Did God contradict himself by asking Abraham to perform child sacrifice?

The story of Abraham's offering of Isaac is one of the most challenging narratives in the Bible. I have analyzed it from Abraham's perspective and from men's perspective. In this OP, I'll try to explain it from God's perspective.

From God's perspective, did he ask Abraham to perform child sacrifice?

Actually, no, not exactly.

What was in God's mind?

Ge 17:

18 Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

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God promised Abraham that Isaac and Isaac's offering would participate in the covenant.

Further, Deuteronomy 12:

31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods

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Don't worship God by burning your sons.

But then, NIV, Ge 22:

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

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Actually, the word 'sacrifice' was not in the Hebrew text.

ESV:

He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

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Strong's Hebrew: 5927. עָלָה (alah) — 888 Occurrences

H5927 was a common word and polysemantic. BDB:
1 of persons, go up, ascend, from low place to high
8 cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

God told Abraham to offer up Isaac as a burnt sacrifice to him. God didn't exactly say to Abraham to sacrifice (kill) Isaac as a burnt offering. H5927 was ambiguous.

Why did God command this? What were his motivations? What did he have in mind?

1. To test Abraham's faith: Abraham obeyed and passed the test.
2. To foreshadow Christ: the Son of God's sacrifice on the cross. Isaac was a type of Christ.
3. To demonstrate God’s provision: God provided a ram in place of Isaac. God would provide his own Son as salvation for men. Jesus would die for us.

Jeremiah 7:

31 They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.

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Did God contradict himself by asking Abraham to perform child sacrifice?

No, God didn't ask Abraham to perform child sacrifice. God asked Abraham to offer up Isaac to him. The story is not about God endorsing child sacrifice but about faith, obedience, and the foreshadowing of Christ’s redemptive work. It reveals God’s ultimate plan to provide salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ, and calls believers to trust in God’s providence and mercy.

RDKirk said:

Well, the writer of Hebrews gives us the last word on that.

"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Believing that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."

Abraham believed all along that God would honor His promise, and that somehow he'd leave that mountain with Isaac still alive.

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Right. See How did Abraham reconcile God's promise of a future through his son with the command to sacrifice that same son? and follow up there