The God of horror
In the scope of the story of Genesis, this peak narrative sequence represents a transformation in the character of God. Now God is not only afflicting humans with death as a cosmic form of justice (according to the Fall of Man sequence in Genesis 3), he is also challenging his holy prophet to commit a naturally abominable action against his own flesh and blood. Not only must Abraham and his son die, they must also confront death together. Knowing that we die is certainly an important distinguishing feature about human beings among the animals, and this story depicts that knowledge through the lens of man's naturally religious posture toward fate.
Loyalty and faith
The doctor leaves no room for doubt that this story is essentially a demonstration of divine loyalty and faith to God. The prophet accepts the responsibility for his action by explaining his intentions to his son, and they work through that in a way that preserves the family's loyalty to the prophet's conception of God, or to the person of Yahweh to be more mythically accurate. The Chaldean storm God takes his prophet from Ur on a wild adventure of faith, telling him what to do. This is the ultimate test of that faith and it has stood as the archetypal symbol for faith in God throughout the entire history of man, more or less.
The mountain-top motif
Another archetypal quality of this play is that its action happens on a mountain-top. That is a natural comment on the elevated, religious nature of the text. The story is one of transcendental merit, which is what it means to be archetypal, because something is archetypal to the extent that it aligns with human experience, and this story does align with the strange tension one feels with regard to their own death and the deaths of those whom they love. That intimate problem stands as the greatest conflict between man and fate, or man and God as cosmic artist of human fate. Abraham must climb a mountain to discover the truth about death and God's ironic and glorious mercy.
Paganism and human sacrifice
Because this story is frequently revisited in church and in literature, many readers will not notice the unnerving similarity between Yahweh's religious cult, which (in the Bible at least) is hand-crafted by God himself through the prophecies of his chosen "seers." That is essentially similar to pagan shamanism, and in the context of Chaldean paganism, this story has a striking new message. Will God's true religion involve human sacrifice? Yes. But, instead of our own lives, God's will is to interpose a merciful replacement, symbolized by the ram. Indeed, Judaism is defined by this moment, because they turned a sharp corner where humans would not be required in sacrificial cult rituals, because God allows animals in their stead.
The Messianic motif
The shape of the story is absurdly influenced by the unnecessary introduction of an unnamed character who comes as a messenger of God to save Abraham and his son. This moment can be seen as a religious portrait, and the play provides a solid frame around that portrait so the audience can really appreciate that dramatic ending. The ironic twist is that in Abrahamic religion, God has ultimate authority to force us through tests and even to require our very lives, but ultimately, God intends to be merciful so that the humans will glorify him. It is easy to see how Judaism arose by honoring such a story as this one.
