Why does the Bible say that God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, when he had two sons?

Question

Ishmael was born 13 years before Isaac.

The marriage of Abraham to Haggar was perfectly acceptable according to the laws and traditions of that time. Sarah was the first wife, but that does not eliminate the fact that she was not the mother of the firstborn son.

Reference:

Genesis 22
2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

To those who say that Haggar was not a legitimate wife, apparently you didn't read the entire comment. So if second wives were not legitimate in the times of the Biblical ancestors, does that mean that Joseph and Benjamin were illegitimate sons too?

Wait, wait, wait! Hold on! So many people are saying that God does not recognize the son who was not decreed?! What does that mean for people who were "accidents"? This seems so unjust! Why should a man pay for the sin of his parents?

To the gentleman who asked if I believe that Ishmael was the one sacrificed, I do not know. I am asking why the Bible says "only son" when Abraham had two sons, nothing more.

33 people replied, and not one satisfactory answer to the question. Is it just a mistranslation? Would God be so unjust as to ignore the child of the second wife? The word "only" was not needed to indicate that Abraham loved Isaac. What is the purpose of it being there, when all it does is bring the validity of the scripture into question?

Answer 1

It doesn't seem like you're not looking for an answer, it seems like you've got some issues with God. Doesn't it make sense that the fact that Ismael and Haggar WEREN'T even with them at that time, and the only other son he could POSSIBLY sacrifice was Isaac? Doesn't it make more sense that Ismael was not the favored son by God because of his bad traits (He was favored by Abraham because Abraham did not want to send Haggar and Ismael away, but God told him that it was best because of the conflict there was between he and Isaac and between Haggar and Sarah)? Doesn't it make sense that "Only" could also mean "Only-begotten" or beloved (what else could it POSSIBLY mean, since Isaac was OBVIOUSLY not Abraham's ONLY son)? Doesn't it make sense that if there were other biblical circumstances in which the first born son didn't necessarily have right of inheritance, that the same might be true in the case of Isaac and Abraham? (Remember that God did has never officially approved of polygamy. He only tolerated it in ancient times, but still admonished his people to not be gathering many wives, and then flat out forbade it in the Christian scriptures)
Do you even know what the point of the sacrifice was? Okay, put yourself in Abraham's place. You were forced to send away your first born son and his mother. Now, you only have the one child with you. The son of your first and now only wife. God promised you that son...but now he wants you to kill that son as a sacrifice to him? Would an imperfect man make such a sacrifice for God's sake?
Now contrast that with God's sacrifice of his son for the sake of imperfect mankind. What if there were any question by Satan or any other spirit creature that man wouldn't have done the same and therefore was not worthy of redemption. God proved that man was worth saving. Make any sense now?

Answer 2

There was only One Son that was promised from God. The older son, Ishmael was not from the promise or through a marriage. Sarah suggested Abraham sleep with her slave girl to get the son he wanted, thinking she could not bear a child. This son was not the making or of the promise of God, but by the planning and schemeing of the people. They were impatient or non-trusting in God's word and promise.

In those days there were multiple wives, however, that was not the case in this story. Hagar was only a slave owned by Sarah. Sarah gave her consent for Abraham to have a child with her. In fact, Hagar had nothing to say about it.

Because of the way these two sons came to be, one of man's planning and the other through the promise of God.... these two sons are the beginning of the split between the Judeo-Christian world and the Muslim world.

You asked why God said, "Take your only son...." and this is the answer. Isaac was the Only son God promised to give Abraham. You may want to go back and read the entire story in Genesis and not just pull out a verse here and there.

Answer 3

"Only son" refers to Issac as God's purpose/plan. God has a plan for you and everyone else but many a time we seek to do things in our own strength rather trusting in God. The desire that Abraham had to have a son was true. It was the way he done it was flesh idea. He stopped trusting in God. Likewise Adam & Eve missed the best by not trusting that God had given them the best they put there trust in the devil. David's son died and yet God used Solomon (in man's eye's a mistake) who was birthed out of adultery. Peter cut the ear of the soldier and Jesus healed it showing it could'nt have been God's will for Peter to do what he done.
All this and more if you study Scripture shows that God has an end plan and no matter how we messed it up God has a way to come into our lives and reach us at that point when we are willing to be reached. As for Ishmael - Scripture says - "All things work together." I have made mistakes in this life but the good news is like Abraham there is a God who can take a mistake and make it into a blessing this the reason God Himself sought to look after the mother and child called Ishmael.
Hope this helps!!!
Blessings

Answer 4

Hopefully, I can help you a bit more than some here.

In the culture at the time, a son did not have to be declared legitimate unless the first wife(sara) allowed it.

At first she was more than willing to do this in order for Abraham to have the son that God had promised to them. According to custom if Sarah had declared Ishmael hers (which she had every right to do) then he would have become the first born son of Abraham and sarah (as Hagar was not a true wife, she was considered somewhat of a surrogate).

God visited Abraham before the 13th birthday of Ishmael and declared that the chosen son would be of Abraham and Sarah, not Hagar. So they all knew that another son who would be declared firstborn and now only (because Sarah did not claim Ishmael as her own) son.

Cultures are different now and society accepts illigitimate children, but honestly they have not accepted this for a long time. Just a short 70 years ago, children were still called "bastards" in public if they had no father who claimed them. They had no "rights" to inheritance in this country if their fathers did not claim them. Really not much different than during those older biblical times.

Answer 5

God commanded Abraham to sacrifice “your son, your only son.” (Gen. 22:2) In connection with Abraham’s offering up this son, the promise of blessing by means of Abraham’s seed was stated by an angel of God. The Qur’an, too, speaks of Abraham as having a “boy ready to suffer and forbear” and whom Abraham would “offer . . . in sacrifice.” (Sura 37:101, 102) The Qur’an does not specify who the boy was. However, some Moslem writers claim that the expression “only son” must apply to Ishmael. Is that what you believe?

It is noteworthy that Isaac was an “only son” in a double sense. He was the only son of Abraham’s wife Sarah and the only son remaining in Abraham’s household at the time that God spoke the words found at Genesis 22:1, 2. Qur’an translator Ali admits that “Muslim tradition . . . is not unanimous on this point.” Some Moslem writers agree with the Biblical account that Isaac was the prospective sacrifice.

Answer 6

Isaac was the "only son" of the promise (Gen 21:12).


While we're on the subject, you realize that this is a foreshadowing of the death of Christ, don't you?

A father offering his only son. The son dead for three days (in Abraham's mind, v.4). A substitutuion. An actual sacrifice. And this took place on Mount Moriah, the very same place where 2000 years later God's own son was offered. Thus it was a foreshadowing, here at the birth of the Hebrew nation, of the grand event the nation was born to bring about.

Answer 7

Because God did not recognize Ishmael, because he was not the son God told Abraham to wait for. Ishmael was Abraham's idea, NOT God's. This is where the Islamic faith came from, Ishmael. It was a mistake, an abortion, a way that a man, (Abraham), was impatient and thought he had a better idea than God's. So, we can thank Abraham for the terrorism we are experiencing in the world today.

Answer 8

Isaac was the son of promise.Ishmael was the son of the bond woman while Isaac was the son of the free woman.God told Abraham him and Sarah would have a son.Ishmael was not in God plan.

Answer 9

Abraham and Hagar already had Ishmael, a son that Abraham loved very dearly.
Gen.15:13,16; The Promised Land Covenant for 4th generation.
Gen.16:16; Meanwhile Ishmael is born, Abraham is age 86.

Gen.17:5,15,17 [ Now he is named Abraham to be age 100 and his wife is Sarah and to be age 90, and have a son, Isaac ];

Gen.21:5, 12 [ Abraham is grieved over his 19 year old son, but God said in Isaac age 5, shall thy seed be called as heirs to the Promised Land covenant ];
God blesses Abraham's son Ishmael.
Isaac born 2108, at age 25 = year 2133 Gen.22:2,10-14 is a near sacrifice, but God takes care of everything.
Abraham loves God, as much as God loves Abraham and God will gives his son to BE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
Gen.23:1; Sarah age 90 at Isaac's birth was age 115, she dies at age 127. Abraham has a wife for Isaac age 40 Gen.25:20 when he wed Rebecca, age 60 Gen.25:24-26 and the twins are born. Isaac born 2108 at aage 180 is 2288 [ 1778 before Christ ].
Jacob will produce twelve sons as the twelve tribes of Israel and all will be heir to the Promised Land Covenant. Gen.47: 9,11;
Jacob age 130 in Rameses Egypt 10th year after Isaac dies.
Jacob age 147 Gen.47:28; dies [ 1751 before Christ ].
Joseph governor of Egypt 57 years in 1751, lives 53 to 1698 before Christ. Gen.50:26; End of the book of Genesis.

Answer 10

because Isaac was the one and only son that God promised Abraham. Ismael was a product of humans trying to help God.

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you later asked about those who are "accidents" .. God still loves them, but Ishmael was not the "promised" son, Issac was. God had a purpose for this child he was giving to Abraham and Sarah, they didn't ask for this child, yet God told them about HIM.. they thought they needed to help God along on his promise because they were not patient enough to wait.
God doesn't need man's help in getting what he wants to accomplish. God still made sure that Hagar and Ishmael had everything they needed and from his lineage came many princes'. but he wasn't not the promised child. this is why the Bible says that Isaac was their ONLY son.