What is with this, Abraham?

In a habit of reading the Bible over and over, it is interesting what steps out and gets noticed each time I read it. As I was reading through Genesis this month, one was impressed by the compassion and determination of Abraham to save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abraham went back and forth with God hard and heavy. Abraham got God down to being willing to save the city if only five people could be found who were faithful and upright.

But then a few chapters later, after we have the miracle of the birth of Isaac, we have this story of God telling Abraham to take Isaac out and sacrifice the child. What struck me as so unusual was that this bold, feisty Abraham does not say a word in behalf of Isaac.  Abraham does not try to talk God into accepting five lambs to spare Isaac. Abraham does not negotiate with God about sparing Isaac's life like he did to try to save Sodom and Gomorrah.  Would you take five bulls instead?  Would you accept twenty?  Not a word from Abraham.

There have been lots of discussions about this story. What kind of God puts his friends to that kind of testing?  What kind of child will let himself be tied up without a fuss?  What kind of promises does God make to Abraham that he hasn't already made to him earlier.  Does suggest that God's promises may not be promises if he has to keep making them over and over again?   But this morning as I read this story it was the lack of Abraham's resistance, his lack of fight for his son that struck me as disappointing.