Sacrificial Giving – Genesis 22

A text – Genesis 22:1-14

22 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ² He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” ³ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together. ⁷ Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together.

⁹ When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹² He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” ¹³ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide,” as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

A reflection:

This is a truly great story. And a terrible story. And people’s “Wow” reaction can be a wow meaning “Impressive” or a wow meaning “Oh dear God, really??!” So first, let me say, God didn’t ask for child sacrifice, although many of Israel’s neighboring cultures may have believed in gods who did. Perhaps the story showed to strangers who heard it that Yahweh did not ask for human sacrifice in worship but instead accepted rams or lambs. The story may have worked that way in practical terms.

Some scholars believe it is the story of God testing Abraham, to see whether he was in fact a worthy human to be the one man God bets God’s whole relationship with humans upon, someone worthy of being a part of a covenant. Would he give back to God what God had promised and eventually had given to him? Is God really wondering what Abraham will do? All interesting questions.

Whenever I read or hear this story, I firmly believe I could not have gone on that journey with my only child. I have surely given her over to God in my prayers when she has been out of reach and in trying circumstances. But that is hardly the same thing as binding her arms and legs and lifting her onto an altar to die. Nope. But what would I sacrifice for the Lord? And doesn’t God ask sacrifice of us? Aren’t we asked to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength? I believe I could turn myself over to God. But my child?

Perhaps we have the story to watch one faithful man be tested, and then hear God’s gracious, “Do not harm the child,” as if God is saying to Abraham and to us, “No, my dear, I would never ask this of you.” So then, when God shows us something we can do for our neighbor and thereby serve God, let’s not hold back. Serving the neighbor is much easier than what Abraham was asked to do in this story. God has given us so much in talents and riches and love. If God asks for those things back in service to others, let’s not refuse.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for not requiring Abraham or us to give up our beloved children in sacrifice to you. Help us to remember that you love us and give us more than we could possibly need, and you give us opportunities to share what you have given us with our neighbors. You are merciful and abounding in steadfast love for the whole world. Amen.