Abraham and the Angel of Yahweh (#5 in Yahweh and the Angel of Yahweh)

Would you really do anything God told you to do? Abraham had finally had a son Isaac by Sarah, at the age of 100 no less, and had sent Ishmael away with his mother Hagar, when Yahweh spoke to him (out loud or just in his mind, we are not told) and told him to sacrifice Isaac. This was his only chance, unless God performed another miracle, of having an heir who would carry on the promise God made Abraham that he would become a great nation and possess Canaan. It seemed crazy that God would ask him to do this. But Abraham faithfully journeyed to the mountain God told him about to take Isaac as a sacrifice.

Would you do anything your father told you to do? Isaac knows they are going to sacrifice on Mount Moriah, but also knows they have taken no animal with them. His father tells Him God will provide the animal. Of course, when they get there, it is Isaac who is bound and put on the altar. Couldn’t he have resisted, run away, or persuaded his father not to do this? But he submitted to it.

When Abraham takes the knife in his hand to slay his own son, we are told:

But the Messenger of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (Genesis 22:11–12)

Initially, at the beginning of this journey, God speaks to Abraham telling him to go, but here, the Messenger of Yahweh speaks instead out of heaven, out loud we may presume, to stop Abraham. The Messenger speaks of God in the third person (“I know that you fear God”) but says Abraham has not withheld Isaac from Him (first person, “from me”).

And the Messenger of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares Yahweh, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:15–18)

Now the Messenger of Yahweh says a direct message from Yahweh that Yahweh has sworn that because Abraham has done this Yahweh will fulfill His promise to Abraham. If God spoke to Abraham before, why now have the Messenger of Yahweh speak to Abraham and speak God’s words to Abraham? And the Messenger does not take on a human form to speak to Abraham but speaks out of heaven. Did Isaac hear this and understand? There are so many unanswered questions, but here are the facts as we know them:

1. The Messenger of Yahweh is a separate personality from Yahweh who can speak about Yahweh and for Yahweh, at times quoting Yahweh.
2. The Messenger of Yahweh can take on a human form to interact with humans.
3. The Messenger of Yahweh can speak from heaven without manifesting in any physical form.
4. The Messenger of Yahweh can speak as if he is Yahweh.

The next appearance of this Messenger will be to Moses, some 400 years after this.