Does God Command Immoral Actions? | Lecture 1

Does God command immoral actions? In this opening lecture of a three-part series, Professor J. Richard Middleton — biblical scholar and author of Abraham's Silence — takes on one of the most troubling stories in all of Scripture: the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22.

Rather than accepting the traditional reading of Abraham as a model of faithful, unquestioning obedience, Middleton raises a provocative question: should Abraham have stayed silent? Drawing on careful attention to the Hebrew text, the broader arc of the Abraham narrative, and biblical precedents for vigorous prayer, he makes the case that God may not have intended for Abraham to obey — but to question, protest, and intercede.

In this lecture, you'll explore:

· Why the traditional interpretation of Abraham as a model of blind obedience deserves fresh scrutiny

· Four significant problems with the standard reading of Genesis 22

· The biblical precedent — from the Psalms of Lament, Moses, the prophets, and Jesus — for speaking directly and honestly to God

· Why Abraham interceded boldly for Sodom in Genesis 18 but remained silent about his own son

· Whether Abraham's attachment to Isaac was ever as strong as readers assume

· What the phrase "whom you love" may really signal in God's command to Abraham

· What it would mean to be tested for discernment of God's character, not just obedience

This lecture is ideal for students of biblical studies, theology, and philosophy of religion, as well as anyone wrestling with divine morality, the ethics of obedience, and the nature of faith.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER:

J. Richard Middleton is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis, at Northeastern Seminary and Roberts Wesleyan University, in Rochester, NY. A native of Jamaica, he immigrated to Canada for graduate studies and moved to the USA for a teaching position. He is past president of the Canadian-American Theological Association (2011–2014) and the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (2019–2021). Middleton’s research area is Old Testament theology with a focus on creation, suffering, and the ethics of power. He is the author of five books; the most recent are The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 (Brazos, 2005); A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (Baker Academic, 2014); and Abraham’s Silence: The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God (Baker Academic, 2021). He is currently working on two new books, one on the power dynamics between prophet and king in 1 Samuel and the other on the biblical worldview for our troubled times.

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