When God's time had come to bring Israel out of Egypt, He appeared to Moses as fire in a thorn-bush, which it did not consume. The thorn-bush was Israel, the fire was the Holy One of Israel who, notwithstanding the stiffneckedness and rebellious heart of the people whom He was going to deliver from Egypt, would bring them through the wilderness to their promised land.
As Moses drew near to behold this wonder, he was bidden to remember that to stand in God's presence is "holy ground " indeed. The revelation of Who it is that spoke to him out of the bush is then made known to Moses thus:" I am . . . the god of Abraham, the god of Isaac, and the god of Jacob " (Exod. 3 :6).
What then does this name imply by which God was to be known to His people, as He again says to Moses :" This is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations " (ver. 15) ?
The God of Abraham.
Turning to the history of Abraham, we see in what character God revealed Himself to him. Sovereign grace was exhibited in the Divine call that was forever to separate Abram from idolatry, from kindred and country with which he was connected up to that time; for in Josh. 24 :2 we read:"Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood [the river Euphrates] in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor:and they served other gods." It was there and in that condition that God appeared to Abram, and said unto him:" Get thee out of thy country . . . and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee . . . and thou shalt be a blessing:. . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed " (Gen. 12:1-3). All this was sovereign grace to one vet in idolatry; divine goodness taking and separating a vessel for mercy which in the Potter's hand was to be shaped, blessed, and used as an example of the counsels of God in grace.
What a lesson this should have been to Israel, and to every opened ear since, not to glory in the flesh-in itself or its doings-but as it is written, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (i Cor. i:31; Jer. 9:23, 24).
This same line of truth-God's sovereign grace- is seen all through Abraham's history. Having come to Canaan Jehovah appears to him again and makes him a free gift of the land-to him arid to his seed, of which he had none at the time (ch. 12 :7); he is bidden to "walk through the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee " (ch. 13:17).
When years had passed, and Abram had been "blessed," and become "great" as God had said, but was yet childless, he felt his solitude. His princely wealth was to pass, as it seemed, to the chief servant in his house. " Jehovah-Elohim," says Abram, "what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless?" Then God brings him out under the starry heavens and says, " Count the stars if thou be able to number them, and He said . . . So shall thy seed be." And Abram "believed Jehovah; and He counted it to him for righteousness" (ch. 15:5, 6). What an hour for Abram! What divine grace! A childless man looking up into the heavens studded with myriads of myriad stars, and hearing the voice of the Almighty God saying, "So shall thy seed be"! Righteousness was then accounted to him, simply because he believed God who cannot lie.
In eternal righteousness Abram thus stood before Jehovah-justified on the principle of bare faith in God, apart from any work. This grand passage becomes the text from which the apostle by the Spirit sets forth point by point, in Rom. chs. 3 and 4, how God justifies the sinner that comes to Him in the name of Jesus, and is accepted and justified before the Throne of Righteousness.
The God of Isaac.
Having accounted faith as righteousness to Abram, it was now to be shown that this gift of righteousness was not arbitrarily made, as we might say, but that it was based upon a mighty sacrifice, in which God's holy and righteous character is fully maintained. Through Isaac this was to be shown.
Resurrection proclaims the power of God. Thus when all natural expectation of having a child was gone, God's time was come to fulfil the promise. He appears to Abram, entertaining the three travelers that had come to him, and says, " I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son " (ch. 18:10); and, "through faith also, Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful that promised" (Heb. 11:11). This "seed," Isaac, this "only" and "beloved son," is probably the most striking type of the Sacrifice of the Cross by which God is proclaimed righteous in justifying sinners who have no righteousness of their own.
The child having grown up into the freshness and strength of youth, the word came to Abraham, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (ch. 22:2). The multiplication of endearing terms, "thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest" emphasizes the greatness of the sacrifice demanded. Our Isaac has expressed it thus:"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
See there the father and the son in communion ascending Mount Moriah. The wood that is to consume the sacrifice is already bound upon Isaac. Then the beloved of his father in wondrous self-surrender is bound to the altar. In all this we hear, as it were, the words of our Isaac:"Therefore doth my Father love Me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again " (John 10:17).
The type goes as far as type could go, but the Antitype goes through death-"even the death of the cross." Abraham received back his son in a figure as from the dead (Heb. n :19),but our Isaac has been "raised from among the dead by the glory of the Father"-the Father's delight in His Beloved, and His own glory, were concerned in raising from among the dead His beloved, obedient One, and His messengers now are sent through the world to proclaim that "through this Man (Jesus, raised from among the dead) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 3:38 39). Thus, before the law came, the divine way of justification was pointed out.
This is our Isaac (laughter) who makes all that receive Him to laugh with the joy of God's salvation; and who, ere long, shall make this poor, groaning earth to break forth with singing in deliverance from its present bondage (Rom. 8:19-21; Isa. 35:i, 2).
The God of Jacob
But God's elect have in them a nature of sin, "the flesh," and it is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring the heirs of glory into practical conformity to the mind and character of God. This is markedly exemplified in Jacob. His history exhibits this work of the Spirit in the children of God.
"Jacob" (supplanter) is the name given him at his birth, and the nature, expressed in his life, corresponds but too well with his name. Having supplanted his brother twice (in the birthright, and in Isaac's blessing) he becomes a fugitive from his brother's wrath. We may note in passing that Jacob is not "profane" however, as Esau. He both valued the birthright, which Esau lightly esteemed, and his father's blessing enough to risk much to secure it. A lone traveler away from home and parentage, with the bare earth for his bed, a stone for his pillow, the lofty skies for his canopy, God appears to him in a dream of the night, and reiterates to him the promises made to Abraham; and to these He adds, "I am with thee, and will keep thee . . . and will bring thee again into this land" (ch. 28:13-15). But the presence of God makes Jacob afraid, and he cannot credit God with such gracious promises. So he makes a vow, and says:IF God will be with me; IF He keeps me; IF I come again, etc., then .. .And so it is ever where self-confidence and self-righteousness have not been broken in the presence of God. The natural mind is unable to credit God with promises that He makes in pure grace.
Arrived in Padan-aram among his relatives, God permits that Jacob should reap there as he had sown at home. Deception is doubly practiced upon himself. God's discipline has begun. Ten times his wages are changed in Laban's efforts to reduce him. Conflict too is experienced in his household. Toil and hardships are upon him; frost by night and scorching sun by day make his life a trying one; yet through it all God's blessing attends him; he is being multiplied as God had said (ch. 30). Laban's face then becomes changed towards him, and God's own gracious voice bids Jacob to return to the land of promise, with the assurance of His protection, abundantly verified in his further history, as God's promises ever are. So the pursuing Laban is not only hindered from harming Jacob, but even asks for a treaty of peace (ch. 31). The angels of God too come to meet Jacob in his homeward way.
Now at the fords of Jabbok, before entering the home-land, comes the great turning-point in Jacob's life. Tidings are received of his on-coming brother Esau with 400 men, threatening utter destruction. The past is brought to remembrance, and Jacob is thrown into an agony of fear, and pleads with God for mercy. And not only is there the fear of his brother, but there alone and in the night, a stranger comes upon him, battling with him till morning light. At length he recognizes in the opposing stranger the angel-Jehovah. As a cripple, Jacob now clings to Him and beseeches His blessing. He has laid hold upon God as a suppliant in extremity, and thus prevails."And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel"-no more supplanter, but a prince of God . . . "and He blessed him there" (32:28).May we not call this Jacob's conversion ? Jacob called the name of the place "Peniel":for "I have seen God face to face," he says, "and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Peniel, the sun rose upon him" (32:28-31)."He halted upon his thigh"-a cripple as we all are-but he is "Israel" in God's reckoning, with title like Mephibosheth to"sit continually at the King's table," though "lame on both his feet" (2 Sam. 9:10). Through the rest of his life this once grasping man is a limping man, dwelling in the Land of Promise like Abraham and Isaac, not in present possession, but dwelling in tents as pilgrims and strangers there.
Trials and sorrows, with encouragements and promises, oft recur through the rest of the patriarch's life, and greatly deepen the work of grace within. His sons dishonor and trouble him (ch-34). Deborah dies and is buried. God's promises in great fulness are reaffirmed to him at Bethel. Then on the way to Ephrath-Bethlehem, Rachel dies in giving birth to Benoni,-the son of her sorrow, which faith changes to Benjamin-the son of my right hand; and Israel comes to dwell with his father Isaac at Hebron (communion), where Abraham had also dwelt.
Then his beloved Joseph is lost to him, and his desolate heart is in mourning. Earthly things have lost their attraction, and famine in the land comes to complete the severance of heart from things here, until the tidings that Joseph is alive and enthroned revive the heart that had grown heavy. Joseph is alive! and bids Israel to come away to him, and "the spirit of Jacob revived." But he is afraid to go down to Egypt, till God appears to him in a vision of the night saying, "Fear not to go down into Egypt … I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up again:and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes" (46:1-3).
The brightness of the aged patriarch's faith and communion with God is thenceforth very marked. With confidence he goes down to Egypt, with all his own. Touchingly sweet is his meeting again with Joseph; and when he is presented before Pharaoh, in the consciousness of the riches of God's grace towards himself, he is enabled to bless Pharaoh the king of Egypt. He remains but as a stranger there, however; for as death is drawing near he sends for Joseph and makes him swear not to bury him in Egypt, but in the Land of Promise with his fathers (37 :28-31).
The aged pilgrim, in the remembrance of ' 'the God of Bethel" who had blessed him there, bestows the blessing upon Joseph and adopts his two sons as his own-doubling Joseph as it were. The lads are brought to him, and crossing his hands, he blesses them, putting Ephraim the younger above Manasseh the elder; and when his beloved Joseph says,"Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn," Israel refuses to change his hands, saying, "I know it, my son; I know it … and he set Ephraim before Manasseh" (48:15-20)-wittingly, the blind Jacob does what Isaac unwittingly had done-put the younger above the elder.
Lastly, Israel assembles all his sons, and gives to each a detailed prophetic blessing. His work is done. He gives a parting charge to bury him beside Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah and Leah, and dies a worshiping pilgrim, "leaning upon the top of his staff" (Heb. 11:21).
Is this the same man that we saw fleeing from the wrath of his brother ? Yes, and no. It is the same person, but, behold, " What hath GOD wrought! "
The Father's sovereign purposes in grace; the Son's sacrifice in justification of God's grace, and the Spirit's work in bringing many sons to glory- this is our God-the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
" This is my Name, and this is my memorial unto all generations."