Scripture Reading: Rom. 4:17; Gen. 12:1-2; 15:1-6; 18:14; 20:17; 21:1-3, 33; 22:1-19
Ⅰ
Throughout his whole life, Abraham learned one lesson—that God is the Father—Eph. 3:14-15:
A
God did a special work on Abraham in order to show him what it means for God to be the Father—4:6.
B
To know God as the Father is to know that He is the source, the unique Initiator, and that everything originates from Him—Matt. 15:13; 14:19, 22-23.
C
The basic lesson that Abraham had to learn was to know that God is the One who initiates everything—John 5:17, 19-20a, 30; 7:16-17; 8:28; 17:4.
D
We all need to see that God is the Father and that everything proceeds from Him—1 Cor. 8:6a; Matt. 16:17; Eph. 1:17; 3:14-16; Col. 1:12; 1 Thes. 1:1.
Ⅱ
When Isaac was born, Abraham believed in and experienced God as the One who calls things not being as being—Rom. 4:17-21:
A
God promised to make of Abraham a great nation—the kingdom of God, composed of the nation of Israel as God's kingdom in the Old Testament, the church as God's kingdom in the New Testament, the millennial kingdom in the coming age, and the new heaven and new earth for eternity—Gen. 12:1-2; Matt. 21:43; 16:18-19a; Rom. 14:17; Rev. 11:15; 22:5.
B
In Genesis 15 God came in to show Abraham that he needed God's grace inwardly for the fulfillment of God's purpose, which is to have a people to express God with His image, represent Him with His dominion, and possess the earth—1:26-28:
１
Only that which God worked into Abraham could bring forth from Abraham the required seed—15:3-4.
２
Abraham believed that God was able to work something into him to bring forth from Abraham the required seed—v. 6.
C
In Genesis 16 Abraham exercised his flesh, his natural strength, to produce Ishmael—a serious offense against God and His economy.
D
In Genesis 17 God charged Abraham to cut off his flesh, to terminate his natural strength, so that God could come in and bring forth Isaac by His grace for the fulfillment of His purpose.
E
Abraham interceded for Abimelech's need in spite of his own failure and the fact that Sarah was still barren—20:7a, 17.
F
The birth of Isaac was the coming of Jehovah, which was the coming of grace—18:14; 21:1-3; John 1:17:
１
Isaac was born by the strength of God's grace, not by the strength of man's natural life.
２
The birth of Isaac took place after Abraham was circumcised and after he and Sarah had become completely deadened—Rom. 4:18-19.
Ⅲ
When Abraham received Isaac back after offering him to God as a burnt offering on the altar, he believed in and experienced God as the One who gives life to the dead—Rom. 4:17; Heb. 11:17-19; Gen. 22:1-19:
A
At Beer-sheba Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called upon the name of Jehovah, the Eternal God—21:22-33:
１
The tamarisk tree signifies the tree of life experienced and expressed— v. 33.
２
The Eternal God is the secret, mysterious One, who is our eternal life.
３
Abraham lived by calling on Jehovah, El Olam, by experiencing the Eternal, hidden God as his life.
B
The life at Beer-sheba produces a burnt offering that is offered to God on Mount Moriah—22:1-2:
１
Isaac's source of living made him a burnt offering, one who was offered to God for His satisfaction—vv. 2, 7-8.
２
The proper church life produces burnt offerings; the more we stay in the church life, the more it will bring us from Beer-sheba to Moriah.
３
Everything concerning Isaac was of God and by God, and God required Abraham to offer Isaac back to Him as a burnt offering—vv. 1-2.
C
We need to learn the lesson of offering back to God what He has given us—Rom. 11:36:
１
The highest demand from God is to give back to Him what He has given us.
２
All that God has given us, including what He has wrought into us, must be offered back to Him, that we may live a life of faith, not holding on to anything, even to the things given by God, but relying only on Him.
D
After Isaac was offered, he was returned to Abraham in resurrection and became a blessing; likewise, after we have offered to God what we have received of Him, He will return it to us in resurrection, and it will become a blessing for the fulfillment of His purpose—Gen. 22:12-13, 16-18; Heb. 11:19.
E
By being offered to God by Abraham, Isaac was multiplied to become the New Jerusalem; therefore, the New Jerusalem will be the ultimate consummation of Abraham's seed—Gen. 22:16-18; Rom. 8:29; Rev. 21:2, 7.