Sermon Tone Analysis

Does God Commend Child Sacrifice?

Things to note:

Isaac was not Abraham’s “only son”, rather his “special son.”

He had Ishmael through Hagar, but Isaac (through Sarah) was the one who was primarily to carry God’s covenant promises.

Child sacrifice appears to have been somewhat common in the cultures around Israel at the time, and, indeed, Israel succummed to the influence of here neighbors and sacrificed children to the god Molech on a number of occasions throughout the OT

Sacrificing Family for the Gospel?

A song from Arcade Fire, a Canadian band says “Working for the Church, while your family dies”

James Dobson even confessed in his book Building Your Church through Counsel and Care: 30 Strategies to Transform Your Ministry, that he had neglected his family—sacrificing them—on the altar of ministry for God.

And it’s not just ministers, evangelists or missionaries either.

Teachers

Elders/Deacons

Anyone, really

Sacrificing Family on Other Altars?

Work?

Play?

Power?

Money?

Security?

Status?

Let Off the Hook

God himself provides the sacrifice…both on the mountain in place of Isaac, and in Jesus for us.

The Only “Child Sacrifice” That Matters

Jesus.

This is why we don’t have to sacrifice our families on whatever altars may come our way.

Caveat: sometimes God calls our loved ones home before we are ready for this, but this is different then sacrificing them.

Caveat: sometimes our families themselves force us to “sacrifice them” for the gospel.

If our families force us to choose between them and the Lord, then we must choose the Lord of course, but we must be very careful when we do so that we are sure that this is what we must do.

Caveat: sometimes God does call us to leave our families for the Gospel…but not

Here’s the priority list:

Jesus

Our spouses

Our children/parents/family

Everything else

Normally, Jesus says to us: taking care of your spouse and loving him/her is your number one priorty after me.