Lent Day #9

Today we are going to finish our look at Abram / Abraham in Genesis. There is so much depth to his story, and we've only scratched the surface. A couple days ago, we looked at the the significance of the binding of Issac in Genesis chapter 22 and yesterday we condsidered Abraham's prophetic role and that Isaac was quite possibly an adult at the time of the story. Today we finish this story...

GENESIS 22:9-14 (NJPS)
9 They arrived at the place of which God had told him. Abraham built an alter there; he laid out the wood; he bound his son Isaac; he laid him on the alter, on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to slay his son. 11 then an angel of the Lord called to him from heaven: "Abraham! Abraham!" And he answered, "Here I am." 12 And he said, "Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him. For now I now that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from me." 13 When Abraham looked up, his eye fell upon a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that side Adonai-yireh, whence the present saying, "On the mount of the Lord there is vision."

If we assume that Isaac is an adult and Abraham is upwards of 115 years old, then Isaac could probably have overpowered Abraham if he wanted to, so in verse 9 when Abraham binds up Isaac on the alter, Isaac has to be a willing participant! Why don't Christians ever talk about the courageous sacrifice that Isaac was willing to make? My Jewish Study Bible calls him the prototype of the Jewish martyr.

GENESIS 22:15-18 (NJPS)
15 The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, "By Myself I swear, the Lord declares; Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, you favored one, 17 I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes. 18 All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command."

It appears that the sacrifice Abraham makes is somehow atoning for the whole world: "Because you have done this ... All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command." Has this come to pass, or is this yet to come? It seems like many of the nations of the earth curse offspring of Isaac (the Jews). As Christians, we probably want to say that this blessing evantually came through Jesus the Christ, but it doesn't seem like all the nations of the earth *are* blessing themselves by Him -- not yet anyway.

Looking at the progression of Genesis 22:1-18 as a whole, it challenges me. I consider how hard it is to follow God's will sometimes. Think about it... It appears that God's will was to deceive Abraham ... that God's will was for Abraham to attempt to kill his son ... that God's will was to have Abraham tie his son upon the alter ... to have Isaac endue the knowledge that his dear daddy was going to sacrifice him ... to have to stop Abraham with his arm raised, just moments before he slits Isaac's throat ... and that God's will was only then to reveal to Abraham a substitute sacrifice.

Huh? If the purpose was to test Abraham, why would a sacrifice still be necessary once the cat is out of the bag? Shouldn't it go, "Abraham stop! You've passed the test. Now, cut only the ropes that bind your son and take him home to celebrate." If there is going to be an animal in the thicket, I expect it to be a nice plump sheep for Abraham to take home for a feast to reward him for passing the test. That's not the way the story goes. Instead, God fulfills the prophecy that Abraham makes in verse 8, when Abraham said, "God will see to the sheep for His burnt offering." Maybe he is rewarding Abraham's belief that God would find a way to ensure that Isaac was able to have progeny. We don't know.

I question why God would tempt people if he really knows what is in our hearts. Testing his follower like this makes it look like God is insecure, but that can't be right, can it? God seems to need to find out if God's chosen apprentice is more than just a fair weather friend -- that Abraham would be obedient even if it seems that God is breaking the promise of a great nation fathered by Isaac, even as it seems that God is merely toying with him. I'm not pleased with the emotional trauma that God makes Abraham and Isaac endure. I'm uncomfortable with the fact that God in no way uses this opportunity to condemn human sacrifice -- instead, he commends Abraham for being willing to go through with it! In the end I have to acknowledge that God's ways truly are beyond my comprehension.

What about you ... what do you think?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank you for all things. I even thank you for my confusion, for it reminds me that no matter how often I think I "get it", I still don't know it all. As I accumulate knowledge, I realize how much I don't know. I pray only that you light the path far enough for me to attempt to follow your lead. I ask that you give me the courage to be obedient to your will. I hope that you open me up to possibilities beyond my dreams, and I look forward to learning to know you more. In Jesus name, Amen.