Jubilees 17:15-18:16 is an exegesis of the events that occur in Genesis 22. The Jubilees narrative differs with the addition of Prince Mastema, who is emblematic of evil. He asks God to test Abraham’s fidelity by proposing that Abraham sacrifice his son, Isaac. However, God stops Abraham right before he is about to kill Isaac. Abraham and Prince Mastema break Gert’s moral rules but have different levels of justification, while God does not violate any moral rules. Prince Mastema is at fault for attempting to deceive God because of his role as an antagonist, and Abraham is justified in deceiving and planning to kill Isaac because he was following God’s commands. Prince Mastema breaches one of Gert’s moral rules when he deceives God with the intent of causing trouble. Prince Mastema claims Abraham “finds [Isaac] more pleasing than anyone”, thus implying that Abraham would put his son’s interests before God’s (Jubilees 17:16). Prince Mastema then convinces God to test Abraham by telling him to …show more content…
As a narrative function, Abraham’s previously questionable acts such as removing Hagar and Ishmael from his household and giving up his wife have now been framed as tasks given by God, which he has successfully completed (J 17:17). The implication is that Abraham has been a devout follower of God and has been willing to make the sacrifices God has asked of him up until this point in the narrative. The sacrifice of his son then proves to be the ultimate test of Abraham’s loyalty. Abraham’s obedience is shown also when he does not question the contradiction in God’s request when God had previously said the progeny will be established through Isaac (Genesis 17:20). Because Abraham doesn’t question or hesitate, he shows immense trust in God and in his plans. Ultimately, Abraham thus far has been following God’s orders and killing Isaac is another order he has to
The worst thing any parent can imagine is losing their child; however, this is the reality that both Hagar and Abraham face in Genesis, as their respective sons come close to death but never reach it. After being banished by Abraham from his camp because of Sarah’s anger, Hagar and Ishmael are forced to wander around the unforgiving desert until they find provisions or run out of water. After the latter happens, Hagar “flung the child under one of the bushes” in order to not have to see him die of dehydration (104). Hagar is not the direct reason for Ishmael’s suffering, while Abraham, on the other hand, is the instigator of his son’s fear and suffering. Called by God to “offer him up as a burnt offering” Abraham comes extremely close to slaughtering
Exodus is concerned with the relationship aspect of the Patriarchal promises. Sometimes this relationship is expressed in various ways such as a blessing or guidance. By saying "I am the God of your father — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob", He showed that he is faithful. He is faithful to His promises, such as God promised to give the Jews the land. When Moses turns to God's promises, he is in essence saying, “God we are not worthy of your blessings, we are here because of you, and we depend on you.” God acted as a parent towards a child. He wanted the best for His children. He, out of love for his children responded to them in different ways. At times he was tough, at other times gentle. Sometimes he enforced the rules and other times he would bend them depending on the occasion. Sometimes he denied his children of certain things and other times he gave openhandedly. He wants to love us and take care of us. Moses learned from God’s parenting skills. God taught lessons to his people as a parent would do. He also rescued his children when they were in trouble by defeating the powerful Egyptians and brought us out so that we could be his people.
Isaac wants to make Joshua see that he is pushing his faith and his own compensation for his wife’s death onto his son, who doesn’t want to conform to Judaism and doesn’t have his own morals. Tactic: Joshua is the father, and the father can pick what is best for his son. He wants Joshua to open up and express how he feels about his wife in hopes that he can separate his own morals, and those he wants to ghost through his wife and his faith. Tactic: Isaac apologizes and gets Joshua to open up by making Joshua reevaluate why he does what he does.
... In conclusion, Abraham is shown to be justified; he is not a murderer. In Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard wrote that "the future will show I was right (Kierkegaard, 91). " Well, Abraham was proven right by the result. He does not kill Isaac.
A covenant has been defined as an agreement by two groups of people, one more powerful than the other, and the inferior group held accountable until the agreement or bond has been fulfilled or satisfied by the lesser of the two. The lesser of the two also agrees to remain loyal to the powerful or dominant and by the same token the powerful has the obligation to provide protection. In Abrahams late age God came to him with a covenant making him fertile and is to become the father and ancestor of many nations and which will bear many kings from generation to generation. The covenant included the circumcision of every man and child that was 8 days and older which gave everyone including God sign of acceptance of the covenant and those who did not accept the circumcision will be considered as not in agreement and will be cut from the covenant. God needed a figurehead and a strong willed person to lead his chosen people of Israel. Abraham was a strong authoritative figure in his family and had the qualities of a leader and teacher of good character. Abraham set the tone in the household and never let his children take control of any situation that demanded his attention. God was seeking for a man who would embrace the responsibilities of what God willed and would be faithful to the end.
Following the creation story of the book of Genesis is the book of Exodus. In Genesis, God promised Abraham a “great nation from which all nations of the earth will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3)” and in Exodus God completes this promise through the creation of the holy nation, Israel. Exodus tells the story of the God who rescued his people out of Egypt because of the promise he had made to Abraham. God calls to Moses to complete his promise. God’s call to Moses is not only important because he liberates the Israelites but also because God reveals His name(s) along with His true Nature. God calls upon Moses and tells him that He’s back to help the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and that Moses is to lead them. God then gives him full instructions on what to tell the Pharaoh and, more importantly, the Israelites, who are promised, land “flowing with milk and honey”.
God told Abraham to take Isaac to the land of Moriah and to sacrifice him on a mountain. When Abraham and Isaac got there Abraham started to tie down Isaac and a moment before he went to sacrifice his son God sent him a lamb to sacrifice in Isaac’s place. When reading this the first time I just thought it was a story were God changed his mind at the last second. After reading it through the text of the ESV Bible I grew aware that God didn’t just change his mind but, instead was just testing Abrahams faith in him. This meaning and others started to pour out of the Bible as read it in the ESV
Abraham obeyed God by preparing wood and loading his donkey and took away Isaac and two servants with him. On reaching the place ordered by God, Abraham built an Alter and arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son and placed him on altar, on top of the wood and picked up the knife to kill him. Abraham was stopped by the Lord’s voice from heaven telling him, he was an obedient man who honored God. The angel of God confirmed to him how God would richly bless him and give him many descendants as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore.
Repetition is also the concept that the Hebrew Creator-God uses throughout the story of Genesis to educate Abram about God's purpose and His nature. God is aware of the doubtful and cynical nature of Abram. Over time, God uses Abram's own repeated mistakes to build a conceptual understanding of Himself for Abram. This model provides Abram with a relevance for God in Abram's own life. Though the classic view depicts the patriarch Abraham as blindly, obedient, there is significant evidence within the story of Abraham to show that he was not so naturally submissive. The text often depicts Abram as doubtful, indignant, and sarcastic to a fault. Taking this side of the text in context illustrates Abraham as the antagonist in a battle against God. In this struggle with God, Abraham achieves excellence by learning, through repetition of his own errors and the reinstatement of God's promise, that it is in his best interest not to fight against his own personal idea of God, but to recognize, respect, and accept the true will of God.
And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
11. This chapter describes how Jephthah became the judge of Israel including how Jephthah was chased off of his father’s land and told he would have no inheritance because he was the son of a prostitute. The chapter also describes Jephthah’s vow which promised to sacrifice anything that came out of his home if the Lord gave him victory over the Ammonites, and when the Lord did and he returned home it was his virgin daughter that came out and he allowed her to roam the hills for two months and mourn her death with no children but then he did as he had vowed. 12.
Lastly, with the phrase "Then Abraham (v. 23)" Abraham followed the command of God that resulted for him and his entire household to undergo circumcision (23-27). - The Lord is the God Almighty or El Shaddai- The Lord appeared to Abram bearing this name for Him after the thirteen years of Abram fatherhood to Ishmael, who was not the promised child for him and Sarai. God as El-Shaddai speaks of His sufficiency for all things at all times. The Lord appeared and identified Himself to Abram after thirteen years with this name that came with the command “walk blamelessly” (v.1).
Isaiah 53 says “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.” Isaac was an example of this complete obedience to his Fathers will. The only question he asks is, “Where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” What it must have meant to Abraham to give up his first born son, but it was far greater for Father God to give up his first born Son, that each and every one of us that believes in Him will not be
God is not the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent being some people have come to think of when they hear the name God. The Bible does not even reflect this type of transcendent God that is so deeply ingrained in Christianity (and perhaps the Islamic faith). The God reflected in the Bible (at least the Old Testament which is the core of all three Abrahamic traditions) is a God who is not only learning to deal with his children, but a father who is coming to terms with his need to change for his children. The God of the Abrahamic traditions is not a Omni-God. He can not be omnipotent because, God would have been able to find another way to get the Israelites out of Egypt other then the slaughter of the first born sons of Egypt (Exodus 11) (reckon the wording on this passage is troublesome as it clearly states God meant to “harden the Pharaohs heart”
Abraham did not hesitate to carry out God’s orders. To receive the blessings God has for us, we must be obedient and we must carry out his orders exactly as instructed. When God has a plan and gives us an order, we must act on it immediately. Blessings may not always come when expected. God has set aside a season or time for which our plan will be implemented.