Why Would God Command Abraham To Sacrifice His Son?

Giovanni Battista Gaulli, also known as II Baciccio, painted Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac in ca. 1700. He used oil on a canvas that is 63 ¼’’ by 51 5/8,'' so it is fairly large, and most likely a piece for public viewing. Using a simple palette of brown, blue, green, white, gold, and red, Baciccio depicts the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac. This representation shows Abraham standing over the restricted Isaac, who appears to be content with being sacrificed. Unlike Isaac, the emotional Abraham holds the knife stretched from his side towards an unknown voice, and is captured in the moment of his realization that the voice belonged to an angel of the lord. The graceful being floats down from the upper left of the canvas dressed in all white.

In this chapter, it is clear that Abraham trusted God completely. Abraham did not know why God was testing him. But Abraham could recognise God’s voice. The Bible clearly teaches that murder is wicked (Deuteronomy 5:17). The answer is that God never wanted Abraham to kill Isaac. God stopped Abraham before Abraham could hurt Isaac. So God had a different plan. God was not really asking Abraham to kill Isaac. In fact, God was asking Abraham to prove that he (Abraham) would always trust God. Abraham did not know about God’s plan to save Isaac. But Abraham realised that God had such a plan. He told his servants that he would bring Isaac back to them (verse 5). He told Isaac that God would provide the *lamb for the *sacrifice (verse 8). Hebrews

The pagans of this time were sacrificing humans to appease their gods. When God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, it isn’t all that odd. But, when God tells Abraham to take Isaac down, he is commanding the Hebrew people to never sacrifice humans to God. This elevates and separates the Hebrews from their savage surroundings.

In the story the binding of Isaac, God’s plan was not to tempt Abraham, but to test him to see if Abraham had faith and would put God above all else, even his own son Isaac. In doing this God wanted to demonstrate the importance of faith and trust in Him. God did not condemn the sacrifice of children. God despises the “hand that shed innocent blood” (Prov. 6:17). It’s crucial to remember that God put a stop to the sacrifice of Isaac. God never wanted Isaac to be sacrificed, his only motive was testing Abraham’s loyalty. Abraham, along with many other followers believe that God is the creator of the Earth and the Heavens, which means God has the right to

Abraham was not ethical in the story of Genesis 22. Judaism and Christianity should not perpetuate the teachings of this story due to the some of the negative consequences it has had on larger society. The lessons of this story teach us the role women and men play in culture. Perpetuated in this story are notions that men are somehow closer to the divine; while women are seen closer to nature solely for the purpose of reproducing. As stated by Carol Delaney, " Men were thought to beget, women to bear... that is, men have been, and often still are, seen as the ones who engender, while women merely give birth"(Delaney). In the story of Abraham, Sarah's opinion is completely non-existing. As women who has given birth to Isaac, she holds no auditory

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Take your son, your only son Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on the mountains that I shall show you.” (Genesis 22:1-2) The readers will notice that in this both Paul and James used terms of

Abraham’s deception was that he tried to take matters into his own hands by having a child with his servant rather than putting his faith in God. It had the effect of making Ishmael turn against him. It also could have delayed the arrival of his promised child. Abraham was about 100 when Isaac was born, and he was only born after Ishmael was capable and obliged to leave. His desire to expedite God’s promise had the opposite affect. His actions also showed that at the time he did not have enough faith in God to give up the idea that he could know better than

In the 11th century, Spanish Rabbi Yona Ibn Janach wrote that God only wanted a symbolic sacrifice; He didn’t actually want Abraham to kill Isaac. Many rabbis claimed that God would never command such a horrific act. Others also note that Abraham was willing to do anything to spare his son. He was even willing go against the divine command. In addition, although it was God gave Abraham the orders, it was an angel, a subordinate being in the holy hierarchy, that stopped him. In a few later Jewish writings, the idea of God’s test of faith is rejected, and the sacrifice of Isaac is seen as a punishment for Abraham's previous "mistreatment" of his oldest son, Ishmael, who he kicked out at his wife’s request. However, this theory is rather misleading because the Bible states that God agreed with Abraham’s wife and actually insisted that Ishmael leave. Moreover, Rabbi Menachem Mendel said that, “as great a Mitzvah as it is, this test is considered trivial for someone of the spiritual stature of Isaac,” (Gen. Rabba 47:6), who represented the godly traits of kindness, strictness, and compassion. The one truly tested was Abraham in order to see whether or not he would doubt God's words. Remarkably, Abraham believed with faith, that this is what God was telling him to do now, this must be the right thing to do. Some Jewish scholars, such as Lippman Bodoff, believe that Abraham was never really going to sacrifice his son because he actually had faith that God never intended to go through with it. In this theory, Abraham's compliance was in fact his way of testing

God gives gifts, and if it is His will, He takes them away. Abraham had been promised that he would be a father of many nations, and even though it seemed impossible at the time, Isaac was born. Now, the majority of people would be overjoyed and delighted at such a miracle from God. Abraham must have prized his child and loved him intensely, but then his faith was tested again. God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, which was something that must have broken Abraham’s heart to do. He had waited so long to receive God’s promise of a son, and now it was apparently being taken away from him. He had already trusted God immensely, even though he had occasionally proved irresolute, but this might have seemed like a complete contraction of God’s promise and character. How could he be a father of many nations without a son? Why would a just and fair God command him to sacrifice a child that he loved? It doesn’t quite make sense when you think about it, but God does have a plan in the end. Nevertheless, only a meager amount of people would follow through with this act of supreme submission and faith. Abraham was stalwart in his faith, however, and God rewarded him by not letting him kill Isaac. Abraham had faith in God’s power rather than the gift God had given him, and in the end it showed that God was in

Her mother is said have been helped by the angel Gabriel. Abraham is born with a light emanating from him and in her confusion; his mother leaves him in the cave. The angel Gabriel is said to make it that milk will flow from Abraham’s finger so that he will not starve. The legend also states that Abraham knew in infancy of the “one true God.” Abraham was later reunited with his family and made it his mission to convert everyone to his faith (Goldstein p. 49). Later, Abraham received a divine command to circumcise himself and all his male descendants with the promise that this would lead to future greatness. Shortly after Abraham had fulfilled this command he and his wife, Sarah, changed their names (previously Abram and Sarai). Name-changing is an important Jewish custom as well and will be discussed later (Goldstein p. 50). Shortly after, their first son Isaac was born, and it is said that God tested Abraham by commanding him to kill his son. When Abraham was about to go through with the command the angel Gabriel stopped him (Goldstein p. 50-51). The Jewish people trace their ancestry to Abraham through his son Isaac (Abraham also had another son, Ishmael with a servant girl who the Muslims trace their ancestry) (Goldstein p. 54). The legends of Abraham are very important in the Jewish faith because it is the basis of their entire religion. Abraham is seen as the first

Abraham’s seriousness and dedication in regards to his covenant with God control tense actions and events between Abraham and Isaac. Abraham is compelled in his actions by his understanding and faith that his belief in God will reap benefits. Without hesitation, he considers doing everything that God tells him to do. Abraham’s willingness and sacrifice of Isaac show the great power that God has over Abraham. Abraham’s desire for God’s approval and blessings compel him toward grave actions without the concrete command from God. Abraham merely implies God’s intentions from the limited conversations held between Abraham, God, and the angel.

The Bible tells us that God appeared to Abraham in old age and promised Abraham that he would have a son in spite of the fact that his wife was of old age and past menopause. When Abraham finally had a son Isaac, the Bible tells us that God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his only child. Augustine was a Christian and defended the Christian values and the Christian worldview. Augustine would argue that God was justified by asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son to him. Augustine will argue that this is because, Abraham initially had no child and it was because of God’s mercy and love that God promised Abraham to give him a son and fulfilled his promise to him. Augustine will also argue that God was testing Abraham in order to ascertain the trust that Abraham had on him because God had showed himself trustworthy by giving a son to Abraham despite the old age of both Abraham and Sarah which implied that naturally it was impossible for them to have a child.

The bible says the god of this world has blinded the minds of people (2Corinthians.4: 4). Did you know that there is a possibility that a person can be blind to see something that is right in front of him? I am not talking about a physically blind person.

The book of Genesis forms part of a series of ‘historical’ books that begins with the creation story and ends with the destruction of the kingdom of Judah (6BCE.) These narrated events are in a chronological sequence (Barton 2001:38).It is the first book of the Old Testament and Pentateuch (Barton 2001:12) . Jews name these five books the Torah or ‘the law’(Holdsworth 2005:71). The passage(Gen22:1-19) reveals God’s relationship through a trial with a major character, Abraham. Key themes that are central to the Pentateuch lie within the passage; the sovereignty and grace of God; sacrifice and obedience; the establishment and reaffirming of covenants and the redeeming nature of God. What lies before and after

Abram leaves his home and family, and departs into the "strange land" of Canaan, showing an extreme obedience to God and understanding of his duty to father this great race. Throughout Genesis, Abraham builds altars to God and sacrifices animals. In Genesis 22:2, God tells Abraham, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains". The next day, Abraham sets off for Moriah "and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son." After God stops the sacrifice, he tells Abraham, "Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."