Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-02-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vii, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. %.

Text of the Lesson, Gen. xii, I-13-Mem-
DRY Verses, 11-13-Golden Text, Heb. XII,
IL Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
1. "And it came to pass after these
things that God did tempt Abraham and
said unto him, Abraham. And he said,
Behold here | am!' In due time the
promised son was given and was named
Isaac as God had commanded xvii, 19).
Abraham was now living at Beersheba i'll
the extreme south, and Isaac had grown
to boyhood when this proving Or. W or
trying came upon him. Consider how God
proved Israel (Deut. viii, g l6). These are
the trials that are precious and in which
we are by grace to rejoice (Jas. /, 2, 12;
Pet. i, y. Abraham's "Behold mel"
(margu) is the same word used by Sam
uel and Isaiah Il Sam. iii, A. lisa. vi, 81.
2. "And lie said. Take now thy son,
thine only son Isaac, whom thou lowest,
and get thee into the land of Moriah and
offer him there for burnt Offering upon
one of the mountains which will tell thee
Of" If Abraham s heart centered in Isaac
then this would crush him, but if in God,
who gave Isaac, then he would see God
and still live. Heb. ri, 1919, tells the story
The ability of God is the resting place
Compare Rom iv, 81. On this mountain
the Lord afterward appeared to David,
and there Solomon built the temple III
Chron iii, ~
3. "And 4 braham rose up early in the
morning and saddled his ass and took two
of his young men with him and Isaac his
son, and went unto the place of which God
had told him." Here is the prompt ODE
dience of faith. Trials are Gods vote of
confidence in us and are our opportunities
for mauifesting Christ. Abraham's life
was from one trial to another, lesser ones
preparing for greater, and from one sepa-
ration to another until he was separated
from earth to heaven, there to rest and
wait fer the complete fullllment of every
promise in Gods good time.
4. "Then on the third day Abraham
lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar
Off" 1t was on this same day that he re
ceived him from the dead in IA figure, and
from the third day of the creation story
when the land rose up out of the waters
and became covered with grass, herbs and
trees-the third day seems to speak of
resurrection. Think of Jonah and the
Lord Jesus. The third day marriage in
Cana (John ii, y, suggesting another
when all cups of water service shall be
changed to the wine of the kingdom at the
marriage of the Lamb. See also Hos. vi, 2.
5. "And Abraham said unto his young
men, Abide we here with the ass, and |
and the lad will 20 yonder and worship
and come again to you" See his faith
he and the lad will come again. That is
true worship which carries with it an
obedience that costs something. David
said he would not offer unto the Lord that
which cost him nothing III Sam. xiv,
24), but David's was nothing as compared
with this, and what is this when compared
with God giving his only begottenp
6. "And Abraham took the wood of the
: burnt offering aud laid it upon Isaac, his
son, and he took the fire in his hand and
knife, and they went, both of them to-
gether" This father and son were perfect
ly agreed verse and Amos iii, 81. Gaze
upon this picture until it becomes real to
you. and you can enter somewhat into their
feelings. Then look forever on that other
Son bearing His cross, whom it pleased
His Father TO bruise for our sakes lisa.
lii, 10)
T. "And Isaac spake unto Abraham, his
father and said, My father. And he said
Here am |, my son. And he said, Behold
the fire and the wood, but where is the
lamb for II burnt offclingy" What n sword
to the father heart What grace to en-
able him to answer as he does in the next
verse; Was ever father brought so neal
to the heart of God us this father?
] s. "And Abraham said, My son, GOO
will provide himself lamb for n burnt
offering. So they went both of them to
gether." And lie has provided the cost
Hest in the universe, even His own Son
3 of whom John the Baptist said, "Beholo
the Lamb of God" (John i, 29), and whom
l.ln I,l,,,
4 as it had been slain (Rev. V, o.. Wher
God provides, He does so abundantly. Arr
you satisfied with His provision?
.. "And they came to the place which
4 God had told him of. and Abraham bull
Z an altar there and laid the wood in ordel
and bound Isaac, his son, and laid him OF
the altar upon the Woo" Isaac now un
derstands about the Lamb, but he muir
q murs not-he is willing sacrifice. Won
4 drous son of Il wonderful father But turI
q to Him whose name is Wonderful ant
hear Him, II delight to do Thy will, o m!
+ God" 81 lay down My life that | nigh
take it again. No man take,h it from Me
, but lay it down of MYSELF (Ps. xl, s
= John X, II, 49,
10. "And Abraham stretched forth hi
hand and took the knife to Stay his SON.
The promise centered in Isaac xvii, 19)
ana through MN WIS the nation 10 come
and it was Gods part TO see it through
1t was Abraham's part to obey and let Go
arrange the difficulties. 1t was for Abra
ham to see God and not Isaac--the Civ,
rather than the gift. Until our Isaac is Of
the altar we cannot know God AS fully a
we might.
II. "And the angel of the Lord Gale,
unto him out of heaven aud said, Abra
ham, Abraham. And he said, Here am |.
Every movement had been watched il
heaven, every heart pang and sigh ha,
been noted there. The limit had bee
reached; it is enough. Why do we not be
leve that every step and act and word an
thought is seen by Him who understand
eth even the imaginations of the thoughts
l2. "And lie said, Lay not thine han
upon the lad, neither do thou anything
unto him, for now | know that thou feal
est God, seeing thou hast not withheld tn
son, thine only son, from Me" The Bib
has much to say about the fear of tn
Lord. Is this, then, the meaning of it
. Such unbranded cOnndqnca i'm Him tina