Interpret Abraham and Isaac

[jfer45]

Genesis 22 can be read @ www.biblegateway.com

• Do you hold that the story is an actual account of a historical event?
• Or do you see the story as a myth and legend in which the author has expressed his thoughts through language?

• And even more importantly, what does the story mean to you? How do you interpret this story?

 

[Calminian]

Genesis 22 can be read @ www.biblegateway.com

• Do you hold that the story is an actual account of a historical event?
• Or do you see the story as a myth and legend in which the author has expressed his thoughts through language?

• And even more importantly, what does the story mean to you? How do you interpret this story?

What would lead you to believe this anything but an actual historical event?

 

[jfer45]

What would lead you to believe this anything but an actual historical event?

I am confused. The questions say nothing about what I hold true.

 

[Hedgehog]

What would lead you to believe this anything but an actual historical event?

Well one thing might be that in Galatians it says:
Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

Gal 4:23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.

Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

I dont know if the use of the word allegory implies that it didnt really happen or not, but it's one thing I've pondered.

 

[MidnightCandel777]

• And even more importantly, what does the story mean to you? How do you interpret this story?

God told Abraham to sacrifice the most important thing in his life to Him. (Remember that Issac was the most precious blessing to Abraham. God gave Issac to Abraham, whose very conception was a miracle to begin with)
Without wavering faith, Abraham was ready to give his all to the very God who gave it to him. Should we not do the same?

 

[billwald]

Seems simple. God tested Abraham. Abraham flunked.

 

[GreyLeader]

Seems simple. God tested Abraham. Abraham flunked.

If by "flunked" you mean "failed," Abraham didn't fail the test, he passed it. He was about to sacrifice his only son Isaac as the LORD God commanded fully believing that God would raise Isaac again, except God stopped him just in time because he had proved to Abraham that he truly feared the LORD God and was willing to give up what was the most important thing in his life and the fulfilment of the promise that God had given him previously to do God's will.

With reference to the opening post, I believe that the story, like the whole of Genesis is an actual event in history that happened just as Scripture recorded it.

As to what the story means to me, i.e. what I can get out of it and apply it to my life:

One of the lessons that I have found we can take away from this is that God will provide for us what He expects from us, in the case of Abraham, a ram for the offering rather than Isaac. If God has commanded you to do something for His glory, then He will provide you with a way to do it.

Another lesson is that God does not require any human sacrifices, so to anyone who thinks that they heard God say "Kill [whoever]," don't do it because it isn't God.

 

[Beasley]

'fully believing that God would raise Issac again'

17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had )received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED."
19He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.


Important to is James 2

21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

Abraham had the unique priviledge of representing the Fathers willingness to sacrifice Christ on our behalf. His belief in God's ability resulted in his own ability to carry out the demonstration.

 

[Sephania]

If you don't believe it is a real story and that Abraham trusted God that much and his faith was that strong, how do you see this said about Abraham?

He is the father of all who believe

Know that they that believe which are of faith, the saem are the children of Abraham.

 

[Calminian]

I am confused. The questions say nothing about what I hold true.

Sorry. I guess what I'm asking is, why would anyone believe it wasn't an actual event?

 

[jfer45]

Sorry. I guess what I'm asking is, why would anyone believe it wasn't an actual event?

It's just a different conclusion about its origins. Some people think that the entire Bible is the word of God, others believe it be a historical product, and others believe it contains legends and myths that point towards God. I seems just as rational to ask, "why would anyone believe this was an actual event?"

But that is what I am asking. Do you think it is? Why? And what does the story mean to you?

 

[cavymom]

I find it so weird that people get all huffy when they think that you have bad-mouthed or critisized a modern day preacher/prophet/leader.... but they think nothing of bad-mouthing the patriarches God wrote about in His Holy Word. Abraham did not "fail" and what he did was not an "allegory", it was an actual event that proved that Abraham had FAITH in God Almighty. If the events of Abraham were fantasy stories of allegory then how can you trust that any of it was real... you need to have faith in Gods Word.



Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

 

[cavymom]

It's just a different conclusion about its origins. Some people think that the entire Bible is the word of God, others believe it be a historical product, and others believe it contains legends and myths that point towards God. I seems just as rational to ask, "why would anyone believe this was an actual event?"

But that is what I am asking. Do you think it is? Why? And what does the story mean to you?

God is concrete, the same as you and I are concrete... we are not allegory, myth or legend. The bible is the living Word of God that was made flesh and dwelt among us in the form of Jesus. Jesus is real and if He is not than there is no salvation nor is there a purpose to even exist.

Science cannot explain what holds molecules together, why the atoms spinning around thier little orbits dont all blow away and thus stop being actual matter. We are those billions of atoms being held together. It is because of God that our molecules dont blow away and we cease to exist. It would be easier for people to believe in God if they blew away on the wind once they cease to believe in God who is holding our molecules together. But that is where faith comes in.

 

[relspace]

Genesis 22 can be read @ www.biblegateway.com

• Do you hold that the story is an actual account of a historical event?
• Or do you see the story as a myth and legend in which the author has expressed his thoughts through language?

• And even more importantly, what does the story mean to you? How do you interpret this story?

Historical of course. I see nothing here that could in the least bit be considered mythical or symbolic. It has that "fact is stranger than fiction" taste to it as well.

God was trying to raise up Abraham as the father of faith and yet Abraham had failed in this numerous times during the journey through which God had led him. This was the last test and in it we see that Abraham had finally surrendered all his logic and reason to complete faith in God.

 

[mystery4]

Genesis 22 can be read @ www.biblegateway.com

• Do you hold that the story is an actual account of a historical event?
• Or do you see the story as a myth and legend in which the author has expressed his thoughts through language?

• And even more importantly, what does the story mean to you? How do you interpret this story?

I believe this story was an actual event that took place.

This story can be interpreted a number of ways. Most of which have already been mentioned. However ultimately what it reveals to me is how deep and costly God's love really is.

The line where Abraham answered Isaac's question on where the lamb for the offering was I believe to be the focal point, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." (verse 8)

Then when the angel of the Lord comes, "Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld your son from me, your only son." (verse 12)

To me this points out just how big a sacrifice God made when Jesus came to die for our sins, and it is a very humbling experience.

It also helps us to understand what Jesus meant when he said "Your father Abarham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day, he saw it and was glad." (John 8:56)

 

[lilymarie]

It's just a different conclusion about its origins. Some people think that the entire Bible is the word of God, others believe it be a historical product, and others believe it contains legends and myths that point towards God. I seems just as rational to ask, "why would anyone believe this was an actual event?"

But that is what I am asking. Do you think it is? Why? And what does the story mean to you?

It was an actual event, but realize this:

The story of Abraham and Isaac is the foretelling of how God would be the one to sacrifice his beloved son for us, as you see in the story of Abraham and Isaac, God supplied the ram for the sacrifice at the last minute.

A ram represents a full grown male, as opposed to a lamb.

It is a foretelling of what God would do for us, but it was accredited to Abraham as an act of great faith in The Lord.

It seems Abraham believed he was being punished for loving Isaac more than Ishmael, and/or not trusting God in the first place and having sex with Hagar (who was not his wife) in order to concieve Ishmael. Then Isaac of the promise was born.

However, the story of Abraham and Isaac is the foretelling of how God would sacrifice his only begotten son, Jesus, for us.

God always connects something, one needs to keep seeing the connections.

It's paramount to understanding scriptures.

Hope that helped explain what the meaning of Abraham and Isaac is, and why Christians are now the spiritual seeds of Abraham.

This is part of the reason the Bible says The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As far as why Jacob is included is Jacob's lineage through his son Joseph who was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, comes the line of Judah, which is the lineage of Christ. And the story of Abraham and Isaac is explained above.