Essay Questions

Why is Abraham being depicted as a prayerful man?

The play The Brome Play of Abraham and Isaac starts by showing how Abraham is praying to God to give him thanks and praise for the many blessings he has. For instance, his son Isaac is the greatest blessing ever that the Almighty God has given him and he cannot thank him enough. Before getting Isaac, Abraham and his wife were childless for many years but God kept his promise and now he is a proud father. Therefore, the depiction of Abraham as a prayerful man reflects his entire life and dependency on God in everything he does.

What is motivating God to test the faith of Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac?

The reader might find it sarcastic that God gives Abraham only one child and later asks him to kill him as a form of sacrifice. For Abraham, this is a difficult situation to deal with but he has to obey God because he has always been a spiritual man. God is asking Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt sacrifice to test his faith. Astoundingly, Abraham passes his test of faith when he agrees to offer Isaac as a burnt offering to God. Slightly before offering his sacrifice, God sends an Angel to command Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac but instead offer the given white lamb as a burnt sacrifice to God.

What makes Isaac stop pleading with his father to stop offering him as a burnt offering?

At first, when Isaac and his father are climbing up the mountain, Isaac is happy and jovial because he does not know what is going to take place. When they reach the mountain top, his father ties him and shows signs of killing him. Isaac relentlessly pleads with his father not to kill him with no vain. However, when his father tells him that it is the will of God for him to be offered as a burnt sacrifice, he stops pleading and accepts his faith. Luckily, Isaac is spared by God when Abraham is offered a white lamb as an alternative for the sacrifice.