Jan 23

Abraham does not simply agree to the requests made of him by God, but does not even question them in the slightest. Firstly, in The Call of Abram in Genesis 12, Abram does not even know it is God that speaks to him but he still agrees. He agrees because as Kass writes, “the promise answers Abram’s longing for land, seed, and a great name.” Abram is not just seeking glory, but instead knows that this must be the request of the Lord because it fulfills his deepest longings. In The Command to Sacrifice Isaac, we see no internal battle in Abraham over the issue, nor does he beg the Lord to spare his son. I believe that this is not intended to make Abraham look unfeeling or cruel, but instead shows his trust that God would eventually intervene. God promised Abraham that he would have countless descendants through Isaac and Abraham knows that God would not break his covenant with him. In 22:5 and 22:8 Abraham tells his servants that he and his son will go worship and return to them and tells Isaac that God will provide the offering. I do not think that Abraham was lying, but instead trusted in the Lord that his son would be spared. The story is meant to also communicate God’s disapproval of human sacrifice. Abraham already knows this, which is why he goes through with the request. This story often sparks outrage or horror in readers, however, Isaac’s death was never even seen as a possibility for Abraham nor God. The Judgement Pronounced on Sodom in Genesis 18 exemplifies both God and Abraham’s utmost value of human life; “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” The major virtue communicated by the story is not blind obedience, even if that means murdering one’s own son, but instead complete faith in God’s love of humankind, which proves both God and Abraham to be praiseworthy, rather than the horror sparked by a first reading of the story.