Abraham sacrificing Isaac and...
...Abraham sacrificing Ishmael.
The things that come back to haunt us -- as a country and as a people. Doing the wrong thing can have lasting effects and implications that we would never imagine. That giving-Abraham-the handmaid thing still shows up in our newspapers. The descendants of Ishmael and Israel are still going at it.
It's interesting and certainly no accident that Isaac and Ishmael will sort of mirror one another. Through Isaac the Twelve Tribes of Israel will one day be established while through Ishmael the Bible indicates: "These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers...." [Genesis 25:16] Both will father great nations and great religions. Their stories are so intertwined. Muslims even contend it was Ishmael that Abraham was prepared to sacrifice and not Isaac.
Here's the story as told in the Qur'an and it is Abraham speaking as the story begins:
"O my Lord! grant me a righteous son)!" So we gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear. Then, when (the son) reached (the age of serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou wilt find me, if God so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!" So when they had both submitted their wills (to God), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him, "O Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial - and We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice: and We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: "Peace and salutation to Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For he was one of Our believing Servants. And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet, - one of the Righteous. We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls. [Surah 37.100-113] [If you like, search the Qur'an here.]
As further explanation, one of the very earliest English translations of the Qur'an says this about the above passage:
It is the most received opinion among the Mohammedans, that the son whom Abraham offered was Ismael and not Isaac; Ismael being his only son at that time; for the promise of Isaac;s birth is mentioned lower, as subsequent in time to this transaction. [Sale, The AlCoran of Mohammed, Vol. 2. p. 312]
And so it goes. Disagreement and war between Hebrew and Muslim to this very day.
Then there is Abraham's son, Isaac, trying to pass his beautiful wife Rebekah off as his sister and to the very same king that Abraham had tried to pass his wife off as sister to -- Abimelech. In both cases Abimelech does the right thing. But I wonder what he thought about God's people? They marry way over their heads? They have a thing for their sisters? They're all a bunch of liars? Why would such a powerful God look out for these people?
I wonder if Isaac had heard the story about his mother being passed off as his Dad's sister? And how in both cases his Dad made out like a bandit? So why not give it a try, huh?
Sin has a way of haunting us and our children and our children's children and our children's children's children. And so it goes.
My post from last year on this date.
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