Genesis 22:12

Lay not thine hand upon the lad.

"Sacrifice and offering, and burnt offering and sacrifice for sin thou wouldest not, neither had pleasure in them: Lo,. come to do thy will,. God." The Father of the Faithful, the great type of all the heroes of the Faith, had demonstrated his supreme submission to the will of God. The divine purpose was accomplished. It was no part of that purpose that. human sacrifice should be offered, but was intended to show forth that there must be an unconditional, unreserved submission to the divine will.

I know that thou fearest God.

Theodoret very correctly says: "God tried Abraham, not that he might learn what he knew already, but that he might show to others with how great justice he loved the patriarch." He wished also to show to all mankind just what kind of. character he loved; one who has taken his own will and laid it as. sacrifice on the altar of God. Origen notes that God commends Abraham that "he did not withhold his son, his only son" from him, and that God did not withhold his Son, his only Son, from us, "but freely gave him up for us all."