If God gave you a personal, direct order to kill your own child, would you obey Him? If not, why not? Surely you don't think you're smarter than Abraham, do you?
And by the way, if you DID receive such an order (from a booming, disembodied voice emanating from the sky), how would you verify that it was really God, and not a trick (I hope that you would be just the least little bit skeptical if you heard such a voice)?
What if your God didn't order you to murder your own son, but ordered you to do something else that you knew was morally wrong. What if God ordered you to kill yourself? Or if he ordered you to have sexual intercourse with a seven-year-old girl?
2007-03-28 14:49:14 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
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.
2007-03-29 19:09:55 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In addition to these other excellent answers, I would only add that God asked Abraham to go through this exercise to serve as a model for what God had planned further down the road.
God, Himself, planned to sacrifice His own Son.
We have the benefit of looking back at the two incidents and seeing the big picture.
I'd like to think that I would have the ability to be obedient to God.
As to how would I know that it is God and not some trick? I would turn to the Holy Word. IF the Word is contradicted by what the voice said to me, than it can not be God.
As for having sex with a little girl, I assume you are speaking about Muhammad. I am not a Muslim and can not speak on the subject with authority regarding their texts. I do not study the Koran, but I doubt if the Bible would support such an act and therefore I would know that the voice did not come from God.
2007-03-30 01:50:09 · answer #2 · answered by sparc77 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that is a carnal question but i will answer it. the same voice that promised abraham a son when he was 75 years old and then met God in flesh(not disembodied voice this time) to bring the promise to pass at the age of 100 and changed their bodies back to being young again because the king saw that sarah was beautiful at 90 years old showed God made them young again b4 they received the son. After hearing that voice one time disembodied and the other time incarnate eating and drinking with abraham. after all these great miracles it would be easy for abraham to recognize that voice and know it was God and not just some trick of his imagination
2007-03-31 22:07:27 · answer #3 · answered by God help us 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus said Abraham was glad to see me. What did Abraham do when he was ordered to go to the "Promised Land" Abraham killed to save Lot, then what did he do?
Did Abraham fight for Lot's life the second time?
Did Lot and his Daughters conduct themselves in the same manner as the inhabitants of Sodom.
Abraham was a prophet ( a teacher ) of the Word of God and was told by God to teach the inhabitants of canaan, about God.
However, as everyone including Jesus Abraham was tempted by Satan. Satan tried to get Abraham, to believe he was God, and tempted God, by convincing Abraham to Kill Isaac, Jesus saved Isaac.
2007-03-30 07:30:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, Abraham knew God just like one would know their father.
Second, Abraham knew beforehand that God would intervene.
Third, those of us that have invited the Spirit of God to dwell within our hearts can discern when God is communicating with us.
................................................................
John 10:3-5
The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
John 10:24-28
The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me,
But you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand
.................................................................
Muhammed did not know God, that's why he was fooled by a phoney baloney god and had sexual intercourse with a 9 year old child when Muhammed was 54 years old!
http://www.geocities.com/AntiJihad/mo_pedo.html
2007-03-28 18:47:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋