Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/111

 on himself  fresh  graces  and  blessings. This is  why  Almighty  God  so often  tries  us  with  all  sorts  of  sufferings  and  adversities,  these  tests being of  great  benefit  to  ourselves.

The third  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  words:  “In  thy  seed  shall all the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed”,  contain  a renewed  promise  of the  Redeemer.

Isaac, the fifth  type  of  Jesus  Christ. (We  have  already  studied the  first  four  types:  Adam,  Abel,  Noe  and  Melchisedech.)  In  what way was  Isaac  a type  of  our  Blessed  Lord? The birth  of  Isaac  was promised repeatedly:  so  was  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ. Isaac was the only  and  dearly  beloved  son  of  his  father: Jesus  Christ  is  the  only-begotten  and  beloved  Son  of  God,  in  whom  His  Father  is  well  pleased. Isaac was  obedient  to  his  father,  and  was  willing,  out  of  obedience, to give  up  his  life,  letting  himself  be  bound,  and  waiting  patiently  for his death-stroke: Jesus  Christ  was  obedient  to  His  Heavenly  Father,  unto death, even  unto  the  death  of  the  Cross. “As a sheep  He  was  led  to the  slaughter,  and  like  a lamb  without  a voice  before  his  shearer,  so opened  He  not  His  mouth.”  Isaac  himself  carried  up  the  mountain the wood  on  which  he  was  to  be  slaughtered:  Jesus  Christ  carried  up to  Calvary  the  Cross  on  which  He  was  to  die. Isaac was  saved  from death by  the  wonderful  intervention  of  an  angel:  Jesus  Christ  was brought back  to  life  by  the  greatest  of  all  miracles,  His  resurrection. You see  in  how  many  ways  Isaac  was  a most  plain  type  of  our  Redeemer, of  His  death  and  of  His  resurrection; but  the  sacrifice  of  Isaac, all the  same,  is  not  a perfect  type  of  the  Sacrifice  of  our  Lord,  for no figure  can  perfectly  show  forth  the  infinite  love  of  God  in  giving His Son  to  die  for  us. In one  main  point  Isaac’s  sacrifice  was  very different from  the  Sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ. Abraham was  quite  ready, out of  love  for  God,  to  offer  up  his  beloved  son:  but  Almighty  God would not  permit  the  sacrifice  to  be  completed,  because  sinful  man could not  be  redeemed  by  a human  sacrifice;  and  therefore  the  angel of God  cried  out  to  him,  just  as  he  was  going  to  slay  his  son:  “Hold thy hand  I”  God  spared  the  son  of  Abraham,  but  He  did  not  spare His own  Son,  but  gave  Him  over  to  a painful  death  for  our  sakes. When, on  Calvary,  the  executioners  raised  their  hammers  to  nail  to the  Cross  the  Hands  and  Feet  of  God  made  Man,  no  angel  cried  out: “Hold thy  hand!”  The  Sacrifice  was  completed,  and  the  Son  of  God died for  us  on  the  Cross  in  unutterable  agony  of  Soul  and  Body. “God so  loved  the  world  as  to  give  His  only -begotten  Son,  that whosoever believeth  in  Him,  may  not  perish,  but  may  have  life  everlasting” (John  3,  1 6).

The Vicarious  Sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  ram  whose  head  was caught in  the  thorns,  which  was  sacrificed  instead  of  Isaac,  is  a type of Jesus  Christ,  who  was  crowned  with  thorns,  and  offered  Himself  for us on  the  Cross.