God's Command to Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac

Ok, I am going to ask something that has bugged me for a long time.

Everyone loves the story of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It's a great story with a lot of depth and meaning.

But does it bother anyone that what God asked Abraham to do was nothing short of human sacrifice? Why would God command a human sacrifice, regardless of whether he knew ultimately it would not happen?

In at least one other case (Jepthah's vow)it is strongly indicated in the text that He in fact accepted a human sacrifice- the text says Jepthah fulfilled his vow which evidently means God did not intervene.

Heb 11:17
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Heb 11:18
of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,”[fn]

Heb 11:19
concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

The focus is not on human sacrifice but on faith. We are given a detailed testimony of Abraham's life with respect to God's promise being worked out in the life of Abraham. Through walking with the Lord, his failures or lack of understanding, Abraham witnessed how God established His promise with Abraham. After living so long witnessing God's work, Abraham was able to conclude that even though he didn't understand how God was going to accomplish His promise, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," but because God had always been faithful in the past, He would also keep His promise this time.

This testimony highlights the inability of man to understand beforehand what He is able to accomplish in those who hear His word and do what He says. Human sacrifice as you suggest is troubling, that is the point of this testimony, the hope for the substance of what is not seen.

Just think of how Isaac's understanding changed that day.

God confirmed the land promises to Abraham in his command to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham died never having completely received the promises and passed still seeing them from a distance. Yet God had promised Abraham that he himself personally would inherit the land along with his descendants after him and they would dwell there perpetually. Isaac was as good as dead in the Lord's eyes because Abraham not only fully intended to sacrifice him but was actually in the act of performing the sacrifice of the child of promise. So God counted it as done and Isaac was given back to Abraham in a typological manner of the resurrection. Abraham knew if Isaac was indeed the child of promise a resurrection would have to occur after the sacrifice of Isaac. And Abraham knew Isaac's resurrection would be a guarantee of his (Abraham) own personal resurrection that would allow permanent continuance in the land. Resurrection and eternal life were not unknown in the world of Abraham's day. Jesus said Abraham looked ahead to His day and rejoiced when he saw it. Why would Joseph ask that his bones be carried back to Canaan unless he was anticipating a resurrection? Abraham looked ahead to a day when the curse had been reversed and the Deliverer of Genesis 3:15 (strongly prefigured in the sacrifice of Isaac) would have come and gone His work of undoing the curse. Likely Abraham looked ahead and saw a day of deliverance and resurrection that would allow him and his descendants to live in the land continually free from the curse. It is doubtful that when Abraham asked God, "How shall I know that I shall possess the land?," that he had in mind a entirely other worldly heavenly realm. The Hebrews never divorced the coming kingdom from all earthly association. What better befits a "better country" than a land whose inhabitants have transcended death and are living free from the curse that enveloped them and their descendants unto death? An inward regeneration made possible by the atonement of the coming Deliverer and His resurrection from the dead assures Abraham's own resurrection. In Isaac, Abraham looked ahead to Jesus' day and rejoiced when he saw it (John 8:56). Perpetual continuance in the land is not possible without a personal resurrection of Abraham himself. The promised Deliverer has come and has offered and sacrificed Himself even unto death yet was personally resurrected. The problem of sin and its consequences stood in the way of the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham including the specific land promises. Now the personal resurrection of Christ is living proof the obstacles have been removed. Abraham and his descendants dwelling in the land continually will be a resurrection phenomena of new inward resurrection life and personal bodily resurrection.

There is also a deeper spiritual meaning to sacrifice of Isaac. Abraham here is a symbol of God the father sacrificing his own son for us. If that is not human + God sacrifice then what is that?

Our salvation depends on human sacrifice.

I think drifter had your statements in mind bear when he made his comment.

But does it bother anyone that what God asked Abraham to do was nothing short of human sacrifice? Why would God command a human sacrifice, regardless of whether he knew ultimately it would not happen?

Some thoughts from my heart ..

This is what I believe... God wanted to see if Abraham loved Him more than he loved his son.. If God asks us anything we should obey.. Obedience is the highest form of worship.I believe...
I believe God is a jealous God and we are to love Him first above all else. This is the greatest commandment.
Deut 6:4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] There is no commandment greater than these.”

"Our salvation depends on the death of the Son of God for our sins."

Right, what I said. He sacrificed Himself for our sins. That's human sacrifice.

Kind of silly to split hairs over terminology.

Lots of good responses:)

Another potential is when we want a thing and when God delivers we sometimes become enamored with the gift. Abraham wanted a son and he waited a long time before God delivered Isaac,... and so perhaps God was also testing wether Abraham loved Isaac (the gift) more than the giver (God).

This particular biblical story is overflowing with teaching, more than most in my experience. Every aspect is pregnant with meaningful foreshadowing of our coming Christ. Never get tired of hearing thoughts/preaching on Abraham.

Another really cool thing about God being faithful to His promise to make Abraham the father of many nations whose seed would number as the stars is this-
Many of us grew up singing, "father Abraham has many sons, I am one of them and so are you so let's just praise the Lord", as children....
Now some 3800+ yrs after Abraham, on a continent they didn't know existed, in a country not yet existing,... we identify ourselves as Gods children thru the obedience of Abraham!
I can't imagine that Abraham had the slightest clue to the degree which God would honor His promise-

We serve an awesome God:)

Which is probably exactly what drifter meant.

Christ was as fully human as He was God.

Heb 7:27 - "when He offered Himself."

Offer was what a priest did on behalf of the people. Therefore, Christ offered Himself and a man hung on the cross.

Of course I believe only Jesus could have sufficed as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Of course I believe He is fully God. Of course I believe He is fully human.

Come on Blaine. I'm not a heretic. Put away the thumbscrews brother.

Christ was definitely a human sacrifice, as a high priest offering him self, he had to suffer as a man and taste death as a man for every one ....

No not see that is to not see the gosple , to not understand the suffering involved nor hypostasise, , that Christ was also fully man , and things he accomplished wile on the earth , was his humanity , filled with out measure with the spirt as the seconed Adam ...........

TMK: My suggestion is that you begin searching out all scriptures dealing with God's covenant with Abraham, both New and Old Testament. Three from Hebrews have already been posted, and the poster is right about them. The point is not human sacrifice. There is so much more going on here.

God has always dealt with man through covenant. He made covenant with Abraham and promised Abraham that in his seed would all nations of the earth be blessed. Paul makes a very big distinction in Galatians that God said seed singular and not seeds plural, meaning a particular descendant of his son Isaac (in Isaac shall thy seed by called) was to bless all nations.

The writer of Hebrews shows us that Abraham accounted that God would raise his son from the dead, from which he had already received him in a figure.

If God is in covenant with Abraham, and if Abraham offers his only begotten son (Look that on up if you will. Abraham had two sons, but God calls Isaac his only begotten. Very interesting, but born out in Romans 7 by Paul.) If Abraham offers his only begotten, then God is allowed to (perhaps obligated to) offer His only begotten Son as well. It is part of covenant. This is why we, being born again believers, are no longer under the covenant of law, but are now under the same covenant as Abraham. A covenant of faith.

So I believe that Abraham was actually shown by God the end game of His sacrifice. He, in my opinion , showed Abraham the sacrifice of Christ. This is born out by Jesus words in John 8:56. Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and saw it, and was glad.

So Abraham goes boldly to offer his son, knowing that just like Jesus was going to be raised from the dead, his own son Isaac would have to be. Why, because God had already showed Abraham Jesus day in a figure. Amazing stuff, and sheds some really powerful light on the plan of salvation. Praise God that Abraham believed God and was obedient in offering his son.

My take. Blessings as you study this out.

By the way, if we are born again, we have actually become, by an act of our death to self and new life in Him, human sacrifices. I beseech ye therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present yourself a living sacrifice...

Sorry. It was Galatians 4, not Romans 7 that I rmeant to reference in the previous post.

Bro. Blaine: May I suggest that apart from incarnation there is no redemption. It is the very fact that the Son of God humbled Himself and became a man that qualifies Him to be the propitiation for our sins. Although He never gave up His identity as God, He became a man for the suffering of death. Since man gave it all away, only the sacrifice of man could restore it.

1 Cor. 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unot his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Isaac served as the pattern for this sacrifice. Christ was the fulfillment of the pattern.

However, I think this is the point you are trying to make, and I agree if that is the case. As the incarnate Son of God, He was the only man who could ever be that sacrifice. No other man who ever did or who ever will live could have been that sacrifice. That is, I think, a point that we will all agree upon.