DavidAZ wrote: I expect a firestorm from Stephen .
DavidAZ wrote: You are referring to the sacrifice mentioned in chapter 22 of Genesis. God tempted Abraham and asked for his son as a sacrifice.
I personally believe Abraham didn't think God was going to have him follow thru with it OR if he were to kill his son, God would revive him.
Two reasons for this logic. 1. Isaac was a promised son that was supposed to carry the lineage of Abraham. The other is that Abraham tells his servant when they get to the mountain "Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." Now, why did God feel he had to tempt Abraham is because God knows our hearts but he cannot tell our future actions. We have a freewill, so he let's us act them out.
Also, when Isaac asked about the animal to be sacrificed, Abraham replied, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering".
Now, why did God feel he had to tempt Abraham is because God knows our hearts but he cannot tell our future actions. We have a freewill, so he let's us act them out.
Ok, here is the part of the story in question.
22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”[......................................]
Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” Genesis 22:1-12 English Standard Version
This first thing you should look at is the reason for this test (not temptation). That answer comes at verse 12 "for now I know that you fear God".
So your paranoid and jealous god was feeling insecure and didn't seem to trust or have full faith in him. i.e. he had his doubts. And going by verse 12, Abraham did what he did out of sheer fear of "the lord" and was willing to cut the throat of own son and burn him to a crisp.
And this doesn't answer why an all powerful and all knowing god didn't know if or not that his servant Abraham was loyal and faithful Or "feared him". Why didn't he know?
You say:
DavidAZ wrote: [A] Now, why did God feel he had to tempt Abraham is because God knows our hearts but he cannot tell our future actions.
Why doesn't he know "our future actions"? Isn't he always predicting the future actions of mankind? Revelation springs to mind.
DavidAZ wrote: [B] We have a freewill, so he let's us act them out.
Well that simple cannot be true at all can it? It is hardly "free will" when a man is willing to murder his own child out of sheer "fear of the Lord".
And if as you also say :
DavidAZ wrote: [C] I personally believe Abraham didn't think God was going to have him follow thru with it OR if he were to kill his son, God would revive him.
Then again, are you trying to tell us that Abraham somehow called the almighty, all powerful god's bluff? That he just went through the motions while knowing all the time that god wouldn't allow him to kill his son? So didn't god know that Abraham knew all long that god would halt this murder and that he was only bluffing? Well it was hardly a fkn test then was it.
At [C] you are scaping the barrel of excuses and or reasons for why this test had to take place at all.
but he cannot tell our future actions.
And just like the Reverend Tradesecret (who is a complete bible dunce and cretin) that brags about having been taught to memorise the bible from a very early age;
#52, you forgot this;
"you [ lord] discern my thoughts from afar". Psalms 139: 1-2
and this;
" for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts” 1 Chronicles 28:9
The bible is riddled with verses about god knowing our future actions.
I would hate to think that you were taking bible lessons from a clown like the Reverend Tradesecret, you're not are you?
On the face of it, is all this story has shown me is that your god is a vile, torturous and sadistic god that , as in the case of Job where he showed us that a man's precious children were literally 10 a penny in his eyes, he will put his most loyal, trusted and faithful servants through sheer anxiety and mental torture.
Unless of course, it is an allegory? Only then it just might make some kind of sense.
Have you been slighted by a priest or pastor?
No. But I had a good slap from a nun once. Lovely lady, but just like that bible cretin the Reverend Tradsecrete, she didn't appreciate me posing her awkward questions. 😁
You're responses are very specific.
Thorough, when I believe they need to be...... or can be bothered to make them so.
