Gênesis 22:1-19

14. The sacrifice of Isaac 22:1-19

In obedience to God’s command Abraham took his promised heir to Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord. Because Abraham was willing to slay his uniquely begotten son God restrained him from killing Isaac and promised to bless him further for his obedience. Abraham memorialized the place as "the Lord will provide."

God called on Abraham to make five great sacrifices: his native country, his extended family, his nephew Lot, his son Ishmael, and his son Isaac. Each sacrifice involved something naturally dear to Abraham, but each resulted in greater blessings from God.

This incident also demonstrates the strong confidence that Abraham had in God at this time. He believed God was even able to raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). This is why he was willing to slay him. Jewish tradition refers to this chapter as the Akedah, from the Hebrew word wayya’aqod, translated "bound," in Genesis 22:9. [Note: See Mathews, Genesis 11:27-50:26, pp. 300-306.]

"With this chapter we reach the climax of the faith life of Abraham-the supreme test and the supreme victory." [Note: Leupold, 2:616. Cf. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, pp. 99, 112. This writer also noted parallels between chapters 21 and 22 on pp. 99-100.]

"The seventh crisis [I believe it is the eleventh] comes at a point in the narrative when we least expect it and is without question the greatest crisis of all. After all obstacles have seemingly been surmounted and all potential rivals eliminated, God now asks for Abraham’s only son whom he loves. The gracious intervention of God and the reaffirmation of the basic promise of 12.1-3 in 22.15-18 would seem to conclude the Abraham cycle at the moment when faith triumphs over the greatest obstacle of all, death." [Note: Helyer, pp. 84-85.]