Abraham and Isaac
People often get misleading view of God because of this story. God's request does not seem ethical or reasonable.
上帝說：「你帶著你兒子﹐你獨生的兒子﹑你所愛的以撒﹑到摩利亞地﹐在我所要對你說明的一個山上﹑把他獻上來做燔祭。」( 創世記 22:2 )
How it all started...
Promise of God
Let's go back in time and look into what happened years before. Here's what God promised to Abraham then.
我必賜福與她﹐賜給你一個兒子由她而出：我必賜福與她﹐使她做多國之母；必有多族之民的王由她而出。」 上帝說：「不﹐是你妻子撒拉必給你生個兒子；你要給他起名叫以撒；我要同他堅立我的約﹐做他以後的苗裔永遠的約。 論到我的約﹐我是要同以撒堅立的約；以撒就是明年這時節撒拉所要給你生下來的。」( 創世記 17:16,19,21 )
God's promise is to establish a covenant with Isaac, the only son by Sarah. The promise is made before Isaac was born. So clearly, God's intention is to keep Isaac alive. However, look at how Abraham reacts to God's promise.
Abraham does not have faith in what God is saying.
亞伯拉罕就伏臉而笑﹐心裡說：「一百歲的人還能生孩子麼？撒拉已經九十歲﹐還能生養麼？」( 創世記 17:17 )
We do not see from Abraham actions that he has faith in God.
Abraham still does not trust in God.
Later, God reassured Abraham again about his promise. Now Abraham did not express any doubt about it even though Sarah did:
那位說：「在婦人懷孕滿期的時候【或譯：到明年這時候】﹐我一定要回到你這裡來。看吧﹐你妻子撒拉必生個兒子。」撒拉在後邊帳棚聽著呢。 當時亞伯拉罕和撒拉已經老邁﹐上了年紀；撒拉的女人事兒也停止了。 撒拉肚子裡暗笑著說：「我已經衰敗﹐我的丈夫也老邁﹐那裡還能有婚媾的樂趣呢？」 永恆主對亞伯拉罕說：「撒拉為甚麼暗笑著說：『我既已老邁﹐果真能生養嗎？』( 創世記 18:10-13 )
Can we see now that Abraham has faith in God? If he did, God would not have to remind about his promise again. More than that, from the next verse we can see that Abraham still does not have trust in God and lied about Sarah being his sister before Abimelech king of Gerar. As if Abraham is killed, there won't be Isaac, and God's promise would be broken.
提到他的妻子撒拉﹑亞伯拉罕就說：「他是我的妹妹」；於是基拉耳王亞比米勒打發人將撒拉取了去。( 創世記 20:2 )
亞伯拉罕說：「我心裡說﹐這地方總沒有畏懼上帝的心﹐總會為了我妻子的緣故來殺我。( 創世記 20:11 )
A year later, God has given Abraham son, exactly as he promised. Did this change Abraham's faith in God?
Prove that Abraham indeed has faith in God far stronger than we can even imagine.
Years later when Isaac grew up, God has made a shocking request to Abraham. Now, Abraham responded immediately and did exactly what God said. Despite that Abraham deeply loved his son Isaac, the only son from his wife Sarah, he did not withheld him from God.
上帝說：「你帶著你兒子﹐你獨生的兒子﹑你所愛的以撒﹑到摩利亞地﹐在我所要對你說明的一個山上﹑把他獻上來做燔祭。」 亞伯拉罕清早起來﹐備上了驢﹐帶著兩個僮僕和他的兒子以撒﹐也劈好了燔祭的柴﹐就起身往上帝所對他說明的地方去了。 他們到了上帝所對他說明的地方﹐亞伯拉罕就在那裡築了一座壇﹐擺上了柴﹐將他的兒子以撒捆綁好了﹐放在祭壇的柴上。 亞伯拉罕就伸手拿刀﹑要宰他的兒子。( 創世記 22:2,3,9,10 )
天使說：「不可伸手宰兒童；害他的事﹑你一點也不可作；如今我知道你是敬畏上帝的；因為你沒有留下你兒子﹑你獨生的兒子﹑而不給我。」( 創世記 22:12 )
It's a very significant moment in Bible, but not by the ethical aspect of it that draws most of people's attention to it.
At first, God knew Abraham and what he can and cannot do before he made the request to him. In the same way as God knows everyone else before any actions or words are taken place.
我坐下﹑我起來﹑只有你纔曉得；我的意念你從遠處就明白。 我行路﹑我伸懶腰﹑你都篩下來細察；我一切所行的﹑你都熟悉。 永恆主阿﹐我舌頭上發出的話沒有一句你不知道。( 詩篇 139:2-4 )
At the same time, Abraham has faith in God, and knows that God's promises will always be fulfilled. Likewise, he undoubtedly knew that God will keep his promise to establish the covenant with Isaac and his descendants. Therefore, Isaac cannot die. Or, it will die but will be raised up again. Or, something else will happen as he fully trusts in God. Abraham says that both he and Isaac will return and that the sacrifice will be provided by God.
亞伯拉罕對他的僮僕說：「你們同驢在這裡等候著；我和兒童往那裡去敬拜﹐就回到你們這裡來。」( 創世記 22:5 )
以撒對他父親亞伯拉罕說：「爸爸。」亞伯拉罕說：「怎麼啦﹐孩子？」以撒說：「請看﹐火跟柴都有了；燔祭的小羊羔在哪裡呢？」 亞伯拉罕說：「孩子﹐上帝自己會顧到燔祭小羊的。」二人仍這樣一齊走著走著。( 創世記 22:7-8 )
This demonstration of Abraham's faith is for us, readers of the Bible. So that we understand how faithful was the person chosen by God. And how significant the actions and faith of Abraham to all of us...
地上萬國都必用你後裔的名來給自己祝福﹐因為你聽了我的聲音。」( 創世記 22:18 )
Abraham did not sacrifice his son. God sacrificed his...
While Abraham believed that his son will get to be alive at the end, he did not know how and when... Isaac was 'dead' for Abraham during the long 3-day trip to the mountain pointed out by God, and 'rose' on a third day at the end of it. God's Son Jesus got crucified and rose on the third day...
第三天﹑亞伯拉罕舉目﹐遠遠地看那地方。( 創世記 22:4 )
怎樣埋葬了；又怎樣依照經典第三天得甦活了起來；( 哥林多前書 15:4 )
Without understanding how deeply Abraham loved and feared God so that he was ready to sacrifice his son, we won't be able to understand God's love to us. He gave his only son to die on the cross for us...
上帝這樣地愛世人﹐甚至賜下獨生子﹐使一切信他的人都不滅亡﹑而得永生。( 約翰福音 3:16 )