The promises first made to Abraham in chapter 12. are now confirmed to Isaac—the dead and risen boil.—and others are added. There must always be an increase of blessing to the soul in every fresh sacrifice that we make for God. Abraham now knows God as Jehovah-jireh—the Lord will provide—which is a new ground of relationship with God in grace. And Isaac received the promise of a seed numerous as the stars of heaven. Abraham now leaves the sacred mount and returns to Beer-sheba, the well of the oath; and we will pass on to chapter 23.
The Disappearance Of Israel
In the opening of chap. 23, we are again introduced to scenes of trial, but of a wholly different character. Sarah dies, who represents the new covenant of grace, not Hagar who represents the old covenant of law, and Abraham comes before us as a mourner. “And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba, the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.” But the burial of Sarah and the cave of Machpelah, with all their circumstances of sorrow, only reveal to us fresh victories of faith.. And fail not to notice in passing, my soul, the dignities of faith before the men of the world. Abraham takes his place as “a stranger and sojourner” in the presence of the children of Heth, though he knew all the while that the whole country was his by promise; but he was a willing stranger in the land, for he desired a better country, that is an heavenly. But knowing that his seed would yet inherit the land, he purchases with the greatest care the cave of Machpelah, that he may make it his own, and have it as his possession for a burying place: there he buried his beloved Sarah, as he had laid his Isaac on the altar, in the faith that God was able to raise up the sacred dust again. He believed in resurrection, and in God as the God of resurrection. This was the secret power of his faith as a heavenly stranger, and of his dignity before the children of this world.
But knowest thou, my soul, in thine own experience, and in the power of divine grace, what this faith is that meets with such calm dignity the ever-varying circumstances of this wilderness life? The subject well deserves thy deepest meditations. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Strictly speaking, faith cannot be overcome, it always overcomes—simply because it reckons on God Himself, and trusts to His word, which only governs faith. But the believer, alas, is not always governed by God’s word, and therefore he is often overcome by his circumstances in place of overcoming them. When Abraham looked at Sarah and Abimelech and allowed his fears—or rather the suggestions of Satan—to govern him, he sorrowfully failed; but when he was looking to God Himself, and his heart resting on His sure word, we see him rising above, and quietly overcoming one circumstance after another just as they come before him. It must be always so; Ai was too many for Joshua and the armies of Israel without God; but what was Jericho with its high walls and barred gates to faith? Peter could no more walk on smooth water than rough without faith; had the Lord stilled the waves be would have sunk all the same; but had Peter kept his eye fixed on the person of Christ, and His gracious word, “Come” fixed in his heart, he could have walked on the roughest sea as on dry land.
This is a great subject, rest assured, my soul, dismiss it not hurriedly; but see thou and folly comprehend it and firmly hold it. Thou art never right or safe, as a heavenly stranger in this world, except on the ground of faith. This is a dry and thirsty land where no water is, and thou hast to bear in mind that all thy fresh springs are in the living God. The Son of man—the Lord from heaven, found it so, and thou art to walk even as He walked.. God is honored with thy confidence when every channel of relief appears to be entirely cut off. He can form new channels, both deeper and broader than any which thou hast heretofore known. Let God Himself, then I pray thee, be thy confidence—God in Christ Jesus as thou knowest Him—and let His word govern thy every thought, feeling, and action. “Them that honor me I will honor,” saith the Lord, and “ Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” 1 Sam. 2:3030Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. (1 Samuel 2:30); Psalm 2:1212Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12).
But are not all Christians, thou mayest inquire, well acquainted with the nature and power of faith? Was not our whole personal condition as lost sinners fully met by faith at the beginning of our path as Christians? Most surely it was, and no greater victory than this can ever be gained all thy journey through. We then entered into the complete victories of Christ, and shared with Him the spoils of redemption. And were we duly to consider this—the greatest of all deliverances—we should never be overwhelmed by the difficulties of the way. But are there not many who have faith in Christ for the pardon of their sins and the salvation of their souls, who know nothing of the path of faith? True, alas, most true; but such have never entered into the blessings of grace at their conversion. They know not the completeness of redemption, their standing in Christ—the risen man in glory; or the path of faith which becomes their high calling. We know by the word of God that we have been delivered from sin and all its direful consequences; that we have been introduced to a new state altogether in the risen Jesus, beyond death and judgment; that we have peace with God, and acceptance in the Beloved. These are, after all, the mightiest conquests of grace through faith, and surely with these we are most familiar.
“Faith,” says one, “which has done its first work has done its greatest work. If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. It is the power of life over death, life in victory, that faith uses. It was such power of victorious life that Abraham possessed himself of by faith. The sepulcher is empty, and the grave clothes are lying there, as the spoils of war. The deadness of His own body, the altar of his Isaac, and the grave of his Sarah, were visited and inspected by a risen man, in the light of the of Him who is the quickener of the dead, and calleth those things that be not as though they were.”
We now return to our chapter. The death of Sarah represents the disappearing of Israel after the preaching of Peter at Pentecost. He stood up before the men of Israel, the children of the covenant which God made with their fathers, and boldly testified of the death and resurrection of Christ, the true Isaac, but they would not hearken, they rejected the testimony, their unbelief was complete, and, consequently, Israel disappears for a time because of their persistent unbelief; but in the latter day—after the church is caught up—when God works again in His Jewish people, the new covenant will reappear, and be established forever in the Sarah line of promise. Thus the death of Sarah, the mother, Israel, makes way for Rebekah, the son’s bride, the church. Acts 1-7; Galatians 4:22-3122For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. (Galatians 4:22‑31).
In chapter 24, we find ourselves on entirely new ground. Covenant dealings and covenant blessing are for the moment set aside. One who has not been heard of before now appears before us, and becomes the most prominent person in the scene. The call and exaltation of Rebekah are the grand points in our chapter, but every circumstance and event connected therewith are full of interest, and throw their reflective light on our present position, and the ways of God in grace, “who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus.” 1 Pet. 5:1010But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Peter 5:10).
A new purpose of the father’s heart is revealed, and his faithful servant, Eliezer, must go down to Mesopotamia, under the solemnity of an oath, to seek a bride for his son. This is full of meaning as immediately following the sacrifice of Moriah and the burial of Sarah. Typically, we have the death of Christ, the passing away of Israel, the calling out of the church by the Holy Ghost to occupy the new and exalted position of the bride of the Lamb.
We will now examine some of the details of this interesting and instructive chapter. Four, especially, amidst its many mysteries and beauties, thou wilt do well most carefully to consider. 1. The purpose of Abraham. 2. The position of Isaac. 3. The mission of Eliezer. 4. The call and character of Rebekah.