Things Written Aforetime For Our Learning - Gleanings From Genesis

by N.D.W.Miller | Category: For Young Believers | Sept 1936

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham."

God did prove Abraham. This proving-this test, this trial-was directly from God. But He did not impose it (as we have already noted) until Abraham had proved God in all His faithfulness during many long years. Now, however, the time has come when Abraham's faith is to be tested as never before, and in a way such as only God could bring about. The School of God is a wonderful place; as the only wise God, and as the God of patience, there is none that " teacheth like Him."

The trials of life are many and varied: in Job's bitter testing, for example, the sore affliction came from Satan, though permitted by God. Satan was the cruel, and ruthless adversary in Job's great and sore trial. Peter speaks of the Christian "being put to grief in manifold trials." But in Abraham's case, this trial-the severest of all, was directly from God Himself.

The furnace is for testing the quality of the metal put into it ; and trial is the furnace which tests the believer's faith. God must have reality. It is so easy to say, "Lord, Lord" and yet care little (apparently) for His Commandments (see Luke 6. 46; John 14. 15). So God probes the heart of those who profess to love Him lest hypocrisy should be found lurking there. It is said that long ago, upon the battlefield-long before anaesthetics were known-that one of Napoleon's soldiers, suffering agony under the surgeon's knife, while he was probing near the heart for a bullet, said, "If you probe a little deeper, doctor, you will find the Emperor ! " Such was the soldier's love for his Emperor, that Napoleon lived in his heart. And the Lord wants your heart, and mine. "My son, give Me thine heart." Not thine head; nor thy tongue; nor yet your money; but thine heart. The heart is all-inclusive. When the Lord gets the heart He gets all.

God proved Abraham by laying His hand upon the dearest object of his affection. He said, "Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." The land of Moriah meant much to God. With Omniscient eye He looked down and across the course of time and saw in the land of Moriah "the Mount Zion which He loved"; "the threshing floor of Oman the Jebusite," concerning which David said, "This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel"; the Solomonic Temple in all its glory; the re-built House of the Remnant; and-CALVARY; not to speak of still future things beside.

What associations-hallowed and inspiring---has Moriah! The word means "chosen of God." That is very precious, for the ground of Abraham's offering was ground which was chosen by God Himself. This too, is not only precious, it contains a very important truth. Moriah opens up the great theme of obedience; of thanksgiving; of worship; and of service; as indicated in the oft-repeated word, "Take heed to thyself, that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: but the place which the LORD shall choose ... there shalt thou all that I command thee" (Deuteronomy 12. l3,l4,etc.)."That Abraham responded as he did is eternally to God's praise, and to Abraham's credit. "And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the l)lace of which God had told him." "I made haste, and delayed not, to observe Thy Commandments" (Psalm 119. 60).

How near God had come to Abraham's heart; His demand was searching. God wants to see truth in the inward parts.

"Thou desirest truth in the inward parts:

And in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know

wisdom"(Psalm 51. 6).

There may be much upon the lips, and much in the intellect; but the heart is the vital part where God desires His truth to be. "My son, give Me thine heart." No ordinary proof will satisfy the Lord as to the love of our hearts. Was God's own proof an ordinary proof? God "spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all"; and this because He so loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and in sins!

What a test was Abraham's! "Take now .... even Isaac." The child of promise; the object of parental joy and love; the object too, of a hope long-deferred; the heir through whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed. Nevertheless we find Abraham yielding unhesitating obedience. It is lovely! God is worthy of the ever-ready response of our hearts. As soon as ever "it pleased God to reveal His Son" in Paul, he tells us that " immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood" (Galatians 1. 16). It is the essence of "Here am I," in Isaiah 6. It was thus that Abraham responded. "On the third day" he "lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together." Father and son-" both of them together." What thoughts must have filled the heart of God as He looked down from Heaven! The Father on His Sapphire Throne, The Only Begotten Son "in the bosom of the Father," together with the Eternal Spirit,-One in wisdom, love, and power!

And what must Abraham's thoughts have been; not to speak of Sarah left behind in the tent.

"The third day" is significant (see Exodus 8. 27; Matthew 20. 19). So is "yonder." What a wealth of meaning is enshrined in that word, " Yonder" ! It speaks-it points-to CALVARY; the place of self-emptying; the place of Sacrifice. Father and son together, the wood, the fire, the knife-all point to THE CROSS. So too, does Isaac's question, "My father ... Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" together with Abraham's never-to-be-forgotten answer, "God will provide Himself the Lamb for a burnt offering, my son."

Abraham's faith, as expressed in his words, "We will worship, and come again to you," was wonderful. The words indicate that he verily believed, if he did offer up Isaac in obedience to God's Command, he would receive him back, for he accounted "that God is able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a parable receive him back" (Hebrews 11. 17, 19). Alone with God on that sacred spot chosen by God, "Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood." Neither person nor thing were allowed to intrude or oppose this supreme act of obedience and devotion-neither wife, nor servants, nor any other. And here also, we may glean the spirit of the true worshippers; those whom the Father seeketh to be His worshippers; "Stay ye here and I ... will go yonder ... and worship."

When the decisive moment arrived, none but God will ever know what filled the heart of Abraham. He "stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son." There was no moment in Abraham's long life like that moment-no moment when God was so much glorified. All was yielded up. "By faith Abraham, being tried, hath offered up Isaac" (Hebrews 11. 17, R.V.M.). Abraham made it manifest that he trusted God for an innumerable seed, not only when Isaac was with him in all the vigour of his youth; but just as fully if indeed he was a victim upon the altar. Only God could enter fully into that moment when the knife was uplifted. For there we have a foreshadowing of Calvary in the father's willingness and the son's obedience, as he lay passive on the altar. But there is this vast and vital difference : Abraham was not suffered to strike the fatal blow. God spared Abraham the pang that He never spared Himself. "Awake, 0 sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man that is My Fellow, saith the LORD of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered" (Zechariah 13. 7, Matthew 26. 31). There was no " ram caught in a thicket " to act as a substitute for Christ, when, as our Substitute He became Surety for us. Christ died. "It pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief" (see Isaiah 53.); God "spared not His own Son" (Romans 8. 32); such was His love (John 3. 16). Blessed be His Holy Name both now and for evermore, for such a Gift; and for such love, and grace, and mercy, as He has bestowed. By the Sacrifice of Christ our everlasting Peace is sealed.

N.D.W.Miller | Sept 1936
For Young Believers