The test

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” – Genesis 22:2

Everyone knows the story. God commands father to kill son. Father agrees to do so. At the last moment, God stops father from killing son. That Abraham was willing to follow God’s command proves his unparalleled faith.

I wonder: What would I have done?

I know this much, I would never, ever, under any circumstance, kill my own child. Nothing in the entire cosmos means more to me than my family. If my choice was to kill my child or go to hell, I would choose hell. I love my family that much.

But going a step further, would I kill anyone at all if God told me to? I do not think I would even follow that order. I cannot imagine what kind of extraordinary faith Abraham must have possessed.

abraham-and-isaac-zoom

All I know is I would have flunked the test.

9 thoughts on “The test”

  3. It wasn’t so much a test for Abraham as it was a picture of things to later be fulfilled in the Savior. The picture of the scapegoat and the justice of God is played out in this historical narrative. God provided a scapegoat for Isaac. The ram that was stuck in the bush took it’s place as the sacrifice for Isaac. Much like Christ taking our place, having the bowel of God’s wrath, we’ve earned for ourselves, being poured out on Him, as if it were He, who had earned it. We have to remember that the Bible is a progressive revelation of the word and will of God. It happened over much time, had many men devinely inspired, was harmonious in it’s content, and finalized with it’s cannonization. We can now look at what is recorded in it, and see what was meant to point forward to the culmination, by understanding the shadows, and types as fulfilled in the advent of Christ.

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  4. Thank you, Bob. I understand the hermeneutics and apologetics involved. That wasn’t the issue I was debating. It was strictly a “what would I do” thought.

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  5. Thank God we live in grace. We don’t have to make that choice. BTW: Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love some of your posts and discussions. Keep up the good fight, my brother!

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  7. If God himself told me to do it, I would have it. We have to trust that God knows what’s best for us. What if his son was going to have a much worse fate? What if God needed to know how loyal Abraham was because He had plans for which obviously He did. Now, if Jesus came and said do it, as long as I was certain it was Jesus, I would. I’ve learned the hard way not to doubt God.

    The problem here it that we humans thing we know what is best and we are viewing matters from our immediate perception.

    Thanks for liking my post. I want to personally invite you to take a look at my blog and follow me if you aren’t already. You might like what you read. 🙂

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