History can also make men larger than life. Abraham, for instance, is divinely selected to be the "father" of God's
chosen nation. We do not always take into account, then, that behind it all, he is a simple man, one who struggles with doubt and uncertainty. His saintlihood does not transcend the realm of human struggle or emotion. The Bible in fact, gives plenty of accounts where Abraham's faith wavers, and yet, in this climatic crisis, when the tension between conflicting responsibilities reaches a maddening level, Abraham's faith passes the ultimate test. In passing this test, it should be observed that Abraham has to overcome two formidable obstacles. The first lies in the nature of God's command and, the second, in the target of that command.

The story which appears in Genesis twenty-two is so difficult because God asks of Abraham what is utterly unthinkable: to kill his own son. Is not murder sin? Could God ever command a person to violate His own Law? The answer is obviously no. To do so would compromise the very essence of His being. Still the Isaac situation is a complicated one, and it requires some further explanation. It is quite clear that Abraham is commanded to kill his son, and in most cases, killing and murder go hand in hand. Some may argue that since the Ten Commandments, at this juncture, have not been formally issued, then murder cannot be considered sin. This logic is severely flawed. The moral principles which are carved on tablets for Moses have been carved into the human heart since Adam first walked the earth. After all, the Lord condemns Cain for killing his brother Abel though there had been no specific degree prohibiting such action. The Law existed not in writing, but in the human conscience. This is how the Gentiles, "who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law", for the "work of the Law [is] written in their hearts" (Rom. 2:14,15). Ignorance can be no excuse when one's own heart condemns murder. Furthermore, since the God of the Bible is set up as being consistent and unchanging, it only stands to reason that His definition of sin does not change from generation to generation. There must be another answer.

The solution must lie in the Lord's sovereign authority. As man's creator, God holds "the keys of death" in His hand (Rev. 1:18). As Romans 6:23 reveals, "the wages of sin is death", and so once humanity sinned, God's requirement is death. Throughout the Old Testament there are examples of incredible bloodshed where God has used the army of Israel to judge the sins of unrepenting nations. For God to require a life is not unprecedented nor out of His jurisdiction. At times, such as the flood, His wrath is poured out directly, at others, He employs human instruments. Since the Bible makes the claim that all sin, then it stands to reason that all deserve death (Rom. 3:23). With all this said and done, it seems that the Lord alone can command such an act because the Lord alone has the authority to require it. It may seem like a presumptuous demand, but as Paul notes in the New Testament, "What right does the created have to question the Creator?" (Rom. 9:20).