God asks for animal sacrifice multiple times from various holy men (i.e. Abraham), such as cattle, lamb, and goat. What I don't understand is why God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to test his faith in Genesis 22. In Exodus 20:13, it clearly states, "You shall not murder", yet this is what God asks of Abraham. When God sees that Abraham is willing to kill his most beloved son, is that act actually proving Abraham's faith of God or will to sin for God? Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, when He doesn't want humans to murder? So God is testing Abraham to do something contrary to what Abraham knows is wrong in order to prove that God is above all else, including His own law? Hypothetically, were God to ask someone to kill to prove their faith and didn't stop them from murdering like He did with Abraham, what would this mean? I feel that if God's angel had not come in time to stop Abraham from killing Isaac, the story would have turned out very differently. Would God have punished Abraham for committing a sin, although God had requested he do so? Or would He be pleased, seeing that anything He says goes? Is God's word above His own word? How can God request someone to break His own rules? Although the Exodus (when God officially states, "You shall not murder" in Exodus 20:13) does indeed follow the Genesis, I think that it was already widely known that God didn't want humans to kill before then, since God does indeed punish Cain early in the story for killing his brother Abel in Genesis 4:10 (and in punishing Cain, God implies that killing is wrong).
Published by Cat Leone
I think this has to do with blind faith. It's proving Abraham's faith in God when Abraham doesn't know any better. God's word is law to the Israelites. In Abraham's eyes, God is testing his faith. What Abraham does not realize is that this is a blind faith with no basis. You spotted a good contradiction when you noted that God is asking Abraham to essentially commit murder (though I think that this "omnipotent" God knew that Abraham would actually go through with it and that He would be able to stop him). God's word was above the law in Exodus. It was the law. Before Deuteronomy, there were no set laws besides the ten commandments, so whatever God asked, was just done. His word was higher than a few commandments. Including His word to potentially commit murder. Hypothetically, were God to ask someone to kill to prove their faith and didn't stop them from murdering like He did with Abraham, I'm not quite sure what the consequences would be. I feel like the punishment would not be too harsh because Abraham followed God's word. I think God's "current" word is above his written word as it seems to be for most of the beginning of the old testament. I think that Cain killing Abel was punished because he was not commanded to do so. As per today's discussion, I feel like in the beginning of the Bible, God is portrayed as power-loving to a certain extent and this follows that in that as long as God says it's okay for there to be an exception to the rule, then it's okay. That's why one of the sections of Deuteronomy states that if a man kills someone from a neighboring country, he can take shelter in Israel. Another exception to the "thou shalt not kill" rule.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I believe that the instance you discussed, Cat, is shocking to most of us is because we're so accustomed to viewing God in the much more positive depiction that is given to us in today's world that we don't know how to fathom much of his actions in the Old Testament. I experience the same feelings as all of you do about these readings, but I think I'm going to try to keep an open mind about this because this text is thousands of years old and much of the ethical and moral conventions in this book were most likely significantly different from those of the Western world today. I believe the purpose of much of God's actions, good or not, was to display the immense power he had at any cost --- As this was the only way mankind can uphold their faith to him.
ReplyDeleteTo use your phrase, God's word is above God's word. I believe the 'no murdering' is first brought up after the Cain and Abel episode. But after that, God himself murders many people. First he wipes out everyone with the flood, then later he wipes out two cities. Also, people constantly murder in the bible and God doesn't count it against them. Moses murders a man in Egypt and hides his body, yet God still uses him as his prophet. Do these examples not count as murder? God also hands down many laws in Deuteronomy that involve murder. Is murder okay when it's a punishment? God seems to be okay with certain types of murder. If we apply this to Abraham's situation, then I don't think God would be bothered if Abraham did sacrifice Isaac. I think God would have a bigger problem with the fact that Abraham is sacrificing a human (which he said not to do in Deuteronomy). If there had been no intervention and Abraham had killed Isaac, I think God would have seen it as the ultimate proof of faith, not murder.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Janita, but I also think that God's word is above all only until it doesn't inflict what he wants to happen. This is almost like a parenting tactic, where it can be viewed as a "because I said so" type of relationship. Once God's viewpoint changes, that is when his word can hold a different meaning. Then, when he realizes that what he has had people believe in is not necessary what he wants, he adds rules or creates situations that must be tackled in a certain way. In my opinion it is a very powerful tactic & is ultimately what tests & strengthens the faith of so many.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a sense that it is somewhat acceptable to destroy one's own creation. Issac is Abraham's son and therefore his creation. And to kill him would be like god killing humans, his creation, with the flood. Though those examples occur under different circumstances, it is still possible to justify destroying what you yourself create. So it would not be, I think, murder, it would simply be erasing what you made.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a difference between sacrifice and murder. When God asks Abraham to kill his son, he is asking him to sacrifice his child, rather than to murder him. It is in good faith that he would do so. God asked this knowing that he would not let Abraham go through with the act. He was trying to convey the message that He shall not be questioned. When Abraham began to do as was asked of him, God intervened and allowed him to instead sacrifice an animal. After this, Abraham would see that God is in fact caring of his creations.
ReplyDeleteI agree that God sees a difference between sacrifice and murder. God clearly states that murder is wrong, but he seems most offended by killing when it is out of anger or revenge. When God causes the flood to kill everything on the earth, he sees it as purging evil from the earth, he does not see it as killing everyone out of hate. And when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, he sees it as a test of Abrahams faith rather than a murder. If Abraham was to go through with sacrificing his son, he would be showing his unwavering faith to god, not trying to kill his son out of any malcontent.
ReplyDelete