The sacrifice of Isaac: why?

davelarge · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:03 pm Post subject: The sacrifice of Isaac: why?

Hi all

I was reading the account of Abraham's life in Genesis this week, and of course I came to the part where God asks him to sacrifice Isaac.

Abraham acts with tremendous faith and does as he is bid, but I can't help wondering why God would ask him to do this in the first place. It seems almost as if He is playing with Abraham - leading him up the garden path like that, only to send an angel to stop proceedings at the last moment.

So, why (in your opinions) did God do this?

davelarge
8-)
_________________
Penguin-powered

jtheb · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 1452 Location: second childhood

Tom test out Abraham's faith.
Heb says that Abraham trusted that God would raise him again andacted with total faith.
_________________
The effectiveness of a posting is inversely proportional to its length.
C.S.Craig

davelarge · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:39 pm Post subject:

But God is omniscient. Therefore He knew that Abraham was faithful, so why go through the process?
_________________
Penguin-powered

jtheb · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 1452 Location: second childhood

That is getting complicated. Did Abraham know he was totally obediant?
_________________
The effectiveness of a posting is inversely proportional to its length.
C.S.Craig

davelarge · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:28 pm Post subject:

Ah, but God demonstrating Abraham's faith to Abraham is different from God testing Abraham's faith.

It also doesn't answer why Abraham might need the demonstration in the first place.

Perhaps I'm being too picky, but I'd really like to understand why this episode happened. Here's another possible explanation that I just thought of. Maybe God planned it so that future generations could look back to Abraham's faith, and the good results that it produced?

davelarge
_________________
Penguin-powered

Charity · Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 844

jtheb · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 1452 Location: second childhood

Life can get very complcated if one wants to know why everything happens.
_________________
The effectiveness of a posting is inversely proportional to its length.
C.S.Craig

davelarge · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject:

Sure... but complicated is interesting 8-)
_________________
Penguin-powered

Sisyphus · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:32 pm Post subject:

crystal · Joined: 04 Apr 2007 Posts: 308

God may know but did Abraham?

davelarge · Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject:

jtheb · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 1452 Location: second childhood

My father used to say that on the outside of the door is "whosover will may come" and inside you find your name listed.
_________________
The effectiveness of a posting is inversely proportional to its length.
C.S.Craig

davelarge · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:00 pm Post subject:

That's exactly what I mean, thanks jtheb!
_________________
Penguin-powered

Covenanter · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1446

Surely the "sacrifice" of Isaac should be seen as typical of the New Covenant sacrifice of the Son of God.

Gen 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Covenants required a shared sacrifice. God himself ratifies the Covenant. (Gen. 15) Abraham saw this when he told Isaac, "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering" When God accepts Abraham's intent to sacrifice, he declares: "Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

Paul explains this in Gal. 3.
_________________
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will ... (Hebrews 13:20-21)

davelarge · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:27 pm Post subject:

That's a fascinating idea, Covenanter. Let me think about it for a while and I'll get back to you 8-)
_________________
Penguin-powered