.
There's a bit of a trick to this incident.
Fact of the matter is, the moment Abraham laid his son on the altar, he got
credit for offering Isaac even though he didn't slay the lad. In other words; it
isn't necessary to kill and/or incinerate an offering in order for it to count as
a burnt offering when that's the honest intent. (Heb 11:17 & Jas 2:21)
In other words: once an offering is dedicated and placed on an altar, its
ownership transfers to God, whose sovereign prerogative it is whether to
give it a thumb up or a thumb down.
BTW: Isaac was grown enough to shoulder a load of wood, and mature
enough to understand the elements of a sacrificial procedure. So in my
estimation he wasn't a child, but was strong enough to easily escape and
evade his father's intentions had he wished. There was no one to assist
Abraham to restrain Isaac; the servants had all stayed behind with the
burro. And besides, sans Isaac's consent, the whole affair would've
amounted to little more than a ritual murder.
It's good to keep that in mind regarding Jesus' offering of himself on the
cross. God needed His son's consent before proceeding, just as Abraham
needed Isaac's. Both could've easily avoided death had they so chosen. You
know, I really have to admire their mettle; those two guys were tough
cookies.
_