Separation (2)

As the beginning of life has a fascination so also ha~ the end, and what some men have done amongst their closing acts jS perhaps of added interest to such as begin to think of their own exit from this sc~e of their life and labours. Often we have thought of the beginning of Abraham's spiritual career, of the time the God of glory appeared to him and commanded him to leave Chaldes and also to leave his kith and kin and come to the land of pIomise. His closing act is in line with what God sald to him at the beginning:

Abraham gave all that he had untP Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham h~d, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac Iris son, while he yet lived, eastward unto the east country (G~n. 25: 5,6).'

Abrhham was careful to separate Isaac, ~e son of promise, from his other sons, even as God had separated him from all hi~ father's house, for with chosen men there ever must follow the truth of separ~~tion. It was so with Joseph also, of whom the words were true: "him that was s"parate from his brethren"; both Jacob and Moses spoke of him thus (Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16). The opposite of this is seen in the case of Ishmael, of whom it is said, "And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren" (Gen. 16:12). ~ flesh hates the truth of separation, and Ishmael is a type of the flesh. Abraham died at 175 having finished his course and left on record a life of faith which was to be talked about by men throughout all time.

The last recorded act of Isaac was when pe was 137 years of age, when he sent Jacob (77 years old) away from Esau and also from settling down and interrnarrying amongst the Canaanites, as ~ had done. The fact that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away reaches Es~ and thus we read:

Now Esau saw that Isaac had blesse4 Jacob and sent him away to Patidan-aram, to take a wifr from thelzce; and that as he had blessed him (please read the blessing), he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Puddan-aram (Gen. 2&6,7).

The last recorded act of Isaac is like th~ last recorded act of Abraham, both were found seeking a path of separation for their chosen sons.

J. Miller

Exiracted from Needed Truth 1953

unknown | Nov 1993
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