Genesis 22:1-14
Week
after week I do my best to offer an authentic interpretation of the text. There can be no dispute that my understanding
of scripture is influenced by cultural background, educational training, and
experience in life. While my desire is
to be true to the Word, each places a filter upon my eyes and heart.
There
is nothing easy about Abraham going to the mountain to sacrifice his son. If we don’t pay attention, Genesis 22 is a
great example of one man’s faith to follow the instructions of God. But if we pay attention to the details, we find
ourselves wrestling with the mindset of Abraham, the complexities of God, and the
demands this text places on our beliefs.
The
story unfolds on many different levels.
I first heard it when I was a child.
It was presented as the ultimate demand of faith. The question was simple. Do you love God more than anything else? When I was first told this story, I was
incapable of understanding its full meaning.
I was nine years old. It was Sunday morning. Yahweh was my guy. I was constantly reminded that God was King,
God was in charge, and God knew things I would never understand. My job was to love
God and love my neighbor. For a nine
year old this was not terrible complicated. Of course I loved God. I went to church every Sunday. As for my neighbor, he was my best
friend. We played together, went to
school together, and spent weekends together.
I loved my neighbor. If God
tested me, I knew I would always be up to the task.
But
children grow up and the demands of being faithful become increasingly
complex. Let me conduct a little
test. If I should inform you God demands
the sacrifice of your grandchild as proof of your allegiance, what would you do?
Begin
plans for the sacrifice………….or
Request
a membership change.
Now
we have officially entered into the complexities of this text. From my vantage point, as a father and a
grandfather, I don’t know how Abraham placed his son on that alter, lifted up a
knife, and planned to plunge his weapon into Isaac’s heart. That may be faith, but it is in contrast to everything
I claim God to be. I understand Christians
hold obedience as sacred, but Abraham did
not even offer to take the place of the child.
Do we really worship a God who would ask us to sacrifice our youth as a
test of loyalty? Why would Abraham agree
to do this? Let me give you a couple explanations you may or may not find
helpful.
The
most attractive but I believe the least helpful is to remember that we are
talking about a very primitive culture where the death of a child was common. Half the children born died in their first
year of life. Children were not considered human until they reached their 12th
birthday. But this was no ordinary boy.
Isaac was a child of promise, the heir of a great nation. The entire story of Abraham revolved around the
birth of Isaac and what the parents went through in order that this birth might
occur. Furthermore the sacrifice of a child
was not a Hebrew ritual. Each Hebrew
child was considered precious because each child was understood to be the bearer
of destiny. From the bulrushes of Egypt
to the insanity of Herod, every precaution was taken to spare children from
death.
A
second explanation might be Abraham believed God would save the child. The couple was called on to prove themselves
once again. Deep down they knew God would
not take this promised child, so they dared to call Yahweh’s bluff. Abraham told
the mother not to worry. They would go
along with the game convinced at the last moment God, rejoicing over Abraham’s
faith, would stop the slaughter. Certain
everything would work out, the father and son go off into the mountains leaving
Sarah at home. God does provide. Isaac and his faithful father returned home to
the loving arms of the anxious but relieved mother. That sounds plausible except for one very
important detail. Abraham and Isaac
returned to an empty home. While they
were in the mountains, Sarah died. The
Midrash tells us she was overcome by a broken heart.
So we return to the story as told. A heavy
hearted Abraham went to the mountains feeling certain he would return without
Isaac. It would be hard to come up with any other explanation for his actions. Why
did he ever believe killing Isaac would fulfill the wishes of God? What does this say about Abraham? More importantly, what does this say about
God?
In
this story the command and the promise of God are in contradiction with each
other. The promise was Isaac would be
the beginning of a great nation. But the
command would end the birth of Israel before it began. Certainly the argument could be made that
Yahweh, as a jealous God demanded complete loyalty. Certainly one could suggest to Abraham and
Sarah the child had become more important than God, hence the test. But I refuse to believe this argument. I believe the command of God and the promise
of God are never in contradiction. The supreme
directive of the Bible confirms each life is sacred. The message of Jesus was
to love one another. If we believe this, even the consideration of taking the
life of another is wrong.
Abraham
was not exhibiting faith. He was having a senior moment. You know what I am talking about. When you are over 60, you had better start
putting your car keys in the same spot or you may find yourself walking. When
you are over 60, church directories with pictures are really important because
it is amazing how quickly names vacate our mind. When you are over 60, all of our security codes
become the same four numbers. I even write them down and insert them in my wallet.
Abraham
had a senior moment. Abraham forgot that
above everything else God celebrates life.
When God suggested the life of an innocent child was to be used for a
sacrifice, the great father of the Hebrew people had a brain freeze. No questions were asked, no dialogue took
place. Abraham just loaded up the donkey, fetched Isaac, and headed for the
hills. This was not faith. This was
reaching for the Kool-Aid. God gave us free will. We are expected to use that gift with our
eyes wide open. Abraham didn’t pass a
test of faith. He miserably failed theology 101 by refusing to question God’s
ungodly command.
Remember
God informing Abraham that the city of Sodom would be destroyed because of its
wickedness? Abraham went to great
lengths to argue with God over the destruction of a city of sinners. Remember the discussion? If 100 righteous folks can be found will you
spare the city? What about 50? 25? Finally God agreed if Abrahams could locate 10
righteous folks the fire storm would be called off. So why did this man who argued for the lives
of some pretty unsavory characters fail to offer any resistance when his innocent
son was about to be sacrificed? Why did
he give in so easily? Why did Abraham fail to observe the Torah? Why did he not say to God, “If I kill my son,
I mutilate the very image of God? If I
kill my son, I break your sacred commandments.
If I kill my son, I renounce all that is sacred. If I kill my son, I
renounce life.”
Why
did Abraham lose his voice? Why would he
not fight for his son? How could Abraham have forgotten the basic
principal of God is always, “Choose life over death!”
Maybe
Abraham panicked. Maybe the choice was so ridiculous he was confused. Then
again, maybe we are just making excuses for Abraham. So let me ask this. If a
parent kills a child, when is our immediate instinct to excuse the parent?
So
what if society kills a child? What happens when children are sacrificed
because fixing the education system…….. or making the water pure………. or changing
financial and housing restrictions…………. or admitting our history has played
favorites………. SEEMS TOO HARD? What happens when Christians claim any discussion
concerning saving the life of a child……… or an immigrant………… or a person of
color…………… is mixing politics with religion? What happens when we forget God always
chooses life? Another child dies.
Let
history record that it was this generation that put an end to such madness.
To
God be the glory. Amen.
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