In Gen. 22 the history of Abraham is at its highest stage, but before he is brought to this point, there is much of practical importance in the preceding chapters. In Gen. 22:11And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. (Genesis 22:1) we read, "It came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham." After what things? The answer furnishes a great practical lesson for every one of us-a lesson of very deep solemnity.
There were two things that had to be corrected in Abraham (one in his heart and the other in his household) before he could be conducted to the highest point in his practical career. He had to have his heart freed from an old root that had long remained there and had sprouted again and again. There was in the father of the faithful a little bit of unbelief-a reserve with which he started on his course at first-and this root had been allowed to remain unjudged for many years.
Like Abraham, it is very important for each of us to consider what may be keeping us back, for we surely long for more deep-toned devotedness, more pronounced discipleship. We long to be devoted; we may pray for it continually, and perhaps we are not aware when breathing that desire into His ear, what form the answer may take. I would put it plainly to your heart and mine too-Is there anything that is keeping us back from entire wholehearted devotedness? If there is, that point must be met, that root must be judged, before the aspiration of the true heart to be more true to Himself can be fulfilled.
It is very solemn to note that the Holy Spirit does not screen the faults of God's people. Abraham's faults are recorded for our souls' deepest blessing. When Abram started on his career, he demanded of Sarai that she should declare him to be her brother; he feared if their relationship were know, that he would come to grief. Denying the relationship was unbelief. The first time this root sprouted and brought forth fruit was in Egypt (Genesis 12). He went down into Egypt to get out of pressure in the place to which God had called him. But even when he got out of Egypt and back to Bethel, that root had never been judged. That such a one as Abram should go on year after year with an unjudged root in his heart is most solemn. For the heart to be fully judged, we need to be in the light of the divine presence. It is far better to learn what is in my heart in His presence, than by bitter experience. If in the secret of His presence I find out the roots that are there, and judge them, they will never sprout-never. I do not want to chill any heart, but if these roots are not judged, they will sprout. Are you conscious of any reserve in your soul? It is strange and sad to see how saints of God can go on with unjudged roots; it may be pride, ambition, covetousness, no matter what, and all the time we may be praying for progress. But this is hindering us, and we cannot go on to the point to which we aspire until it is judged.
In chapter 20 this root appears in Abraham again when he is before Abimelech, but at last he is brought to make a full, free confession, and to judge what was in his heart.
In chapter 21 the bondwoman is cast out, and then, house and heart being cleansed, the Lord says (in effect), "Now I can conduct you to the highest point." It was "after these things" that God can bring him on. Before, he was not in a position to respond to the call of God; now God tries him.
What deep-toned devotedness this testing called forth in Abraham! And now let me ask what was the basis, the spirit, and the object of it all? The basis was, "Abraham believed God"-not merely something about Him, but he believed God. He knew whom he believed. God was his object and the perfect covering for his eyes; God filled the vision of his soul. God was everything to Abraham. That is the true basis of all devotedness -God so much the One before our hearts that we may trust Him for everything. Have you this practical heart-knowledge of God? Are all your springs in Him, so that you are rendered independent of creature streams? Have you such a sense of what He is deep down in your heart, that human props have no place there? Human props give way and creature streams run dry, but faith finds in the living God an immovable Rock, and exhaustless Fountain.
Abraham stands on Mount Moriah and bears witness to all created intelligence that he has found God as the stay of his whole moral being; he could trust God for Isaac on the altar as well as before he was born. This trial did not come a single moment before Abraham was able to bear it. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory." God never implants faith that He does not put it to the test. Does it all shine forth for the glory of Abraham? No, but for the glory of God. He is called to give up the one in whom all the promises were to be fulfilled, and that, after having enjoyed him for years. Who can conceive what Abraham's heart must have gone through! What assaults must Satan have made on him! But his one answer to all the temptation was, I have God; He has promised me a seed innumerable. Because he believed God, he was prepared to see Isaac reduced to ashes on the altar.
James takes up this episode, and says that Abraham was justified by works. He was justified by this act, which proved that his soul was reposing in simple confidence on God. It was the expression of a faith which rested on God without a cloud, so that God could say, "Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me." Here was the basis of devotedness. He could trust God when everything else had passed away; his soul had such a grasp of God that he could trust Him in the absence of all human agency.
Cowards that we are, we are often afraid of the very trial which strengthens our grasp on what God is. Seek to know, more and more, all you have in God. "Wait thou only upon God." Find all your streams in Him; then you will be blessedly independent of all creature streams-all human props. God says, There is that prop you are resting on; I must remove it, that you may rest in Me. You are sitting by that stream; I must dry it up, that you may get nearer to the Fountain.
In what spirit does Abraham walk to Mount Moriah?... in the spirit of worship. "I and the lad will go yonder and worship." That is always the spirit of true devotedness. Abraham does not speak of the sacrifice he is going to make; he moves on in all the calm blessedness of worship. He "stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son." That is enough, says God. Yes; we can say with deep joy that God reserved for Himself that final step.
When we contemplate this scene-the father and son going together to Mount Moriah-we are conducted to another scene where the Father and the Son went together to where God was to pour out on that blessed One all His wrath against sin- where all God's billows and waves passed over Him-where He took the cup of unmitigated wrath, and drained it, so that He has not left a single dreg for you and me. There was no voice from heaven to intercept that stroke when the blessed Son of God bowed His head on the cross of Calvary. Oh! what a motive for deep-toned devotedness is here!
True devotedness has God for its object, and in the case of Abraham, that is brought out in that little word, "from Me"-"thou hast not withheld...from Me." People speak much of devotedness, but in order to make it truly so, it must have God for its basis, God for its object, and God for its motive spring. Anything else is that of a monk or a fakir, but what stamps Abraham's devotedness is that it was done for God.
Let us turn for a moment to Heb. 11:17. "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son." That is the inspired comment on this wonderful scene; he did not take account of difficulties unless to take occasion of trusting God more fully. Not one of us should say, I do not have the faith of Abraham. If you have faith at all, you have all the faith spoken of in Heb. 11 It is simply a question of using it, and the more you use it the stronger it grows. "Your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity [love] of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth." Faith glorifies God. What a harvest of glory came to God on Mount Moriah! There was a man who was content to be stripped of all he possessed, because he had God. God was a covering for his eyes, and the resting place of his heart. To him it was not God and Isaac-God and the means-but God alone.
God must be all or nothing. This is of all importance. If He covers our eyes, we can see nothing else. Difficulties vanish; all is peace, victory, and praise. He is glorified and we are blessed. There is not a single need that He cannot meet. Grant me but this, that I am in the path of simple obedience, and I can trust Him for everything. Give Him the fullest confidence of your heart. Trust Him fully. Use Him. Draw largely upon His eternal springs. He delights to be used-to be trusted. Abraham was "strong in faith, giving glory to God." Faith is the spring of practical Christian life. "The just shall live by faith." Blessed, precious, soul-sustaining, God honoring principle of life. May we more and more wait upon God. As our faith grows, we get into all the largeness, fullness, and blessedness that is in Him. Faith is the key that unlocks the treasury of God. Go and unlock it, and get all you need. "Borrow... empty vessels... not a few," because you are going to be conducted to a source that is inexhaustible. Faith is a path which, when truly trodden, gets brighter and brighter-shining more and more unto the perfect day. Abraham was attracted at first by the beams of the God of glory; he turned his back on his country and kindred, not knowing where he was going. What did he have? God! On he goes, therefore, step by step, stage by stage, wavering indeed here and there (for even he was open to the waverings of unbelief occasionally), but on he goes till he stands on Mount Moriah, declaring plainly that he was prepared to give up all, because his vision was filled with the Lord his God.
May it be granted to each of us to walk more and more in the power of faith in the living God-to endure "as seeing Him who is invisible." The life of faith grows stronger and stronger, and is prepared for higher and deeper trials as we go on.
Lord, lead us on closer and closer to Thyself, that We may be independent of all but Thee. May it be so to Thy praise, and to our deep, deep joy!