Genesis 22: Releasing Isaac

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as we discover new insights and new perspectives from a very old book.

Genesis 22: Letting Go

Reading from Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

The story of Abraham nearly slaughtering Isaac because "the LORD told him to" is yet another example that if there are any lessons to be learned from Genesis so far, they have little to do with morality, decency, or justice as we understand those words.

Anyone who does as Abraham nearly did would be brought up on murder charges today. A person who would do such a thing would be considered insane and a threat to the larger society.

I don't think that's what this chapter is about. It's the counterpart to the previous chapter about Ishmael, and really goes back to Abraham impregnating Sarah's slave girl Hagar in order to have a son.

Although the LORD promised to Abraham that he will be the father of a great nation, he and Sarah tried to hurry-up the process by adding Hagar into their family arrangement. When I wrote about Genesis 3, I quoted Kafka: "Perhaps there is only one major sin: impatience."

Genesis 3 is about choosing the "wisdom of the world." The wisdom of the world says that if you want to be a biological father, you must be with a woman of child-bearing age, and Sarah had passed that. Marrying Hagar and having Ishmael was the worldly solution.

After Isaac was born, in Genesis 21 Abraham essentially "sacrificed" his relationship with Ishmael by cutting him off upon Sarah's request and with God's blessing. Now, the LORD is demanding a blood sacrifice of Isaac, born of the aged, barren Sarah, the presumed son of the LORD's promise to Abraham. Did the LORD literally demand this?

In worldly terms, this is a grisly request. But in spiritual terms, it seems Abraham learned his lessons from his previous errors. He put the LORD first, and was willing to "let go" of everything else, including his remaining son.

It's a lesson of non-attachment to any specific outcome and of putting God first, of giving to God first. Only then can God bless you.

I say "only then can God bless you" instead of "only then WILL God bless you," because the blessing really comes from your own consciousness or attitude. If you're unwilling to give up whatever or whomever is dearest to you, you're closing off infinite possibilities in the hope for one finite, limited outcome. But if you are willing to give up anything or everything, you probably don't have to.

I do not mean this literally. I am by no means asking you to commit murder. But…

Are you willing to sacrifice (or let go of, or release) the Isaac in your life?

That is, are you willing to release your attachment to Isaac?

Abraham did sacrifice his attachment to Isaac, and in doing so both Abaraham and Isaac were freed and could have a healthy, loving father-son relationship.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!