“Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?” “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”- Job 38:4 and Job 40:2 NIV
Okay, so.
There is an incident in Scripture people (both Christian and non-Christian) love to question. Frequently, the questioning leads to accusing God of some pretty horrific things, including being a moral monster and a baby killer. Some even claim they just up and quit Christianity because they were so deeply offended by the details of the story.
Yikes.
God does not need me to defend Him (as if). However. I would like to make a couple of points concerning this passage of Scripture. Then I will give some personal opinions I have developed concerning how modern-day Christians view their relationship with God.
First the story.
The incident in question is found in Genesis 22:1-19. It’s the one where God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice His son Isaac as an offering. This was a super big deal for a couple of key reasons. First, Abraham loved Isaac a lot, like a lot, a lot. Second, Isaac was a miracle child (his Mom was 90 when he was conceived). Isaac’s existence came about as a result of a promise God made to Abraham and his wife Sarah. And finally, if Isaac had died before having children all the promises God made to Abraham concerning Isaac would be null and void.
Nevertheless.
Abraham obediently packed up a donkey, rounded up Isaac and a couple of trusty servants and headed to Mount Moriah with all the equipment necessary to make a human sacrifice. Just as Abraham gets to the point where he is about plunge the knife into Isaac, an angel of the Lord appears and firmly orders Abraham to abort mission. God then says something key:
For now, I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.
Then a goat appears in a thicket near Isaac and Abraham. They sacrifice the goat, mete up with the servants and head to Beersheba where Abraham stays.
The end.
Well, okay not the end of the whole story but it was the end of the episode.
It’s critical to note Abraham was a really old guy at this point in the Genesis narrative. He was at least 115 and perhaps as old as 125, nor, was Isaac a baby or a toddler or even a little boy. Most scholars believe Isaac was somewhere between 15 and 25. This means Isaac could have jumped off the altar, kicked Abraham’s geriatric butt and put an end to the whole episode if he had been so inclined.
Apparently, he wasn’t.
Furthermore, the text is clear. This was a test, only a test. No actual humans were sacrificed in the making of this story. God did not permit Abraham to “go there”. Therefore, it is manifestly unjust to accuse God of being a baby killer and a moral monster when there were no babies involved and the monstrous act never actually occurred.
Also.
The whole notion of fearing God and loving God are inextricably linked in Old Testament times. To love God was to fear Him. No one who claimed to love God treated Him like a bro or a buddy. Nor, did those who claimed to love God question or challenge His authority or goodness. Those who loved God, feared, revered and above all else obeyed Him (Deuteronomy 10:12, Psalm 76:11, Psalm 128:1, Proverbs 1:28-30).
Period.
Consequently, a reasonable translation of Genesis 22:12 could be: “now I know you really love me because you have not withheld your only son”.
This matters because it is one of the Old Testament stories intended to point people to Jesus. An Old Testament story that points people to a New Testament truth or to Jesus is called a “typology” or a “foreshadowing”. Just as God knew Abraham really loved Him because He was willing to sacrifice His son for God. We know God really loves us because He sacrificed His son Jesus for us (Hebrews 10:10). When we read the story of Abraham and Isaac we aren’t supposed to scream and yell about what a despicable moral monster God is. Nor, are we supposed to call God a baby-killer on social media or renounce our faith in Jesus (Hebrews 6:4-5).
That’s just stupid.
We are supposed to put the puzzle pieces together and rejoice in the fact that our God loves us enough to give His only son for our salvation (John 3:16).
Moreover.
In recent years it has become common for Christians to treat God as if He were on the same level as an average Joe. People (even Christians) question God’s wisdom, virtuousness and integrity as if God were just “some guy” rather than the God of the Universe.
Questions are not wrong.
However, we ought to recognize our place, watch our tone and check our motives before we fly into drama mode. Are we asking because we genuinely want to increase our understanding of God? Is it our earnest desire to learn and grow? Or, are we simply looking to find fault with God so we can write Him off as a moral monster and move on with our lives unencumbered by His moral directives?
God is more than capable of withstanding our honest questions.
Furthermore.
I believe with all my heart He has nothing but love and compassion for an honest seeker who just wants to know and understand. However, acting as if we know more than or are morally superior to God is just dumb.
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about Shining Light on a Bible Story Everyone Loves to Hate-.
