278.2: Abrahamic Texts and Tests (OT Gospel Doctrine Lesson 9, Sunday School)

“God Will Provide Himself a Lamb”

Is the story of a parent attempting to kill his child an appropriate way to teach obedience and sacrifice? Familiarity can be comforting, but also dangerous. This episode wrestles with one of the most disturbing stories of the Bible, when God commands Abraham to kill his beloved son Isaac.

After modeling a way to push back against the standard approach to this story, we explore

how the biblical story builds up the tension and terror of this account
what we can learn and gain from the narrative
whether Abraham pass or failed the test
how the story of Abraham and Isaac and Jesus/Atonement are similar and different
the relationship between God and goodness
how we can use this narrative in a constructive way

Recurring Donation:

$5 $10 $25 $50

One Time Donation:

$25 $50 $100

Class Member Reading: Abraham 1; Genesis 15, 16, 17, 21, 22; Hebrews 11:17-19; James 2:21-23; Jacob 4:5

Additional Reading: Hebrews 11:8-19; D&C 132:34-36

Other Reading: Genesis 15-28, skimming to see how the (near) sacrifice of Isaac fits within the larger context.

Maxine and Heber provide a challenging but rewarding discussion.

You can access the Annotated Reading here (or PDF).

You can access the Lesson Notes here (or PDF).

Timeline

Lesson Part 1