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| A painting which shows the angel knocking the knife out of Abraham's hand, as Abraham holds Isaac down. Image source. |
[content note: it's about the bible story where God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac]
When Sarah got up in the morning, Abraham had already left.
He had told her the night before, he and Isaac were going up the mountain to offer a sacrifice. Isaac was a little young, she thought, but perhaps Abraham thought it was time for him to come along on one of these trips. They would probably be gone for several days; the mountain was far.
In the afternoon, their servant Eliezer came by her tent, while Sarah was making bread. She asked him if he had helped Abraham get one of the goats that morning, for the sacrifice.
"Hmm? No, he didn't come to me for a goat this morning," said Eliezer.
"Maybe a sheep?" asked Sarah.
"No, I didn't talk to him at all this morning. I did see them as they were leaving though- Abraham, Isaac, and two of my sons."
Sarah looked confused. "But they must have taken a goat- he said God told him they should go present a sacrifice."
"Are you sure?" asked Eliezer. "It doesn't make sense. I don't think he's making a sacrifice this time. I can tell you they definitely didn't take a goat with them."
"Okay..." said Sarah, still puzzled. She was sure Abraham had told her that he was going to sacrifice an offering.
After Eliezer left, she continued to think about it as she made her bread. He had definitely told her the night before, that he and Isaac were going to sacrifice an offering. Maybe they changed their plans? But, that didn't make sense either- Abraham had said that God commanded him to sacrifice an offering.
Last time, it was Abraham, the two servants, and the goat. But this time, it was Abraham, the two servants, and Isaac.
Wait.
No, she thought.
Oh no...
He wouldn't.
He wouldn't... right?
She thought about what he had said the night before. It was very normal and routine- sometimes he took two of the servants and traveled for a few days, and this time he was taking Isaac along. He had said it like it was no big deal. But, as she thought about it, she seemed to remember there was something about the way he talked, something more serious in his voice, like he was afraid and trying to hide it.
She ran it over in her head again and again.
No, it couldn't be... He wouldn't...
She grew more and more nervous, and finally she couldn't help herself- she rushed outside and started to run in the direction of the mountain, with wild thoughts of saving her son and bringing him home. Where was he? Her perfect little boy, her little ray of sunshine, who had brought laughter into her life- he was somewhere out there, on that mountain.
She slowed down and came to a stop. There was no way she could catch up with them. They had left hours ago. There was nothing she could do.
All around her, she heard birds singing. Nothing out of the ordinary. Everything felt normal.
So... she would just have to go back to her tent and wait. And not know if Isaac would even come back or not. No... she couldn't imagine what her life would be without Isaac...
But surely she was being ridiculous. She shouldn't jump to conclusions.
But... When she asked herself whether Abraham would really do that, if his God commanded it... she honestly didn't know the answer. And that terrified her.
He wouldn't, right?
Sarah tried to sleep that night, but all she could think about was her son's beautiful face. The way he talked, the way he laughed, the way he was learning how to help with chores, the way he asked questions, the way he seemed to light up when he was telling her about some interesting thing he had done... He was with his father, so, was he safe? She didn't know. She honestly didn't know.
He wouldn't, right?
She knew she would have to wait a few days for Abraham to come back. It was torture. She tried to go about her life, tried to work just like she usually did, but she couldn't stop thinking about Isaac, worrying for his safety. Wondering if Abraham was the kind of man who would... who would...
No, he wouldn't, right?
What if he would? And there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't even know where Isaac was right then. Somewhere on that mountain.
The days passed so slowly.
Finally, on the seventh day, they came back.
She heard the servants calling out, and she rushed out of the tent to see what was happening. She was terrified- what if Isaac wasn't with him?
Far away, on the horizon, she saw them- Abraham, Isaac, the two servants, and the donkey. She collapsed right there on the ground, and cried, overwhelmed by all the stress of the past few days. Isaac was safe! He was safe. He was coming home.
She couldn't believe she had been so worried. She couldn't believe she had really thought...
Later, she asked Abraham if he had really offered a sacrifice to God, because he hadn't taken a goat. Abraham said that God had provided a ram, stuck in the bushes, on the mountain, and he had offered that as a sacrifice.
At first she was relieved, and thought about how silly she had been. Of course he was sacrificing a ram. Of course it wasn't... Isaac... their son... of course not. Why had she thought that?
Thank goodness, he wouldn't.
But, still, something didn't add up. They just happened to find a ram stuck in the bushes? Did he know it was going to be there beforehand, when he decided not to take a goat on the trip? How would he have known that? Did God tell him...? She felt there was still something a bit off about this story.
But Isaac was safe. That's all that mattered.
---
Isaac lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. He kept thinking about how his father had tied him up, and raised the knife...
An angel stopped him. And then he killed a ram instead. Isaac kept thinking about the way his father cut that ram's throat, and its blood poured out... Of course he had seen his father kill livestock before, but this time it was different.
It had been a test from God, apparently. And God was pleased, because now God knew that Abraham really would do it.
But, Isaac thought, what if next time there was no angel?
Yes, now God knew that Abraham would do it.
But, even worse, Isaac also knew Abraham would do it.
---
Other bible fanfics:
Related:
For Rizpah (or, a post about human sacrifice in the bible)
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