into misconduct and misfortune. St. Paul, however, defines the word "tempt" as "tried," as appears from this sentence in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews: "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac."
The prophet Habakkuk, and St. James also, fully realized the utter impossibility of the destructive element of evil existing in infinite and immortal good. "Thou art," exclaims Habakkuk, "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." St. James, recognizing the true nature of good, rebuked mortal mind when he said, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." Evil, then, is a mere invention or false belief of the carnal mind, and has no existence except in this so-called supposititious state of consciousness. So the phrase "God did tempt Abraham" means simply that God tried Abraham,—put to a supreme test this patriarch's trust in good.
