The Testament of Abraham

Now when the archistrategos heard this word, he immediately became invisible. And going up into heaven, he stood before God and reported everything he had seen in Abraham’s house.

The archistrategos also said this to the Master: “And your friend Abraham says this: ‘I will not follow you, but do what you command.’ ”

“But now, Master Almighty, what does your glory and immortal kingdom command?”

Then God said to the archistrategos Michael, “Go to my friend Abraham yet again, and speak to him thus:

‘Thus says the Lord your God, who brought you into the land of promise, who blessed you more than the sand of the sea and more than the stars of heaven,

who opened the barren womb of Sarah and granted you Isaac, the fruit of the womb, in your old age.

Truly I say to you, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring, and I will give you all that you ask from me, for I am the Lord your God, and besides me there is no other.

But why do you resist me, and what is your sorrow? Declare it! And why do you resist my archangel Michael?

Or do you not know that all from Adam and Eve have died? And no one among the prophets escaped death. And none of the kings is immortal. No one among the patriarchs escaped the mystery of death. All have died, all have settled in Hades, all are gathered by the sickle of death.

But upon you I did not send death; I did not allow a deadly illness to come upon you. I did not permit the sickle of death to meet you; I did not permit the nets of Hades to entangle you. I never wished for any evil to meet you.

But for a good consolation I sent forth my archistrategos Michael to you, so that you might know your departure from the world, and make arrangements concerning your house and concerning all your possessions, and that you might bless Isaac, your beloved son. And now know that I have done these things, not wishing to grieve you.

And why did you say to my archistrategos, “I will not follow you”? Why did you say these things? And do you not know that if I were to permit death to come upon you, then I would see whether you would come or not come?’ ”