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m y riad s, fo r th e ir sa lv a tio n h av e seen an d do see a fa r off, w h ere th e O n ly S on b ro u g h t us nigh to G o d by H is d e a th on th e cross (E p h . 2 :1 3 ) . ( 2 ) “A b id e . . . w e will com e ag ain to y o u .” ' T h e a u d a c ity of faith 1 H e n o t on ly co u n ted th a t G o d w as a b le to (H e b . 1 1 :19 ), b u t th a t H e w ou ld raise h im from d e a th . G o d h a d said n o th ing o f this. But H is prom ise im p lied it. Som e d e n y th a t imm o rta lity a n d resu rrection a re ta u g h t in th e O ld T estam en t. T h e y a re ev eryw h ere b y im plication. G o d p le d g e d the land to A b ra h am fo rev e r (G en . 1 7 :8 ) . H e h a d n o t a fo o t o f it ( A c ts 7 :1 ) . H e h a d b e en to ld th a t h e shou ld d ie w ithou t it (G en . 1 5 :1 6 ) ; a n d th a t in Isaac his seed shou ld b e ca lled (G en . 21 :1 2 ) . T h e logic b o th o f re a son a n d faith necessitated th e re sto ra tio n o f Isaac, fo r G o d c an n o t lie. It is sim ple thu s a n d th e re fo re . Jesu s u sed it w ith th e Saduccees, a n d w ith th e A p o stle s (M a tt. 2 2 :3 1 -3 3 ; Luke 2 4 :4 5 , 4 6 ) , p ro v in g n o t on ly im m o rtality , b u t resurrection. ( 3 ) a. T h e w o o d “u p o n Isaac.” ( “A n d H e b e a rin g H is cross,” Jo h n 1 9 :7 ). b. “T h e fire.” ( “T h ro u g h th e e te rn a l S p irit,” H eb . 9 :1 4 .) c. “T h e k n ife .” (Isa. 5 3 :1 0 ; A cts 2 :2 3 .) d. “B o th o f th em to g e th e r.” (J o h n 1 0 :17 , 1 8 ). “A n d Isaac sp ak e ,” etc. O h, th e exquisite p a thos, simplicity, b e au ty , suggestive ness of this qu estio n ; th e w ondering, p e rh a p s suspecting, in q u ire r; a n d th e anguish o f th e answ erer, supp ressed b y th e calm re p ly o f faith, e. “G o d w ill p ro v id e ” — this m ay b e tru ly re ad either, “G o d w ill H im self p r o v id e a L am b ,” o r “G o d fo r H im self w ill p ro v id e a lam b ,” o r “G o d will p ro v id e a lam b, ev en H im self.” (J o h n 3 :1 6 ; H eb . 9 :1 4 ; A c ts 2 0 :2 8 , A . R . V . m a rg .) 4 . Jehovah Jireh, i. e. “O n th e m o u n t it ( o r H e ) shall b e se en .” (A . R. V . m a rg .) Yes, th e re w e see
face; ( 5 ) th e pitifu l ou tcry o f th em b o th ; ( 6 ) th e D ivine m essenger; ( 7 ) H is sa lu ta tion b y n am e ; ( 8 ) H is te n d e r inqu iry ; ( 9 ) H is com fo rting assu rance; ( 1 0 ) th e d iscov ered w e ll; ( 1 1 ) th e new s u p p ly ; ( 1 2 ) th e re sto ring d ra u g h t; ( 1 3 ) th e g row th of th e lad , his occupation, dw elling place, m arriage. H is d esc en d an ts rang e th e d e se rt a n d w ilderness to th is day. A n d th e w ay has alw ays a n d still is, o p en fo r his re tu rn to th e sp iritual inh e ritan c e o f his fa th e r A b rah am . III. Abraham Tested. (G en . 22 1 :1 9 .) 1. The supreme test. A b rah am , like ev e ry m an o f faith, w as sorely tried (J o b 2 :5 ; H eb . 1 2 :6 ) ; again, an d again his h e a rt string s w ere w rung b y su rre n d e r a n d separation . G o d d o e s “ n o t afflict w illingly” (L am . 3 : 3 3 ) ; “H e d e lig h te th in m ercy” (M ic. 7 :1 8 ) ; b u t “ affliction is th e g o o d m an ’s shining p la c e ,” an d tria l p ro v e s lo v e a n d faith ; “ show m e th y faith b y th y w o rk s” (Ja s. 2 :1 8 ) ; th e re is no o th e r way, a n d th e g re a te r th e w o rk s th e g re a te r th e graces. “T a k e now th y son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac.” 2. His prompt obedience. Do right rig h t now . D elay is dalliance, a n d likely d e fe a t. “W he re fo re, O King, I w as n o t d iso b ed ien t to th e h e av en ly vision” (A c ts 2 6 :1 9 ) ; a n d again, “ Imm ed iately I c o n fe rred n o t w ith flesh a n d b lo o d ” (G a l. 1 :1 6 ). No w o rd ev en to S a rah o r Isaac. ( 1 ) T h e ir g rief a n d p iteou s p ro te sts m igh t p a le his resolution. ( 2 ) H e sp a re d th em hou rs o f anguish. ( 3 ) H e sp a red th em need less anguish. L et us a v o id h ind ran c e s to du ty . L et us supp ress b a d new s as long a s we c an ; p e rh a p s it w ill ch ang e to good , a n d w e shall h a v e given no need less pain. 3. Incidents by the way. (1 ) H e “ saw th e p la c e a fa r off, which
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