In the story of Abrahm almost killing his son Isaac by order of God, if Abrahm refused,..?

Question

then would that be a sin? Isn't sin anything against what God wants, whether it'd be something humans normally consider good and moral or something crude, rotten and despicable such as tying your own son down on an table and making like you're about to stab and kill him?

What if Abrahm laughed at God and said h**l no to all of this, told God he loved his son and would never do such a mean thing, that he would never be so mean as to tie up his own son and make like he was about to kill him?

Answer 1

This very reason, is why I think the story has been misinterpreted for so long.  The following is not my original interpretation, but I can't for the life of me remember the author's name.  In any case, she contends that the test was Isaac's not Abraham.  We are to honor our parents.  However, it does them no honor to allow them to transgress the law.  Although the Mosaic law had yet to be delivered, the basic of it were discussed and were, after all, given to Noah, as the seven Noahide laws.  God spoke to Abraham, not to Isaac.  For all Isaac knew, his dad had gone round the bend.  When God tells us something is wrong, it is wrong, even if God says, "Well, it's okay, just this once because I say so."  

No, the Test was Isaac's, who was nearly an adult at the time.  He should have tried to stop his father.  That he didn't do so resulted in his punishment.  In Genesis, he has almost nothing to do.  He is not even sent to pick out his bride, but one of Abraham's servant is sent in his place, a real slap in the face.  And just a few verses after Abe kicks the bucket, we see Isaac as a feeble old man being fooled out of his blessing, giving it to his second son, rather than rightfully to the first.  If he had passed the test, what a mighty patriarch he might have been.  As it is, he's just a conduit to get from the stories and glories of Abraham to the stories and glories of Jacob.

To honor one's parents is to not allow them to fall into error.  If Isaac had even bothered to just raise a question with Abe, "Dad are sure you heard this from the real God and not someone else trying to lead you astray?", thinks might have been different.

Never take the stories of Genesis at face value.  Thy have many layers of symbolic and metaphoric meanings.

Answer 2

It's about Abraham's faith that Jehovah God would resurrect his son.  He also was promised that Jesus would come through his seed, and Isaac was that link....so he knew God wouldn't back out on his promise.

It goes deeper though.  Abraham typifies Jehovah God, who offered up his beloved Son, the Greater Isaac, so that sinful men might gain everlasting life. (John 3:16)  

Answer 3

The test was, to see if Abraham would give all to God's will.

"Your will oh Lord, not Mine"

Answer 4

The story was a representation of the sacrifice God was going to make in the future when it came to Christ.

Whether it was a literal story or not is up to the individual to decide.

Answer 5

Consider the faith of abraham that God can resurrect his son..

Before abraham was put into test God promised to him that he will have many grandchildren that will build a nation....as many as the stars in the heaven..

so that Abraham trusted God that he will fulfill his promise even though he wondered how because he is going to kill isaac...

it's about obedience...we know that in te record of the bible it's only a test,...

Answer 6

1. Abraham didn't say no so the question is moot.

2. Abraham placed His complete faith and trust in God to be able to raise his son from the dead and to provide a sacrifice- read Hebrews 12:8-19.

3. Abraham passed the test. He clearly demonstrated that He loved God above all else and that He had absolute faith in God's promises and His mercy and His love and His power.

4. It is impossible for finite humans to judge the infinite God.

5.God is omnipotent and omnipresent and omniscient, we are not.

6. Isaac was a type of Christ. This was a lesson from God about how He would send His only begotten Son to die in our place.

7. God provided a ram for the sacrifice, another lesson about Christ and God's love.

6. God loves our loved ones more than we ever could.

Answer 7

It's about putting your love for God above all else.  God didn't do it for himself, but for Abraham.  Abraham grows in his faith in knowing that he will put God above all else, no matter how much it hurts.

Luckily, God ended this request before any real damage was done.  Abraham grew in his faith, and his trust in God's goodness.

Answer 8

My mother has schizophrenia and believes she is a prophet of God. She tried to murder my sister by reinacting the Abraham thing, believing with her whole heart that God was telling her to do it.

My sister and I were promptly removed by the authorities and sent to foster homes. Come on Christians - give me any valid proof that God WASN'T talking to my mother - but that he was to Abraham. What's the difference?

Anyone deluded enough to be willing to murder an innocent person because of the voices in their heads needs help - not fame! If I was Isaac I'd have run for the hills.

Answer 9

It is about obdience

Answer 10

Good question. Firstly, I don't believe God would have regarded it as a sin if Abraham had refused. I'm not sure why Abraham even obeyed, because it doesn't make any sense to me. But I know the Bible is richer because of the incident. I know this sounds strange, but the place where Abraham took Issac was the same place Jesus went to 2000 years later: Calvary. If Abraham had refused God, then Jesus may have died in a different place.