Good Parents

Ruy Miranda (He is not a religious person)
Bible Quotes Science Info

Nowadays, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the issue of how to raise children. The article that follows, as well as others found in the archive index of this site, arise from the biblical concept of God as Father. As God can only be thought of as being a good Father, His behavior toward His children should serve as a model for those who wish to be good parents. It will show how God acted and then extrapolate this conduct for human parents, without making value judgments. It should be noted that this series of articles is confined to Old Testament passages so as to reach both Jewish and Christian readers.

God, the Father, Tests the Obedience of Abraham, the Son

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only sonby his wife, Sarah, in response to a command from God. In the end, it was revealed that God was testing Abraham’s obedience.

Prior Events

God began guiding the life of Abram, later to be called Abraham, when he lived in Ur, a Chaldean city in ancient Babylonia. This must have taken place around 1,700 years before the birth of Christ. In the first contact, God commanded Abram to leave his country and go to another land that would be shown to him. The Lord promised to make of him a great nation. Abram departed Canaan with his wife, Sarai, later to be called Sarah, his nephew, Lot, son of his brother, their slaves, and all of the goods he possessed. Before arriving in Canaan, they passed through many other countries, including Egypt.

Although Sarah was old, post-menopausal, and barren, she had a son, Isaac, as a result of God’s intervention. The great people that God promised to make starting from Abraham were to be the descendents of his son, Isaac. Now, prior to Isaac, Abraham had a son, at Sarah’s request, by Hagar, an Egyptian slave and Sarah’s handmaiden. The boy was called Ishmael and he went on to become the progenitor of the Arabic people.

The Great Test of Obedience: The Sacrifice of Isaac

This episode is recorded in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 22.

While Abraham and his family still wandered in the land of the Phillistines, God told him:

“Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

The following day, Abraham took Isaac to the place God had indicated. A burnt offering, which was a common practice among the people of that region, consisted of decapitating and burning an animal, such as a goat, lamb, or sheep, as an offering to the gods and goddesses. Human sacrifice was also practiced at that time, although less frequently.

Following God’s command, Abraham prepared an altar, laid the firewood, bound Isaac’s hands and feet, and placed the boy on the altar, above the wood. As he took the knife in hand, an angel of the Lord called down from the heavens:

“Abraham, Abraham! Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Then, Abraham looked behind him and saw a ram tied to a small tree, and he offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

The Angel of the Lord then called down from the heavens a second time and said,

“By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your only son. Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

From the Angel’s second calling it is clear that:

-- the intention of God, the Father, was to test the obedience of Abraham, the son; and -- the obedience of the son, Abraham, was rewarded.

Good Parents

Therefore, it can be concluded that one of the characteristics of a good parent is to demand obedience from the child, test that obedience, and if it is given, then reward it with praise and promise recompense.

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