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more than one commentator has pointed out that Abraham knows that he won't have to even when he's asked. he has been told that he will be blessed with ancestors more numerous than the stars through isaac, and that through him, all nations will be blessed. So...it doesn't make sense that Abraham would believe that isaac will really die.
More over, when he is told that sodom and gomorrah will be killed, he bargains heavily, badgering God to lower the threshold at which the cities will be saved. he makes no attempt to bargain for his own son's life...it may be becuase the threat isn't credible.
Stepping out of the narrative for closing comments: To me, this is a faith story, which is told to highlight the necessity of deep trust in God. Whether or not the patriarch of Isreal was commanded to slay his son or not seems rather secondary to me. This is a saga, not a biography.
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