Why did God test Abraham if He already knew his heart?

Whosoever Will, The Gift Was Certainty: We tend to think God tests us so that He can find out what is in our hearts. It is a natural assumption, and it is wrong. God is omniscient. He already knew the depth of Abraham's faith before Abraham ever loaded the wood or sharpened the knife. The test on Moriah did not tell God anything He did not already possess. So read the purpose again. The test was never for His information. It was for Abraham's. That single correction changes the whole account. Before Moriah, Abraham's faith was real, but it was untested, and an untested faith is still in some measure a theory to the one who holds it. A man can believe he would lay down everything for God and never once have been asked to prove it. He carries the belief like a coin he has never spent, certain of its value because he has never had to hand it over. Moriah was the spending of the coin. Abraham raised the knife over the son of promise, and in that moment the theory became experience. He came down the mountain knowing, with no daylight left between what he professed and what he was. Scripture, King James Version: Genesis 22:1, "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.".

Verified. Every scripture quotation on this page has been checked word-for-word against the King James text. Last reviewed 2026-10-18.

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Why did God test Abraham if He already knew his heart? → wsb.bible/answers/why-did-god-test-abraham-if-he-already-knew-his-heart

This answer is the short form. The argument is made at length in The Gift Was Certainty.

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