The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1919-12-03


: faith but no,
4 y temptation to evil.
Three outstanding
features Of this
80 test Of faith are
found In many of Gods dealings with
bis people today. S.
First # was wholly unexpected. II
Came after these things. These
things are the events of AbrahaIn's
! lie up TO- this point. They include his
call and his sepsration from his coun-
1y and lbs father's house; his expert
e4ce with Lot and Sodom and the de-
Tent of the kings: the promise that his
famtly should Increase and the expert
Nnee With Hagar and Ishmael; the
change OF his name and the coming Of
the promised son Isaac. It looked to
human sight as though his active life
was over and he had but to rest quiet
II through the few years left on earth.
N looked as though his life was COM
pfete he may have been thinking as
Job was when he said In Job % :18, II
shall die in my nest" But we are re.
minded that perfection Is never
reached In this life, and therefore the
kaining Is never finished. No matter
huw Tar advanced In Christian expert
fenee, new lessons are to be learned
and unexpected trials Of our faith are
70 be looked for as long as we abide In
HE 1fesA.
Secondly, it was unexplained. God
did nct. tell Abraham why he was put
ting this test upon him. Any explana.
dcn would have robbed the test Of It's
value. Il Abraham knew just why God
asked him to offer up Isaac 'ie would
hare seen what God saw and there
could be no proper test Of faith. We
are continually asking "WhyT at
every turn In Gods dealings and are
frequently In danger Of disobeying God
because he does not condescend to
give as aa answer to the why" We
Enaw that ell things work together for
coed to those that: love God, and this
knowledge OF the ultimate issue In
goo5 should make us more and more
hesitant in questioning the motives Of
Gods dealings with US. II we knew
why things are as they are, or If things
always went in way we could ex-
plain, the trial Of our faith, (which Is
precious" would lose all value.
In the third place, 1t was unreason-
able, or so it would seem from the hH-
man viewpoint. Abraham was asked
TO offer up his son, Isaac. Now think
who Isaac was and what he represent.
ed. God had declared that his prom
ises would center In Isaac. If anything
should happen to this boy what would
become Of the promises, How could
Gods word be fulfilled? II God was
not true to his Word the whole founda-
tion Of faith would be destroyed and
Abraham would be found to have fol-
lowed false voice. 1t must certainly
have. seemed to be unreasonable to
Abraham. and very often Gods deal
ings seem unreasonable to US. We are
so often afraid, though perhaps we do
not give the thought words, that God
Is making a mistake. In some loss of
friend or relative, or in the taking
away Of some strong pillar of the
church, We say one to another: This
as great loss-this is irreparable."
We act and talk as though In reality
God was making mistake because his
dealings and proyidences seem unrea-
aonable. But the event always proves
the reasonableness Of his actions and
we find he has ways above our reason.
The action of Abraham under test
holds an example for US. His obedi-
ence was prompt; no dragging Of feet
as he went to do the Lords bidding.
Putting of doing usually results In not
doing at all. It was unquestioning.
When questioning comes In, human
reason usually triumphs over divine
revelation. 1t was unstintsd. Partial
obedience gives God little chance Of
bestowing blessings.
The secret Of Abraham's obedience
is to be found. l think, in verse II,
where the Lord says: "Now know
that thou fearest God" Abraham's
faith had received the promises and
now his fear "obeys the precepts. Not
the serviie fear Of the criminal afraid
Of the vengeance OF the broken law,
but the godly reverence yielded to Je-
hovah leading to putting him in the
supreme place Of authority In the life.
Abraham's fear which issued In obedi-
ence is the proof Of Abrahams faith.
As James puts 1t, "Faith without
works is aead"