What obstacles did Abraham face?

Answer 1

- Abraham and his wife Sarah tried for a long time to have children, but didn't until he was 100 year old when God finally blessed him with a son, Isaac.

- When Isaac was about 13, God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son to him (God wasn't going to let him kill Isaac, this was just a test of his faith and devotion). This was devastating to Abraham, but he was going to do it anyway. It was also very confusing because Isaac was given to them by God, and he supposedly wanted them to slaughter him.

There are more, but those are the ones I can think of right now.

Answer 2

• He was persecuted and endangered by Nimrod for speaking against idolatry.
  
• His wife, Sarah, was abducted by Pharaoh (Genesis ch.12) and later by Avimelekh the Philistine (Genesis ch.20).
  
• He was compelled to go into battle to rescue his nephew (Genesis ch.14).
  
• He was tested by God to see whom he loved more: his son Isaac, or God (Genesis ch.22).
  
• His wife Sarah was barren for many decades (Genesis ch.11, 15 and 16).
  
• Until he built up a circle of disciples, he was alone as a monotheist in a sea of idolaters.
  

Why did God test Abraham?

God tests a person in order to1) make his/her righteousness known

2) bring out his/her perfection, from potential to actuality.

Because Abraham loved God so exceedingly, God rewardedhim by the tests, which added immensely to his perfection and closeness to Him.

See also:

A biography of Abraham

How did Abraham show faith in God?