Because thou hast hearkened to My voice!

Because thou hast hearkened to My voice!

Genesis 22:18 “... because thou hast hearkened to My voice.”

This phrase and similar phrases are several times in the Tanach by GOD, which is very interesting and worth other writings. However, this particular instance and the result created is of greater interest as subject matter for this writing.



The event is the result of the “Binding of Isaac” story in Genesis, and is the result of Abraham doing precisely what GOD told him to do.

Let us review the issue:
Genesis 22:12 And he said: 'Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou art a God-fearing man, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.'

Genesis 22:
15) And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven,
16) and said: 'By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,
17) that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18) and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast hearkened to My voice.' “

Please note Verse 12 “...seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.” and Verse 16 “seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.” --these are repeats of a cause or a reason for something to happen.

The above blessings in 15..18 are new, in that these are for Abraham's seed
while the original blessing in Genesis 12 reads as:
1. Now the LORD said unto Abram: 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee.
2) And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing.
3) And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'

These are blessing for Abram, who became Abraham. Both of these blessings require us to NOT question or argue or bargin with GOD for our own desires.

In Genesis 12, To leave one's family and all that you have known to go somewhere you don't know and to do so without argument requires a great trust. So too, when Abraham is told by GOD to “He said: 'Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of'.”

Abraham does have an advantage on this last test of trust, in that Abraham knows that Issac was a gift from GOD and GOD has kept all of HIS promises to watch over, protect and bless him(Abraham).
Proof Text:

Genesis 17:19 And God said: 'Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

Genesis 21:12 “...for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee.”

Bottom-line: In the first place Abram did as G-D told him, in the last test Abraham did as G-D told him, both without extra words. I too seek to Trust the G-D of our fathers as Abraham did. You maybe asking why would you want to do that? My short answer is that, when Abraham questioned G-D, we got slapped. When Moses did not TRUST G-D enough to give credit before the children of Israel, he did not go in to the Promised Land. G-D Says Trust ME, I will protect you. So I will trust HIM.

Shalom