|
by
Doug Ward |
So far, my favorite movie of 2023 is "His Only Son," which dramatizes
a crucial episode in the life of the biblical patriarch Abraham.
Recall
that Abraham, according to the book of Genesis, received at age 75 a divine
call to leave his homeland and go to a land that God would show him. God
promised Abraham and his wife Sarah that they would be progenitors of a great
nation which would bring blessing to the entire world.
Abraham
and Sarah followed God's direction and moved to the land of Canaan, but they
struggled to understand how a great nation would come from them. They were
childless and becoming too old to have children. Still, God assured them that
they indeed would have a child, and after 25 years their son Isaac was born.
This
sets the stage for Genesis 22:1-18, the passage pictured in the movie. The
movie opens with Abraham being "tested" by God. Inexplicably, God
tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on a mountain in "the
land of Moriah."
With
heavy heart Abraham complies, setting out on a three-day journey with Isaac and
two servants. At Moriah he sets up an altar and prepares to sacrifice his son.
Then God intervenes, providing a ram in Isaac's place and praising Abraham for
his willingness to give up his promised son.
The
brief biblical account raises many questions, including: What did Abraham tell
Sarah about the purpose of the trip to Moriah? What were Abraham's thoughts and
prayers during the journey? What was Isaac's reaction when he found out what
Abraham had been asked to do?
The
movie offers plausible answers to these questions and others. In doing so, it
brings viewers into an ongoing conversation about Genesis 22 that stretches
back over 2000 years. There are rich bodies of Jewish and Christian tradition
on this incident that intertwine in fascinating ways.
For
example, a tradition based on 2 Chronicles 3:1 says that Abraham's altar was
located at the future site of Solomon's Temple. The willingness of Abraham and
Isaac to perform the sacrifice has been seen in Jewish tradition as a basis for
the efficacy of sacrifices later carried out at the Temple.
The
Book of Jubilees (second century BC) places these events near the time of
Passover. Pirke Avot, a
rabbinic text from around 200 AD, suggests that the
ram for the sacrifice was prepared during creation week. A later rabbinic work,
Genesis Rabbah, compares Isaac carrying the wood for the sacrifice to a man carrying
his own cross.
Christians
see in Genesis 22 a foreshadowing of God's offering of Jesus of Nazareth as a
sacrifice for the sins of the world, a sacrifice planned "before the
foundation of the world" and carried out on a cross in Jerusalem at the time
of Passover.
The
movie gives an explicitly Christian portrayal of Genesis 22, but it should be
meaningful for all who value this text. In addition, it provides a springboard
for further reflection. I recommend it enthusiastically.
File
translated from TEX by TTH,
version 3.66.
On 20 Apr 2023, 11:49.
