Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/158

126 2. There he made not only a constant practice, but an open profession of his religion. There he called on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God, probably, in the grove he planted, which was his oratory or house of prayer. Christ prayed in a garden, on a mountain. (1.) Abraham kept up public worship, to which, probably, his neighbours resorted, that they might join with him. Note, Good men should not only retain their goodness wherever they go, but do all they can to propagate it, and make others good. (2.) In calling on the Lord, we must eye him as the everlasting God, the God of the world; so some. Though God had made himself known to Abraham as his God in particular, and in covenant with him, yet he forgets not to give glory to him as the Lord of all: the everlasting God, who was before all worlds, and will be when time and days shall be no more. See Isa. 40. 28.

CHAP. XXII. We have here that famous story of Abraham's offering up his son Isaac, that is, his offering to offer him, which is justly looked upon as one of the wonders of the church. Here is, I. The strange command which God gave to Abraham concerning it, v. 1, 2. II. Abraham's strange obedience to this command, v 3..10. III. The strange issue of this trial. 1. The sacrificing of Isaac was countermanded, v. 11, 12. 2. Another sacrifice was provided, v. 13, 14. 3. The covenant was renewed with Abraham, hereupon, v. 16..19. Lastly, An account of some of Abraham's relations, v. 20..24.

ND it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And he said, Behold here I am. 2. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, 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.

Here is the trial of Abraham's faith, whether it continued so strong, so vigorous, so victorious, after a long settlement in communion with God, as it was at first, when by it he left his country: then, it was made to appear that he loved God better than his father: now, that he loved him better than his son. Observe here,

I. The time when Abraham was thus tried; (v. 1.) after these things; after all the other exercises he had had, all the hardships and difficulties he had gone through: now, perhaps, he was beginning to think the storms were all blown over; but after all this encounter comes, which is sharper than any yet. Note, Many former trials will not supersede, or secure us from further trials; we have not yet put off the harness, 1 Kings 20. 11. See Ps. 30. 6, 7.

II. The Author of the trial; God tempted him, not to draw him to sin, so Satan tempts: if Abraham had sacrificed Isaac, he had not sinned; his orders would have justified him, and borne him out; God tempted him, to discover his graces, how strong they were, that they might be found to praise, and honour, and glory, 1 Pet. 1. 7. Thus God tempted Job, that lie might appear not only a good man, but a great man. God did tempt Abraham; he did lift up Abraham, so some read it; as a scholar that improves well, is lifted up when he is put into a higher form. Note, Strong faith is often exercised with strong trials, and put upon hard services.

III. The trial itself; God appeared to him as he had formerly done, called him by name, Abraham, that name which had been given him in ratification of the promise. Abraham, like a good servant, readily answered, "Here am I; what says my Lord unto his servant ?" Probably, he expected some renewed promise like those, ch. 15. 1, and 17. 1. But, to his great amazement, that which God has to say to him, is, in short, Abraham, go, kill thy son; and this command is given him in such aggravating language, as makes the temptation abundantly more grievous. When God speaks, Abraham, no doubt, takes notice of every word, and listens attentively to it; and every word here is a sword in his bones; the trial is steeled with trying phrases. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that he should afflict? No, it is not; yet when Abraham's faith is to be tried, God seems to take pleasure in the aggravation of the trial, v. 2. Observe,

1. The person to be offered; (1.) Take thy son, not thy bullocks and thy lambs; how willingly would Abraham have parted with them by thousands to redeem Isaac! No, I will take no bullock out of thy house, Ps. 50. 9. "I must have thy son: not thy servant, no, not the steward of thine house, that shall not serve the turn; I must have thy son." Jephthah, in pursuance of a vow, offered a daughter; but Abraham must offer his son, in whom the family was to be built up. "Lord let it be an adoptedson;" No, (2.) "Thine only son; thine only son by Sarah." Ishmael was lately cast out to the grief of Abraham; and now Isaac only was left, and must he go too? Yes, (3.) "Take Isaac, him, by name, thy laughter, that son indeed," ch. 17. 19, not "Send for Ishmael back, and offer him; no, it must be Isaac:" "But, Lord, I love Isaac, he is to me as my own soul; Ishmael is not, and wilt thou take Isaac also? All this is against me:" Yes, (4.) That son whom thou lovest. It was a trial of Abraham's love to God, and therefore it must be in a beloved son, and that string must be touched most upon: in the Hebrew it is expressed more emphatically, and, I think, might very well be read thus, Take now that son of thine, that only one of thine, whom thou lovest, that Isaac. God's command must over-rule all these considerations.

2. The place; in the land of Moriah, three days' journey off; so that he might have time to consider it, and, if he did it, might do it deliberately, that it might be a service the more reasonable, and the more honourable.

3. The manner; offer him for a burnt-offering; he must not only kill his son, but kill him as a sacrifice, kill him devoutly, kill him by rule, kill him with all that pomp and ceremony, with all that sedateness and composure of mind, with which he used to offer his burnt-offerings.

3. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4. Then on the third day Abraham lift up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? 8. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a