MHoggard_Lesson4

[Margaret Hoggard]

Response to Question 6, Workbook page 60

The story of God’s test of Abraham has made me uncomfortable since I first heard it as a little girl because it led me to question why a loving God would demand the sacrifice of Isaac. Over the years, I have heard reasoning that somewhat attempts to put the near sacrifice of Isaac into perspective: for instance, people sacrifice their sons (and daughters) to serve their country in the military or to give up their lives to other causes. In my Christian Theology classes a few years ago, we studied this story as type that foreshadowed God’s sacrifice of His own son. Realizing the depth of Abraham’s sorrow, then, gives us a small degree of understanding for the sadness that God experienced when Jesus died on the cross. With the reprieve of Isaac and the resurrection of Christ, both of these events have been turned to greater good for the benefit of God’s people, the sons and daughters of Abraham. Still, I struggle with the image of that frightened boy and wonder how his relationship with his father might have been affected, despite knowing that loving parents do sometimes hurt their children in an attempt to raise them well or discipline them appropriately. The story of Abraham and Isaac is one of the passages of Scripture that teaches me that God is mysterious, and I am called to be faithful without fully comprehending the reasons for His commands or actions.

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