Challenges from the עקידה:

As we know, ה' put אברהם through a series of tests. These tests were meant to show אברהם's אמונה and ביטחון in ה'. The ultimate test that ה' presents to אברהם is the עקידה - when ה' asks אברהם to sacrifice his one and only son, or זרע, something אברהם's been wishing for for a long time now. Obviously, it's clear as to why there'd be many challenging aspects in this test, but to name a few... 1. Promise of זרע: Now ה' is telling אברהם to kill his one and only זרע, and if he kills him, then he will no longer have a זרע, someone to carry on his legacy and carry out and continue his mission. 2. צדק ומשפט/Ethical Monotheism: He's being asked to kill, which is completely immoral (phrased as יראת אלוקים in פרק ח). Everything that he has worked so hard for up to this point is potentially being challenged in this נסיון - he's been the paradigm of ethical monotheism and now all of the sudden he's going to go against all of this? 3. Leadership: He's been a leader, and someone for people to look up to and emulate, but now if he goes against everything that he's been preaching how will it reflect on him as a leader? Basically, in a nut shell, the last final test (the עקידה) potentially challenged everything that אברהם stands for. This is frightening because in an instant, all the hard work and dedication he's put into his mission could all be meaningless.