Things Written Aforetime For Our Learning - Gleanings From Genesis

by N.D.W.Miller | Category: For Young Believers | Oct 1936

It is good to know that as Abraham raised the knife to slay his son, his eye and heart were set upon the God of Resurrection. Then it was that "the Angel of the Loan called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham ... lay not thine hand upon the lad ... for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me." God had proved his heart. Abraham's faith shines out for all time ; and will continue to shine in the ages to come. It was by this act upon Mount Moriah that he became "the friend of God" (James 2. 23; 2 Chronicles 20. 7; Isaiah 41. 8). Can his faith be questioned? If we take away his faith in God, Abraham would appear on Moriah as a madman, or a murderer in intent. But when his faith is taken into account Abraham is seen as a God-fearing, and devoted, justified worshipper. It is "The proof of your faith" that is more precious than gold. And the proof of our faith is seen in what we do. "What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works " Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect: and the Scripture was

fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God" (see James 2.).

There is perfect harmony between James and Paul on the matter of justification. Paul, when speaking about Abraham, presents that which is inward and Godward. James presents that which is outward and manward. In the one case it is the hidden life, under God's eye. In the other it is the

manifested life which men can see. "Abraham was justified by faith" "when he believed God." And "Abraham was justified by works" when "he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar." If we disconnect Abraham's action on Mount Moriah as set forth by James, from Abraham's faith, as set forth by Paul, there is no virtue in it.

Its virtue, its abiding virtue, lies in the fact that what Abraham did on Mount Moriah was the outward manifestation of the strong inward faith which he had in God.

"And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day. In the mount of the Loan it shall be provided" (Genesis 22. 13, 14).

Few deeds recorded by God brought Him greater joy than the offering up of Isaac by Abraham. On Abraham's part there was full surrender. On Isaac's part there was implicit obedience. How easy it is to sing, as we sometimes do,

"But we never can know the delights of His love, Until all on the altar we lay."

In the truest sense that is what Abraham did. And thus, having come in obedience to the Place of God's choice, Abraham made a fresh discovery of God-indicated in the fact that he called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh; title of rich and exquisite depths; a Divine revelation which Abraham could never have known had he not stretched out his hand to slay his son. How much we owe to Abraham for that discovery! Jehovah-jireh-the Lord will provide. Has it not proved a solace and a stay to millions of the redeemed since that far off day!

We think with what joy Abraham must have freed Isaac from the altar. And with what joy must father and son have witnessed the ram offered up in Isaac's stead, and accepted by the LORD. David said, and said truly, "Of Thine own have we given Thee." And Mount Moriah witnesses to the same blessed truth. For it is "in the Mount of the LORD" that our God will provide what is acceptable and glorifying to Him for sacrifice. "As it is said to this day, in the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided." And may we not add-"As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of Hosts, in the city of our God" (Psalm 48. 8).

God's deep appreciation, and joy, in what Abraham did that day may be gleaned from what He said. "The angel of the LORD called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said, by myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice." Wonderful words! "By Myself have I sworn." By Myself. It meant everything to Abraham. "When God made promise to Abraham, since He could swear by none greater, He sware by Himself." And by doing so God was thus "minded to shew more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of His counsel," and so He "interposed with an oath "-He sware by Himself, "that by two immutable things (His promise and His oath) in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us; which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil; whether as a forerunner Jesus entered for us," and so forth (see Hebrews 6.).

What an abiding comfort such an anchor is amidst this stormy and unsettled scene. Do we appreciate the strong encouragement which God has thus provided at infinite cost ? Oh for a more childlike trust in our Saviour-God; and for a

stronger faith in His precious and exceeding great promises. The world is cold, and its whole course and tenor are opposed to God, and to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must have faith in God. "This is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5. 4). Blind unbelief will bring us under the power of worldly things, and worldly ways. It will make the world victorious instead of us. But through faith in God, and in His victorious Son, we may "overcome the world." "This is the victory ... our faith."

Many lessons may be gleaned from this intensely fruitful chapter-Genesis 22; indeed, many lessons are enshrined even in one feature of the chapter-Isaac on the altar. As we remarked in our article last month, "father and son together, the wood, the fire, the knife, all point to the cross," and there is an aspect of the cross applicable to ourselves in life and testimony concerning which we have need to be constantly reminded. As we look at Isaac laid on the altar, and received back as from the dead, may we not think of ourselves in the light of what Paul said of himself in Galatians 2. 20 ? " I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live : and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh, I live in faith the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me."

Would Isaac ever forget he had been laid upon the altar? and should we ever forget we have been "crucified with Christ"? and "crucified" too, "unto the world" (Galatians 6. 14). In Paul's case, in the truest sense he bore branded on his body "the marks of Jesus." And from day to day "the life also of Jesus" was made manifest in his mortal flesh (2 Corinthians 4. 11). How much do we know experimentally 'of the principle of the cross, and the power of resurrection? What do we really mean when we sing-"As we survey the wondrous cross

On which the Lord of glory died"? What effect has it on our daily life? May we never forget that for our sakes (worthless creatures at the best) "He endured the cross," and that-

"Love so amazing, so divine

Demands our heart, our life, our all."

"Because thou hast obeyed My voice" (Genesis 22. 18) is an impressive word, a word that expresses God's abiding pleasure (" Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken than the fat of rams"); so far reaching is the blessing that flows from Mount Moriah-pointing on, as it does, to Calvary-that all the nations of the earth are gainers by what Abraham did that day.

With what joy must Abraham and Isaac have returned to the young men, and thence on to Beer-sheba, and to Sarah! From Moriah to Beer-sheba-from "the Mount of the LORD" to "the well of the oath."

The chapter concludes by shewing increase and blessing to Nahor's family, with Rebekah mentioned for the first time. There can be little doubt that what is mentioned in the concluding verses is meant to convey the thought of a commencement of the fulfilment of God's promise.

We now come to consider Genesis 23. which, like all God's word, is full of instruction. It presents Abraham in quite another character, even that of a mourner. For we read that "Sarah died." She lived to the good age of one hundred and twenty-seven years. So "Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her." Mourning and weeping are common to the human family; but the child of God can face death calmly and without dread. For the glorious truth of Resurrection mingles hope, a real and living hope, with his sorrow (1 Thessalonians 4. 13, 14). The believer in God, and in Christ, can stand at the grave of a fellow-believer in the blessed assurance that death cannot keep its "captive" for long, "for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep through Jesus will God bring with Him." "The redemption of the soul," and "the redemption of the body," are alike precious. The redemption of the one secures the redemption of the other. " The redemption of the soul" we have "the redemption of our body" we wait for (Romans 8. 23). It would seem that in purchasing the cave of Machpelah for a possession of a burying place Abraham was giving expression to his faith in resurrection. Had he not already accounted that God was able to raise up even from the dead? There is, we think, a significance in the fact that he " rose up from before his dead." Faith could pierce the gloom. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Abraham knew that God's promise concerning the land would have fulfilment, and so he secured Machpelah, and laid Sarah to rest in the sure and certain hope of better things to come through resurrection.

The children of Heth knew nothing of this; but to Abraham - to the man of faith-God's promise was everything. The land was his in prospect; but he bought the cave for a burying place for the full price "current money with the merchant." We are exhorted "to provide things honest in the sight of all." This should ever be our aim (2 Corinthians 8. 21). That is one of the

lessons of our chapter. As heavenly citizens by Divine grace, and called, as such, unto eternal glory in Christ, God assures us that when the Lord Jesus "shall be manifested, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him even as He is." This is the believer's hope. And what does God expect the moral effect to be? "Every one that hath this hope set on Him purifieth himself. even as He is pure" (1 John 3.).

Abraham's action affords a high example-a principle which should govern our entire intercourse with those around us: his whole deportment before the children of Heth was high, it was elevated. "Hear us, my lord; thou art a mighty prince among us," said they. "I am a stranger and a sojourner with you," said Abraham. He might have had the cave for nothing as a favour from Ephron and the children of Heth. But Abraham, who had long years before, renounced Sodom's wealth, would take his favours only from God. To Ephron the land, with the cave, was worth" four hundred shekels of silver"; but to Abraham it was priceless. It was like the earnest of an everlasting inheritance, based upon God's covenant, "the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations" (Psalm 105). So "Sarah died." That is the sad note of the chapter. But this is quickly followed by the story of Rebekah, in chapter 24-Rebekah who was sought, and brought to Isaac, "and she became his wife." to receive of Isaac's love, and to share his wealth.

N.D.W.Miller | Oct 1936
For Young Believers