The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-03-14

text OF che Lesson, Gen. XXI, l"IS'
Memory Verses, IL, 13-GoIden Text,
Hos. vi, documentary Prepared by
Rev. o. M. Stearns.
In the last part of the previous chap"
ter We see Abraham dwelling at Beer
sheba, the well of the oath, having
made a, covenant with Abimelech.
There he called on the name of Jeho-
yah, and for the first time we have
the name of 1.-The everlasting Cod"
which carries US on to Ps. &c, 2; lisa.
xl, %. Every new name of God has
some new revelation of Himself.
The everlasting God not only tells us
that He is from everlasting to ever
lasting, but He loves with everlasting
love and carries us in His everlasting
arms and Is always the same Jehovah.
der. XXI, 3; Deut. xxxiii, 20. Whether
He blesses us or tries us, He Is the
same God Of love. For years the
heart Of Abraham had been made glad
by this boy. this beloved son for whom
he had waited full twenty-five years,
and now he is commanded to offer him
for a burnt Offering. There is nothing
quite like this in all the Bible story.
The demand seems overwhelmingly
awful, but God is love, and God is
faithful, and Abraham knew 1t. The
New Testament record is that, know
ing the promise and being certain that
God would somehow fulfill 1t, ven II
He had to raise Isaac up from the
dead, He did receive him from the dead
in a figure Heb. II, 17-19).
After some twenty years Jacob re-
ceived Joseph back as from the dead.
God spared Isaac and Joseph, but He
spared not His own Son Rom. viii, 32),
and, He being literally alive from the
dead, all things are made sure to US
in Him.
1 cannot think that Abraham talked
this over with Sarah; but, being sure
that he would bring the boy back again,
he started Off early in the morning,
taking only two of his young men with
him. His destination was Moriah,
which is now part of Jerusalem, the
same hill that David bought from Or
nan, the Jebusite, where the destroy
ing angel stayed his hand when Jeho-
yah said, ct is enough" and where
Solomon built the temple III Sam.
xiv, 16, "a, 25; II Chron. iii, u.
How wonderful are the associations
Of truths and places in Scripture and
how all center around the cross and
the INDISPENSABLE sacrifice Of the Son
of God! It was on the third day that
the place was reached and the great
transaction accomplished Verse ~, and
how often a third day event calls u
attention to the great center Of all past
history and to the resurrection time,
ever drawing nearer! Consider Jonah
and the marriage in Cana and all 9th
ers that you can find in the book.
Note the confidence with which Abra-
ham says to the young men, II and the
lad will go and worship and come
again to you (verse 81. He was fully
persuaded that 1t would be 80. Now
see the lad carrying the wood and the
father with the fire and the knife, and
they went both of them together (verse
g.. One cannot but see the Son Of
God bearing His cross and remember
the words, ut pleased the Lord to
bruise Him; He hath put Him to
grief" Qsa. lii, 101. 1t was the only
way to save us and so wondrously
foreshad0wed in Abraham and Isaac.
Hear the lad as he says to his father,
Behold the fire and the wood, but
J where Is the lamb for a burnt offer
mgr" Verse ~ Oh, the anguish Of the
fathers heart! But do we ever on
slider the anguish Of the heart of God
the Father?
What did he know of 1.-The Lamb slain
from the foundation of the worldT'
Grew. xiii, g. Was it just then or when
he placed the ram on the altar in
Isaac's stead or through the whole In
cident that he saw Christ's day and
was glad? John viii, So Notice the
repeated saying, "They went both Of
/ them together oversees s, 6, 81, remind
ing us of the 'they two went on" Of II
Kings ii, 6, Z, 8, II, and suggesting per-
feet n and accord. We do not
imagine any resistance on the part of
Isaac as his father placed him on the
altar upon the wood and bound him
and took the knife to slay his son. We
think OF such words as "of his W
voluntary will" az lay down my life of
myself" ~ delight to do Thy will, o
my God" Uev. i, 8; John K, II, 1S; Ps.
II, 8; Hab. K, Z, 81, and we remember
how the Lord Jesus gave Himself into
the hands Of His enemies and suffered
them to take Him and bind Him and
lead Him and mock Him and scourge
Him and cruelty Him, and He took 1t
all as a cup which His Father gave
Him to drink. 1t was enough. The child
of promise was given back to God.
Abraham saw God and not the child,
and now the Lord speaks, the uplifted
hand Is stayed, and the ram is placed
on the altar In Isaac's stead.
Isaac was spared and given back
from the dead in a figure. God spared
not His own Son. and as truly as the
ram died in Isaac's stead so did Jesus
Christ die In my stead. His own self
bare my sins In His own body on the
tree .the Son of God loved me and
gave Himself for me-" BY His being
made a curse for US all who truly re-
ceive Him are delivered from the curse
of the law CT Pet. II, "A; Gal. ii. 20; ill,