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Abraham and his test from God

Second Sunday of Lent (B), Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18.

This Sunday’s reading continues the survey course in salvation history that the church gives us in the first readings during Lent. On the second Sunday of Lent each year we hear about Abraham. In this year B we hear about Abraham’s call to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

For this Lenten Sunday we have an abridged version of the narrative. This shorter version omits many of the details that occur in the full text of Genesis and limits the text to the bare essentials. At the Easter vigil, this text is also read, but in its full, uncut form. (This narrative is one of only five Old Testament texts that are read more than once in the course of the three-year Sunday cycle.)

The first sentence of our reading clearly announces the purpose for what happens: God intends to put Abraham to the test.

So God speaks to Abraham. God had already spoken to Abraham many times in the course of their relationship, but this time, instead of encouragement and promise, God makes a demand: "Offer up your son, Isaac, to me in sacrifice."

It’s important to note that Isaac was essential for the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham. Abraham was to be the father of many nations, and this was to take place through the son of Abraham and Sarah. Now God seems to be telling Abraham to cut the link between himself and the future that God had promised.

The second part of the reading, as edited for this Sunday, tells us how another command came from God as Abraham was preparing to fulfill the first command. God’s messenger, seeing Abraham’s willingness to obey, calls on him to spare the boy. Instead of Isaac, Abraham offers God a ram that happened to be nearby.

Now, in view of Abraham’s willingness to obey, God repeats His promise of progeny and universal blessing that would come through Abraham (and Isaac). God had tested him and he had been found submissive to the Lord.
There are several levels of significance in this narrative as Genesis presents it to us.

First of all, the story was meant to teach its Israelitic audience that God does not accept human sacrifice. Sacrificing a child to the local divinity was not unusual for the Canaanites among whom the Israelites lived. It seems clear that sometimes Israelites who had slipped into idolatry engaged in this practice, too. The story of the averted slaying of Isaac was meant to teach God’s people that human sacrifice was not an acceptable religious practice for those who worshiped the one true God.

But more importantly, the narrative of the sacrifice of Isaac was meant to offer the reader a stunning example of the obedience of Abraham, of Abraham’s trust in God, of Abraham’s response to the covenant that God had entered with him. It’s important for us 21st century readers to realize that the main point of the story is not what Abraham must have thought about sacrificing his son, but what Abraham thought about God. Abraham knew what God had promised him. Abraham knew that Isaac was part of the promise. But Abraham also knew that God’s commands could not be contradictory to one another. Abraham’s willingness to carry out God’s command was a sign that, against every human sentiment, against a seemingly irrational demand on God’s part, Abraham believed that God knew what He was doing.

Abraham gave evidence that he knew and accepted that. Isaac was deeply important to Abraham. Isaac was essential for the fulfillment of what God had promised. But the command of God had to be more important than either. Abraham accepted that and acted accordingly. The result was a reaffirmation of the promise and an example of dedication and obedience for all believers in all ages to come.

There is a third level of significance in our narrative. Christian writers have seen the narrative of the sacrifice of Isaac as a prefigurement of the sacrifice of Jesus, done to death because of His faithfulness and obedience to His heavenly Father.

God is not a cruel master who calls for painful acts of obedience from His servants in order to satisfy His own divine egoism. God is the realist who brings His children, through the demands of obedience and sacrifice, to a deeper awareness of how things really are. Responding to God’s covenant is not always easy. But Abraham’s response resulted in a deeper relationship with God for him and in an example of faith for all of us.

For reflection and discussion

Have I ever been tested by God?

Who/What is most important in my life?



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	*Overtures* Reflection on the first readings of the Sunday liturgy By Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk Abraham and his test from God Second Sunday of Lent (B), Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18. This Sunday’s reading continues the survey course in salvation history that the church gives us in the first readings during Lent. On the second Sunday of Lent each year we hear about Abraham. In this year B we hear about Abraham’s call to sacrifice his son, Isaac. For this Lenten Sunday we have an abridged version of the narrative. This shorter version omits many of the details that occur in the full text of Genesis and limits the text to the bare essentials. At the Easter vigil, this text is also read, but in its full, uncut form. (This narrative is one of only five Old Testament texts that are read more than once in the course of the three-year Sunday cycle.) The first sentence of our reading clearly announces the purpose for what happens: God intends to put Abraham to the test. So God speaks to Abraham. God had already spoken to Abraham many times in the course of their relationship, but this time, instead of encouragement and promise, God makes a demand: "Offer up your son, Isaac, to me in sacrifice." It’s important to note that Isaac was essential for the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham. Abraham was to be the father of many nations, and this was to take place through the son of Abraham and Sarah. Now God seems to be telling Abraham to cut the link between himself and the future that God had promised. The second part of the reading, as edited for this Sunday, tells us how another command came from God as Abraham was preparing to fulfill the first command. God’s messenger, seeing Abraham’s willingness to obey, calls on him to spare the boy. Instead of Isaac, Abraham offers God a ram that happened to be nearby. Now, in view of Abraham’s willingness to obey, God repeats His promise of progeny and universal blessing that would come through Abraham (and Isaac). God had tested him and he had been found submissive to the Lord. There are several levels of significance in this narrative as Genesis presents it to us. First of all, the story was meant to teach its Israelitic audience that God does not accept human sacrifice. Sacrificing a child to the local divinity was not unusual for the Canaanites among whom the Israelites lived. It seems clear that sometimes Israelites who had slipped into idolatry engaged in this practice, too. The story of the averted slaying of Isaac was meant to teach God’s people that human sacrifice was not an acceptable religious practice for those who worshiped the one true God. But more importantly, the narrative of the sacrifice of Isaac was meant to offer the reader a stunning example of the obedience of Abraham, of Abraham’s trust in God, of Abraham’s response to the covenant that God had entered with him. It’s important for us 21st century readers to realize that the main point of the story is not what Abraham must have thought about sacrificing his son, but what Abraham thought about God. Abraham knew what God had promised him. Abraham knew that Isaac was part of the promise. But Abraham also knew that God’s commands could not be contradictory to one another. Abraham’s willingness to carry out God’s command was a sign that, against every human sentiment, against a seemingly irrational demand on God’s part, Abraham believed that God knew what He was doing. Abraham gave evidence that he knew and accepted that. Isaac was deeply important to Abraham. Isaac was essential for the fulfillment of what God had promised. But the command of God had to be more important than either. Abraham accepted that and acted accordingly. The result was a reaffirmation of the promise and an example of dedication and obedience for all believers in all ages to come. There is a third level of significance in our narrative. Christian writers have seen the narrative of the sacrifice of Isaac as a prefigurement of the sacrifice of Jesus, done to death because of His faithfulness and obedience to His heavenly Father. God is not a cruel master who calls for painful acts of obedience from His servants in order to satisfy His own divine egoism. God is the realist who brings His children, through the demands of obedience and sacrifice, to a deeper awareness of how things really are. Responding to God’s covenant is not always easy. But Abraham’s response resulted in a deeper relationship with God for him and in an example of faith for all of us. For reflection and discussion** Have I ever been tested by God? Who/What is most important in my life?

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