AABRAHAM 1; GENESIS 15-17; 21-22
I was very hesitant in teaching this lesson as I remember vividly having a very visceral reaction to this story as a child. I remember the picture of a child on an altar, with an old man ready to slit his throat and a huge, angry looking angel behind him. I remember wondering if my parents would be asked to show their obedience like that and if so, which one of the eight of us would they choose? HORRIBLE!!! Fortunately, I had the opportunity to study this story at length, and now have a completely different take on these events and the God that required them.
Abraham 1
First, we need to look back at Abraham as a young man. In his 20's(?), he is living in Chaldea where the cultural religion that his family practices is human sacrifice to idols. It's clearly a perversion of the idea of the sacrifice of the Son of God. Abraham tells us that he knows there is a better way and he needs to leave his culture and this horrible practice. He learns truth and receives the priesthood from Melchezidek. He tries to share this information with his community and he ends up on a sacrificial altar. As he is about to be murdered, Jehovah calls to him, introduces himself, kills the false priests, breaks the altar, looses his bands and saves him. This experience will inform many of his future choices, but one, of course, in particular.
Genesis 15-17; 21
Next, at age 62, Abraham receives what is called the Abrahamic covenant. This covenant, in short, explains that through the seed of his body, he will be the father of many nations, the Savior will come through him and ALL the nations of the EARTH will be blessed through the priesthood that will also come through him. His wife has been barren for some time now, so it seems sketchy, but their faith remains. At age 80-ish, Abraham is commanded to take another wife and Sarah gives him Hagar. Hagar gives birth to Ishmael when Abraham is 86. He is not the covenant child, but is still the beginning of "many nations". 13 years later, Abraham is told that Sarah will conceive and the following year Isaac, the child of the covenant is born. Abraham is 100, Sarah is 90. 38 YEARS, Abraham and Sarah faithfully wait for the promise to be fulfilled, but regardless of the physical "impossibility", it is fulfilled indeed.
Genesis 22
Finally, Abraham's faith is ultimately tried when God says "aTake now thy son, thine bonly son Isaac, whom thou clovest, and get thee into the land of dMoriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." I wonder if it was as difficult to say as it was to hear? Despite the fact that, based on Abraham's past, he is obviously repulsed by human sacrifice, and despite the fact that Isaac is the promised child that he waited SO many years for, Abraham nevertheless, "... rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the awood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him."
WHAT?!? WHY?!?! (clearly I am NOT like Abraham)
Before those questions are answered, let's look for a second at Isaac. Of course, Abraham is shattered by this request, but what about Isaac? Dallin H. Oaks explained: "When they came to the prescribed place, Abraham built an altar and laid wood upon it. Then, the Bible says, ‘Abraham … bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood’ (Genesis 22:9). What did Isaac think when Abraham did such a strange thing? The Bible mentions no struggle or objection. Isaac’s silence can be explained only in terms of his trust in and obedience to his father” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 51; or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 37).
The only thing that makes sense to me is that unlike those that followed the Chaldean priests, Abraham did not have blind, culturally expected or compulsory reactions to his chosen God. He had a worked for, spiritually meaningful relationship and many proven saving experiences with Jehovah. Abraham knew that whatever Jehovah asked of him, he would be blessed for it. He knew that even this seemingly insane request was for a purpose. How could he not? Jehovah had come through for him EVERY time before - why not now? Jehovah, we read, does indeed come through.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
We understand, again from Dallin Oaks, that “This story … shows the goodness of God in protecting Isaac and in providing a substitute so he would not have to die. Because of our sins and our mortality, we, like Isaac, are condemned to death. When all other hope is gone, our Father in Heaven provides the Lamb of God, and we are saved by his sacrifice” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 51; or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 37).
Something that I had never considered before now was that Elohim (who Abraham is the symbol for in this story) is not the one that asks Abraham to do this impossible thing. Jehovah is. Jehovah, Jesus Christ, is the one that asks Abraham to sacrifice his covenant son, knowing that He will provide a ram - knowing that there will be no ram for Him. I wonder if seeing that kind of love and trust didn't solidify, just a little more, His resolve to endure Gethsemane and Golgotha. I think it's telling that from then on Jehovah calls himself "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob".
I've often heard people that could never believe in a god that was so cruel as to require such a thing and so arrogant to need worshipers that were willing to do it. That's exactly what Abraham thought in Chaldea, that's why he wanted a living God and he found one in Jehovah. That doesn't mean that sacrifice, faith and obedience aren't required. The difference is that it is for our sakes not for God's. Hugh B. Brown said that "God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac because “Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham” What was it that Abraham learned? That he could trust so completely? That he could sacrifice what is most beloved? That with God nothing is impossible? I can only guess. But I do know that the covenant blessings that were promised to Abraham did come to pass. I also know that I must be tried "even as Abraham" (Doc. & Cov. 101:4) What will my trials teach me? What will I allow myself, through trust, faith and experience, to know and receive? I pray for the courage to find out.
