Gen. 22.
LOOKING at this scene in its typical character, there is much to call forth the profoundest feelings of humility, as well as the highest tone of praise. Prior to this, other scriptures had repeatedly shadowed forth the sufferings, blood-shedding, and death of the promised Seed; but in this chapter, we get strikingly portrayed our acceptance with God by the obedience of the Son. The father and the son “went both of them together” to the altar of burnt offering, to accomplish the purpose and counsel of God. Blessing followed the accepted offering.
Abraham had long waited for Isaac, the promised son, through whom God’s blessing was to be dispensed to “all families of the earth;” and his being called of God to “offer him for a burnt offering,” most plainly intimates, that these blessings could only be brought about by the death of Him, through whom the mercies of God were to flow. We find, therefore, that after Isaac had been laid upon the altar, the Lord said unto Abraham, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice” (vs. 18), that is, in offering up Isaac. It is the seeing that through death alone, blessing can flow from God to us, that so enhances to our souls the value of the cross of Christ, and at once defines the ground of all spiritual fellowship.
Isaac being the only son― “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac―forcibly reminds us, that God gave His only begotten Son, that we might live through Him, and is full of the deepest utterances of divine grace; especially when we couple with it the emphatic allusion to his being the beloved son― “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest.” The type conveys to us the blessed intelligence, that not even feelings of the truest and most perfect affection between the Father and the Son, could stand as an obstacle to the carrying out the eternal purposes of grace. Not only was the Son always the Father’s delight, and rejoicing at all times in His bosom, but the Father also delighted moat perfectly in all that He was, and in all that He did. At the time of our Lord’s baptism in Jordan, wherein He passed figuratively through death and resurrection, we find an intimation of the Father’s delight in this wondrous work, by a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:1717And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17).) The beloved Son being offered on the altar of burnt offering, not only speaks to our souls of the fullness of unutterable love in giving us everlasting acceptance in the Beloved, but of the ineffable delight of the Father in that infinitely meritorious work.
How blessedly, also, the quiet and entire subjection of Isaac in carrying the wood for the burnt offering, and in being bound and laid upon the altar, with the knife and fire immediately before him, tells us of the Son of God; who set His face like a flint to do His Father’s will, who went forth bearing His own Cross, who hid not His face from shame and spitting, who “being in the form of God....took upon Him the form of a servant, and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:6-86Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:6‑8).)
How very sweet to see the perfect unity of mind in the Father, and the Son: the Father sending, giving, and not sparing the Son, but delivering Him up for us all, and making us to be “accepted in the Beloved;” the Son humbling Himself, offering Himself, giving Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor; having no reserves, but, of His own voluntary will, freely and fully surrendering Himself to God, in the most willing and perfect obedience, in order to bring “many eons to glory.”
Perhaps nowhere, in the ancient Scriptures, do we find the cross of the Son of God so vividly brought to our view, as when “Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son (vs. 10); particularly when we connect with it the fact, that it was according to the counsel of Almighty God; just as on another occasion we find God addressed in connection with the death of Christ, that Herod, Pilate, Gentiles and Jews, were gathered together” to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done.”(Acts 4:27, 2827For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (Acts 4:27‑28).) Other Scriptures speak of our Lord being taken by wicked hands, crucified and slain, and also of the unsearchable grace of the Lord in laying down His life, and taking it again; but here we have another view of the sufferings of our Lord on the cross. As I have said before, it is the Father and the Son together we see in this chapter―the beloved Son not spared, Jehovah of Hosts awaking His sword against His Shepherd, against the Man that is His Fellow; as Jesus said, “Thou hast brought me into the dust of death.” (Ps. 22:15.) This is, to my own mind, a view of the very center and effulgence of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; here we read, in the liveliest possible characters, of the astounding workmanship of the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, and here we may drink abundantly of the unfathomable, ceaseless streams of eternal, changeless love.
The soul of Abraham was sustained and animated, in the scene we are considering, with thoughts of God’s love, in the fullness of its varied displays. “God,” said he, “will provide Himself a lamb.” He, also, “called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh (the Lord will provide); as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” (vs. 14.) And, if the patriarch’s soul was led onward, by the Spirit of God, to the Lamb of God being slain on mount Calvary, he might well “rejoice” to see Christ’s day, and be “glad;” for, surely, no mountain ever witnessed to such an eternal spring of joy and gladness as Calvary; in no other mount was ever such a fountain of love and life opened, as when the beloved Son of God said, “It is finished, and bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.” And, beloved, what did the ascending smoke from Moriah’s altar speak of, but of that eternal fragrance and savor of rest which God ever finds in that Lamb which He has provided, and which has been “seen” on mount Calvary by the eye of faith, to the joy and rejoicing of our souls? for God has been forever glorified, and our acceptance everlastingly secured in the Beloved.
It may be well to notice, that when Abraham offered Isaac for a burnt offering upon the altar, although God arrested the uplifted hand, yet the type was not allowed to stop short of death, as the only way of blessing from God; for when the angel called out of heaven, saying, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad,” a “ram caught in the thicket” was immediately presented to him, which he offered “in the stead of his son.” The compassion of God spares Abraham and Isaac the actual bitterness and agony of death, but the Son of God knew no escape. “He poured out His soul unto death;” He endured unutterable suffering unto death, even the death of the cross, that we might be “made righteous.”
The subsequent history of Isaac is still in keeping with all this typical instruction. It is very remarkable, that after we see Isaac bound, and laid upon the altar, we see him not again till he comes forth to meet his welcome Bride. (ch. 24:63, 67.) The whole of the intermediate history is one of buying and selling, sickness, death, mourning and bereavement; except that the father, by the instrumentality of the eldest servant in his house, is diligently and successfully employed in seeking a wife for his son. The testimony of the servant is, that the same Isaac which was laid upon the altar is now heir of all his father’s honor and riches; and Rebecca’s heart is so allured, that she leaves her house and kindred, and goes forth to meet the bridegroom.
This, beloved, is no cunningly devised fable. It is very plain to our souls. We know something of the comfort of the truth that the beloved SON has loved us, and given Himself for us. We also feel deeply that He is not here, that we are absent from the Lord, that the whole world lieth in the wicked one, that sin and death reign, that vanity and vexation of spirit, sickness and sorrow now abound. But our “blessed hope” is, that as surely as “Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide,” and met, and joyfully welcomed his beloved Rebecca, so will the Lord Jesus Himself, our glorious Bridegroom, descend from heaven, and we shall meet Him in the air, to share His glory in our Father’s house, and be ever with and like Him. (1 Thess. 4:16, 1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17).)
But even now, we are not without consolation, however dark and solitary our path may sometimes appear; for as the servant of Abraham faithfully escorted the espoused virgin all through the desert road till she met her lord, and comforted and cheered her heart with assurances of the wealth and blessing, yea, covenant blessings connected with Isaac, how much more doth the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, minister consolation to our poor way worn hearts, and encourage us in our heavenward journey, by testifying to our souls of the death, triumph, eternal excellencies and glory of Him who loved the church, and gave Himself for it, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing! How sweetly did our Lord assure us, that the other Comforter should “abide with us forever,” and how often doth His still small voice allure us with the thought, that, “Yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry;” and that the same beloved Son that died upon the cross is “heir of all things,” and having redeemed us, and made us joint-heirs with Himself, His fervent desire is that we may be with Him, and behold His glory.