NOTES for Gen 22:1-24
The event we call the sacrifice of Isaac is called the Akedah in Hebrew. The word literally means "binding" - and indeed, the sacrifice itself never took place; it only came to the binding of Isaac and his being placed on the altar. God stopped Abraham - and no killing took place. Killing is exactly the word: today hardly anyone would have doubts about God's attitude toward human sacrifice; the Bible speaks about this completely unambiguously.
So what happened to Abraham then? Traditionally, what happened is interpreted as a kind of test of Abraham - of his faithfulness to God, his trust in Him, his readiness to do everything that God might require. All of this would be true if not for one very important point: why would God need to test Abraham's readiness to commit what in God's eyes is a double sin - apostasy and murder? Apostasy, because in those times human sacrifices were offered only to underground gods, gods of the lower world, lords of the realm of shadows; and murder for an entirely understandable reason - God does not need human sacrifices by definition, so from His point of view this is precisely murder and nothing else. What, then, are we to do with the voice Abraham heard? If it was not God, then who was it? And where was God, if it was not His voice?
In the biblical story of the Akedah God is not named by His personal name; He is simply God there - and the word used in the text to designate God was not used in Abraham's time. We clearly have before us a retold story, retold, judging by the features of the text, by someone from a priestly milieu. In that milieu (and generally in pre-exilic times), believing Yahwists did not distinguish between God's will and His permission as we distinguish them today - at least on the level of terminology. If God allowed Abraham to hear a voice, then the voice was from Him.
What, then, could Abraham himself have thought? He knew that his God was El Shaddai, God of power, as He Himself named Himself during the second of Abraham's theophanies described in the Book of Genesis. The ancients were more inclined to seek the source of power in the lower world, under the earth, than in the upper world, in heaven. What if Abraham's God was lord of the lower world? Then He could demand a human sacrifice... but then what about the promises connected with Isaac? What about the alliance-covenant made with God?
A trial by absurdity is the most terrible kind. Because absurdity paralyzes the soul - and a paralyzed soul is far more terrible than a paralyzed body. Yet Abraham still preserves trust in his God. To Isaac's question about the lamb he answers: God will provide Himself the lamb. And God really does provide it, freeing Abraham's soul from the power of the force He had permitted to take hold of it.
He praises Abraham - for faithfulness. For not going back, for not retreating. Abraham, even while under the power of a dark force permitted by God, understands that there is no way back for him. Back there, behind him, there is no salvation from the evil absurdity in which he has found himself. To be saved, he must go only forward, toward God. Abraham goes forward - and truly meets God, who accepts him, frees him from the power of darkness, and praises him for his faithfulness.