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Abraham's Sacrifice of Issac - Why?
Kat:
Hi Jay,
What strikes me about Abraham, is that he was a very prominent figure in the OT and was often used in reference to God;
Gen 26:23 "I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not..."
Exo 4:5 "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham..."
1Ki 18:36 "...O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel... "
Being that He was a person God used in such a way that the name Abraham would be used in reference to God throughout the scripture, this would seem to require that God would cause him to be outstanding in some way. "And he was called the friend of God..." but not this alone, as well he was shown as having the faith and the actual willingness to obey in an exrtaordinary way.
James 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
v. 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
v. 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
v. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.
v. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Abraham was specially prepared to carry out what was required of him, so that he could be called "the God of Abraham" through out scripture, and used as a reference to being faithful and obedient.
So we could not follow in his footsteps unless we were specially prepared to do so like he was, I think that is why we can not imagine doing what he did.
That's the way I am seeing this.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat
TimothyVI:
Hi Jay,
I too struggle with verses in the old testament that make God appear like
an egomaniacal tyrant. If I thought that God was commanding me to do something
that was completely immoral. I would have to question whether it was really God, or satan deceiving me.
Satan is an excellent deceiver, in order to believe that a command is from God, I must discern if it is true to His character,
Look how many people there are today that still kill others because they think that God
told them to. If they had a better understanding of God, they would know that He
could not be telling them to do such a thing.
If God told me to murder anyone, I would say, get behind me satan.
I wish that Ray would discuss more about the terrible things that God was supposed
to have done, and commanded in the old testament.
By the way, how do you think being tied to an alter with a knife at your throat affected Isaac?
Tim
Jay:
Thanks for that bit of insight Kat. Surely Abraham was prepared for his mission by God and therefore anyone else would be hard-pressed to go through with such a command.
Tim, you asked a good question. How did Isaac feel about being tied to an altar knowing that his demise would be forthcoming by the hands of his own dad? Well, my guess is that Isaac must have been prepared for his role in this drama as well as Abraham was for his role, for what "normal" son would permit his dad or anyone else for that matter to tie him to an altar and slay him like a sacrificial lamb? Isaac therefore would be a type of the Son of God who submitted to His Father's plan to offer Him up as a sacrifice for sin.
I guess that since all is of God and He works His purpose through the human instrumentality, then He provides the necessary wherewithal from within to withstand the horrors that come from or is God-engineered from without. While my "gut" or my spirit assures me that its all true -- how that God engineers circumstances, created evil, etc., its still mind-boggling to me and to be quite honest, kinda scares me as well -- makes me wonder what kind of scourging He has in store for me -- "for my own good". I'm having a hard time getting past that one.
Peace,
Jay
Sorin:
--- Quote from: TimothyVI on March 23, 2007, 08:08:49 PM ---Hi Jay,
I too struggle with verses in the old testament that make God appear like
an egomaniacal tyrant. If I thought that God was commanding me to do something
that was completely immoral. I would have to question whether it was really God, or satan deceiving me.
Satan is an excellent deceiver, in order to believe that a command is from God, I must discern if it is true to His character,
Look how many people there are today that still kill others because they think that God
told them to. If they had a better understanding of God, they would know that He
could not be telling them to do such a thing.
If God told me to murder anyone, I would say, get behind me satan.
I wish that Ray would discuss more about the terrible things that God was supposed
to have done, and commanded in the old testament.
By the way, how do you think being tied to an alter with a knife at your throat affected Isaac?
Tim
--- End quote ---
Not true. God did tell the Jews to murder many people in the OT, including women and children. In fact, he told them to kill everything that breathes.
Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Jackie Lee:
--- Quote from: Sorin on March 24, 2007, 01:36:32 AM ---
--- Quote from: TimothyVI on March 23, 2007, 08:08:49 PM ---Hi Jay,
I too struggle with verses in the old testament that make God appear like
an egomaniacal tyrant. If I thought that God was commanding me to do something
that was completely immoral. I would have to question whether it was really God, or satan deceiving me.
Satan is an excellent deceiver, in order to believe that a command is from God, I must discern if it is true to His character,
Look how many people there are today that still kill others because they think that God
told them to. If they had a better understanding of God, they would know that He
could not be telling them to do such a thing.
If God told me to murder anyone, I would say, get behind me satan.
I wish that Ray would discuss more about the terrible things that God was supposed
to have done, and commanded in the old testament.
By the way, how do you think being tied to an alter with a knife at your throat affected Isaac?
Tim
--- End quote ---
Not true. God did tell the Jews to murder many people in the OT, including women and children. In fact, he told them to kill everything that breathes.
Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
I think I need a break for a while.
???
--- End quote ---
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