(Gen. 22.)

This is a chapter of profound interest, because it is a divine picture of the place that God would have us reach in the history of our souls. To help us to understand it better I would ask you to look at some of the sacrifices in the previous chapters. In chapter 3 we have sinners, naked and guilty, standing before God, who "made coats and clothed them." This sacrifice as most of the Old Testament sacrifices, spoke of Christ:"In the roll of the book it is written of Me" (Heb. 10:7).

Let us notice that this sacrifice is God's, and quite apart from any exercise on the part of man. The naked sinner is clothed by the work of the Lord God; thus, we might say, the whole world came under the shelter of that sacrifice; judgment for a time was averted; and the sinner could have the season of grace to consider the words and act of the Lord God in connection with the Seed of the woman and the sacrifice, familiar figures of the Son of Man born of the Virgin and the work on the Cross. To my mind, the outstanding feature in this is the propitiation for the whole world (1 John 2:2, New Trans.).

Now turning to Gen. 4, where we get another sacrifice, this time it is in connection with exercised sinners. It is not now the naked sinner and the act of God towards him, but men who are in the light of that first sacrifice; for, no doubt, their parents had told them of the first estate and the banishment:also they would be clothed in the same fashion. They were in a world for which God has a propitiatory sacrifice; but they are exercised about acceptance with God. Each brought an offering.

One took the best of a cursed earth, the fruit of his toil; the other perpetuated the idea of sacrifice. If the Lord God was pleased to propitiate Himself with a sacrifice, perhaps He would accept, as a substitute, a sacrifice from an exercised sinner. We know the result. The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering. It was the fat- the excellency-of the sacrifice that was offered. The new feature in this sacrifice is the substitute for an enlightened sinner.

In Gen. 8 we find a new condition of things. The earth had been swept clean of all that was offensive to God, and a new scene appears. It is now the act of one in whom there is a work of grace. The ark had provided what was found in the other sacrifices. It is the moral purity of the sacrifice and the sweet smell for God that commands the attention. The new feature is the altar. Truly, when it was a question of guilt and the curse, or the exercised sinner seeking acceptance with God, the altar could not appear. But grace had been shown, faith was- manifested, and the ark had borne its precious freight through the flood to that time when it could be said:"Behold, the face of the ground was dry." How everything preaches to us:"So if any one (be) in Christ, (there is) a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).

In the light of these things let us turn to Gen. 22, and read of another sacrifice, this time commanded of God. Many new features appear; the prominent are :love, obedience, worship and resurrection. Beloved reader, what are we to gather here? Is it not clear that God desires to engage us with the affection side of the sacrifice? The love of a father; the obedience of his son; all is intended to speak to us.

Let us look closer:"God tried Abraham, and said to him, Abraham, and he said, Here am I." What material there was for God; how near to His hand. I have often marvelled at the readiness of the Old Testament saints to be used of God. What delight, too, for Him to show off His gold!

How deliberately all is weighed out to this father! "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest." Blessed God! He knows how to call out the faith He has given. He knew the feelings of this father's heart. It was His own heart that was being told out in this. It was His only Son whom He loved that was to be given for men. Another has said:"Here we are apt to fail, not in over-estimate of the Son's sacrifice, but in losing sight of the Father's" (Rom. 8:32).

Abraham moves towards the place of which God had told him. It is very striking that this should be the place where Solomon laid the foundation for the house of God. How it edifies one to know that love is behind the purpose of God. Love ever was; and God formed His purpose in this before the questions in connection with sin could arise. That purpose was concerning His Son, and the working out is amidst scenes of sin, sorrow and death.

"I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." We have seen new features in the other sacrifices, but never before was resurrection one of these; but with language so plain, it must now appear, for He is "the Resurrection and the Life."

"And they went both of them together." What a picture of unity in thought and purpose! "That the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do," and, "I am not alone, for the Father is with Me" (John 14:31; 16:32). It is in this connection that we read of the "wood, fire and a knife." I would suggest that these things set forth what was plainly seen with our Lord Jesus Christ as He moved on, in obedience and love to His Father, to His Moriah where the foundation of the true house was laid (Heb. 3:4, 6; 1 Cor. 3:11).

"Wood of the burnt offering" could truly be seen in "the zeal of Thy house devours Me" (John 2:17, New Tram). If the dearest of ties would seem to interfere with that purpose, zeal was manifested immediately (John 2:4; Mark 8:32,33).

Fire-"Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 11:29)- is that element of judgment so necessary in a scene of defilement. Not only was its principle applied to hypocrisy, but the Lord Himself, as the One to take upon Himself the judgment of sin, anticipated its awfulness (Matt. 22:23; Luke 22:41-44).

The knife, which was to slay Isaac, sets forth the principle of death. The fall of Adam involved all in the sentence of death; but the sacrifice showed how the death of Another could provide the remedy (Heb. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:10,11). The shadow of this was over the Lord from the 'moment of His birth till its full fury burst upon Him on the cross. True, Isaac was spared; but a ram was available, caught by its horns. It was taken captive in the seat of its power. How we are reminded of Him who said:"I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself" (John 10:18). It was not the power of men, but the power of His blessed life, namely, love, that took Him to that cross.

Isaac is received back as it were from the dead; and in the words, " In thy Seed shall all the nations be blessed," there is more than a hint of the "many sons" who are "all of one," and to whom He has declared the Father's name (Heb. 2:10-12). We can see why we are told of Abraham's kindred where Rebekah (the bride-to-be of this son) appears, in this same chapter.

How blessed to have a part in the wonderful purpose of God in connection with His risen Son; and to find employment for all eternity in the affection side of God's wonderful provision. Oh, that we too might move on together with the Father and the Son, displaying what is set forth in the "wood, fire and the knife" applied to ourselves; and seek to live before God in the constant attitude of love, obedience and worship. The spring for this is found in beholding the Lamb God has provided for Himself. Truly, Christ died for sinners; but the end in view was that the Father might be known and worshiped (John 4).

"Dwells in His bosom-knoweth all
That in that bosom lies,
And came to earth to make it known,
That we might share His joys."

E. Chas Taylor