Yesterday, it was God telling Abraham to sit idly by while Sarah banished his first-born son Ishmael. Today, God raises the stakes, commanding Abraham to slaughter Isaac, “your only son” (or at least the only one left), as an offering to God. It’s a problematic text, to say the least, for those of us who prefer a God who’s not so bloodthirsty, thanks very much.
But it’s not just us. It turns out that interpreters have grappled with this vexing story since the beginning, offering a range of possible readings that somehow cast God in a more favorable light. A few options: It’s the end of child sacrifice; this story takes a commonplace practice and subverts it through God’s nick-of-time intervention. Or, it’s really just a test; God never intended for Abraham to harm Isaac at all.
Read at face value, though, this enigmatic encounter captures something of the dance between God and humans that we’ve all experienced from time to time. Put simply, the story doesn’t turn out the way it begins; it’s no straight line from divine command to human execution (pun intended). Rather, it’s a gut response; it’s a journey; it’s a series of unvoiced second guesses and what-ifs; it’s a last-minute pause to look up, and behold, and change directions.
Here’s what struck me this time: What if Abraham had been so focused on the task to which he was called—the slaughter of Isaac—that he hadn’t heard the voice, and hadn’t looked over to the brush? I wonder how many times I think I’m taking marching orders from God, but I forget that God’s along for the journey, ready to revise, remake, reissue, renegotiate. Do I listen? Do I look? How about you?
- What is the role of sacrifice in your faith journey? Are there things or people that you’re reluctant to give up to God?
- When has your journey with God led you to change course, to look up, to see a better way?
- What other details did you notice in today’s reading?
Prayer: O God, you ask for nothing less than what we value most. We want to honor you, but we also like to cling. Speak to us, Lord, and allow us to hear, and to see. Amen.
Breath Prayer: Abraham // looked up.
