Abraham S Relationship To God
Abraham’s Relationship to God
Abraham’s relationship to God is complicated and unstable. In Genesis, there are some contradictories showing that the relationship between them can be characterized from multiple aspects. For example, on one hand, the God treats Abraham mercifully; On the other hand, God tests him in a cruel way. Through Abraham’s queries to God about justice and his willingness to sacrifice his favorite son, I believe that God loves Abraham and treats him as a friend; meanwhile, as a human being, Abraham’s status cannot go beyond the God, which is reason why the God needs Abraham’s loyalty and obedience. Abraham asks God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly” (18:25)? The question shows Abraham doesn’t absolutely submit to God. Instead, he starts to question God’s justice. Despite the possibility that God may gets angry, Abraham keeps asking,“What if the fifty innocent……should be found there”(18:24-32)? God patiently answers all his questions. Genesis 18 clearly shows that Abraham and God have a conversation like two human beings, which indicates God is merciful to Abraham and is willing to treat him as a friend. However, in Genesis 22, in order to test Abraham, God asks him to take his favorite son, Isaac, to the land of Moriah and “offer him there as a burnt offering” (22:2). This is what Abraham does not want to do, but he still does exactly what God says without any resistance. As Abraham and Isaac arrive the place, the former “picked up the knife to slay his son” (22:10). By sacrificing his favorite son, Abraham presents loyalty and obedience to the God.
Abraham’s relationship to God is complicated and unstable. In Genesis, there are some contradictories showing that the relationship between them can be characterized from multiple aspects. For example, on one hand, the God treats Abraham mercifully; On the other hand, God tests him in a cruel way. Through Abraham’s queries to God about justice and his willingness to sacrifice his favorite son, I believe that God loves Abraham and treats him as a friend; meanwhile, as a human being, Abraham’s status cannot go beyond the God, which is reason why the God needs Abraham’s loyalty and obedience. Abraham asks God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly” (18:25)? The question shows Abraham doesn’t absolutely submit to God. Instead, he starts to question God’s justice. Despite the possibility that God may gets angry, Abraham keeps asking,“What if the fifty innocent……should be found there”(18:24-32)? God patiently answers all his questions. Genesis 18 clearly shows that Abraham and God have a conversation like two human beings, which indicates God is merciful to Abraham and is willing to treat him as a friend. However, in Genesis 22, in order to test Abraham, God asks him to take his favorite son, Isaac, to the land of Moriah and “offer him there as a burnt offering” (22:2). This is what Abraham does not want to do, but he still does exactly what God says without any resistance. As Abraham and Isaac arrive the place, the former “picked up the knife to slay his son” (22:10). By sacrificing his favorite son, Abraham presents loyalty and obedience to the God.