The Sacrificial Son (Genesis 22)

I always feel bad for the extras in an action movie. It's pretty predictable when the main character and his three companions (undeveloped characters) go into a gun fight at the beginning of a movie that the extras are going to get blown away. And though you may feel a little tension in your gut about how the main character is going to get out of the situation, you really aren't worried because you know they will be ok. After all there is still over an hour left to go in the movie.

Likewise, when God approaches Abraham (earlier called Abram) at the beginning of chapter 22 and tests him by asking Abraham to offer his one and only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God; there is a feeling of tension but deep down you know this will work out. First, God detests human sacrifice and later will codify into the Law that it is wrong. Second, God has promised Abraham that through his child he will be the father of many nations and Isaac is the only child he has. So it comes as know surprise (like the main character getting out of an impossible situation) that when Abraham is just about to sacrifice Isaac that an angel stops him and an animal shows up to take his place. Crisis averted.

Besides being good drama and showing us an amazing picture of what it means to trust God there is something much deeper in this event. God approaches Abraham to test his trust, obedience, and love. When Abraham passes the test God responds by saying, "By myself have I sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son: That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice" (Gen 22:15-18). God swears by Himself because there is no one or no thing greater than He. Meaning that God's love is greater than Abraham's. So when Abraham shows himself willing to sacrifice his one and only son, it sets God up to do something at least at par even not greater. Not because God is compelled to prove anything to mankind, but by the very nature of who He is, He would never ask of mankind what He Himself would not be willing to do.

The plot thickens even further as God renews His promise that through Abraham's descendants, God will bless all nations. Keeping in mind that the main issue is sin which separates us from God, this sets a dramatic stage for our hero. In essence, though it is not clear at this point in Scriptures, it sets the stage for God's one and only Son to be sacrificed for those He loves (see the book of John chapter 3 verse 16). Of course the tension here is how can our hero both be human (as told to Eve) and the Son of a Divine God? We may not understand it, but it would fit what the Scriptures have showed us of the hero so far.