When Isaac became a young boy, God spoke to Abraham and commanded him to take his son to Mount Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice to God. What does that represent?
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It tested whether Abraham was obedient to God and viewed God and not himself as the source of all the blessings Abraham enjoyed.
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What you seem to have missed is the greater point - you're not your own to begin with - He created you, all he asks now is that you recognize that by accepting him and worshipping him - it is not his desire that any should perish - but being good is not what he designed us to do - he designed us to worship - good deeds are results of our worship - not our means of worship.  You are in the midst of spiritual battle and I'm praying that God will give you spiritual rest and a mentor to lead you personally as opposed to this forum. As a parent I raised my son with certain values.  I have entrusted them to him.  It is now up to him to choose to use them.  If he doesn't then there are consequences he will suffer.  Does that take away his ability to choose for himself?  No.  It just means he didn't heed a more learned and wiser, experienced person.  It is a poor analogy, but it was the best I could come up with.
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Jesus clearly said that he was going to be HANDED OVER, not that he himself would do it.\n\nFor example, in Mark 9:31  he tells his disciples, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise."\n\nLater he talks about the one who would betray him, e.g., Mark 14:21  For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." \n\nIn fact, he announces that it is one of the Twelve eating the Passover meal with him, that would betray him.  (The amount, FWIW is 30 pieces of silver It is Joseph who  was sold for 20 pieces [Genesis 37], so some get them confused; and 40 is a common 'round number' in Scripture.)\n\nIn many of Jesus' announcements he DOES explain that this was all according to what had been prophesied, and that is was the means by which God fufilled his plans.  But he does NOT say that those who acted against him were in any way 'agreeing to help him.'  No, "they meant it for evil"  Compare Acs 2:23 where Peter declares "this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men."\n\n(Other Scriptures include this same idea -- for example, it is by God's plan that the Assyrians attack Israel.  They are 'carrying out God's judgment'.  Only that is not what motivates THEM, and God declares that he will in turn judge these who had attacked Israel for their own ends --see Isaiah 10:5-16, especially vv.6-7 -"Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him But he does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy....")\n\n---------------------------\n\nHow the "Gospel of Judas" differs:\n\n1) Judas is portrayed as being the ONE disciple who 'really gets it' and to him Jesus reveals a special knowledge hidden from all the others.  (This clearly contradicts the New Testament teaching).\n\n2) Judas hands Jesus over to die so that he can escape his human body, since the body and all the physical world is considered to be evil (a basic Gnostic teaching).  In the Bible --both the Old and New Testaments -- the material world is NOT evil.  Rather it was created good (Genesis 1) and the hope is that it will be fully restored at the resurrection.   In keeping with this the NT Gospels Jesus announces (see above) that he will die and RISE AGAIN.
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God set the price - long before Adam and Eve sinned.\n\nWhy a price? Why sacrifice? That is what I will ask Him first thing after I settle in Heaven. \n\nFor now I am thankful He did pay the price He Himself set and we can freely get to Him.
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Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. \n\nThis is one of my favorite promises, one of the 10 Commandments.  It is the only one of the 10 commandments which offers a promise of long life if you but honor your father and mother.
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It was the fruits and vegetables that he had grown. \n\nIt displeased the god of the bible because it was not a sacrifice of blood.
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Christians understand the Creator to be the divine Author of the Holy Scriptures; it seem then that Jehovah Himself must have selected the phrase "Lamb of God" to describe Jesus' role as ransom sacrifice for all mankind.  Details regarding phraseology are incidental to the larger message regarding the vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty, sanctification of God's name, and salvation of all mankind.\n\nWith Jesus' title of "Lamb of God", it is significant that EVERY firstborn male lamb was to be sacrificed in Israel. Allowing a female lamb to be used as a sin offering simply recognized that something of value was offered to Jehovah.\n\nA guilt offering could be either a male or female.
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God wants us to obey him\n\n"What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? It is better to obey than to sacrifice of sheep.  Disobedience is as bad as the sin of sorcery. Pride is as bad as the sin of worshiping idols. You have rejected the Lord's command. Now he rejects you as king."
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I think I get what you're asking.  In the Old Testament, under the law of Moses, the Jewish people would have to make sacrifices (such as animals or grain, depending on the ceremony) to "make up" for their sins.  God Himself commanded that system of sacrifice only as a temporary, imperfect system.  An important verse to consider is Psalm 40:6, where it says "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire."  That verse and the context surrounding it shows us that what God really wanted was not a tally of how many rams or bulls got slaughtered, but the right heart of the people.\n\nThe OT system of sacrifice was not just abolished but fulfilled by Christ's death and resurrection.  The old way taught that people needed a sacrifice to have their sins forgiven by God.  Through His death, Christ provided the one and only sacrifice that will ever be needed again.\n\nWe could never sacrifice enough ourselves to get right with God, whether that be through any kind of "good works" or "penance" as some teach.  The Bible actually says we CANNOT rely on our own works, how much we can sacrifice, but instead we are to rely on God's mercy and grace.  Any teaching that isn't centered God's grace and Christ's victory is indeed "ready to vanish" and should be thrown out as unbiblical.
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(2 Samuel 12:11-14 NAB)\n\nThus says the Lord: 'I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.  I will take your wives [plural] while you live to see it, and will give them to your neighbor.  He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.  You have done this deed in secret, but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel, and with the sun looking down.'\n\n    Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord."  Nathan answered David: "The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.  But since you have utterly spurned the Lord by this deed, the child born to you must surely die."  [The child dies seven days later.]
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According to Christianity, Isaac was the one supposed to be sacrificed by Abrahan, his father.  But according to Islam, it was rather the older son Ishmael, who was Abraham's son by the slave Hagar.
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The Quran makes three references to the return of Jesus son of Mary (may peace be upon him) to the earth - i.e. his descent from the sky - in order to accomplish various tasks.\n\nTHE FIRST REFERENCE: is in Surah Nisaa’, verses (156-159). As for the context of these verses, Allah, the Exalted, mentions the fabrications of the Jews, their slander of Mary, their rejection of Faith, and claim that they killed Jesus son of Mary - the Messenger of Allah. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, declares the falsity of these claims and says, "And because of their saying (boasting), ‘We killed Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah,’ - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it was made to appear to them so." [an-Nisaa’ 4:157] We have learned from the preceding sections about the disciple who resembled Jesus and voluntarily sacrificed and ransomed himself, as has been specifically stated by the leading scholars of Islam.\n\nSO WHAT EXACTLY HAPPEDNED THEN? Allah, the Exalted, raised Jesus son of Mary to the sky. His enemies, the Jews, failed to harm him, let alone kill and crucify him. This is a clear and unambiguous text that carries no room for another interpretation. It states clearly that Allah, the Exalted, raised Jesus to Himself - bodily and his soul - in order to save him from the Jews murdering and crucifying him. Allah, the Exalted, says in the Quran, "But Allah raised him up (with his body and soul) unto Himself; and Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise." [an-Nisaa’ 4:158]\n\nSo, if anyone claims that only the soul was raised, it would be incorrect, as is shown from the two following perspectives.\n\nFIRSTLY, Allah made a mention of this raise in the context of refutation of the claim of the Jews that they killed the Christ. So, if it were that only the soul was raised, then that would actually mean an acknowledgment of the claim of the Jews that they killed the Christ - which is to remove his soul!\n\nSECONDLY, if it were true that only his soul was raised, there would remain no distinction for Jesus above the rest. For all Prophets (peace be upon them), and in fact all believing Muslims, have their souls raised to the sky upon their death. So, does there remain anything that distinguishes Jesus, for which Allah makes a special marked mention in the Quran that He raised him?\n\n\nAfter establishing this point, another Quranic verse follows in the same context of the ones that preceded. This one clearly bears evidence on another return of the Christ (peace be upon him) to the earth and that he will descend from the sky. The purpose of this is the crucial role he will play upon his return to the earth. Allah, the Exalted, says, "And there is none of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) but must believe in him (Jesus son of Mary as a Messenger of Allah and a human being) before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them." [an-Nisaa’ 4:159] \n\nThe verse presents the message in a future tense, so it is with regards to the events to come after the raising of the Christ. It informs that some of the People of the Book will believe in the Christ. But when will that be? It will be upon his descent, his return and coming onto the earth once again. Imam Tabari, the renowned scholar of the Quranic exegesis (may Allah cover him in mercy), explained this. He said, “The meaning of the verse ‘And there is none of the people of the Scripture but must believe in him’, that is: in Jesus, ‘before his death’, that is: before the death of Jesus. It is explained as follows: that all of them will affirm and acknowledge him when he descends to kill the Antichrist, thereafter, all the religion will give way to only the one, which is the pure upright religion of Islam - the religion of Abraham (may the peace be him)." [See Tafsir at-Tabari 4:356-357].\n\nTHE SECOND REFERENCE in the Noble Quran to the imperative nature of the descent of Je
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Not just any sacrifice, but as you say, the ULTIMATE. God came down in flesh, dwelt among us, proved He was the perfect Lamb without spot, and died for the salvation of the world.\n\nbuscernibabe-Have you not read Daniel's prophecy?\n\n“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off (killed for a capitol crime), but not for Himself." - Daniel 9:26\n\nDid you not know that this was prophesied to happen to the very DAY?\nhttp://tinyurl.com/hhmjt
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The thing is this, Abraham still would have suffered the loss of his son, even though God had promised that the promised seed would be through Isaac, Abraham did not know when God would resurrect Isaac knowing he could, God could have resurrected Isaac long after Abraham had died and Abraham would have to live out his life without his son who he loved. Jesus still suffered the pains of that sacrifice, he suffered much, he was scourged by the Romans, meaning that they whipped him with whips that commonly had bits of bone and scrap metal braided into the whips that would literally rip the flesh from your body exposing the muscle underneath the flesh, had a crown of thorns pushed down upon his head that tore into his flesh, carried his own torture stake, was nailed to that stake hands overhead to make breathing difficult, mocked ridiculed during the entire time and in front of his mother and friends, accused of blasphemy, spit upon, struck by his persecutors, kept awake during the entire trial and punishment, and still suffered the final pangs of death itself, would you think after suffering all this that the sacrifice had no worth, and also Jehovah God himself had to endure this as he watched from heaven as his Son was treated this way and for the first time since his creation eons ago in heaven, God was truely without his Son as Jesus was truely dead, he no longer existed, because as the Bible points out, we are a soul we don't have one, when we die we go into nonexistence until God would resurrect us. Sounds like a genuine sacrifice  to me and one of  the greatest love ever shown on both parts of Jehovah God and his Son Jesus Christ.
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1st Samuel 15:2  "Thus says the LORD of Host, "I will punish Amalek for what He did to Israel, how He set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Samuel 15:3...\n\nSaul didn't obey God on this one.. The LORD said to Samuel, "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not carried out My commands." \n\nBehold to obey is better than sacrifice. Rebellion is as the sin of divination.  This is when the LORD rejected Him as king over Israel.  Read the whole chapter.\n\nTo me, I don't understand God about the animals, but God knew it was necessary.  I have a hunch It had to do with bestiality & the whole area had been corrupt with the idolatry.  Also, innocent animals, people die all the time because of the sins of others.  Man's sin can lead to natural disasters.   Environmental sins cause polution.
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The Book of Hebrews\nChapter 11\n \n1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.\n \n2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.\n \n3\n Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.\n \n4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.\n \n5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.\n \n6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.\n \n7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.\n \n8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.\n \n9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:\n \n10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.\n \n11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.\n \n12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.\n \n13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.\n \n14\n For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.\n \n15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.\n \n16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.\n \n17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,\n \n18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: \nGen 21:12 Rom 9:7 Gal 3:16 \n \n19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.\n \n20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.\n \n21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.\n \n22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.\n \n23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.\n \n24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;\n \n25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;\n \n26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.\n \n27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.\n \n28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.\n \n29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians
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good question. God has said good thing about Noah too;\n[3] ..... Verily, he was a grateful slave."\nQuran 17: 03\n\nwell God has choosed 4 off springs. \n[33] Allâh chose Adam, Nûh (Noah), the family of Ibrâhim (Abraham) and the family of 'Imrân above the 'Alamîn (mankind and jinn) \nQuran 3:33\n\nhowever, Abraham was the only one from among all the prophet of God that God has took him as khalil (very close friend).\n[125] ..... And Allâh did take Ibrâhîm (Abraham) as a Khalil (an intimate friend)! \nQuran 4:125\n\nAbraham believed in God without holybook, prophets sent to him, without seeing miracles. he did not follow the path of his people, neither inhirited traditions. he was willing to kill his son just to obey God.