Is Abraham's sacrifice truly a sacrifice if he knew Isaac would be spared?

Question

Related to another question I asked:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnT3..wMubFiB00dMBRLNi0ezKIX?qid=20061106174308AAuhl4L&show=7#answer-title-area

Someone pointed out that:
"So Abraham knew that either God would raise Isaac from the dead, or not require the sacrifice, because God will be true to His promise."

That's an interesting take, and I wish to expand on that. If Abraham *knew* that God would either raise Isaac or not require the sacrifice, then is Abraham's sacrifice worthy? Is it really a sacrifice if you strongly suspect that God would take care of the situation?

Some have questioned if Jesus Christ truly sacrificed himself since he knew that his father would take care of matters. Did he sacrifice himself if he knew that he would be safe, after all? Is it a greater sacrifice if he had no idea what God had in mind?

As a variant of that question, would you sacrifice your child if your god told you to, thinking he'd be lost forever?

Answer 1

The thing is this, Abraham still would have suffered the loss of his son, even though God had promised that the promised seed would be through Isaac, Abraham did not know when God would resurrect Isaac knowing he could, God could have resurrected Isaac long after Abraham had died and Abraham would have to live out his life without his son who he loved. Jesus still suffered the pains of that sacrifice, he suffered much, he was scourged by the Romans, meaning that they whipped him with whips that commonly had bits of bone and scrap metal braided into the whips that would literally rip the flesh from your body exposing the muscle underneath the flesh, had a crown of thorns pushed down upon his head that tore into his flesh, carried his own torture stake, was nailed to that stake hands overhead to make breathing difficult, mocked ridiculed during the entire time and in front of his mother and friends, accused of blasphemy, spit upon, struck by his persecutors, kept awake during the entire trial and punishment, and still suffered the final pangs of death itself, would you think after suffering all this that the sacrifice had no worth, and also Jehovah God himself had to endure this as he watched from heaven as his Son was treated this way and for the first time since his creation eons ago in heaven, God was truely without his Son as Jesus was truely dead, he no longer existed, because as the Bible points out, we are a soul we don't have one, when we die we go into nonexistence until God would resurrect us. Sounds like a genuine sacrifice to me and one of the greatest love ever shown on both parts of Jehovah God and his Son Jesus Christ.

Answer 2

Abraham didn't know Isaac would be spared, but believed the promise and so had faith that God could raise Isaac from the dead.

Heb 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Answer 3

Oh, I believe it was still excruciatingly difficult for Abraham to make that trek to Mt Moriah & put Isaac on the alter. Despite his faith in God's promise! If God made me a similar promise, I am not sure I'd be able to raise the knife and plunge it in. So yes, his sacrifice (or willingness to do it) was 'worthy.'

Obedience is always a sacrifice, regardless of whether you know God will 'take care of it' in the end. For any of us that have read the end of the book, God does 'take care of it all.' Yet that doesn't help me obey Him (sometimes) in the day-to-day.

Jesus knew he'd be raised from the dead, but it is still the ultimate sacrifice to take the penalty for sins for people who not only don't acknowledge their need for it, but revile Him to boot.

Answer 4

It was Ismael the eldest son of Abraham that would be scarified not Isaac, Abraham didn't know the outcome until it happened, so yes it was a great sacrifice. God had his way in communicating with Abraham, Isaac, Ismael, Jacob, moses, Jesus etc as they were the chosen ones, ordinary people like us won't be asked by God to sacrifice their children.

Answer 5

The point was not if God was going to bring Isaac back or not but That Abraham was doing what God told him to. It is that we should follow Gods word. God gave us everything and he can take it away But as christins we should know that God has a reasons for what he does even if we dont know what it is. And I would hope that if God told me to sacrifice my child I could follow his word.

Answer 6

When it comes to sacrifice, you don't KNOW what will happen, but it's the FAITH you have in God that He knows what's best, no matter what happens. Yes, I would sacrifice my child if I was required to. God has a reason for doing everything. Look at Job, he lost everything...and you would say, "why and how can he do such a thing to a person"? But what happened in the end to Job? God restored back to him "double" what he had before. Only God sees the end result that we can't see. All we can do is rely on our strong FAITH in Him to bring us through whatever we have to face.

Answer 7

I will answer this base on the event as told in the bible.Although i am a muslim who believes in the Holy Koran version of the event.Prophet Abraham pbuh, is a man who is gifted.Even at his times when there were pagans,he wonders that there is a higher authority out there who creates everything in the surrounding.He seeks God existant.For he is a prophet, he has deeper faith and distance than us who are devoted worshippers,It is logical that we will not sacrifice because the chances that God will command us to do so is ultra slim.The holy books have been relayed to the God's messenger and hence now there is no more prophet until the distruption of earth comes.We are not even close enough to God to get a direct command from God to do so.And as said in your question,i object it that Prophet Abraham pbuh knows that Isaac wont be dead.

In a muslim context,It was in a dream where God commanded Prophet Abraham pbuh to slaughter his son Prophet Ishmael pbuh.Ishmael pbuh laid his faith and went on with his dad's dream as he will do what God conmnmanded.In the end,before Prophet Ishmael pbuh is being slaughtered,God gave a command not to do so and gave them a ram to slaughter instead.This is just part of test God gave to his prophet,Abraham pbuh in his prophet journey.
Feel free to ask me more if there is queries in my answer.Thank you.

Answer 8

It was a sacrifice because Abraham had to proceed on FAITH in God. He couldn't know for sure God would save his son. That he would raise the knife to his only son (by his wife Sarah) at the age of 115-ish was indeed a big leap to make! Hence he was blessed so greatly.

Answer 9

NO BUT GOD LOVES US TO GIVE HIS SON AND SEEN ABRAHAM WAS THE SAME

ISAAC A NEAR SACRIFICE

ISaac was age 25 at Mount Moriah with his dad,
As he was near to sacrificed, dad’s dearest lad,
But an angel held the knife, as they saw a ram,
His horn caught in a bush, as a gift to Abraham.
Twelve years would pass and Sarah passed away
Three years after Isaac had Rebecca as a wife,
Ten years and Shem, age 600, Noah’s son dies,
Twenty fifth year Abraham rest by Sarah side.
2108 + [25 + 12 + 3 + 10 + 25 =] 75 =
2183 or 1883 before Christ.
Esau and twin Jacob are age 15 and Abraham dies,
Esau at age forty takes canaanites to be wives,
His parents are furious now, as this is not right,
As chosen people of Abraham in both day and night.
So Esau marries Ishmael’s daughter to make amends,
Rebecca had Isaac bless Jacob, Esau it did offend,
Jacob shunned him until Ishmael’s death has been,
Then Rebecca sent him to her Syrian Father’s land.
He returned by the time Joseph was age seventeen,
The brothers sold Joseph to Midianite merchantmen,
They sold him in Egypt, so he became governor then,
All of his family he brought to Egypt in a famine.
They were saved after 215 as pilgrims from Canaan,
At 17 years Jacob died,was buried back in Canaan land,
After 215 years in Rameses Egypt, the Exodus did begin,
Abraham age 75 in 2083 + 215 = 2298
all in Egypt next 215 =2513. Isaac 2108 + 180 = 2288

Heb.11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac:
and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb.11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb.11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up,
even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure

Answer 10

Abraham didn't know that God would save his son. He did it because he knew that he needed to follow God. God tested him to test his faith.

Jesus knew that without his sacrifice, that no one will be able to get into heaven. His sacrifice was to make us clean as snow in front of the Father. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to get into heaven.

If God told me to sacrifice my child, I would. Because I would have faith in God that he has a greater plan that what I can thnk of.