Why would God ask Abraham to kill his son in order to prove his faith and if God does ask people to sin how are you to know that direction comes from Him?
Might some parent kill their child under the crazy misconception that theiir sinful ideas are from God?
I'm glad I'm not a lawyer. That is a tempting excuse. How can we ever know?
Do you ever put out a 'fleece', to test if it is really GOD's will?
2007-12-18 05:21:17 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You have to stop trying to put the Biblical story into a modern setting. At the time of Abraham child sacrifice was common to many cultures. The great question for Abraham was, would he withhold even his son from God.
It was not God being tested, but Abraham. Abraham needed to be clear in his own mind about his faithfulness to God.
2007-12-18 05:48:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because Abraham knew that God had promised nations from his seed. This was a test of faith and obedience to God. Both Abraham and Isaac trusted in God enough to go through with it. Jesus later would be born of that bloodline so Isaac's life was really important and never was meant to really be sacrificed.
Sacrifice is no longer necessary since Jesus was the sacrificial lamb. New claims regarding this now would be false and not of God.
2007-12-18 05:34:42 · answer #2 · answered by Carol 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because God was willing to do the same, and He actually went through with it. God didn't ask Abraham to do anything that He wouldn't do.
When God saw that Abraham was serious, then He provided an appropriate alternative to sacrifice. He knew that Abraham would not withhold even his only son from Him. Abraham also trusted the promise of the Lord that his offspring would be numbered "like the stars" through Isaac, so he must have believed that even if he had to kill Isaac, God would somehow resurrect him.
However, one cannot compare the above scenario to modern people who kill their families for selfish reasons, and are not instructed to do so by God, but by Satan, who hates humanity.
2007-12-18 05:31:38 · answer #3 · answered by FUNdie 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I don't think it was just a test of Abraham's faith, though that may have been part of it. A Rabbi explained to me once:
Back then, human sacrifice to Pagan gods was common. (And before all the Pagans jump on me, I am Pagan, and yes, sacrifice was common in our history) This was God trying to teach Abraham to teach people to move away from it.
And then, of course, there is my own belief-- that this is a myth; one of many. It's meaning is symbolic and can be spiritually contemplated, but it never literally happened, and there is no Higher Power who would literally ask this of anyone.
2007-12-18 06:43:59 · answer #4 · answered by MSB 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Did Abraham kill his son? NO! God intervened-- God does not call us to kill our children, that is why God intervened and provided a lamb-- God saw Abrahams faith was strong- This is what the angel of the Lord said to him when he ALMOST slayed his own son- in Genesis 22
12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
People who go about killing and saying it is in the name of the Lord are obviously NOT following the Lord. God tells us not to kill. God provided the lamb, just as Abraham told his own son Isaac God would do! This was a test of faith- however many people out there are crazy, and they are being led by the enemy NOT God- those who go about slandering others and killing others saying it is in the name of their god. Well it is not THE GOD, the one and only God, God of Abraham and Isaac- the one and only God, Maker of Heaven and earth! We can certainly know that-- we must always know what the word of God says. And follow it.
Do not be deceived by those who say they do things in God's name, but it goes against His word.
2007-12-18 10:35:34 · answer #5 · answered by Mandolyn Monkey Munch 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Abraham had walked with God many years. He waited many years for the birth of Isaac and had a promise from God that God would give him descendants through Isaac like the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore.
When Abraham went up the mountain to offer Isaac he told his servants to wait until "they" - both Abraham and Isaac returned.
Abraham was fully convinced that even if he did offer Isaac, even if he burned his corpse to ashes, that God was able to raise him from the dead and fulfill His promise.
That is why the author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes:
"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, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. "
Hebrews 11:17-19
2007-12-18 05:31:13 · answer #6 · answered by wefmeister 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
God ASKED Abraham to offer his son on the altar, but STOPPED him from actually killing him.
The ones today never heard from God for God would have stopped them as he did Abraham.
He asked Abraham to sacrifice his son as a test of Abraham's faith and a preview of what He, Himself was going to do for mankind.
2007-12-18 05:43:37 · answer #7 · answered by Molly 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is only one God, people interpret God in different names and forms. God is the Origin and Destination of the Universe, present everywhere and is beyond life and death. All religions of world teach human way to get close to God. You give your Best, God will give thy Best. Ask God for help and forgive, God will help and forgive you. Pray; Worship and Thank God for everything. Remember wherever there is Happiness in Life, there will be Sorrow. To get Happiness, you must master Sorrow. For Success in Life; Believe in Self and God, Learn from Past, Concentrate in Present, Plan for Future, and remember ignorance gives failures. Have control on, be the master of, not the slave of your body, senses, and mind. Purpose of this Life is to Improve by Gaining and Sharing utmost Knowledge and Experience to differentiate and choose Best, Right, Good, Truth, God against Worst, Wrong, Bad, Untruth, Devil. Set your Desire level perfect or OK to be brave, no low to be coward, no high to be cruel. You have rights of Survival, Self Defence, and Freedom.
2007-12-18 22:36:10 · answer #8 · answered by Ravi Lohia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IF YOU WANT TO JUDGE the true God of the Bible from your critical eye , that is your prerogative, but you might take another look, in view of the following: (Galatians 4:22-24) “. . .For example, it is written that Abraham acquired two sons, one by the servant girl and one by the free woman; 23 but the one by the servant girl was actually born in the manner of flesh, the other by the free woman through a promise. 24 These things stand as a SYMBOLIC DRAMA; for these [women] mean two covenants, the one from Mount Si′nai, which brings forth children for slavery, and which is Ha′gar.” : SO THEN IF Abraham , Sarah , Isaac & others had a role to play in the overall drama involving mankind & especially Christ Jesus-- shouldn't we give God the benefit of doubt? ON THE ASPECT of drama's in life with people such as Newton ,Plato, Shakespeare, Dickens, Moses, etc . Do we not search for what info in lifes drama they might have presented? Of such ones as above have you judged them as severly as you do of God? THIS WAS said of Christ as to the detail of his life: (John 21:25) “25 There are, in fact, many other things also which Jesus did, which, if ever they were written in full detail, I suppose, the world itself could not contain the scrolls written.” HOW MUCH GREATER would information of Jehovah God in detail be contained in a huge library & most likely much more? THUS TO FAITHLESS Israel it was asked: (Ezekiel 18:25) “25 “‘And YOU people will certainly say: “The way of Jehovah is not adjusted right.” Hear, please, O house of Israel. Is not my own way adjusted right? Are not the ways of YOU people not adjusted right?” AS TO GOD, would it not better to be careful in our views in sight of what a Jewish Lawyer asked, & to its truthfulness? (Romans 3:3-6) “ 3 What, then, [is the case]? If some did not express faith, will their lack of faith perhaps make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Never may that happen! BUT LET GOD BE FOUND TRUE,(my caps), though every man be found a liar, even as it is written: “That you might be proved righteous in your words and might win when you are being judged.” 5 However, if our unrighteousness brings God’s righteousness to the fore, what shall we say? God is not unjust when he vents his wrath, is he? (I am speaking as a man does.) 6 Never may that happen! How, otherwise, will God judge the world?”
2016-05-24 22:03:36 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This episode was in the Old Testament, when brutal things were done, planned, carried out...by one and all....
The God of the New Testament was a much kinder God...what is the difference? None, except one thing...the writers' of the Old Testament interpretted God in their own 'likeness'...that is to say, whatever THEY would have done, they rendered their God with the same capacity. 'Eye for an eye' was a real judgment carried out in the Old Testament...according to Hebraic Law...nor did God intervene in this punishment...as the Hebraic Code slowly evolved, God became an 'arbitrator' in many horrible punishments.
Merry, Merry!
Elysabeth Faslund...poemhunter.com
2007-12-18 06:51:04 · answer #10 · answered by Elysabeth 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋