Genesis 22:14

Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh.

Which means? "The Lord will provide," or as some render it, "The Lord will see."

In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

Jerome says: " This became. proverb among the Hebrews, that if any should be in trouble and should desire help of the Lord, they should say, In the mount the Lord will see, that is, as he had mercy on Abraham, and provided in the mount, so he will have mercy on us."

PRACTICAL AND SUGGESTIVE.

Though troubles assail and dangers affright, Though friends should all fall, and foes all unite; Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide, The Scripture assures us, the Lord will provide. His call we obey, like Abrah'm of old, Not knowing our way, but faith makes us bold; For though we are strangers, we have. good guide, And trust in all dangers, the Lord will provide.

ABRAHAM'S TRIAL.--The issue shows that God did not desire the sacrifice of Isaac, by slaying and burning him upon the altar (nor would he permit it), but his complete surrender and. willingness to offer him to God even in death. Nevertheless, the divine command was given in such. form that Abraham could not understand it in any other way than as requiring an outward burnt offering, because there was no other way in which Abraham could accomplish the complete surrender of Isaac than by an actual preparation for really offering the desired sacrifice.-- Delitsch.

ABRAHAM'S EXAMPLE.--God did not put Abraham to this test that he might know Abraham's heart, but that Abraham might know himself, and that he might stand forth as an example to all ages. The great type of the Faith sets the example of. complete surrender to the divine will, without hesitation or questioning, even when the divine purpose seemed darkest, and the sacrifice the greatest. Who can claim to walk in Abraham's steps, as. child of Abraham by faith, who hesitates at the commands of God? Who that declines, or delays, or seeks to change God's ordinances, or asks if some other way will not do? Then, also, he is an example to parents who hesitate to dedicate their children to God, to have them go as missionaries, or devote themselves to God's service without hope of earthly reward.

OUR SACRIFICE.--The Christian sacrifice is the surrender of the will, the surrender of ourselves. When all the will has been submitted, then God says, "Now. know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me." So the great sacrifice of Christ was pleasing, not because of the shedding of blood, but by reason of the surrender of the will. It was not Isaac's blood that God wanted, but Abraham's will. It was not Christ's blood that pleased God, but the complete merging of his will into the divine will. "Not my will, but thine be done."-- Robertson. So, too, in our obedience to the divine ordinances, as baptism for example, it is not so much the act that the Lord wants, but the giving up of our wills to the divine keeping.

POINTS FOR TEACHERS.

1. Note the past life, the trials, the demonstrations of his faith. 2. Note also the reasons for special attachment to Isaac, the child of promise, of old age, the hope of the future nation and of the coming Messiah. 3. Picture the terrible blow to the father's heart and hopes when the command comes. 4. Show how it was obeyed--no hesitation, no appeals to Sarah or his family for sympathy, but calmly, pathetically trusting, he goes right on. 5. Show why he was able to endure his trial. It was his faith. He believed all God had said, and that therefore he would raise Isaac from the dead. 6. Portray the touching scene that Abraham ends with the words, "The Lord will provide." 7. Show how Isaac was. type of the Lamb of God. 8. Show how the Lord did provide, and the meaning of the substitute. 9. Bring out the great lesson of Abraham's example to us.