Aqedah
This past Thursday in my Hebrew Bible discussion class, we talked about the Aqedah or the binding of Isaac in Gen 22:1-24, where Abraham agrees to sacrifice Isaac per God’s request without any objection. Our teaching fellow has never asked a “faith” question. However, in more or less words she asked if this story makes us question our faith in a God that would test a human to sacrifice another human or propose murdering one of his followers.
One of our class mates mentioned the love he has for his own children and that it was not about God needing to know Abraham’s faithfulness as much as it was about Abraham and Issac and their experience. I mentioned that I worship a God I can trust, not a God that I can understand or control. Another classmate mentioned that this text is a way of explaining some of the toughest questions in life, without giving half-baked answers.
I left class feeling pretty good, but later when I thought about our discussion and what I said, I had a huge check with reality. Have I really given up understanding or controlling God and do I really trust Him?
Recently I have been a bit of a hot mess. Turning 25, being in Div school, having a real full time job, having a group of friends who love and care about me… makes me feel like I should have all my shit together.
I think God is asking me to take myself for a walk, bring some fire wood, and get ready to for a sacrifice of something dear to me. Unlike Abraham… I’ve been dragging my feet hoping to get all my ducks in a row so that they can walk perfectly behind me. Now that I’m to the place of sacrifice I see that he wants me to sacrifice not only the ideas I have about myself, but also the ideas I have about Him.
