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(3) What reply should we make to every demand of God? (4) What is the greatest difficulty when confronted by a severe test? (5) Why does God keep us in ignorance of His pur poses in grace? (6) What is the real value of severe tests? (7) What was the foundation of Abraham’s obedience to God’s demand? 91:1. The birth of Isaac was a beautiful and striking reminder that God is ever true to His word. “As He had spoken” is the keynote of the narrative.—Griffith Thomas. V. 4. As already seen (ch. 17), the root idea of cir cumcision is designation, God marking COMMENTS 0g the life as belonging to Him.—Grif- FROM THE fltH Thomas. COMMENTARIES V. V. Morgan 22:2. Life is a succession of tests, for character is only possible through discipline. ■In many lives there is some supreme test to which all others are secondary and preparatory. It was so with Abraham, and we are now to consider the record of the crowning event of his life.—-Griffith Thomas. The word “test” better expresses the Divine intention and action. God tests us to bring out the good. Satan tempts us to bring out the evil (James 1:12-15).—Griffith Thomas. V. 3. The alacrity of Abraham’s reply to God’s call is very striking, and is evidently intended to be regarded as H prominent feature of the narrative.—Griffith Thomas. V. 11. At the right moment and not before (Ps. 107:27, 28), God interposed and stayed Abraham’s hand. By this action God bore unmistakable testimony to the error of the heathen as to human sacrifices, and it is a striking fact that from this time forward the Jews never adopted the practice of human sacrifices until they had sunk to the level of the heathen around them.—Griffith Thomas. V. 16. God clearly teaches the patriarch that He re garded the sacrifice as actually offered. The will was taken for the deed.—Griffith Thomas. V. 14. The foundation of this remarkable confidence was Abraham’s conviction of the power of God: “Account ing that God was able” (Heb. 11:17-19). The whole pas sage from Hebrews shows that this is the true explanation of this incident,:and so far from this view being, as is sometimes alleged, a mere coup de theatre, it was in reality a marvellous exercise of faith when it is remembered that no instance had then been known of God’s power being ex ercised in the resurrection from the dead. God was such a reality to Abraham, and His promises were so certain, that the patriarch at once drew the inevitable and natural conclusion that God’s power could and would effect this.— Griffith Thomas. Was the offering up by Abraham of his son designed to be a picture, and a lesson to us as to what it cost Him who spared not His own Son, but freely gave Him for us all? Or, on the other hand, are we here taught that the sinner deserved death and must have met it, had not a ram—a substitute—been found instead? It appears to me there is no need for these two views to be regarded as antagon istic. Surely here, as in many other Scriptures, we behold a double type of Christ. For instance: we have elsewhere the burnt and sin offerings!—Lincoln. V. 18. As Isaac descended from the mount, not one scratch, we may be sure, was to be found upon him. He stood, “in a figure,” in resurrection, even as we in Christ are beyond judgment, beyond the cross and the grave. We are in Christ, but Christ is not dead. Christ is risen, is glorified. There, then, likewise, is our standing. The cross is not between the believer and his God, but between the believer and the world. The cross is behind him, and by it he is crucified to the world, and it to him.—Lincoln.
his glory burst upon her vision, she was presented to her lord by the servant. So the church (the Bride) will be presented to Christ (the Bridegroom) by the Holy Spirit. The typical teaching is very beautiful and very blessed. The teacher must grasp the whole lesson and then be able to select the special lessons in exalting the work of the Spirit of God in the conversion of souls and the gathering out of the church, His body. There is here, also, an opportunity to stress the call and calling of every believer to seek the unsaved and to present to them the glories of Jesus Christ, the tremendous con sequences growing out of the acceptance of Him and the possibilities included in a life with and for Him. The world is a “far country.” When the Bride (which is the body of Christ) is complete, the heavens will open and the Bridegroom will be revealed in all His glory and we will be with Him and like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. What an incentive to believers to live and serve such a loving Lord! Topics for Study (1) Should God have the first place in everything? (2) Are there grave perils in the home of a great father? (3) Study the necessity of separation from the world". (4) The work of the Holy Spirit in the believer. (5) The work of the Holy Spirit in the world. (6) The believer as an agent in business for God. (7) How to unfold the riches of the Father. (8) The joy of the bridegroom and the bride. Abraham’s extremity was God’s opportunity. Deliver ance is always in the nick of time. God is never late. He never fails. Israel was before the Red Sea with the enemy behind; but there was the rod and God’s command. There was Israel before Jericho, weaponless; but the walls fell. There was Elijah homeless and helpless; hut there were the ravens. There were Mary and Martha at the tomb of Lazarus; Christ seemed late; hut He was just on time. God’s testimony, by the angel, was, “Now I know that thou fearest God, sèeing thou hast not withheld thine son, thine only son.” God provided a substitute (1 Sam. 15:22) . “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and. sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor. 8:12; Heb. 11:19) Here is a perfect picture of the Atonement. God’s father heart is portrayed in Abraham (John 3:16). Isaac, the obedient son. Abraham counted upon God’s ability to raise Isaac from the dead. God spared Isaac, but did not spare His own Son; He could not. God provides a sacrifice for sin in His Son, a servant in the Holy Spirit, and a home in Heaven. Isaac received back in figure (Heb. 11:19): “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” The angel of the Lord (Jehovah) gave a parting mes sage and sealed it with an oath (vs. 16 and 18),' and God promises to reward faith with blessing (Mai. 3:10) “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may he meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not he room enough to receive it.” Topics for Study (1) Should we be surprised if in living a devoted Chris tian life, we meet with strange testings? (2) What is the best preparation for a sudden trial of faith?
Just as God had promised Abraham and Sarah a son, He kept His promise, and Isaac was born. How happy Abra ham and Sarah were. How they did love Isaac, for he was
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