THE AQUEDAH (Binding of Isaac)
In Christian art this is known as the "Sacrifice of Isaac," probably to link the story with the story of Jesus.
22:13 Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. In Christian art this is known as the "Sacrifice of Isaac," probably to link the story with the story of Jesus.
I mentioned typology; that is, reading the Old Testament in terms of the New Testament and Jesus. There are two ways the "Aquedah" (Binding) has been read typologically.
(1) Isaac is a type of Jesus (an only son); but Jesus fulfills Isaac; because Isaac was NOT killed, but Jesus was; thus Jesus is the more perfect sacrifice.
(2) Isaac is a type of Jesus (an only son). Abraham's willingness to kill Isaac completes the sacrifice, even though Isaac was not killed. Moreover, since Isaac remains alive, even after being "dead" (in a symbolic sense, since, like I said, Abraham's willingness to kill Isaac amounts, in principle, to a fulfillment of the sacrifice), Isaac is a perfect type of Jesus, who was also sacrificed and also came back to life after being killed. Jesus, like Isaac, was an "only son"; so Isaac is a type of Jesus.
Now God speaks to Abraham:
22:18 "In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
But notice, in 22:19 (below) that Abraham returns down the mountain alone. Is it possible that in an earlier version of this story that Isaac was really killed and later redactors altered the story when human sacrifice was rejected by a more advanced Jewish society?
22:19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.
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