God se opdrag aan Abraham om sy kind te offer eties bekyk

Abstract

Sacrifices of children were in ancient times in use among some nations around the Mediterranean Sea. While the "gods" of the nations had apparently no ethical problem with the sacrifice of children, the God of Israel prohibited it many times in the Bible. The child sacrifices of the Canaanites were also one of the terrible sins that God gave as reason why Israel had to destroy them. Yet He command in Genesis 22 the patriarch of Israel, Abraham, to sacrifice his child. The article argues that God as holy and righteous, through this specific command rejects the unethical and horrible pagan custom of child sacrifices. That it was not God's intention for Abraham to perform the task is clear from the end of Genesis 22 - a conclusion that had a lasting influence on the descendants of Abraham and Isaac. OPSOMMING: In die antieke tyd was dit 'n gebruik by sekere volke om die Middellandse See om kinders te offer. Terwyl die "gode" van die volke klaarblyklik nie 'n etiese probleem met die offer van kinders gehad het nie, verafsku die God van Israel dit en verbied Hy dit telkemale in die Bybel. Die kinderoffers van die Kanaäniete was dan ook een van die verskriklike sondes waarom Israel hulle moes vernietig. Tog gee Hy aan die aartsvader van Israel, Abraham, in Genesis 22 opdrag om sy kind te offer. Die artikel argumenteer dat God as die heilige en regverdige, deur die spesifieke opdrag die onetiese en verskriklike heidense gebruik van kinderoffers afwys. Dat dit nie God se bedoeling was dat Abraham die opdrag moes uitvoer nie is duidelik uit die afloop van die verhaal - 'n afloop wat 'n blywende invloed op die nageslag van Abraham en Isak sou hê.