Thanks for stopping by … I have a different kind of post today:
His Only Son
I have studied the bible for decades and, I too, have been often thoughtful as to the reasons for Gods’ ‘test’ of Abraham… I enjoyed this writers simple explanation very much and I hope it offers a bit of insight to my readers as well. I’d often understood the act was related to God offering His Son in the future time to come – but I never understood that the mountain was the same one where our Savior was eventually crucified. Make a difference? Yes, it does seem that way to me.
I sort of gave it away but even so, I invite you to check out the writers notion and study it out for yourself; at the very least it’s a thoughtful and insightful view of the historic act of Abraham – involving the command [from God] to sacrifice his only, cherished, and precious son, Isaac.
Paraphrased: You need not sacrifice your precious son here today because one day, too soon enough, my beloved, and only begotten, son will be sacrificed here … for you, and all mankind.
I’m Just Sayin’ … .
Director reflects on Biblical drama based on story of Abraham and Isaac explains how the film came to be and what he wants audiences to understand about one of the most challenging passages in Scripture.
I edited/excerpted the following to shorten it – the full version is here:
Excerpts are from an article written by Kristine Parks. Kristine Parks is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
The story of Abraham and Isaac is one of the most challenging stories in the Bible but that’s exactly what drew filmmaker David Helling to it.
His feature debut film, “His Only Son,” depicts the account of Abraham’s three-day journey up Mount Moriah to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering, as explained in Genesis.
Helling, a former U.S. Marine, explained how his love for the Bible grew while serving overseas during the Iraq War. Now he’s made it his life’s mission to bring Scripture to the big screen.
Helling understands how the test God gave to Abraham troubles believers and nonbelievers alike. But he hopes audiences come away from the film with a better understanding of the significance behind one of the most misunderstood passages in Scripture.
“His Only Son” tells the story of Abraham and Isaac. (Photo credit: Angel Studios) (Angel Studios)
It’s really one of the most controversial accounts in Scripture. It’s a point of contention for many nonbelievers and for many believers it’s a Scripture they don’t really know how to defend. How come God asks this man to lay his own son down? I wanted to dig into Scripture and pull out the truth of what God was doing there,” Helling told Fox News Digital.
While the film illustrates the Genesis 22 passage, it also flashes back to the years and events preceding this moment, where God had given Moses a monumental promise.
“Moses is reliving through flashback all the promises of God throughout his life as him and Sarah his wife had to wait for that son the Lord had promised,” Helling explained.
Biblical scholars believe Jesus was crucified 2000 years later in the same place. Helling said he hopes audiences see how Abraham’s story is relevant to Christ’s death and resurrection in the Gospels.
Angel Studios “His Only Son” will premiere March 31 in theaters nationwide. (Photo Credit: Angel Studios) (Angel Studios)
“In the Lord’s testing of his faith, he had a very clear purpose in it. He was showing Abraham something…that memorial stone of sorts, this event in Abraham’s life was going to echo through the millennia until the point when God would lay down his only son on the same mountain,” Helling said. “I want people to see this and see, ‘Wow the Lord’s had His redemptive plan has been in place… since before the beginning.”
The film will play in theaters worldwide on March 31. Angel Studios, the platform behind the hit Biblical drama series “The Chosen,” crowdfunded for “His Only Son” and said it was the first time a theatrical release had been crowdfunded in entertainment history.
The film also conveys the hopeful message that God has a purpose in our pain, he said.
“For those of us that are in Christ,…for those of us who love him, and are called according to his purpose, we can have confidence that even in our darkest night, in our darkest season ,in the most wretched hurts that we have the Lord has a purpose in it and he’s working it for our good,” he said.
Reflecting on the Easter season release and audiences’ hunger for faith films, Helling believes all the struggles to get the movie made were part of God’s perfect timing.
“It seems like Christ is on the minds and the mouths of so many people around the country and around the world and it’s like, ‘Wow, this film could not come out at a…better time,” Helling said.
“It just shows we couldn’t have planned it, we couldn’t have done this, this was all the Lord,” he added.