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NASB | Genesis 22:2 He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 22:2 God said, "Take now your son, your only son [of promise], whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." |
Subject: Why did God tell Abraham to kill his son |
Bible Note: Hello, You may be comparing apples to oranges between Abraham and this friend. Is God asking the friend to offer the family members as a burnt offering? That would be the only possible justification your friend would have. As to your question concerning God's request which would end in a person's death: God does nothing in violation of his character. If he did, he would cease to be God. We know God hates murder, and he had already promised that Isaac was the promised son through whom he would be the father of many nations. That being the case, God's command to Abraham could not possibly end in Isaac's death. One of two things must occur: God stops Abraham, or God resurrects Isaac. In either case, the immediate end of the journey is life. Now, does God command people to kill other people? Yes, he does, but only as an act of defense or as a tool of divine judgment. But that is looking at Abraham's situation from our understanding with the totality of Scripture. The capital punishment described in the covenant with Noah was to deal with retribution for unjust killing. I am willing to bet your friend does not have assurance that his family members will live physically immediately after they have been killed. Steve |