The Sacrifice In The Hebrew Bible

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In the Hebrew Bible, specifically in Genesis, there are a handful of events that the purpose of their presence seems somewhat unclear. The sacrifice of Isaac is one of these puzzling events. Though at first God’s command to Abraham seems arbitrary, the story comes in the end to exemplify great faith, trust in the lord’s command, god’s mercy.

The sacrifice of Isaac is a peculiar event in the bible for a number of reasons. The first and perhaps most obvious being the emphasis that God has put on the life of Isaac and the continuation of Abraham’s lineage. Before the birth of Isaac, God speaks to Abram, promising, “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust on the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered” (Gen. 13:16). God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice his son is also peculiar because it goes against what God had previously planned for Isaac. Sarah, Isaac’s mother, had been barren and old (Gen. 11:30) and thus would not have borne any children had it not been God’s will. The Lord appears unto Abraham declaring that Sarah “shall have a son” as nothing is too difficult for the Lord (Gen. 18:10-14). The …show more content…

When the Lord commands that Abraham “take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest” and “offer him there for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:2), he is asking for a parent to end the life of his child. It is this awfulness in the Lord’s demand that makes this the perfect act of great faith. Isaac being Abraham’s sole and revered child, borne of a barren mother, and existing of God’s will are all factors that could have lead Abraham to disobey God and spare his son. However, despite his love for his precious child, Abraham “stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (Gen. 22:10). The sacrifice of Isaac is the ultimate act of faith because to do something this difficult in the name of faith in God is the ultimate proof of

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