But a great trial was to come to Abraham to test his faith in God. The Lord said to 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." Genesis 22:2. What a terrible test this was! How could God's promise be fulfilled if Isaac should die? But Abraham did not distrust God nor question His command. He believed that if Isaac should die God would "raise him up, even from the dead." Hebrews 11:19. Early the next morning Abraham took Isaac and two of his servants and prepared for the long journey. They cut the wood and bound it to the back of his beast, and started for the place of sacrifice. None but Abraham knew of the awful command of God. His heart was very sad as they journeyed three days in silence. [Illustration: Ascent of Mount Moriah.] On the third day they came in sight of the mountain God had appointed as the place of sacrifice. "And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship. "And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together." Genesis 22:5, 6. As the two walked on in silence, Isaac finally asked, "My father," "behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" This was the first time this question had been asked on the journey. What pain it must have brought to the heart of the loving father! He could not tell him yet, so he said, "God will prepare himself a lamb for a burnt offering." [Illustration: "Lay not thine hands upon the lad."] At last they came to the appointed place. They built an altar and placed upon it the wood. Abraham must now tell his son the command that God had given. He could keep it no longer. Isaac heard the message of his fate in sorrow, but he did not resist. Abraham was a hundred and twenty years old, and weak from grief. Isaac was twenty years old, and strong and vigorous. He could have escaped if he had desired to do so, but he, too, had faith in God, and was obedient to his parents. Isaac let his aged father bind him down to the wood upon the altar, just as Jesus was to let Himself be nailed to a cross of wood. The last good-bye had been said, and the last tender words spoken. Then Abraham raised the knife to slay his son. But before the stroke could fall, an angel calls to him from Heaven, "Abraham, Abraham!" And the patriarch answers, "Here am I." Then the angel said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." Genesis 22:12.