Please read Genesis 22, the story of God's requested offering of Isaac. In sharing my belief in God, I have heard more than once, "How can a good God ask a father to kill his own son?"
Genesis 22:2: He (God) said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."
So much to unpack!
o Isaac is not Abraham's only son - what about Ishmael? Abraham had an “only son” with Sarah and an “only son” with Hagar. Love is mentioned for the very first time in the Bible. And no doubt, Abraham loved both his sons. But God left no doubt about whom he was talking about when he mentioned Isaac by name.
o God's demand happened during a time when child sacrifices were very common as bribes to idol gods. I thought Abraham's God was different!
o Didn't this same God promise Abraham descendants from Isaac?
o Remember how Abraham argued with God to save the righteous in Sodom? How come he doesn't ask for the same mercy for his own son?
The bible does not say how old Isaac was at this time, but we know from Genesis 21:8 that he was weaned, and in the very next chapter Genesis 23 that Sarah dies at 127. She was 90 when he was born and 127 when she died, so Isaac could have been as old as 37 at this proposed sacrifice. This would have put Abraham at 137 so he would have needed some cooperation from Isaac getting him up and bound on the wood pile.
Genesis 22:1 clearly indicates that God was testing Abraham. Dictionary definition of test: "a procedure, or reliability of something, especially before it is taken into widespread use." Abraham's test was to see if he believed and had faith in God's covenant promises. Or to put it simply, “Hey Abraham, have you learned anything yet?” Abraham passes the test in Genesis 22:4-5: On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." Abraham did not forget God's promise that through Isaac his descendants shall be named (Genesis 21:12) so of course they both must return to the young men. I guess you could argue Abraham considered that Isaac might be returning in his arms dead, but again, there would be no descendants.
The test was not for God to see how Abraham would handle the situation. God already knew what Abraham would do, and He will never test or tempt us knowing we will do evil. The test was for Abraham's benefit, Isaac's benefit and our benefit. God wanted Abraham to recognize that because of his faith, he would seek, listen to, and obey God. The test was to provide knowledge to Abraham and all believers that God's promises can be believed, and that He never changes His mind. We can trust God. And when we put our faith into action and don't doubt, it only grows stronger.
Abraham appears to remain calm up until even the "took the knife to slay his son" part right before the angels intervened. He must have believed both things God told him - your descendants will come through Isaac, and you need to sacrifice Isaac. God knew Abraham would trust, even if he did not understand, and that he would pass His test. When God sees we are willing to sacrifice, He may no longer require it.
Did Abraham think God would resurrect Isaac from the dead after he killed him in order to keep the covenant? Knowing that God means what He says and does not change His mind can bring great confidence and peace. As humans, we cannot read this story without wondering what Abraham and Isaac are thinking. But more importantly, we need to ask, "What is God doing here?"
So the angel comes, the ram is sacrificed instead, and God tells Abraham how pleased He is with him. There are no more interactions between Abraham, Sarah or Isaac recorded in the bible. I am not claiming there were no more interactions, I am just pointing out that none were recorded. Following the descriptions of who went where when makes you wonder if family bonds were severely damaged.
Recall the sacrifice occurred in Jerusalem on Moriah perhaps exactly where the temple was built 600 years later. Looking at the map, Abraham, Isaac and posse would have traveled three days north from home base Hebron, where Sarah remained. After the aborted Isaac sacrifice, Genesis 22:19: Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba. Looking at the map, it looks like Abraham blew past home Hebron (and wife Sarah) and headed south to Beersheva (same as Beersheba) to LIVE! Had Sarah heard about what happened in Moriah? Even though Abraham could honestly say "God told me to do it.", and Sarah could relate as God had also talked to her regarding her upcoming pregnancy with Isaac, I can imagine that her reaction to the almost sacrifice of her only son was not good. Verse 19 also specifically says Abraham returned to his men, not both he and Isaac as he had anticipated in 22:5. The next time we hear about Isaac he is living in Negev in Genesis 24:62, way south of his father in Beersheba and his mother in Hebron. This likely means that Isaac was closer to 37 years old than a recently weaned toddler and needed to go find out what plan God had for him. Did he even make it home to his mother's funeral? If he did, it is not recorded in the bible. Genesis 25 records that Isaac did bury Abraham with his brother Ishmael in the cave of Machpelah, Sarah's resting place. Abraham died at 175, making Isaac 75 at his death.
Galatians 4:23 addresses the "only son" and Ishmael question posed above. Sarah and Abraham were trying to fulfill God's promise of descendants with their own plan for Abraham to have a child with household slave Hagar since Sarah was so old. Ishmael was the son by the slave according to the flesh (human decision) and Isaac was the son by the free woman through the promise (God's decision outlined in Genesis 18:17-19: The Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed: For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."). Both sons made nations, but Isaac was "the only son" who was to continue the great and mighty nation that would bless all the other nations of the earth.
In Genesis 21: 9-14, Abraham had to make a tough decision about his first born son, Ishmael and again he relied on his faith in God. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian (Ishmael), whom she had borne to Abraham mocking (Isaac). Therefore she said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac." The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant." So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. God assured Abraham who also loved Ishmael that he too would prosper and provide him many descendants. And where did Abraham go to live after the Isaac sacrifice story? Beersheba. Was he going to check on his eldest earthly born son? In 22:14, Abraham called the sacrifice spot on Mariah, "The Lord will provide." Was one of his first thoughts to check on Ishmael to further support his knowledge that God does what He says He will do?
As was prophesized in Psalm 83:4-5, there would be and continues to be turmoil between the Israelites (Isaac) and the Ishmaelites (Ishmael). They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites."
Genesis 21:14 says "Abraham rose early in the morning" to leave with Hagar and Ishmael and Genesis 22:3 says "Abraham rose early in the morning" to leave for Moriah with his slaves and Isaac. It is likely he spent the evening before both of these events in deep prayer with His father.
Interesting fact, the Islam religion recognizes Abraham's two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, but believes that the oldest Ishmael, considered a prophet in Islam, was the son who Abraham was willing to sacrifice until the ram appeared.
A few Isaac/Jesus comparison:
1. Isaac arrived under miraculous circumstances just like Jesus. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was way past child bearing years at 90. And of course, Jesus was born of a virgin.
2. Isaac was called Abraham's only son, and Jesus was often referred to as God's only son. Neither Abraham nor God the Father withheld their only sons.
3. Both sacrifices happened on Mount Moriah. Isaac carried his own wood, and Jesus carried His own cross. Isaac would have needed a significant amount of wood for a burnt offering, another indication that he would not have been a small boy, but at least a young man. Jesus was a young man of 33.
4. Neither Isaac nor Jesus questioned the will of their Fathers and allowed themselves to be put up for sacrifice. The trust Isaac had in his earthly father Abraham and the God he had heard about his whole life was stunning. He was willing to do whatever his father asked of him knowing that the request came from God. Both Isaac and Jesus were obedient, loving sons.
5. It was on the third day away from home that Isaac was to be sacrificed but was instead spared. Jesus arose on the third day after his sacrifice. Great news in both instances on the third day when things had been looking pretty bleak.
6. A literal lamb was provided in Isaac's situation so that the nation could continue. There was no ram in the thicket to spare Jesus a death He did not deserve. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb so that the nation could continue without sin.
Most posts won't have "me" stories, but this is a good one. As part of a bible study I was doing, I was wrestling with this story one Sunday afternoon in 1997. I asked myself the same question I opened up with, "How can a good God ask a father (mother) to kill his (her) own son?" I was propped up on my bed, bible open, when my 4 year old son Jordan came out of his room. He saw me on the bed from down the hall, beelined it for my room and climbed up for a hug. I squeezed him big and told him "I love you", thinking there is no way I could ever kill my son if God asked. He grabbed the cross hanging around my neck and said, "I know, but you love this more." He quickly scurried off the bed in search of his sister. I was speechless (never happens). Now if his 7 year old sister had said this, I would have thought it was strange, but would have credited her Sunday school teachers for instilling this rather deep concept of putting Jesus above everything else, even family. But our church was very small and Jordan's young class was more babysitting than teaching. And the kid had many great characteristics, but I would not have described him as a "profound" preschooler! I truly felt that God was using my son to tell me that it was okay that I didn't understand what He asked of Abraham and centuries later, what He asked of His own son. Just keep studying, praying and pondering and one day you will at least get it more. Instead of focusing on what Abraham and Isaac (and Sarah!) were feeling, I needed to focus on what God was doing. And 26 years later, I can say I do get it more. I provide this as an example of how with study and prayer, faith does grow.
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