SURELY it was WRONG for God to ask Abraham to SACRIFICE Isaac?

Question

I am a firm believer in God and Christianity, yet struggle to understand the reasoning behind God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Even though it was only a test of Abraham's faith and Isaac was eventually spared, it makes me uncomfortable that God could ask such a thing in the first place.

What do you think?

Answer 1

Context. Context. Context.

Abraham lived hundreds of years before the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and the Jewish people.

Abraham lived in a society where human sacrifice and child sacrifice was the normal thing to do.

God was just beginning to reveal himself to mankind and Abraham did not have the Bible or much of anything else to go on.

Abraham knew that his son was a gift from God. If God demanded that Abraham kill the son, then Abraham, although it probably broke his heart, would do it.

Under the same circumstances (context) would we be able to follow God's will?

Under the much easier circumstances that we live in today, can we follow God's will as Jesus revealed it to us?

With the Ten Commandments, the Prophets, and especially Jesus Christ as part of our current circumstances (context), God would not put us to this test.

But we do have similar issues to tackle, like abortion where we kill our children who are miraculous gifts from God just like Isaac was to Abraham.

In abortion we sacrifice our children to the gods of lust, convenience, economy, and selfishness.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Hi - I think the story is rather problematic myself.

First, God knew what was in Abraham's heart so there shouldn't have been any need for a test.

Second, I believe that Abraham's answer to the test (he was going to kill his innocent son) gets a grade of a D or even F. The "A" answer to the test would have been something along the lines of "I'm really sorry God but I can not kill my innocent son. Take my life if you want but I can not do such an immoral thing."

That would have been an impressive and proper answer, IMHO.

A

Answer 3

orion,
It was a foretelling of what God would do with His only begotten Son. You can see that right? Look how that part of Genesis is worded;
Genesis 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

It brings the type of Christ right into view, the father willing to sacrifice his son, by the will of God. I even am of the persuasion that Abraham had the faith that God would raise Isaac from the dead, if need be.

Yes it can make someone uncomfortable. Human sacrifice is a terrible thing. But as you noted, it wasn't something that God actually wanted Abraham to do.

"What do you think?"
I think this:
Psalms 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

It all belongs to Him anyway.

Answer 4

I know that if I knew I'd burn in constant torment for eternity with no end to suffering as punishment - you still couldn't force me to kill my child. It'd just be, "You must be the Devil, go screw yourself."

Since so much death and destruction has come from the religion started by Abraham both through Isaac and Ishmael - have you ever wondered if it was the Devil that Abraham made the covenant with?

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I actually believe the Bible was written by people and people of that era might find it a more than adequate proof of Abraham's love of God if he'd commit the murder of his son at God's request. Of course this doesn't sound civilized or reasonable to us because it isn't. In a relatively civilized era we can't comprehend worshipping a cruel deity that would toy with people like that but in different times they could only understand a cruel and jealous, more human-like God rather than a loving God. God was seen as a paternal figure and I'm sure fathers weren't all soft and cuddly in those days, they were stern, harsh, and sometimes cruel. The book was written by people who approved of owning slaves, approved of the murder of everyone with a different belief, and considered women as little more than cattle. You can't expect they'd have had civilized perspectives on a what a just and loving God would be.

Answer 5

God was testing Abraham's faith. After all, Isaac, as all other children are God's children. He has given them to us to teach them about Christ and to be responsible as a parent in the proper raising of these children. I am sure Abraham was not very happy about this request, but he did what God asked Him to do because he loved God that much.

Answer 6

Hi this is what I understand the account to mean:

Though Abraham did not know it, God by him performed a drama of tremendous significance to us. This was summed up by Jesus Christ nineteen centuries later when he said: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that every one exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” This Son of God, Jesus Christ, was the One foreshadowed by Abraham’s beloved son Isaac and by that male sheep that was offered up as Isaac’s substitute. The Son of God became indeed the Lamb of God for mankind’s salvation.

Doesn't that make sense to you?

Answer 7

If you believe the Bible, then why is hard to imagine that God could ask Abraham to sacrifice his son when God sacrificed His own son?

I personally don't agree with the bible very much.

Answer 8

Well, that is the thing about God, you can't make Him into your own image. The idea is the Bible tells us about God and you believe. There are all kinds of people on here that think that God shoud just be a great big loving marshmellow, who loves everyone and just forgives them no matter what they have done, and just wants everyone o get along, and take away all sufferieng, and just leave them alone so that they can live any type of life they want.......... It isn't going to happen.

Answer 9

Jesus asks you to do the same thing. "Pick up your cross and follow me." "He who does not love father, mother, sister, and brother less than me is not worthy of me." Jesus wants us to have our focus on his Heveanly Kingdom and serving him and keeping HIS commandments.

The more we die to self and give up our worldly hopes and dreams the more God's hopes and dreams live through us.

God would have never allowed Isaac to perish, but as the scripture says, Abraham trusted God that he could raise him from the dead. God loved Abraham and he was called a friend of God. God could trust Abrahm to do anything for Him.

Read Hebrews 11 and James 2 and Genesis 22.

Answer 10

Nothing that GOD asks of us is wrong. And sometimes he does ask us to do the unthinkable or something we don't think we are capable of. You see Abraham had so much faith in GOD and he waited so long for his son and he was very old when he had him GOD tested him on making the ultimate sacrifice to prove his faith. GOD already knew the outcome. The Bible is full of stories with life lessons to be taught. You can't say you love GOD and not back it up. Look what he asked of his own son JESUS and JESUS did what his FATHER asked of HIM. And JESUS was the only man to walk this earth without sin and he hung on the cross.
HE is referred to as the LAMB of GOD for a reason. HIS blood was sacrificed as an offering to GOD to take away the sins of GOD'S people so that they may have eternal life with THEM in heaven. And it is without a doubt the greatest story ever told.
And that is truly the ultimate sacrifice on GOD'S part for he sent his one and only begotten SON to save us. And thank you JESUS for dying for our sins.