Verse 9. At length “they came to the place of which GOD had told _Abraham_. He built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound _Isaac_ his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.”
And here let us pause a while, and by faith take a view of the place where the father has laid him. I doubt not but the blessed angels hovered round the altar, and sang, “Glory be to GOD in the highest,” for giving such faith to man. Come, all ye tender-hearted parents, who know what it is to look over a dying child: fancy that you saw the altar erected before you, and the wood laid in order, and the ♦beloved _Isaac_ bound upon it: fancy that you saw the aged parent standing by weeping. (For, why may we not suppose that _Abraham_ wept, since JESUS himself wept at the grave of _Lazarus_?) O what pious, endearing expressions passed now alternately between the father and the son! _Josephus_ records a pathetic speech made by each, whether genuine I know not: but methinks I see the tears trickle down the Patriarch _Abraham_’s cheeks; and out of the abundance of the heart, he cries, Adieu, adieu, my son; the LORD gave thee to me, and the LORD calls thee away; blessed be the name of the LORD: adieu, my _Isaac_, my only son, whom I love as my own soul; adieu, adieu. I see _Isaac_ at the same time meekly resigning himself into his heavenly Father’s hands, and praying to the most High to strengthen his earthly parent to strike the stroke. But why do I attempt to describe what either son or father felt? It is impossible: we may indeed form some faint idea of, but shall never fully comprehend it, till we come and sit down with them in the kingdom of heaven, and hear them tell the pleasing story over again. Hasten, O LORD, that blessed time! O let thy kingdom come!
♦ “belove” replaced with “beloved”
And now, the fatal blow is going to be given. “And _Abraham_ stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.” But do you not think he intended to turn away his head, when he gave the blow? Nay, why may we not suppose he sometimes drew his hand in, after it was stretched out, willing to take another last farewell of his beloved _Isaac_, and desirous to defer it a little, though resolved at last to strike home? Be that as it will, his arm is now stretched out, the knife is in his hand, and he is about to put it to his dear son’s throat.
But sing, O heavens! and rejoice, O earth! Man’s extremity is GOD’s opportunity: for behold, just as the knife, in all probability, was near his throat, verse 11. “the angel of the LORD, (or rather the LORD of angels, JESUS CHRIST, the angel of the everlasting covenant) called unto him, (probably in a very audible manner) from heaven, and said, _Abraham_, _Abraham_. (The word is doubled, to engage his attention; and perhaps the suddenness of the call made him draw back his hand, just as he was going to strike his son.) And _Abraham_ said, Here am I.”
“And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now know I that thou fearest GOD, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”
Here then it was that _Abraham_ received his son _Isaac_ from the dead in a figure. He was in effect offered upon the altar, and GOD looked upon him as offered and given unto him. Now it was that _Abraham_’s faith, being tried, was found more precious than gold purified seven times in the fire. Now as a reward of grace, though not of debt, for this signal act of obedience, by an oath, GOD gives and confirms the promise, “that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed,” verse 17, 18. With what comfort may we suppose the good old man and his son went down from the mount, and returned unto the young men! With what joy may we imagine he went home, and related all that had passed to _Sarah_! And above all, with what triumph is he now exulting in the paradise of GOD, and adoring rich, free, distinguishing, electing, everlasting love, which alone made him to differ from the rest of mankind, and rendered him worthy of that title which he will have so long as the sun and the moon endure, “The Father of the faithful!”
But let us now draw our eyes from the creature, and do what _Abraham_, if he was present, would direct to; I mean, fix them on the Creator, GOD blessed for evermore.