3. Testing (22)The story of the near sacrifice of Isaac is one of the most profound tales of the Torah. It conveys a deep lesson in testing and faith. Not only is it one of the most poignant tales in the Hebrew Bible, it is also well told.In the larger thematic and theological development of the Abraham cycle, the stage is set for this Elohist account of Isaac's near sacrifice by the birth narrative of Isaac and the subsequent expulsion of Ishmael in chapter 21. Now that Isaac is the ONLY one, God tests Abraham to expose the authenticity and the object of his faith. Applying the perspective of the newer literary criticism that looks for structure, we see that the account is segmented into three units on the basis of repeated phrases. Each of the three units is introduced with a summons addressed to Abraham. In each unit Abraham responds the same way.
1. God summons Abraham (1-2) The following discussion of Genesis 22 examines the account by units. The words in boldface are the elements of the outline that reveal the structure. 1. God summons Abraham1 After these events, Elohim tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" He answered, "I am right here." 2 He said, "Take your son, your only one, he whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and sacrifice him there as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains, the one I will tell you." (22:1-2)
The first sentence of this unit is a theme statement. "Elohim tested Abraham" gives us the purpose of the story right at the beginning. God was testing Abraham's faith. Many Elohist stories have to do with faith and faithfulness. Interest in this theme can be partially explained by conditions at the time the Elohist source was written. It was a time of severe testing in Israel, and a story like this assured the people that God could be behind such testing, and that it could serve a purpose.
Unit 1 contains emotionally charged narrative. Abraham and his dear son together traveled to the mountain. They ascended the mountain, Isaac carrying in his own arms the wood that was intended to ignite him as a burnt offering to God. The notice that "the two of them walked together" is touching in its simplicity. 2. Isaac summons Abraham7 Isaac said to Abraham his father, "Father!" And he said, "I am right here, my son." And he said, "The fire is here, and the wood. Where is the sacrificial lamb?" 8 Abraham said, "Elohim himself will provide a lamb for the offering, my son." And the two of them walked together. 9 They came to the place Elohim told him and Abraham built there the altar and arranged the wood and bound Isaac, his son, and put him on top of the wood. 10 Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. (22:7-10)
Unit 2 is distinctive among the three units. Only here Abraham replies a second time. He says, "God himself will provide a lamb for the offering, my son." By the way, catch the double-entendre in the phrase "God will provide a lamb, my son." "My son" is both the one addressed and the lamb. At this point Abraham makes his most profound statement of faith: "God will provide." Note how the story centralizes Abraham's profession of faith by placing it in the middle of the three-unit literary structure. 3. Angel summons Abraham11 The Angel of YHWH called to him from heaven, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "I am right here." 12 And he said, "Do not reach out your hand to the boy and do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear Elohim. You have not held back your son, your only one, from me." 13 Abraham raised his eyes and saw a ram right there, with one of its horns caught in a thicket. Abraham went and took the ram and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering in place of his son. (22:11-13) In the nick of time the angel of Yahweh stopped Abraham. The sacrifice of Isaac was halted because God felt assured that Abraham truly feared him. And a ram was sacrificed in his place. Note the introduction of the name of God "YHWH" at this point in the story. Verses 11-18 have certain characteristics of the Yahwist, especially the mention of blessing. Perhaps this indicates that the Elohist used an earlier form of the story from the Yahwist source, which he reshaped to develop his own version.
Units 1 and 3 are tightly linked. Verses 2 and 12 are linked by the phrase "your son, your only one." Verse 2 establishes the test: take your son. Verse 12 records passing the test: you have not withheld your son. Moberly (1992) notes that only in Exodus 20:20 and Genesis 22 are the concepts of "testing" (22:1) and "the fear of God" (22:12) found in proximity. Perhaps we are to infer that Abraham is presented as a model for Israel by the way he demonstrates full and immediate obedience to God's word.
Tradition apparently invested this place with great significance, even though today we do not know exactly what place is being referred to. In the editor's own day it was still an important place of worship. It gets its name from the ram God made available as a substitute for Isaac. The place name "Yahweh provides" echoes Abraham's answer to Isaac in verse 8, "Elohim himself will provide a lamb."
Having passed the test of faith, God repeated the promise of blessing. Abraham's offspring would increase and he would be richly blessed. This reaffirms the Yahwist principle that blessing follows obedience. The analogies of sand and stars recall the covenant promises found in Genesis 13:16 and 15:5, respectively. The phrase "sand of the seashore" also creates a link to 1 Kings 4:20, where this promise was seen to be fulfilled in the Solomonic kingdom. This further reinforces the theological understanding that the blessings of the later monarchy were founded on the promises to the ancestors.
Abraham traveled to the southern part of Palestine, called the Negev, where he established himself in Beersheba.
Curiously, no mention is made of Isaac in the conclusion, only of Abraham and the servants. Having survived a close encounter with the knife, one might think Isaac would be explicitly mentioned. Yet the focus of the entire episode is on Abraham. In this remarkable story we see a changed man, one radically different from the early Abraham of chapter 12. Then, he was afraid of losing his own life, he was insecure, and he deceived the Pharaoh of Egypt to save his own skin. He did not trust God to protect him, even though God had promised to.
These correspondences suggest that these two stories are to be seen in juxtaposition, as a kind of framework perhaps, around the Abraham collection of stories. What is the point of these connections? The editor who brought J and E together urges us to see the testing of Abraham as a major step toward the realization of the promises stated in 12:1-7. As a result of his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham finally demonstrated that he relied implicitly on the promises of God. He staked his future on God, not on the life of his son. So, the account of Abraham finds satisfying resolution.
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