St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-07-29

"My father!"
Here am /, my soc,'' was the quis1
response, and the father paused, wait
| ing for Isaac to continue.
But the latter hesitated, as though
almost afraid to speak, and then point
ing to the fire in his father hand and
touching the wood upon his shoulder
he exclaimed:
"BehoId the fire and the wood: but
where is the lamb for burnt offering?'
MY son." replied Abraham, with in.
effable tenderness. God will provide
Himself lamb lor burnt Offering"
All. in the lace VI the tragedy which
oyerhung them 10th, what q SUBJ
lime faith that was which could an
swer thus. The worrts brought relief to
the fathers overbu1dened heart, and
they quieted the questionings Of the
younger man. 1t is always relief in
the dark hour to throw ones self on
God and to say that He will provide.
The thought burned itself into Isaac's
heart and he began to know more fully
what submission and faith involved.
See. there is the place" exclaimed
Abraham, pointing to rounding mound
of limestone before them. There is
the place appointed by God for the Of
fering. Gather you of the stones ly-
ing about that l may build the altar as
ha ar! hof onYnmQndQN{p
Without question or delay the young
man laid aside his bundle of wood and
soon had heaped at his fathers feet
the necessary materials, and while his
father fitted them together he stood ny
watching and wondering.
The altar completed, Abraham laid
upon it carefully the wood which they
had brought. Everything was ready
for the sacrifice, and still no lamb. One
step at time had been obediently and
unfalteringly taken. and now the cru
cial moment had come Would Abra-
hams faith fail? Would Isaac fail to
rise to the level of his fathers loyalty
to God?
Standing by the altar there on the
very spot where nearly 1000 years
later the Heavenly Father was to offer
up His only begotten son as a sin
Offering for the world, father and son
looked into, each others faces. The
soul of each shone out in the kindling
eyes as the spirit of God moved with
in them, and they read each others
message and understood. The will OF
God was supreme! From Him all
things came; to Him all things were
DUE and the father found it In his
heart to give his best and all to God,
and the son in submissive faith yield
ed himself without question into his
fathers hands, saying simply:
do as the Lord hath commanded
.hee, father
And by way of answer the father
reached forth his hands and bound
Isaac his son and laid him on the
altar upon the wood, and then taking
he knife in hand he slowly raised it
n preparation for the stroke which
would let out the life's blood of his
precious boy upon Gods altar. And
saac, lying there and looking up into
lis fathers face, read therein the story
If love SO great and faith so strong
hat they could take their best and
ay it unreservedly upon Gods altar.
And as the knife, descended the an
eel of the Lord called unto Abraham
tut of Heaven, and said:
abraham, Abraham!"
Lifting his eyes in the direction
rom whence the voice had come,
abraham responded: !,
Here am l."
And the voice continued:
LAY not thine hand upon the lad.
either do thou anything unto him;
Or now know that thou fearest God,
eeing thou has not withheld thy son,
hine only son. from Me-"
An. the sweetness of the treasures
hitch have been surrendered unre-
ervedly to God and which He has
iven back into our hands because He
ould safely intrust them to us! All,
he joy of that moment when we have
injured the testing of God and we
an hear Him say: Now know
nat thou fearest God. seeing thou hast
OF withheld aught from Me"
As from the dead Abraham received
Is son back, and in long tender em-
race father and son stood by the
mpty altar Suddenly remembering
le words which his father had spoken
hen coming up the mountain side,
'aac repeated, reverently: .Y
God will provide Himself a lamb
n burnt offering!"
At the words, Abraham lifted up his
res, and looked. and behold, behind
lem ram caught in thieket by his
orns; and Abraham went and took
lie ram, and offered him up for a
lrnt offering in the stead of his son.
nd as the smoke of the sacrifice
'cended towards Heaven, father and
N bowed in reverent worship, and
braham said:
LET us call the name OF this place
'hovah-jireh, the Lord will provide"
And again the voice of the Lord
'oke out of Heaven to Abraham, say
g:
by Myself have / sworn, for be-
use thou hast done this thing, and
Ist not withheld thy son, thine only
n; that in blessing will bless thee.
ID in multiplying will multiply thy
ed as the stars of the heaven, and
4
ore; and thy seed shall possess the
tie of his enemies; and in thy seed
all all the nations of the earth be
essed; because thou hast obeyed MyI
ice.'