Tell me what you think.
 

I already have some idea about what I think, but I am interested in your opinion as well.

In Genesis 22, we have the story of Abraham offering Isaac. Two things stick out in my mind from this story; that the scripture says "God did tempt Abraham", and that after the angel of the Lord kept Isaac alive, he said "for now I know".

Tell me how you view these two statements, please.

IN GENESIS 22.The word tempt in Hebrew means to prove.

So, did God have to prove what He in His omniscience already knew?

God chooses to live in the now realm with us, He is able to see eternity, but our walk of faith has the daily unsureness that we feel, and it's up to us to trust and obey, and submit our will to his.

If He dictated our affairs according to what he knew, we would not have a true free will because our predestined preordained ending would keep him from experiancing our love and devotion that is fresh from our heart.

His choosing to abide with us in our timeframe makes Him more real.

Also prove means to examine ,perhaps God wanted see what ole Abe was made of ?

God didn't prove it to Himself. He proved it to Abraham, because Abraham didn't already know. :nod

But the wording says "now I know", not "now Abraham knows".

Bro. Scott, look at the word "now" in that same verse.

God's Tempting of Abraham
 

I believe that God's established guiding principle of "righteousness" (see Psalms 89:14 & 97:2) demanded that He "tempt" Abraham. As someone has already noted, the word "tempt" literally implies/means to "prove." We find many instances within the context of the Bible wherein it is explicitly stated that God undertakes an act for the purpose of proving, trying, or testing the manner in which both mortal humans, as well as angelic beings, are subjected to a "testing" of His right of rulership over them.

In the garden of Eden, God "tempted" (that is to say, sought to test/try/prove) Adam's willingness to have God exercise rulership over him. We also find that chief among the reasons why the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years was for the purpose of "trying" them.

James was inspired of God to write and inform us that "The trying of your faith worketh patience." (James 1:3) Peter also wrote to tell us: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:..." (I Peter 4:12)

These things only "scratch the surface" of the many things which could be written on this issue. I hope that the few that I have noted might be helpful in some small way.

Sort of an anthropomorphism? Perhaps it was more for Abrahams benefit and his posterity.

I noticed Abraham did not complain or question God..