Abraham, Isaac, and the God Who Won’t Cross That Line

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There’s a pretty difficult, and famous, story in the Bible, where God asks Abraham to murder his own son. Thankfully, it concludes this way.

“Abraham looked up, and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. So he went over and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead.”

Gen 2:22

So all is well that ends well. Right?

Well, no. Isaac’s life is spared, sure. But can we honestly say the same about his relationship with his father? About Isaac’s mental health after this experience? What kind of psychological trauma does this inflict on a child who now knows his father might murder him whenever his deity demands it?