The Life of Isaac (3)

It was a severe trial for Abraham when he had to sacrifice his only son whom he loved so much. Yet, Abraham unconditionally obeyed the Lord and had gone to the mountain that the Lord would tell him of, “which I will tell thee of” (verse 2). Isaac followed his father quietly and therein he was truly a type of Him of whom Isaiah has spoken, “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.”

On the third day, they had reached the place where the sacrifice would have to be brought. The wood of the burnt offering was laid upon Isaac, Abraham’s son, and the fire and knife Abraham took in his hand. Abraham answered Isaac’s question of where the lamb was for the burnt offering with, “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” Now they came to the place which God had told him of. An altar was built, and Isaac was bound and laid on that altar, upon the wood. When Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the

When Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son, the LORD called him out of heaven. Oh, how faithful the Lord is in fulfilling His word. It must

have been a very severe test of Abraham’s faith not only to offer his son but to sacrifice the promised seed. In this promised seed all the great things spoken of were to be fulfilled. The Messiah would be born from Abraham’s son. Of Him was Abraham’s expectation.

Substitute

The Lord told Abraham not to lay his hand upon Isaac, “For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.” Abraham “lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram, caught in a thicket.” Abraham has given his son, but God gave a substitute. It is a ram, a male animal. He is a type of Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, the Man of sorrows acquainted with grief. He is what Naomi told Ruth of Boaz, “For the man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day.”

The ram was caught in the thicket; it waited there, as it were, and was already there in the time of Abraham’s trial although he did not see him. Christ is given from eternity; He is slain before the foundation of the world. He waited until it was the appointed time. As the ram was caught in the thicket, Christ bound Himself voluntarily to His Church —not to lilies but to thorns. He did not want to, and could not, break this bond. They are the bonds of an unbreakable covenant. What a comfort this covenant can be for changeable creatures, as also God’s children are. They do not keep this covenant, but the Lord Himself preserves it and fulfills His promises. What must it have been for Abraham to see this God-given substitute. It is also inexpressible what a sinner, who cannot find a way in which he can deliver himself anymore, may see when that great Substitute from heaven, the Lord’s only Son, is shown to him.

We read that Abraham went and took the ram. No, he did not steal it; it was God’s gift of mercy and grace. The upright do not want to steal. They will not take anything that does not belong to them, but when the heavenly Substitute is shown in the gospel, then they are called to buy without money and without price, that is, to receive freely what the Lord has given. That is an unspeakable gift. Then Abraham “offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” What an incomprehensible love the Father shows in delivering His own Son to be consumed in the fire of the execution of His justice. And that, instead of those who deserved this judgment. How beautifully does the Form for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper speak of this substitution: “He was bound that we might be freed from our sins.” And He “suffered innumerable reproaches that we might never be confounded.” And He “was innocently condemned to death that we might be acquitted at the judgment seat of God.” He “hath also taken upon Himself the curse due to us that He might fill us with His blessings.”

Now Isaac may be loosed and may leave this mount without the burden of the wood. Herein is a picture of the sinner, delivered from the burden of his sins and transgressions, justified freely. For him may be true what we read in Romans 8:1, “There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Isaac knows where that wood has gone, and such a sinner may know that Christ has carried all his sins away. How will God’s people ever thank God for such a deliverance?

Provision

We read of this provision in verse 14, “And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-Jireh as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” The word “provide” is a secondary meaning of the simple verb, “to see,” as in 1 Samuel 16:1, “For I have provided me a king among his sons.” God’s provision is found to have been ready and waiting but is now revealed. Scripture speaks of another mount, Golgotha, where the Lamb of God, the only atoning sacrifice, is revealed. There it will become clear how an offended God and a righteous Judge can receive a sinner into His fellowship again.

Abraham had said to Isaac, “the Lord will provide,” and now He had certainly provided in a manner that most clearly displayed God’s covenant faithfulness. In the stillness of eternity, there had been the question, “For who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto Me? saith the LORD.” There was no creature that could pay the price and bear the wrath of a holy and righteous God and could atone for sinners. However, the holy Son of God answered, “Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.” God Himself found a solution. Now, without violating His justice, He could receive sinners and rebels back into His fellowship.

Isaac was set free because of God’s provision. His whole life will testify of God’s faithful care. He would not “die but live and declare the works of the LORD” (Psalm 118:17). In some respects, in this chapter, Isaac was a type of Christ, but for Christ there was no substitute like there was for Isaac. We see then, Isaac as a picture of God’s Church. What a precious time of the ecclesiastical year it is when we may hear about His passion, His death, but also His resurrection. “Because I live, ye shall live also.” Should this not lead to adoration and worshipping Him?

The purpose of all God’s leadings, including the trials in which He brings the gold of His own work into the furnace, is His glory. He alone is worthy to receive the honor for His own work. That may lead us to the following questions: “Do we know the need for a substitute? Have we learned that all our money is of no value to pay our debts? Is there yet a way? Is there no way by which we may escape the punishment and be again received into favor?” Here, Christ is clearly displayed as One who said Himself, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.” May we, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, lose all grounds of hope for salvation outside of Him but find life in Him.

We read in Psalm 32:1, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” That is the work of the One greater than Isaac, the One who makes mourning sinners to laugh, which was the meaning of Isaac’s name. It is true, the days of darkness are many in the life of true pilgrims, but when the Lord shows the divine Substitute, His gracious Provision, and faith may be brought into exercise, then they may embrace Him. They may rejoice in the Lord. Thomas could say, “My Lord and my God.” Of this wonder of salvation we also read in Psalm 116:3, “The sorrows of death compassed me, the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.” Then the poet could also say, “For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.” And further in this chapter, “I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord”, and verse 16, “truly, I am Thy servant, O Lord; I am Thy servant, and the son of Thine handmaid; Thou has loosed my bonds.” Therefore, one may pay his vows unto the Lord in the presence of all His people. There God’s children will praise Him for His wondrous works manifested to them. p

(To be continued)

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