What do you think?
Rate this book
Abraham's Silence The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God
It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience?
Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham.
This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.
Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham.
This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 16, 2021
41 people are currently reading
477 people want to read
About the author
J. Richard Middleton
12books55followersJ. Richard Middleton (PhD, Free University of Amsterdam) is professor of biblical worldview and exegesis at Northeastern Seminary and adjunct professor of theology at Roberts Wesleyan College, both in Rochester, New York. He authored Abraham's Silence (2021), A New Heaven and a New Earth (2014), The Liberating Image (2005), and coauthored the bestsellers Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be (1995) and The Transforming Vision (1984). Middleton is past president of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (2019�2021) and past president of the Canadian-American Theological Association (2011�2014).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 30, 2022
Middleton has a way of taking familiar biblical texts and turning them upside down, not by reading against the grain of scripture, but by critiquing our assumptions. Here he has done it again with his intriguing re-reading of the story of the binding of Isaac. Middleton suggests that on one level, Abraham failed the test. Yes, he obeyed God's commend. However, rather than participating in a vigorous intercession for his son that demonstrated a deep knowledge of God's character, Abraham was silent. Reading this story in light of the lament psalms and the book of Job, Middleton carefully argues that silence is not what God wanted. In his grace, God compensated for Abraham's silence by announcing he would still bless the nations, but his invitation still stands for people of faith from every age to protest injustice.
April 1, 2022
J. Richard Middleton’s Abraham’s Silence: The Binding of Isaac, The Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God contains the best treatment of the biblical Book of Job I’ve read since Claus Westermann’s brilliant publication, The Structure of Job. Middleton isn’t in full agreement with Westermann on every point, but he builds effectively on the foundation Westermann established. Most importantly, however, Middleton connects the dots between what appears to be God’s harsh response to Job’s honest questioning and God’s overt approval of Job’s honesty. Middleton’s suggestion that God’s speeches demonstrated (somewhat ironically) using keywords from Job’s protestations that Job was valued and created to provide powerful dialogue with God. I liked the observation on the intertextual agreement in describing Job’s boils between the curse in Deuteronomy 28:35 and Job 2:7 (p. 73), but the most important insight in this section of the book was Middleton’s consideration of the purpose of the Book of Job. As he notes, the emphasis on proper speech in prologue and even in Yahweh’s response to Eliphaz and Job’s miserable comforters (not speaking right as Job has in Job 42:7-8) suggests a concern with how we are to talk about God (pp. 76-77).
Middleton goes so far as to argue that God’s first speech from the whirlwind is about God’s delight in creation, not about control (p. 118). He then leads the reader to an extremely solid conclusion: � …between the extremes of blessing God explicitly (which is, of course, appropriate speech and which Job does at the outset) and cursing God (which is folly, and which Job therefore avoids) there is the viable option of honest, forthright challenge to God in prayer, which God (as Creator) both wants and expects of those made in the divine image—and this is right speech too.� (p. 128) Middleton prepares for this conclusion with careful and qualitative exegesis of Job after a stirring and inspiring look at lament language showing intertextuality between Exodus 34 and Psalm 106 among others (pp 54-55).
But none of this was intended to be the main event in Abraham’s Silence. Middleton is concerned from the outset that Abraham’s silent submission to God, held up as a paradigm by some traditions and as a horrific injustice by others, runs counter to the lament tradition in general and Job’s vindication, as well. He has some insightful arguments when he observes that the unusual use of the generic term “gods� or “Elohim� with singular verb which commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac might mean that this was not a sense of Yahweh in the commandment but, as he quotes Thomas Romer, “to denote a god who is far away and appears to be incomprehensible.� (p. 170)
I also resonated with Middleton’s suggestion (not the first, but welcome nonetheless) that Abraham’s silent preparations represented a form of grief. I’ve used that myself. I very much liked his observations about the rhetorical impact of Genesis 22:3 having three active verbs of Abraham before mention of Isaac, followed by three more actions by Abraham (p. 173). Since Isaac is the unwitting object of the preparation, it may be very appropriate that he is totally passive. And I agree with him that Abraham’s cutting of wood BEFORE the trip was very likely a delaying tactic (p. 175) with my perception that this is also part of the grief process. I had failed to pay attention to the saddling of the donkey before the cutting of the wood (p. 175) but if I had, I would most likely have credited this to Abraham’s shaken internal condition, as well.
What surprised me in Middleton’s approach was his argument that Abraham wasn’t really that close to Isaac, preferring Ishmael in much the same way as Isaac preferred Esau and Jacob preferred Joseph. None of those preferred sons were in the lineage of promise, but the destructive favoritism existed (p. 172). Indeed, Middleton builds on this when pointing out that there is no indication that Isaac comes down the mountain with Abraham, that their residences were miles apart thereafter, and that there is no explicit evidence that they see or speak to each other again after Genesis 22 (p. 206).
In short, Middleton believes that Abraham’s much vaunted faith only passed the test by God’s grace similar to a professor allowing a student to try a make-up test (p.223). That works well when integrated with an understanding of God’s gracious intervention, but it does not help me with Middleton’s main point. In his alternate interpretation of Abraham, this silence is wrong because “…the God of the Bible demands a dialogue partner with chutzpah.� (p. 235) Middleton has done important work on validating lament language and robust dialogue with God, but he doesn’t seem to consider that there are times when silence may be more of a protest and have more of a cost than lament.
I believe in lament. I was influenced by that same article on “The Formfulness of Grief� published by Brueggemann in 1977. Yet, I believe Middleton is stretching the point with Abraham. I don’t believe the test was, as Middleton claims, God seeking a protest partner. I believe the test was (as Middleton dismisses it with a rhetorical question on p. 205) for Abraham to see that God was more than the pagan deities who demanded sacrifices of children. But, I believe it is more than that. Abraham needed to see that his faith was at least as much as those pagans for their false gods. Should he have been aware of that beforehand? Possibly? Does the use of “Elohim� suggest merely a Pentateuchal source or some psychological entanglement of Abraham’s pagan background with his evolving understanding of God?
Middleton has offered some stimulating and challenging ideas. I am not firmly convinced of the Abraham section, but I am extremely thrilled with the material on Job and on the laments. And, even though I’m not completely convinced of all his arguments, I am completely convinced that this is a marvelous book and should be in every thinking person’s library.
Middleton goes so far as to argue that God’s first speech from the whirlwind is about God’s delight in creation, not about control (p. 118). He then leads the reader to an extremely solid conclusion: � …between the extremes of blessing God explicitly (which is, of course, appropriate speech and which Job does at the outset) and cursing God (which is folly, and which Job therefore avoids) there is the viable option of honest, forthright challenge to God in prayer, which God (as Creator) both wants and expects of those made in the divine image—and this is right speech too.� (p. 128) Middleton prepares for this conclusion with careful and qualitative exegesis of Job after a stirring and inspiring look at lament language showing intertextuality between Exodus 34 and Psalm 106 among others (pp 54-55).
But none of this was intended to be the main event in Abraham’s Silence. Middleton is concerned from the outset that Abraham’s silent submission to God, held up as a paradigm by some traditions and as a horrific injustice by others, runs counter to the lament tradition in general and Job’s vindication, as well. He has some insightful arguments when he observes that the unusual use of the generic term “gods� or “Elohim� with singular verb which commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac might mean that this was not a sense of Yahweh in the commandment but, as he quotes Thomas Romer, “to denote a god who is far away and appears to be incomprehensible.� (p. 170)
I also resonated with Middleton’s suggestion (not the first, but welcome nonetheless) that Abraham’s silent preparations represented a form of grief. I’ve used that myself. I very much liked his observations about the rhetorical impact of Genesis 22:3 having three active verbs of Abraham before mention of Isaac, followed by three more actions by Abraham (p. 173). Since Isaac is the unwitting object of the preparation, it may be very appropriate that he is totally passive. And I agree with him that Abraham’s cutting of wood BEFORE the trip was very likely a delaying tactic (p. 175) with my perception that this is also part of the grief process. I had failed to pay attention to the saddling of the donkey before the cutting of the wood (p. 175) but if I had, I would most likely have credited this to Abraham’s shaken internal condition, as well.
What surprised me in Middleton’s approach was his argument that Abraham wasn’t really that close to Isaac, preferring Ishmael in much the same way as Isaac preferred Esau and Jacob preferred Joseph. None of those preferred sons were in the lineage of promise, but the destructive favoritism existed (p. 172). Indeed, Middleton builds on this when pointing out that there is no indication that Isaac comes down the mountain with Abraham, that their residences were miles apart thereafter, and that there is no explicit evidence that they see or speak to each other again after Genesis 22 (p. 206).
In short, Middleton believes that Abraham’s much vaunted faith only passed the test by God’s grace similar to a professor allowing a student to try a make-up test (p.223). That works well when integrated with an understanding of God’s gracious intervention, but it does not help me with Middleton’s main point. In his alternate interpretation of Abraham, this silence is wrong because “…the God of the Bible demands a dialogue partner with chutzpah.� (p. 235) Middleton has done important work on validating lament language and robust dialogue with God, but he doesn’t seem to consider that there are times when silence may be more of a protest and have more of a cost than lament.
I believe in lament. I was influenced by that same article on “The Formfulness of Grief� published by Brueggemann in 1977. Yet, I believe Middleton is stretching the point with Abraham. I don’t believe the test was, as Middleton claims, God seeking a protest partner. I believe the test was (as Middleton dismisses it with a rhetorical question on p. 205) for Abraham to see that God was more than the pagan deities who demanded sacrifices of children. But, I believe it is more than that. Abraham needed to see that his faith was at least as much as those pagans for their false gods. Should he have been aware of that beforehand? Possibly? Does the use of “Elohim� suggest merely a Pentateuchal source or some psychological entanglement of Abraham’s pagan background with his evolving understanding of God?
Middleton has offered some stimulating and challenging ideas. I am not firmly convinced of the Abraham section, but I am extremely thrilled with the material on Job and on the laments. And, even though I’m not completely convinced of all his arguments, I am completely convinced that this is a marvelous book and should be in every thinking person’s library.
November 6, 2022
4.5 stars. Though theological and somewhat academic, this book was truly a balm to me. Middleton's thesis is that God actually wanted Abraham to intercede for Isaac, to plead on his behalf, just as Abraham did for Sodom and Gomorrah. Middleton starts with a quick overview of lament and protest Psalms, roles of intercessor/prophet (particularly in the Moses/golden calf incident) and then does a fairly in depth overview of the book of Job (which I loved so much I read twice) and then moves on to the Binding of Isaac and the meat of his argument.
You don't have to agree with his conclusion to get a lot out of this book. Middleton has done his homework and he is humble and honest about how his thesis is fairly new. His argument is, in my opinion, compelling enough to at least be considered.
I don't think he tied up every loose end; I wish he had interacted with Hebrews 11:17-19 which, imo, is a fairly vital aspect to this conversation. I realize his expertise seems to be in Hebrew/OT but you can't really ignore that part of the conversation.
Still, though. I loved this book and this perspective, and I will be thinking about it for a long time.
You don't have to agree with his conclusion to get a lot out of this book. Middleton has done his homework and he is humble and honest about how his thesis is fairly new. His argument is, in my opinion, compelling enough to at least be considered.
I don't think he tied up every loose end; I wish he had interacted with Hebrews 11:17-19 which, imo, is a fairly vital aspect to this conversation. I realize his expertise seems to be in Hebrew/OT but you can't really ignore that part of the conversation.
Still, though. I loved this book and this perspective, and I will be thinking about it for a long time.
October 24, 2024
This book was incredibly good in a lot of ways. It encouraged me to rethink the whole Abraham/Isaac story. It encouraged me to rethink the God of Abraham as revealed in that story. And it showed me that even scripture with thousands of years of traditional interpretation can be interpreted afresh.
The kind of spirituality that Middleton outlines in this book, and contends is true Old Testament spirituality, is raw, gritty and deeply personal. Middleton draws from Job to argue the validity of a lamenting and talking back to God with boldness and honesty; his exegesis of Job is exceptional and a definite highlight of the work.
I found the final section on Abraham deeply moving. Even if Middleton's interpretation isn't fully correct, the nuances in the text that he highlighted really shifted my view of the whole episode. There is a much deeper brokenness in Middleton's reading of the story, but there is also a God who desperately wants Abraham to stand up for his estranged son.
My one critique would be of the opening chapter, which, aside from going through the motions of "this is a chapter about theodicy" (it even had the quote from Brothers K), set up a false dichotomy between lament and theodicy. Middleton says that, rather than attempting to defend God in the face of the evil in our world, we can personally confront God about it. But surely we can do both?
All up, very highly recommended!
The kind of spirituality that Middleton outlines in this book, and contends is true Old Testament spirituality, is raw, gritty and deeply personal. Middleton draws from Job to argue the validity of a lamenting and talking back to God with boldness and honesty; his exegesis of Job is exceptional and a definite highlight of the work.
I found the final section on Abraham deeply moving. Even if Middleton's interpretation isn't fully correct, the nuances in the text that he highlighted really shifted my view of the whole episode. There is a much deeper brokenness in Middleton's reading of the story, but there is also a God who desperately wants Abraham to stand up for his estranged son.
My one critique would be of the opening chapter, which, aside from going through the motions of "this is a chapter about theodicy" (it even had the quote from Brothers K), set up a false dichotomy between lament and theodicy. Middleton says that, rather than attempting to defend God in the face of the evil in our world, we can personally confront God about it. But surely we can do both?
All up, very highly recommended!
August 24, 2023
While the aim of this book was an exploration of the Aqedah , or the sacrifice of Isaac, I was most taken by the reinterpretation of the suffering of Job and the link to Abraham's silence. I have long struggled with where to put Job's story and God's rebuke of him in my theology. But Middleton's reading informs my view of a God who not only loves his image-bearers deeply, but longs to hear their cries in suffering.
What does it mean to argue with God? Doesn't he desire honesty, even angry honesty, from his suffering people? Doesn't he want to be questioned? Middleton presents a new midrash-ian reading of both narratives which, for me, answers many previously unsatisfied questions.
A tad technical/theological for the laymen, but by no means inaccessible. And a beautiful understanding of lament in scripture.
What does it mean to argue with God? Doesn't he desire honesty, even angry honesty, from his suffering people? Doesn't he want to be questioned? Middleton presents a new midrash-ian reading of both narratives which, for me, answers many previously unsatisfied questions.
It is all too common in many churches around the world for believers to have absorbed the view that they must accept calamities as the will of God, and many think they must suffer in silence or even affirm God's role in calamities. But this stance of absolute submission to the divine, exemplified by Abraham in Genesis 22, is not typical of biblical faith.
In contrast to the posture of unquestioning submission to God that informs spirituality in many faith traditions, the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament (and even the New Testament) assumes a stance of honesty toward God in prayer as normative; and such honesty often borders on vigorous protest.
Through my own experience of lament prayer, I have learned the importance of not being silent, precisely as a way of keeping faith with God in times of difficulty.
A tad technical/theological for the laymen, but by no means inaccessible. And a beautiful understanding of lament in scripture.
May 11, 2022
Middleton ties together the lament Psalms, the book of Job, and the Aqedah in Gen. 22 in order to produce a theology of “how to talk back to God.� He spends the majority of his time in Job and Genesis.
His handling of Job is unusual, but also careful and thorough. He makes great sense of the book both in its direct context and in its canonical context. I tend to agree with his interpretation of the whirlwind speeches and his rendering of Job 42:6. He offers a comprehensive and sensical theology of the book that is worthy of serious contemplation.
His reading of the Aqedah is markedly more controversial—and I’m not sure I buy into it. But I will say this: for someone proposing an atypical and controversial interpretation of an already sensitive biblical text, Middleton is remarkably balanced, respectful, meticulous, and irenic. Whether or not one agrees with his conclusions, he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is much to uncover beneath a mere surface reading of Genesis 22. He’s certainly given us a lot to consider.
In any case, the book’s central themes (like the value and import of lament) maintain their validity with or without Middleton’s interpretation of Genesis 22. I would highly recommend the read.
His handling of Job is unusual, but also careful and thorough. He makes great sense of the book both in its direct context and in its canonical context. I tend to agree with his interpretation of the whirlwind speeches and his rendering of Job 42:6. He offers a comprehensive and sensical theology of the book that is worthy of serious contemplation.
His reading of the Aqedah is markedly more controversial—and I’m not sure I buy into it. But I will say this: for someone proposing an atypical and controversial interpretation of an already sensitive biblical text, Middleton is remarkably balanced, respectful, meticulous, and irenic. Whether or not one agrees with his conclusions, he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is much to uncover beneath a mere surface reading of Genesis 22. He’s certainly given us a lot to consider.
In any case, the book’s central themes (like the value and import of lament) maintain their validity with or without Middleton’s interpretation of Genesis 22. I would highly recommend the read.
October 31, 2023
Because other books got in the way, I had to take a break from reading this for a while, but finally got back to finishing it. This book is a lot of things and tackles a lot of different areas of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in order to construct a new interpretation of the Aqedah, or the Binding of Isaac in Genesis 22. There are certain areas that I wish Middleton had delved into more (such as Hebrews 11 which he relegates to a footnote), as well as other areas that I was more familiar with (such as his positive interpretation of the book of Job, as I was aware of William Brown's arguments in this area). That being said, this is an incredible book. It's not going to convince everyone, but Middleton's careful and nuanced exegetical work and theological interpretation wrestles with millennia of traditional interpretation and comes out the other side with what I believe is a completely legitimate understanding of the story. For anyone who has been troubled by the story of Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac, and in my opinion understandably so, this is a must-read work that will challenge your understanding of the story and the place of lament and protest to God in your faith.
February 28, 2023
There are some interesting discussion points in this book. I quite like exploring nuance.
It only gets a 3 from me mostly on style. It feels like he’s trying to do too much (too many footnotes and side notes) and he could have trimmed it right down and simplified his subject. I feel like I could have gotten the same ideas/discussion/etc with much less writing. I am also not a fan of books that read like high school papers or theses “I will show this�, “I will talk about this�, especially to say repeatedly “I will talk about this later in chapter x�. I. I. I.
But that is just me.
It only gets a 3 from me mostly on style. It feels like he’s trying to do too much (too many footnotes and side notes) and he could have trimmed it right down and simplified his subject. I feel like I could have gotten the same ideas/discussion/etc with much less writing. I am also not a fan of books that read like high school papers or theses “I will show this�, “I will talk about this�, especially to say repeatedly “I will talk about this later in chapter x�. I. I. I.
But that is just me.
June 22, 2022
Such a fascinating study of Abraham and Job. So much to learn here, even if you're not 100% convinced by the main thesis that Abraham should have protested when asked to sacrifice his son. I really appreciated his engagement with Jewish tradition and lit.
April 9, 2022
This one’s a paradigm shift. Perhaps the definitive overview of Job and its purposes. Give Middleton a chance during his exegesis of Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac. Even if you ultimately don’t find his interpretation convincing, it’ll still give you much to chew on.
January 19, 2025
Even better the second time. Greater familiarity with Middleton’s interlocutors and interpretive framework this time around has me more convinced by the case he builds—last time I wanted to agree but didn’t feel like I understood fully, this time I’m tracking with him at each step. Deeply textual and richly pastoral. This is a good one.
Now I have to write 40 pages or so about it before the end of the year.
Now I have to write 40 pages or so about it before the end of the year.
January 5, 2024
Summary: Challenges the traditional reading of the binding of Isaac that valorizes Abraham’s silence as unquestioning obedience and faith, contending that God wanted more than silent obedience.
Abraham is held up as an exemplar of faith, who believed God and was reckoned righteous. Perhaps nowhere is this view of Abraham held up more than in the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22, known to Jewish readers as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew “to bind.� Abraham’s unquestioning obedience is upheld as a model of faith, that “God would provide the lamb,� that Abraham believed that he and Isaac would return to the servants. and the testimony of Hebrews 11:17-19 that Abraham believed “God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.�
Yet many thoughtful readers find this narrative disturbing. The idea that God would command such a sacrifice, even as a test, disturbs (although it must be noted that God prevents the act, subsequently forbidding all child sacrifice, in contrast to the gods of surrounding peoples.) Yet the images of the bound Isaac, and the raised knife shake us. What also disturbs J. Richard Middleton is the silence of Abraham. The narrative record does not record Abraham saying anything to God. He rises early the next morning (perhaps to avoid Sarah?), packs up the donkey with wood, and leaves with Isaac and two servants. No plea to spare his son for the sake of the promise. No plea to take him rather than the child of the promise. No nothing. Middleton proposes that part of the test is whether Abraham would talk back to God.
Middleton makes the case that there is a strong element running through scripture of “lament with an edge.� This is seen throughout the Psalms where God’s people cry out to God in pain and suffering that it doesn’t seem that God sees or hears, wondering how long he will permit this. Moses challenges God, convincing God to spare Israel despite their idolatry, pleading God’s reputation among the nations. He refuses to settle for less than God’s presence with him. And God accedes to all this and reveals himself as the God of steadfast love and faithfulness.
Much of the book, Part Two, is devoted to the exemplar par excellence of talking back to God–Job. He contends that Job’s vigorous protest is approved by God, in contrast to the counsel of his “comforters.� The fact that God speaks twice indicates he wants Job to speak back
Against this Old Testament backdrop, Middleton contends Abraham stands out in his silence. He acknowledges the scholarship of Walter Moberly and Jon Levenson that rules out criticisms of Abraham because these are external to the text. Middleton credits this precept but contends there are subtle textual cues to suggest that God wanted more than silent obedience. He notes the shift from YHWH to elohim, suggesting the test involved whether Abraham would perceive something different about the God of the covenant from the gods (elohim) of surrounding peoples. He notes the early departure, perhaps to avoid discussion with Sarah, and the three-day silent journey to a location that should have taken a day (Abraham doesn’t want to do this, but says nothing, just drags his feet), And there are the words to Isaac, “God will provide the lamb, my son.� Middleton says we assume the comma but what if this was not in Abraham’s mind? Middleton includes an amusing comic here to make the point.
Perhaps most striking is that afterward, Isaac parts from Abraham, returning only to bury Abraham. Sarah is also recorded as living apart from Abraham. Isaac� life in many ways is a parenthesis between Abraham and Jacob. Middleton wonders how different this would have been if Abraham advocated for his son. For example in Jacob’s eyes, the God of Abraham is the fear of Isaac. Middleton wonders if the family dysfunctions of this family began at this time.
Middleton proposes that Abraham barely passes the test, maybe a “C”–he obeys–but that God wanted more. He wanted to see if Abraham would actively speak back, to advocate for the son and for the promise. Sadly, he did not, and also failed to see the richness of God’s mercy.
There is much to be said for this proposal. There is a pattern of Abraham’s willingness to put others at jeopardy–Sarah, Ishmael, and Hagar. In each instance God bales them out, as he does with Isaac. The exception seems to be Lot and Sodom, in Genesis 18, where Abraham pleads from fifty to ten righteous to save the city. Middleton notes that even here, he stops, though Lot and his family number less than ten. Fearing to anger God (although God showed no anger with his pleading), he fails discover how far God’s mercy would go. All he sees is the destruction of the cities, not knowing of Lot’s rescue…and he just moves on. Would Abraham go further in pleading for “his only son, the son he loved�? He doesn’t.
There is also the fallout of the binding in the fracturing of the family, and the likely trauma to Isaac. God works redemptively over the generations, but was this what God intended? Middleton raises profound questions that make us look afresh at this narrative.
Yet I find Middleton unconvincing on several counts. There are Abraham’s utterances to Isaac and the servants. Middleton treats these as brave but unbelieving when in fact they prove out. There is the specific approbation of the angel of the Lord and the restatement of the promise of blessing. Middleton notes subtleties in the language that in his mind qualify this approbation. I found them unconvincing.
I also looked for a discussion of Hebrews 11:17-19 in the text. Christians “valorize� (to use Middleton’s term) Abraham at least in part because of this text, taking our cue for how we read the story from the inspired writer of Hebrews. Middleton’s discussion was not to be found in the text but only in a footnote (59) on page 213-214. He writes:
“The New Testament also seems to validate Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice Isaac. In Heb. 11:17-19, Abraham is praised for his faith in the resurrection (he believed God could raise Isaac), which is the reason why he went ahead with the sacrifice of his son. Beyond noting that the explicit doctrine of the resurrection did not arise until after the exile. I would point to Heb. 11:32, which list none other than Jephthah as a hero of faith (in contrast to his portrayal as an unsavory character in Judg. 11). This is clearly based on extra-biblical tradition and not on the biblical text itself.�
Middleton’s argument is to find one questionable element (Jephthah) in the Hebrews 11 account to throw shade on the account of Abraham. This, to me is not an adequate argument for why Christians should not heed the testimony of Hebrews 11 concerning Abraham, and placing such an argument in a footnote reflects to me a reluctance to address evidence that contradicts his argument.
What Middleton does for me is make me look afresh at this challenging text. Along with him, I find myself wondering at Abraham’s silence toward God. I’m less certain than Middleton that Abraham barely passed the test but I do find myself wondering “what if?� I find myself wondering about the “cost� of this test to Abraham’s family. Yes, God did provide the sacrifice but Abraham, at least in a relational sense, lost a son (and, it seems, Sarah as well). What Middleton does is offer a challenge to address these costs for traditional views that valorize Abraham. He also offers the examples of vigorous prayers that take God seriously enough to lament and to contend with God. Whatever my questions about his reading of Abraham, this is a contribution I can wholeheartedly affirm.
Abraham is held up as an exemplar of faith, who believed God and was reckoned righteous. Perhaps nowhere is this view of Abraham held up more than in the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22, known to Jewish readers as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew “to bind.� Abraham’s unquestioning obedience is upheld as a model of faith, that “God would provide the lamb,� that Abraham believed that he and Isaac would return to the servants. and the testimony of Hebrews 11:17-19 that Abraham believed “God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.�
Yet many thoughtful readers find this narrative disturbing. The idea that God would command such a sacrifice, even as a test, disturbs (although it must be noted that God prevents the act, subsequently forbidding all child sacrifice, in contrast to the gods of surrounding peoples.) Yet the images of the bound Isaac, and the raised knife shake us. What also disturbs J. Richard Middleton is the silence of Abraham. The narrative record does not record Abraham saying anything to God. He rises early the next morning (perhaps to avoid Sarah?), packs up the donkey with wood, and leaves with Isaac and two servants. No plea to spare his son for the sake of the promise. No plea to take him rather than the child of the promise. No nothing. Middleton proposes that part of the test is whether Abraham would talk back to God.
Middleton makes the case that there is a strong element running through scripture of “lament with an edge.� This is seen throughout the Psalms where God’s people cry out to God in pain and suffering that it doesn’t seem that God sees or hears, wondering how long he will permit this. Moses challenges God, convincing God to spare Israel despite their idolatry, pleading God’s reputation among the nations. He refuses to settle for less than God’s presence with him. And God accedes to all this and reveals himself as the God of steadfast love and faithfulness.
Much of the book, Part Two, is devoted to the exemplar par excellence of talking back to God–Job. He contends that Job’s vigorous protest is approved by God, in contrast to the counsel of his “comforters.� The fact that God speaks twice indicates he wants Job to speak back
Against this Old Testament backdrop, Middleton contends Abraham stands out in his silence. He acknowledges the scholarship of Walter Moberly and Jon Levenson that rules out criticisms of Abraham because these are external to the text. Middleton credits this precept but contends there are subtle textual cues to suggest that God wanted more than silent obedience. He notes the shift from YHWH to elohim, suggesting the test involved whether Abraham would perceive something different about the God of the covenant from the gods (elohim) of surrounding peoples. He notes the early departure, perhaps to avoid discussion with Sarah, and the three-day silent journey to a location that should have taken a day (Abraham doesn’t want to do this, but says nothing, just drags his feet), And there are the words to Isaac, “God will provide the lamb, my son.� Middleton says we assume the comma but what if this was not in Abraham’s mind? Middleton includes an amusing comic here to make the point.
Perhaps most striking is that afterward, Isaac parts from Abraham, returning only to bury Abraham. Sarah is also recorded as living apart from Abraham. Isaac� life in many ways is a parenthesis between Abraham and Jacob. Middleton wonders how different this would have been if Abraham advocated for his son. For example in Jacob’s eyes, the God of Abraham is the fear of Isaac. Middleton wonders if the family dysfunctions of this family began at this time.
Middleton proposes that Abraham barely passes the test, maybe a “C”–he obeys–but that God wanted more. He wanted to see if Abraham would actively speak back, to advocate for the son and for the promise. Sadly, he did not, and also failed to see the richness of God’s mercy.
There is much to be said for this proposal. There is a pattern of Abraham’s willingness to put others at jeopardy–Sarah, Ishmael, and Hagar. In each instance God bales them out, as he does with Isaac. The exception seems to be Lot and Sodom, in Genesis 18, where Abraham pleads from fifty to ten righteous to save the city. Middleton notes that even here, he stops, though Lot and his family number less than ten. Fearing to anger God (although God showed no anger with his pleading), he fails discover how far God’s mercy would go. All he sees is the destruction of the cities, not knowing of Lot’s rescue…and he just moves on. Would Abraham go further in pleading for “his only son, the son he loved�? He doesn’t.
There is also the fallout of the binding in the fracturing of the family, and the likely trauma to Isaac. God works redemptively over the generations, but was this what God intended? Middleton raises profound questions that make us look afresh at this narrative.
Yet I find Middleton unconvincing on several counts. There are Abraham’s utterances to Isaac and the servants. Middleton treats these as brave but unbelieving when in fact they prove out. There is the specific approbation of the angel of the Lord and the restatement of the promise of blessing. Middleton notes subtleties in the language that in his mind qualify this approbation. I found them unconvincing.
I also looked for a discussion of Hebrews 11:17-19 in the text. Christians “valorize� (to use Middleton’s term) Abraham at least in part because of this text, taking our cue for how we read the story from the inspired writer of Hebrews. Middleton’s discussion was not to be found in the text but only in a footnote (59) on page 213-214. He writes:
“The New Testament also seems to validate Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice Isaac. In Heb. 11:17-19, Abraham is praised for his faith in the resurrection (he believed God could raise Isaac), which is the reason why he went ahead with the sacrifice of his son. Beyond noting that the explicit doctrine of the resurrection did not arise until after the exile. I would point to Heb. 11:32, which list none other than Jephthah as a hero of faith (in contrast to his portrayal as an unsavory character in Judg. 11). This is clearly based on extra-biblical tradition and not on the biblical text itself.�
Middleton’s argument is to find one questionable element (Jephthah) in the Hebrews 11 account to throw shade on the account of Abraham. This, to me is not an adequate argument for why Christians should not heed the testimony of Hebrews 11 concerning Abraham, and placing such an argument in a footnote reflects to me a reluctance to address evidence that contradicts his argument.
What Middleton does for me is make me look afresh at this challenging text. Along with him, I find myself wondering at Abraham’s silence toward God. I’m less certain than Middleton that Abraham barely passed the test but I do find myself wondering “what if?� I find myself wondering about the “cost� of this test to Abraham’s family. Yes, God did provide the sacrifice but Abraham, at least in a relational sense, lost a son (and, it seems, Sarah as well). What Middleton does is offer a challenge to address these costs for traditional views that valorize Abraham. He also offers the examples of vigorous prayers that take God seriously enough to lament and to contend with God. Whatever my questions about his reading of Abraham, this is a contribution I can wholeheartedly affirm.
November 8, 2023
This book is worth reading. Middleton does well with explaining technical information, history of interpretation, and Hebrew in a way that is comprehensible. For those that struggle with lament, or those that struggle with how Scripture invites its readers to speak openly to/with God, this book is a great place to turn.
July 3, 2022
Incredible and perspective changing. Life changing even. Incredibly well researched with a strong focus on exegesis. The book gives permission to anyone who has ever struggled with this idea to wrestle with God, to push back and challenge God in areas where we believe things are not right, and it uses scripture to demonstrate that this is not only something we can do, it's an invitation. God wants us to do this. And not simply so we can be subservient, but so we can learn and discover who God is in the process. In scripture God often acts in ways they will expect so as to reveal the ways in which He is different. Middleton ties the story of Abraham to the book of Job in ways that are mindblowing, showing how scripture not only does this by setting the two stories in conversation, but Tradition itself has long been aware of this. As such these reflect contrasts between the ways Job succeeds I'm challenging God and speaking back to God and the way Abraham fails to do so. These two stories then fit a pattern that leads to Moses and his intercession on behalf of the people, his talking back to God by speaking up (fitting with the theme of him not being able to speak and needing Aaron early on).
This has so many implications for how we understand the binding of Isaac, and also for how we understand the Biblical narrative. To establishes God in relationship to His creation, demonstrating how God still stays faithful to His promises when the people fail to learn, but that God's desire is that they will learn. Considering how the story would have turned out differently had Abraham learned what he needed to learn about who God is becomes a powerful exercise in seeing how the cooperative nature of this relationship works between the human will and God's faithfulness in the world.
This has so many implications for how we understand the binding of Isaac, and also for how we understand the Biblical narrative. To establishes God in relationship to His creation, demonstrating how God still stays faithful to His promises when the people fail to learn, but that God's desire is that they will learn. Considering how the story would have turned out differently had Abraham learned what he needed to learn about who God is becomes a powerful exercise in seeing how the cooperative nature of this relationship works between the human will and God's faithfulness in the world.
November 5, 2022
In this book, J. Richard Middleton takes you onto a fantastic journey. He takes you on a journey of exploring the suffering Job endured and the presence of “gritty lament� in the Psalms (and other places in Scripture) and proposes an interpretation of the Aqedah that is critical of Abraham.
As I have just come to the end of Middleton’s work, I cannot yet say I am fully persuaded by what he has argued. However, over and over again I was left dumbfounded and in awe by Middleton’s astute exegetical insights and his interpretive boldness all throughout.
Whether or not one could ever imagine themselves joining Middleton in concluding that Abraham did, in fact, fail the test in Genesis 22, this work is a helpful read in illuminating that our preconceived notions regarding a text may not always be grounded in truth as firmly as we may wish to believe. I certainly have found this to be true. Further, the theological and ethical implications of Middleton’s exploration of lament (or, “talking back to God�) provide an insightful paradigm through which one can approach the seemingly never-ending cycle of injustice and hatred we often see manifested in our world.
Overall, read this book. Read this book, even if you are tempted to scoff at the plausibility of an interpretation of the Aqedah that is critical of Abraham. Read this book and be surprised.
As I have just come to the end of Middleton’s work, I cannot yet say I am fully persuaded by what he has argued. However, over and over again I was left dumbfounded and in awe by Middleton’s astute exegetical insights and his interpretive boldness all throughout.
Whether or not one could ever imagine themselves joining Middleton in concluding that Abraham did, in fact, fail the test in Genesis 22, this work is a helpful read in illuminating that our preconceived notions regarding a text may not always be grounded in truth as firmly as we may wish to believe. I certainly have found this to be true. Further, the theological and ethical implications of Middleton’s exploration of lament (or, “talking back to God�) provide an insightful paradigm through which one can approach the seemingly never-ending cycle of injustice and hatred we often see manifested in our world.
Overall, read this book. Read this book, even if you are tempted to scoff at the plausibility of an interpretation of the Aqedah that is critical of Abraham. Read this book and be surprised.
November 29, 2022
The story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac is perhaps the most perplexing and troubling episode in the Bible (Genesis 22). When child sacrifice is condemned so clearly and so often in the Old Testament, how could God make such a request? Through careful analysis of every dimension of this story, and placing it firmly within the flow of Genesis as a whole, Middleton guides us through a maze of difficulties. Most incisively he asks, Why didn't Abraham argue, debate, negotiate with God this time the way he did regarding the righteous people remaining in Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18?
Middleton is very respectful of how the binding of Isaac has traditionally been interpreted throughout Jewish and Christian history. Equally helpful is his analysis of faithful people challenging God as found in the Psalms of lament, the story of Job, and Moses interceding for Israel after the golden calf episode--a pattern Abraham fails to follow in this instance. Throughout Middleton aims to not impose an outside framework on the story but to see if Genesis itself critiques Abraham.
The book is at once academically creative and credible, while offering solid pastoral direction for engaging God vigorously when we don't understand the troubles we see and experience.
Middleton is very respectful of how the binding of Isaac has traditionally been interpreted throughout Jewish and Christian history. Equally helpful is his analysis of faithful people challenging God as found in the Psalms of lament, the story of Job, and Moses interceding for Israel after the golden calf episode--a pattern Abraham fails to follow in this instance. Throughout Middleton aims to not impose an outside framework on the story but to see if Genesis itself critiques Abraham.
The book is at once academically creative and credible, while offering solid pastoral direction for engaging God vigorously when we don't understand the troubles we see and experience.
June 14, 2022
Absolutely amazing work. Any book that can challenge everything you think you know about a given topic, back it up exegetically, and in the end convince you is worth it’s weight in gold. I can’t recommend this one enough. J.R Middleton’s ability to make complex topics not only accessible but enjoyable is one of his best qualities. With an incredibly helpful unpacking of the lament Psalms followed up by a rich and in depth reading of the book of Job was so helpful I can’t quite put it into words. His humility shines through the pages in the first two sections and then to follow it up with such a nuanced and fresh reading of the aqedah, it was like Christmas in June. Seriously, I don’t mean to sound hyperbolic, but this is one of those books that is life changing. Highly recommend this to anyone and everyone who has ever wrestled with how we are to approach and talk to God when things don’t go as planned. Thank you JRM, what a blessing to the Church.
October 30, 2024
Just utterly brilliant. So many lightbulb moments.
Middleton’s work has thoroughly transformed my inherited reading of this piece of scripture. Of particular interest to me was the exploration of the potential ‘fallout� of the aqedah, and the impact on Isaac’s (and even Jacob’s) understanding of who YHWH is, because of Abraham’s choice to follow through with God’s request silently. I shed tears over the implication of generational trauma. Why do we so often treat biblical characters as if they are immune from any humanness?
A reading which encourages us to see ourselves as covenant partners, invited by God to wrestle and dialogue, is welcome relief from a traditional reading that lauds silent submission and is comfortable to leave out any wrestling with the difficulties present in the text.
Middleton’s work has thoroughly transformed my inherited reading of this piece of scripture. Of particular interest to me was the exploration of the potential ‘fallout� of the aqedah, and the impact on Isaac’s (and even Jacob’s) understanding of who YHWH is, because of Abraham’s choice to follow through with God’s request silently. I shed tears over the implication of generational trauma. Why do we so often treat biblical characters as if they are immune from any humanness?
A reading which encourages us to see ourselves as covenant partners, invited by God to wrestle and dialogue, is welcome relief from a traditional reading that lauds silent submission and is comfortable to leave out any wrestling with the difficulties present in the text.
December 25, 2021
I loved this book for so many reasons: it's deeply, deeply researched and informed by a wide range of interpretive traditions and academic fields within biblical studies; it's written in a lively, engaging and readable style; and, of course, it delivers a massive paradigm-shift of a conclusion that is unsettling but also convincing. I truly think about the Abraham narrative (and Job, for that matter) in a different way after reading this, and am so glad Middleton has done this work. It's respectful of other interpretations, even while offering a decidedly different option. Probably the best book in biblical studies and interpretation that I've read this year, if not a while.
April 18, 2022
Very close reading of the binding of Isaac with another interpretation of the book of Job as well. While I learned a great deal about the Aqedah and will refer to this book whenever I read or write about it in the future, the inclusion of the chapter on Job seems a bit tacked on. The final chapter on the variety of lament seems to relate to Abraham’s mistake with more focus, while not really mentioning Job much at all. That being said, I was gripped by his reading of Gn. 22 and was struck by how sad the ending of the story of Abraham really is. That certainly deserves more exploration. I’m thankful for this contribution to the conversation.
May 31, 2022
The fresh reading of the oft-venerated story of Genesis 22 pushes us to encounter the silence of Abraham beyond the traditional interpretations. As Middleton explores the wide range of lament traditions in the Hebrew Bible, the necessity of understanding God's merciful invitation to sufferers to engage in honest and bold yet submissive wrestle with Him becomes evident. Passive acceptance of suffering isn't always the appropriate way of responding to the darker realities of our lives. The author calls us to rediscover the plethora of the lament traditions.
Excellently articulated. Go ahead and read for yourself.
Excellently articulated. Go ahead and read for yourself.
November 14, 2022
Another great work by Middleton who is so skilled and gifted in peeling back layers of the traditioning process of biblical narratives that are so well known in the versions handed down to us that we often miss the power of the story itself. I love how Middleton sparks the readers prophetic imagination and invites us to read with wonder.
For anyone familiar with his previous work introducing the Liberating Image, this is a great follow up inviting us into healthy and powerful conversations with a God who wants us to use our liberated voices in redemptive ways, first for ourselves, and then for the world we live in.
For anyone familiar with his previous work introducing the Liberating Image, this is a great follow up inviting us into healthy and powerful conversations with a God who wants us to use our liberated voices in redemptive ways, first for ourselves, and then for the world we live in.
March 1, 2022
This is a profound exploration of godly lament. While it still reads as an academic work, it's raw and honest, which is what the topic deserves. The chapters on Job alone are worth the price of the book. Though I am yet to be convinced that Abraham’s shining moment is actually a missed opportunity, I do think that Job serves as a conversation partner to those who feel wrung dry. God wants us to cry out and ask him to what's going on. He can take it. He is God. And perhaps we, in earnest engagement, bearing fully our hearts, will hear his response. May it be. May it be.
May 21, 2022
Middleton makes a strong exegetical case for an interpretation of Genesis 22 that faults Abraham for not rising to the defense of his son when ordered to commit child sacrifice. Abraham argued with God on behalf of Sodom, but not on behalf of Isaac. The Book of Job presents a relationship between God and his servant Job that can be seen as a corrective to Abraham's failure. Lesson: Don't be afraid to talk back to God. More than anything, God wants a conversation, even if your side of the conversation is mistaken. Middleton's expertise on the Psalms of Lament supports his argument.
October 27, 2022
I have a lot of thoughts- this book makes me ponder new ways of thinking about old ideas and I just need to sit in them for a while- which I think was his goal. I’m working through lament and as soon as I saw this title I knew it needed to be added to my studies on the subject. I enjoyed the last part of the book more when the author dove into his personal opinions. The first half is the historic traditional understanding of the Aqedah. Very informative but also a bit of a slow read.
January 23, 2023
Thought provoking and deeply deeply insightful. I don’t know if I’m as convinced of his readings of Genesis 22 as I hoped I would be, but the reflections on the lament Psalms especially and the insights into Job are worth the price of the book. Middleton continues to poke at assumed traditional readings by reminding us to reform our understanding of Scripture with the Scriptures. This is the book I wish I had read 10 years ago. Well worth the wrestle.
November 26, 2023
I enjoyed this book, especially the chapters on Job. My only complaint with this book is the lack of interaction with Romans 4 and James 2. I would have selfishly like to have seen something on these passages. A brief comment on Hebrews 11 is made in a footnote on page 213-214, but that is all. Regardless, this book was fantastic, and it opened my eyes to many insights in Genesis (and Job and Psalms) I would have missed without reading it!
October 20, 2022
Challenging read.
Middleton will challenge you to not let go. His challenge is not only to wrestle with scripture but wrestle with your own experiences in life , the tough times of suffering and go to God boldly. It’s been awhile that I read an author and want to read everything he writes. I want to read more of J Richard Middleton.
Middleton will challenge you to not let go. His challenge is not only to wrestle with scripture but wrestle with your own experiences in life , the tough times of suffering and go to God boldly. It’s been awhile that I read an author and want to read everything he writes. I want to read more of J Richard Middleton.
February 8, 2024
Seriously riveting.
I don't know if I've ever thought so deeply about a passage and been guided so carefully through its meaning to be put literally on the edge of my seat throughout my reading.
No idea where I land (probably won't ever have one), but such a great model of exegetical candor and rigor.
I don't know if I've ever thought so deeply about a passage and been guided so carefully through its meaning to be put literally on the edge of my seat throughout my reading.
No idea where I land (probably won't ever have one), but such a great model of exegetical candor and rigor.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.