This class of moral sentiments and social affections looks forward in the line of human generations from parent to offspring. Another class of no small value looks back reverently, not to say proudly, to honored ancestors. Here also Abraham’s name became a positive power upon his posterity—not indeed of the very highest efficiency—not altogether proof against being corrupted to the pampering of national pride and even of personal self-righteousness, for bad men might learn to say, “We have Abraham for our father.” Yet still it can not be questioned that for long ages the name and history of Abraham bore the precious savor of his faith and of his staunch fidelity as the servant of the living God. It was the prestige of a name both great and good, and served to perpetuate his piety among millions of his offspring. In this direction all those qualities in Abraham which made him truly great as well as eminently good become elements in this new scheme for augmenting the spiritual and moral forces of God’s kingdom among men.——It can not be amiss, therefore, to linger here a moment and study this wonderful man. Verily the Lord found the right man for his purposes in Abram, then living in “Ur of the Chaldees.” He called him to leave kindred (save the few who joined him in this migration); to leave also all there was to him in country—the land of his fathers’ sepulchers; and travel several hundred miles to a strange unknown land. Abram heard and recognized God’s voice; he bowed to his authority and went. This first recorded illustration of his faith in God and obedience made its impression upon future ages—as we may see in the words of Joshua (24: 2, 3); of Nehemiah (9: 7, 8); of Stephen (Acts 7: 2–5); and of the writer to the Hebrews (11: 8–10)—which last may be taken as a specimen of all. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
Not a little might be said of many of the lesser yet really noble qualities of Abraham’s character—how magnanimous he appears in his bearing toward Lot (Gen. 13: 5–9); how dignified before the sons of Heth (Gen. 23: 3–16); how hospitable in entertaining three strangers who came up as he sat in his tent door in theheat of the day (Gen. 18: 1–16) when he “entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13: 2); how humble, reverent yet earnest in his intercession for Sodom (Gen. 18: 23–33); how fearless, daring and wonderfully efficient in the rescue of Lot from the plundering hordes of the East (Gen. 14: 13–24); how unselfish in refusing to participate in the recovered booty:—but all these qualities fade like stars before the sun when seen in the presence of his wonderful faith and unflinching obedience to the commands of the Lord his God.
The most signal manifestations of his faith and obedience cluster about three several points in his history; viz. his call to go forth from his ancestral home and country; his waiting twenty-five years for the birth of his one son of promise; and the command to offer this only son in sacrifice.
That first call revealed the man. It was but to hear God’s voice; and forthwith he “conferred not with flesh and blood.” He seems not to have paused a moment to question the Lord about the conditions, or to consider the hardships; and he never “looked back.”
Next that promise of a son, standing so long unfulfilled; year by year the human probabilities fading, dying out, till at length they are utterly dead, and nothing remained save the naked promise! This was indeed training Abraham’s faith to wait. Inasmuch as God’s chosen plan of introducing the Messiah involved long ages of waiting and trusting and living on simple promise, this was by no means a profitless or uncalled for illustration of the nature, the value, and the power of faith as in man toward God.
High above either of these cases, in point of the fierceness of the trial and the wonderful spirit of calm and steadfast faith and endurance, stands the case of God’s command and his consent to sacrifice his son Isaac (Gen. 22). The record puts this case in the foreground as to trial: “God did tempt Abraham”—not in the sinful sense—tempting to make him sin; but in a sense appropriate to God—subject him to a terribly searching trial. First, God called him by name “Abraham”! Then said—“Take now thy son, thine only son”—that son of promise in whom all thy hopes and all thy heart’s affections have been so long concentrated—that son “whom thou lovest”—take him and go, far away threedays’ journey to a mountain which I will point out, and there “offer him up for a burnt-offering”!
Was Abraham shocked? Did he stagger under this stunning blow? Did he pause to debate the matter with God? Did he beg that the awful agony might be at least delayed till he could collect himself and prepare for a trial so unexpected, so sudden, so terrible to bear? The record gives no hint of any thing of the sort. Abraham had heard God’s voice many times before and could not have had the first doubt as to its identity. If the least doubt had crossed his mind he surely would have said—“Lord, this seems so unlike Thee: Is it not Satan, thine enemy? I can not move one step until I know of a certainty that this is thine own voice.”——But there was no relief in this direction. Yet we almost instinctively ask—Did not Abraham expostulate? Did he not say—O my Lord, this Isaac is the son of thine own promise, my only hope for that great and long promised posterity; and what wilt thou do for thy truth? Besides, the deed is so shocking, so revolting to a father’s heart! Moreover, hast thou not said—“Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed”? And what an example this will be before all the tribes of the earth! How it will encourage them on to murder their children in sacrifice to their gods!
We can readily make up what may seem to us very strong arguments against obedience to such a command; but it does not appear that Abraham whispered in his heart the first one of them. The only hint we have of his deep thoughts in the case comes through the writer to the Hebrew Christians—“Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead.” Plainly the Lord meant to show that his command when made known unquestionably is to be obeyed without debate—with no misgivings, no faltering, no fear. So Abraham moved firmly on, saying not a word to Sarah, keeping his counsel even from his two chosen servants and from his son; holding the strange secret in his solitary—shall we say, sad bosom?——No; for there is not the first note of sadness throughout this wonderful transaction. Look at those three days of ongoing journey. Ah, was not this a long time to think over the strange deed! And those intervening nights—wasthere any sleep to his eyes while this terrible suspense lay still between the command and its execution?——So far as appears Abraham moved on with unshaken fortitude and undisturbed calmness. Certain it is that he never lost his self-possession, for he continued to plan carefully and even sharply against disturbing influences. He could not trust his servants to stand by; so he halted them at a distance back from the scene. He kept the awful secret from his son Isaac until he had him bound and laid on the altar and the uplifted blade was ready to fall!
This was the obedience of faith! The wonderful illustration stands out before all the ages with God’s seal of approbation broadly stamped upon it.——When the trial had fully reached its culminating point and no room remained for doubt that Abraham would obey God at every cost, fearless of consequences, or rather committing all consequences to his God, then God’s angel interposed! A ram was provided for the sacrifice and the son of promise went back to a more happy home with a more happy father, doubly blessed in the renewed approbation of his covenant-keeping God. No wonder that God proceeded then to make that covenant stronger and broader and richer than ever before! No wonder Abraham stamped into the very name of this ever memorable locality one of the grand moral lessons of the scene—“Jehovah Jireh”—In the mount of the Lord, himself will provide! When you come to the mount of last and utmost emergency, the Lord will have salvation ready! His angel will appear; the ram of sacrifice will be there; and Isaac may go in peace!