Cruel and Unusual
One of the stumbling blocks for
infidels is the biblical story of Abraham being instructed by God to
sacrifice his son Isaac. The objection: “How could a God of love ask a
father to inflict such cruel and unusual punishment upon his own
son?”
The command of God to Abraham was
indeed a TEST of his faith. But in order to understand the nature of
the test, we must have before us ALL the facts. Consider Hebrews
11:17-19:
“By faith Abraham, when he was tried,
offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his
only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be
called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the
dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”
Unlike Abraham’s son Ishmael (offspring of the FLESH), whom he
sired through handmaiden Hagar, Isaac (offspring of the PROMISE) came along
some fourteen years later. God PROMISED Abraham he
would fulfill ALL his promises through Isaac, not Ishmael. When God
instructed Abraham to offer up his son, Abraham did so with a PROMISE
in his back pocket—a promise he would NOT have had if he had been asked
to offer up Ishmael.
So the true test for Abraham was
this: Was his God big enough to make good on his promise on the other
side of his obedience? In his heart, Abraham answered that question in
the affirmative, believing God would raise Isaac from the dead, if
necessary, to make good on the promise!
At worst, Abraham’s obedience was
going to cost him short-term PAIN in exchange for long-term
GAIN—a pain he was willing to endure for the greater expectation of a
resurrection as fulfillment of the promise!
Two considerations are in order.
First is the practical application of obedience IF God were to ask US
for the same level of sacrifice. But let’s be sure to compare apples
with apples. If God had given us a promise like he gave Abraham
regarding his son, we might also be predisposed to obey with a similar
promise in OUR back pocket.
Second is the prophetic significance.
On that same hill of Moriah nearly two thousand years later, God the
Father would fulfill that picture in the offering up of his own Son for
our sins! Just like Abraham, the death of the Lord Jesus would
represent short-term PAIN in exchange for long-term GAIN—both for his
Son, whom he would raise in a glorified body and re-ensconce on the
throne of heaven, and for believers, to whom he makes the promise of
eternal life, including a resurrected body like unto that of his
Son.
The Lord STAYED the hand of Abraham
so Isaac would not be harmed. But regarding his only begotten Son, the
Lord SPARED NOT his own Son, but “delivered
him up for us all” (Romans 8:32).
When we consider Abraham’s obedience
in relation to what God might require of us, let’s be sure to compare
apples with apples, and not apples with oranges. When God requires
obedience of us and connects it to a promise, let us have faith enough
to believe God is big enough to make good on his promise on the other
side of our obedience!
As for skeptics who find fault with
God for demanding such a cruel and unusual act of obedience from
Abraham, I have this succinct response: You simply DO NOT KNOW the God
of scripture!
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