. . . is the Akedah, or commonly called The Binding of Isaac. It is found in Genesis 22:1-14. If you don't know it, the story goes like this: God commands Abraham to go to the "holy mountain" and there to build an altar upon which to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. This is the SAME son that God has promised to be the heir of the covenant, and through whom children too numerous to count will descend. (The logic, then, of God making such a demand is questionable). As the story goes, Abraham does as commanded, and the boy (we don't know how old he was but we know he could walk) Isaac accompanies his father, carrying the wood for the altar fire. When they get to the appointed place, Abraham does as he is charged: he binds the boy, lays him on the altar and hoists the knife to kill him. But just in time, an Angel of the Lord appears and directs Abraham to a ram caught in the brambles nearby. The ram is sacrificed instead.
I hate this story!
What was God thinking????
It is an abhorent request. As a mother, it infuriates me. I can only imagine what Sarah must have thought -- if she ever even knew.
Through the centuries, Jews, Christians and Muslims all have tried to unlock its meaning. It is in the Qu'ran, too. Most argue it is a story of Abraham's obedience and faith, that God knew what God was doing in making that request. There are some who offer it was Abraham rather than God who was doing the testing. Perhaps. Some argue that it was the ancient Hebrew's way of condemning what was common practice among the Semitic people of the era (1500+/- B.C.E.): child sacrifice. The One True God, YHWH, rather than demanding child sacrifice as the pagan gods were thought to do, actually was against it and not shy about proving that. Interesting. Maybe . . . ? I rather adhere to another interpretation: that God was pushing Abraham (and us) to turn loose of what we hold dearest in the world, entrusting it to God's faithful care. That makes more sense to me. I guess you could argue that interpretation is about faith, as well. But it also is about trust -- trusting that there is nothing, no one in our lives that we can love more than God loves them. I like that . . . because it is not only reassuring, it is also convicting. It is a warning against idolatry in whatever form it presents itself, that is -- turning ourselves, or others, or things into 'gods' in our lives, making them the central focus of our existence, instead of the One who created us and calls us to service for good. To understand that interpretation, we need to view sacrifice not as "killing" but rather as "freeing up." I like it, too, because it seems like that is exactly what God did those centuries later, on Calvary. There, the One so precious to God, God's own Incarnate Son, was loosed to the world. It didn't turn out so well, either. There was no ram caught in the brambles at Golgotha. Yet, in that real and grizzly sacrifice -- in the "killing" sense of the word -- God gave to us the possibility for eternal freedom in God and God alone. Maybe, then, the Akedah is the Second Worst Story in the Bible -- but ties with the Cross for turning out the best.
Talk amongst yourselves . . . and let me know what you think.
a.
When I was a child, I liked that story. That even the little one like Isaac can be used to glorify God. He didn't ask his father much questions... just followed, trustingly, his dad. Even when he was laying down to be sacrificed... Isaac must have seen the knife his dad was holding over him... if Isaac was blind folded he must have wondered why he was laying down like a sacrifice. As much adults like to focus on Abraham, I think it speaks loudly of Isaac and his wilingness to trust his dad. Perhaps that is what God requires of us. Just do what God ask, no question asked because God knows what He is doing. alas, I too couldn't be that obedient. I strayed, struggled, screamed, rebelled, etc. God still loves me still, enough to reach out and forgive my trangressions of the past, present and future. God is that loving and good. :-)
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