#10 - Abraham almost sacrifices Isaac: Genesis 22:1-19; Reflection by Pastor Steve Buechler

painting by Heqi

June 25 – Abraham and the Sacrifice of Isaac: Genesis 22:1-19

The story of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac is one of the most confusing and frightening stories in the Bible for modern readers. But, it was also confusing and frightening to ancient readers as well. Child sacrifice was well known in the ancient world, and it probably was not clear to Abraham that God would call it off at the last minute. Even for later Jewish readers, this must not have seemed at all like something God would command, since later in the Old Testament God clearly condemns child sacrifice (cf. Jeremiah 7:31).

As we reflect on this story, it’s important to remember the first verse: “God tested Abraham.” God’s purpose was not to receive a sacrifice, but rather to find out if Abraham would really trust God. After all, God had already promised Abraham a multitude of descendants through Isaac. If Abraham sacrificed Isaac, how could even God make that promise come true? Would God really provide even when all hope seemed lost?

It’s important to remember that Abraham didn’t think this “was only a test”. He probably believed that this was what God wanted, even though he hated it and didn’t want to do it. And probably to his amazement, God did provide in a way that neither he nor Isaac expected.

It’s hard to get beyond the horror of child sacrifice in this story, but the real message here is that God actually did provide and keep his promise even at the absolute lowest point in Abraham’s life – when he thought that the promise of his life was literally over. In the end, the point of the story is that God could be trusted, not just to provide at that moment, but at every moment, even when life was at an end.

Indeed, God did provide the lamb, not just that day on Mount Moriah, but finally on Calvary, where God provided his own Son as the lamb for us. And because of the faithfulness of God we’ve already experienced, we too, can trust God even and including those times when life is at an end.

Genesis 22

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." ²He said, "Take 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 that I shall show you." ³So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. ⁴On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. ⁵Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you." ⁶Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. ⁷Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" ⁸Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.
⁹When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. ¹¹But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." ¹²He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy 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." ¹³And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴So Abraham called that place "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
¹⁵The angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, ¹⁶and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the LORD: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, ¹⁸and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice." ¹⁹So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham lived at Beer-sheba.