(1) Why does Abraham agree to the request made of him by God? (2) Is Abraham lying in 22:5 and 22:8? (3) What is God’s intention in making Abraham go through with this ordeal? (4) Is Abraham praiseworthy? Is God?
I think Abraham agrees to God’s request to sacrifice his son Isaac because of a few reasons. First, Abraham had already demonstrated his willingness to obey God’s commands despite the pervasive unknown surrounding them; when God first called Abram to go forth from his native land to be made into a great nation, Abram “went forth as the LORD had commanded him,” suggesting an ingrained propensity within Abraham to follow God’s commands at the expense of his own plans or finite understanding (Gen. 12:4). In this interaction, as Kass points out, God already demonstrated his ability and willingness to “see directly into [Abram’s] heart.” This type of interaction, even from a strictly human emotional standpoint, would greatly impact Abram’s future decision-making when it comes to trusting fully in God. Further, when Abram became known as Abraham, God established a covenant with him and promised him he’d become the father of a multitude of nations. From Abraham’s perspective, this promise, along with others, had yet to fail — Abraham had no reason to doubt God’s authority, so his already-strong faith had no reason to falter. Lastly, since Abraham was confident in the power and presence of God, it’s reasonable to assume that he, to a certain extent, understood the importance of submission to God above his own earthly needs and desires.
When Abraham heads up to the mountain after being commanded to sacrifice, he tells his servants that he and Isaac will worship God and then return (22:5), and when Isaac asks what’s going on, he tells him that God will provide a sheep for burnt offering (22:8). These statements could be seen as lies, but I don’t think they are for two reasons. First, I believe Abraham’s faith in God here truly is genuine; while he’s unsure of the outcome of the sacrifice at this time and will proceed with God’s command, I think he knows internally that God is just and merciful and so his demonstration of faith is actually in believing that God will provide him a way out of the difficult situation, by presenting an animal to sacrifice with perfect timing (as God acts faithfully with perfect timing in all things). This would make his response to Isaac truthful. As for the telling his servants that they’d worship and return, Abraham is telling the truth here because obeying God with full faith and trust is in itself an act of submission to God’s authority, and as such, an act of worship. The second reason I think these statements are true is because of the nature of this narrative in Genesis and in the Jewish tradition in general — the Tanakh Jewish Study Bible describes this account as “one of the gems of the biblical narrative” and an account which “occupies a central role in rabbinic theology.” This means that the account itself is intended to be a golden example for all believers and followers of God to emulate, in all aspects of the story. Hence, it only makes for Abraham to be a perfect model in all aspects of this story, both in his faith AND in his honesty.
Regarding God’s intention in making God go through this whole thing, I think this answer is simple. In Genesis 22:1, it prefaces God’s command by saying “God put Abraham to the test.” Thus, understanding this story as a godly test of human faith which can serve as an example to others in all times and situations helps explain why God would have Abraham go through it in the first place.
I wouldn’t consider Abraham praiseworthy in some ways, but perhaps in others — I think it depends on the semantics of the term. I think it’s laudable that he obeyed God’s command with hesitation and with full faith, but at the same time, that’s what he (and all other people) are *supposed* to do. God’s standard is perfection. Also, if deeming Abraham as praiseworthy entails idolizing or deifying him in any way, then no, he is certainly NOT praiseworthy. That would ironically miss the entire point of the narrative, to submit to God alone. Following from that, God certainly IS praiseworthy here. He demonstrated that He is faithful, just, and merciful, and that His ways and understanding truly are higher than man’s understanding.
Kyle Dellenbaugh | Foundations of Theology 