Sacrifice of Isaac

This is a famous episode that highlights Abraham's faith. At the very beginner's level this story can be used to show that Abraham has got so much faith that he is willing to sacrifice his own son. But thinking deeper into this statement, there are still a lot of questions to be answered. What exactly does Abraham have faith in, in relation to killing his own son. What does Abraham think is going to happen? Does he really intend to blindly follow God's instruction? Is this a lesson in blind faith? Is faith that is blind, really something we pursue?

Here are a few facts that may help imagine what Abraham may be thinking.
- Isaac is of an age where he can communicate intelligently with his father; he could be a young boy or teenager. Isaac is incredibly obedient to be bound and not struggle, and to see his father holding a knife.
- Through many occassions, God has revealed his promises to Abraham about his inheritance and descendents. At least once, God had specifically told Abraham that his blessings would come through Isaac specifically and not another son. This is the single most important point as the object of Abraham's faith. Abraham's faith in God must be in God's ability to produce descendents through Isaac, even if he kills Isaac. He could have thought that God would resurrect Isaac or stop him in the last minute or simply just not thinking but relying on God to carry out his promise through Isaac.
- The God of Abraham, as Abraham would have known, has never asked for any human sacrifice until this time.
- Abraham was fully committed to carry out the sacrifice of Isaac as he asked his servants not to follow him. No doubt he would imagine that his servants would try to stop him.

Just before Abraham carried out the sacrifice, God stopped him and provided a sacrificial ram. Then God re-confirm his promises to Abraham.

So Abraham's faith is not blind faith. Blind faith is something to be avoided as it can be manipulated and dangerous. Abraham's faith is based on his personal relationship with his God in whom he trusts fully and in whom he communicates with. In this instance the object of his faith is that the promises that God made to him concerning Isaac and he believes that God will fulfill those promises even though God asked for Isaac as a sacrifice.



Genesis 22

Abraham’s Faith Confirmed

 1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad[a] and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide;[b] as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The Family of Nahor
20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah.[c] These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.