Of Human Sacrifice

Of Human Sacrifice: Abraham and Isaac The Biblical record of the offering of Isaac has been a source of confusion and misunderstanding for many years. It is difficult to understand why God apparently asked Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. If God is the giver of all life, how could He ask Abraham to offer up his only son whom God had promised him? The account of Abraham and Isaac simply has not made sense, and thus critics have constantly wrestled over it. The record of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22:1 begins, “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham. . . .” The first misconception has stemmed from the word tempt. In Hebrew “tempt” is bachan, meaning “to prove.” “Tempt” must be incorrect because James 1:13 says that God never tempts.* Although God never tempts, it is possible for Him to prove man. God proves us as we prove ourselves. He gives us His Word and as we walk on it, we are proved. But God does not tempt us. Only Satan tempts. Hebrews 11:17 records, “By faith [believing] Abraham, when he was tried [proved] offered up Isaac. . . .” Genesis 22:1, 2: And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [prove] Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am . And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. According to these verses, God told Abraham to take his son Isaac and offer him for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which God would tell him. Our whole problem may be that we do not understand what a burnt offering is.** God never asked Abraham to put a fire under Isaac. This idea has come to us because of teachers we have heard, books we have read and pictures we have seen. We have in mind the image of Abraham walking Isaac up the mountain, gathering the sticks, building the altar, tying Isaac and preparing to slay him when suddenl