The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-03-15
INTERNATIONAL,
SUNlXSQ1OOL
LESSON
by f. o. SELLERS. Director OF Eve
ming Department The Moody Bible In
stitute of Chicago)
LESSON FOR MARCH 16.
THE TEST OF AsRAHAM's FAITH

LESSON TEXT-Gen. 22:1-i3.
GOLDEN TENT desire goodness
and not sacrifice: and the knowledge OF
God more than burnt offerings. How.
SIS
The birth OF Isaac Claughter")
l7:19. and the setting aside of the son
or the bond woman, a story so rich
with suggestiveness, forms the con-
nection between the lesson Of last
week and the one OF this week.
l.. Sacrifice Required. God did
prove Abraham" CR. W Wv. IL. Abra-
hams ready response. Behold me,
here am l." gives evidence Of his life
long habit Of obedience He was ready
Tor sacrifice or service. His habit Of
taking God at his word prepared him
for this final act of testing, and per
fecting, Of his faith. The revised YER
sion prove" is a better rendering than
the authorized version tempt" God
does not tempt. 1. e., solicit men to
evil Jas. 1:13, but he does prove"
men; see Elk. 1920 and Peter l:12.
Abraham had been tried before but
what father is there who will not say
this was the supreme test, for he is
called upon to give up his, only son.
whom thou cherishest"
Abraham's Faith.
Superficial critics have taken occa-
sion to make light Of God who would
make such a demand upon an earthly
father. We need to remember that
Abraham had doubtless witnessed hui
man sacrifices in Chaldea and that
having seen Gods faithfulness and his
past deliverances, he had enough
faith to believe that God could in his
own Providence deliver Isaac. Fur
Their, attention has been called to the
exact language Of the text, viz, Gods
demand was that Abraham "offer" mot
"killD Isaac as a sacrifice The liter
al language is make him go up" up
on the altar, doubtless in symbol. We
read elsewhere, Heb. 11:17 that "Abra-
ham offered up Isaac" but we know
he did not kill Isaac. Those who
stumble at that part of the story miss
the great lesson God intended to teach
In the record of this incident. How.
ever, Abraham was ready to do ". 1O)
what God himself did actually do when
he gave his only son." John 3:16.
Ron. S:32. Isaac was the child of the
promise, hence the only son (cf. Gen.
21:12). This makes the text more Sc
we're for Ishmael had been sent OF,
21:14. God today is calling upon faith
ers to sacrifice their sons, and fathers
are sacrificing though not always unto
God. We must put our children upon
the altar. Matt. 1887.
II. Sacrifice Granted. Abraham
rose up early" Wv. $40. The writer
Of Genesis has left us to fill in the
emotions and the mental agony that
must have surged through Abraham's
heart, yet we again see a wonderful
illustration Of prompt obedience. CT.
Ps. 1880. There Is no suggestion
whatever as to Sarah's connection
with this incident. yet we Judge she
must have known. How Abraham's
heart must have bled at Isaac's ques-
ton, v. Z. yet he trusts God for we
req ]. God will provide himself the
laI4b," ". 81; CT. John 1929. Notice
also Abraham's words to his servants.
I'VE will come again." v. 5. Just az
God had revealed the place at which
to offer the sacrifice, he saw the
place. v. IA, 80 also We believe Abra-
ham was looking unto God for the sac.
rificial lamb. v. 49,
Abraham's Devotion.
Attention has been called to Isaac
as a type Of Christ (cf John 10:17-1s).
ID His name, given before birth; (2)
His birth. supernatural. predicted; (3)
His Offering, a, by his father; b. volun-
tary; C. risen from the dead; az His
marriage; a, bride selected by his faith.
er; b. servant calls the bride; c, meet
ing Of bride and bridegroom. In this
connection We behold Isaac bearing
the wood ". 81 a reminder of Christ
bearing his cross, John 1917. The
test to Abraham's faith was full even
to the point that "he took the knife to
slay his son." when God INTERVIEWED
The repetition, Abraham. Abraham"
suggests the urgency Of God to save
and the devotion of Abraham in that
he was not easily turned aside nor
looking for a way Of escaping a dis.
agreeable duty. Abraham was sus-
tanned to the end (Rom. APO, 21R.v)
and out of 1t all he is abundantly re-
warded, w. 1918 and 26:4-5.
III. Sacrifice Provided" "A lamb
caught in the thicket," Wv. Ills. Again
God spoke to Abraham through AN
angel" an old Hebraic way of saving
that God made himself known. II has
been suggested that at this point the
Hebrew broke away from human sacri- |
fees. There Is nothing in this story
to sustain any claim that God justifies
human sacrifices. but the exact con-
trary. for God gave Isaac back to
Abraham Heb. 1:19 r. W and that
he Is constantly doing to those who
surrender their all and their best to
him. MARK 10:29-30; Prov. 11:2425.
did not leave the mountain
until he had offered a sacrifice and
who can question but that his heart
was filled with great Joy and thanks.
giving unto God Cor ok Without