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Scripture Text (NRSV)


Genesis 22:1-14


22:1 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

22:2 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."

22:3 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.

22:4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.

22:5 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."

22:6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.

22:7 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?"

22:8 Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

22:9 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.

22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.

22:11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

22:12 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."

22:13 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.

22:14 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."

 

Comments:



 

Hi all.

Ok, let's dive in to the deep water.

Does anyone else see the homiletical connection between God's call to Abraham to sacrifice his
promised, and promise-bearing, son, and the all-too-frequent call of the Nation to sacrifice
OUR children on the altar of military adventurism?

Or the all-too-frequent call of financial lending establishments to mortgage our future for the sake
of some electronic trinket which will consume even more of our time and resources?

Or the all-too-frequent call of our society's obsession with success and winning and prosperity
which insists that we blame the victims of the poverty we create to keep wages low and benefits
non-existent? Naaaaa.

Let's just keep this safe and religious, and insist that God was trying to "teach Abraham
a lesson." Right?

Rick in Canada, eh?

I am struggling with this text today, and wondering what message it brings to people in the two little villages where I serve. It seems a great contrast from the Genesis passage where a father is asked to sacrifice his beloved child, for whom he waited until he was over 100 years old, to the gospel text which proclaims a heavenly reward for anyone who gives even a cup of cold water to a thirsty child. What can I tell the congregation? I think I will use the contrast to show that our God is a God of love and compassion, wanting us to care for the children and each other, but that God is also a God who makes serious demands on us---demands for trust, faithfulness, obedience even when we don't understand what or why ... early thoughts.... RevJanet in CNY

Abraham's Promise: Your descendents shall be more numerous than the stars! He had three very special visitors to tell him this. Last week's text showed us a celebration and a Father's worry about the sending away of an older son. God Reassures him to do so. That the younger son is the chosen way to these descendents. Now, Abraham is told that he must give up this promise.

Covenants throughout the scriptures with people then. The Promise of God is Loving God. But as we study the scriptures deeper, we read God makes promises that do not seem loving--God Destroying cities and exiling peoples. and Revelation Promises of his wrath coming. <p> Some of our denominations tend to emphasize the God is Love, cosmic teddy bear view...But God has a wrathful, jealous side-- that's if we choose or not by non choice to not be about our Father's will...

Quote by Ghandi, " First they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!" Pastor Mary IN OHIO

Several wonder why God tested Abraham (and, by extention, why God tests us). Naturally, God does not test us to find out about us since He already knows. I suspect God tests us so that WE find out about us. One preacher put it well. He asked the question, "Do you know what you're full of?" ... then he answered, "You're full of whatever comes out when you get jostled." Much truth there. Does someone cut you off on the freeway (you get jostled)? What comes out? Anger or love? That is what you're full of.

Abraham got jostled by God and here's what came out. (Yes these are the early thoughts of a perpetual alliterative 3-pointer; I can't help it.)

Out of Abraham came:

1) The PRIMACY of God. God was shown to be more important to Abraham than even his only son.

2) The PROMISE of God. 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." (v. 5) Abraham believed God's promise (that his offspring would be named through Isaac).

3) The PROVISION of God. Abraham had never seen such a dramatic example of God's provision. Sometimes God takes away that which we need so we can learn to trust Him for it and see His faithfulness.

That's my early rantings.

JGinWI