How GOD was pleased to reveal his will at this time to his faithful servant, whether by the _Shechinah_, or divine appearance, or by a small still voice, as he spoke to _Elijah_, or by a whisper, like that of the Spirit to _Philip_, when he commanded him to go join himself to the eunuch’s chariot, we are not told, nor is it material to enquire. It is enough that we are informed, GOD said unto him, _Abraham_; and that _Abraham_ knew it was the voice of GOD: for he said, “Behold, here I am.” O what a holy familiarity (if I may so speak) is there between GOD and those holy souls that are united to him by faith in CHRIST JESUS! GOD says, _Abraham_; and _Abraham_ said (it should seem without the least surprize) Behold, here I am. Being reconciled to GOD by the death and obedience of CHRIST, which he rejoiced in, and saw by faith afar off; he did not, like guilty _Adam_, seek the trees of the garden to hide himself from, but takes pleasure in conversing with GOD, and talketh with him, as a man talketh with his friend. O that CHRIST-less sinners knew what it is to have fellowship with the Father and the Son! They would envy the happiness of saints, and count it all joy to be termed enthusiasts and fools for CHRIST’s sake.
But what does GOD say to _Abraham_? Verse 2. “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 shall tell thee of.”
Every word deserves our particular observation. Whatever he was to do, he must do it now, immediately, without conferring with flesh and blood. But what must he do? “Take now thy son.” Had GOD said, take now a firstling, or choicest lamb or beast of thy flock, and offer it up for a burnt-offering, it would not have appeared so ghastly; but for GOD to say, “take now thy son, and offer him up for a burnt-offering,” one would have imagined, was enough to stagger the strongest faith. But this is not all: it must not only be a son, but “thine only son _Isaac_, whom thou lovest.” If it must be a son, and not a beast, that must be offered, why will not _Ishmael_ do, the son of the bond-woman? No, it must be his only son, the heir of all, his _Isaac_, by interpretation _laughter_, the son of his old age, in whom his soul delighted, “whom thou lovest,” says GOD, in whose life his own was wrapped up: and this son, this only son, this _Isaac_, the son of his love, must be taken now, even now, without delay, and be offered up by his own father, for a burnt offering, upon one of the mountains of the which GOD would tell him.
Well might the apostle, speaking of this man of GOD, say, that “against hope he believed in hope, and, being strong in faith, gave glory to GOD:” For, had he not been blessed with faith which man never before had, he must have refused to comply with this severe command. For how many arguments might nature suggest, to prove that such a command could never come from GOD, or to excuse himself from obeying it? “What! (might the good man have said) butcher my own child! it is contrary to the very law of nature: much more to butcher my dear son _Isaac_, in whose seed GOD himself has assured me of a numerous posterity. But supposing I could give up my own affections, and be willing to part with him, though I love him so dearly, yet, if I murder him, what will become of GOD’s promise? Besides, I am now like a city built upon a hill; I shine as a light in the world, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation: How then shall I cause GOD’s name to be blasphemed, how shall I become a by-word among the heathen, if they hear that I have committed a crime which they abhor! But, above all, what will _Sarah_ my wife say? How can I ever return to her again, after I have imbrued my hands in my dear child’s blood? O that GOD would pardon me in this thing, or take my life in the place of my son’s!” Thus, I say, _Abraham_ might have argued, and that too seemingly with great reason, against complying with the divine command. But as before by faith he considered not the deadness of _Sarah_’s womb, when she was past age, but believed on him, who said, “_Sarah_ thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed;” so now, being convinced that the same GOD spoke to and commanded him to offer up that son, and knowing that GOD was able to raise him from the dead, without delay he obeys the heavenly call.