Abraham: The Father of the Faithful
Among all the Old Testament saints, the patriarch Abraham shines the brightest. He differs from the others as one star differeth from another star in glory, for he shone with such distinguished lustre that he was called the Friend of God (James 2:23), the father of the faithful; those who believe on Christ are said to be his sons and daughters and to be blessed with faithful Abraham (Galatians 3:9). Many trials of his faith did God send this great and good man after he had commanded him to leave his country and his kindred for a land that God should show him; but the last was the most severe of all — that of offering up his only son.
The Command
Every word deserves our particular observation. Whatever he was to do, he must do it now, immediately, without conferring with flesh and blood. Had God said, Take now a firstling or choicest lamb of thy flock and offer it up for a burnt-offering, it would not have appeared so ghastly; but for God to say, Take now thy son and offer him up for a burnt offering — one would imagine was enough to stagger the strongest faith. But this is not all: it must not only be a son, but thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest. If it must be a son and not a beast that must be offered, why will not Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, do? No, it must be his only son, the heir of all, his Isaac — by interpretation, laughter — the son of his old age in whom his soul delighted. This son, this only son, this Isaac, the son of his love, must be taken now, even now, without delay and offered up by his own father as a burnt offering.
The Obedience of Faith
Abraham rose early and obeyed. He did not confer with flesh and blood. He did not call for Sarah. He did not wake the household to discuss whether this could truly be the voice of God. He rose early, saddled his ass, and took the two young men and Isaac his son, and went to the place of which God had told him. Three days he travelled with this weight upon his heart — three days in which every glance at his son must have been an inward wound.
When he saw the place afar off he left the young men with the ass and said to them: Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you (Genesis 22:5). Mark those words: we will come again to you. Abraham believed — as the epistle to the Hebrews tells us — that God was able to raise Isaac even from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). He would not lower God’s power to the measure of his own understanding. He had received Isaac from the dead, in a figure, once already, when he and Sarah were as good as dead. He trusted that the God who gave could restore.
The Altar on Moriah
At length they came to the place which God had told him of, and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Here let us pause and by faith take a view of the place. I doubt not but that blessed angels hovered round that altar and sang Glory be to God in the highest, for giving such faith to man. Come, all ye tenderhearted parents who know what it is to look over a dying child: imagine that you saw the altar erected before you, the wood laid in order, and the beloved Isaac bound upon it. Imagine that you saw the aged father standing by weeping. For why may we not suppose that Abraham wept, since Jesus himself wept at the grave of Lazarus?
I see Isaac at the same time meekly resigning himself into his heavenly Father’s hands, and praying to the Most High to strengthen his earthly parent to strike the stroke. But why do I attempt to describe what either son or father felt? It is impossible. We may indeed form some faint idea of it, but shall never fully comprehend it until we go and sit down with them in the kingdom of heaven, and hear them tell the pleasing story over again.
Man’s Extremity Is God’s Opportunity
Sing, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. Just as the knife, in all probability, was near his throat, the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven — the word doubled to engage his attention — and Abraham said, Here am I. And the voice said: Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
With what comfort may we suppose the good old man and his son went down from that mount! With what joy may we fancy he went home and related all that had passed to Sarah! And above all, with what triumph is he now exulting in the paradise of God, adoring rich, free, distinguishing, electing, everlasting love, which alone made him to differ from the rest of mankind — which rendered him worthy of the title he will bear as long as the sun and moon endure: the father of the faithful.
The Mystery Hidden Under the Sacrifice
But behold, I show you a mystery hidden under the sacrifice of Abraham’s only son, which, unless your hearts are hardened, must cause you to weep tears of love and plentifully too. I would willingly hope you would anticipate me here, and are ready to say, It is the love of God in giving Jesus Christ to die for our sins. Yes! That it is.
If you admire Abraham offering up his Isaac, how much more ought you to praise, magnify, and adore the love of God, who so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, Christ Jesus our Lord, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life?
Abraham was God’s creature, and therefore under the highest obligation to surrender up his Isaac. But, oh, stupendous love! While we were his enemies, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might become a curse for us. Oh, the freeness, as well as the infinity of the love of God our Father! It is unsearchable! I am lost in contemplating it; it is past finding out.
Isaac Is Christ: The Types Expounded
Think, O believers, think of the love of God in giving Jesus Christ to be a propitiation for our sins. And when you hear how Abraham built an altar, laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood — think how your heavenly Father bound Christ his only Son and offered him upon the altar of his justice, and laid upon him the iniquities of us all.
When you read of Abraham stretching forth his hand to slay his son, think, oh think, how God actually suffered his Son to be slain that we might live forevermore.
Do you read of Isaac carrying the wood upon his shoulders upon which he was to be offered? Let this lead you to Mount Calvary, and take a view of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, bearing and ready to sink under the weight of that cross on which he was to hang for us.
Do you admire Isaac so freely consenting to die, though a creature and therefore obliged to go when God called? Oh, do not forget to admire infinitely more the dear Lord Jesus, that promised seed, who willingly said:
He came under no obligation. He need not have died. But he willingly said, Lo, I come — to obey and to die for men.
Behold the Crucified
Did you weep when I bid you imagine you saw the altar, the wood laid in order, and Isaac laid bound upon it? Look by faith. Behold the blessed Jesus, our all-glorious Emmanuel, not bound but nailed on an accursed tree. See how he hangs crowned with thorns. See how the thorns pierce him, and how the blood in purple streams trickles down his sacred temples. Hark how the God of nature groans! See how he bows his head; and at length humanity gives up the ghost.
Isaac is saved, but Jesus, the God of Isaac, dies! A ram is offered up in Isaac’s place, but Jesus has no substitute. Jesus must bleed, Jesus must die. God the Father provided this Lamb for himself from all eternity. He must be offered in time, or man must be damned forevermore.
The Call to Repentance and Love
And now, where are your tears? Shall I say, refrain your voice from weeping? No, rather let me exhort you to look to him whom you have pierced and mourn, as a woman mourns her firstborn; for we have been the betrayers, the murderers of this Lord of glory. And shall we not bewail those sins that brought the blessed Jesus to the accursed tree?
He having done so much, suffered so much for us, forgiven so much — shall we not love much? Oh! Let us love him with all our hearts, minds, and strength; and glorify him in our souls and bodies, for they are his.