by Rev. D. M. Macdonald, Edinburgh
Mount Moriah.
Mountain ranges are the most conspicuous objects in the world. They form the backbone of several continents and have a magnificent appearance, especially when covered with snow and ice, and the sun shining on them from a blue sky in fine weather, their tops point to the heavens, directing our minds to their Creator and silently witnessing His infinite power and wisdom. They are mentioned in the Scriptures, to illustrate the unchangeableness of God’s purposes for his people and his constant mercy and loving kindness to them.
Many remarkable events happened on the mountains of Palestine, which we may regard as conveying important messages to ourselves, and the first one we shall deal with is Mount Moriah, on which Abraham was told to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The sovereignty of God is displayed in choosing Abraham to be the first Patriarch, to whom great promises were given. They were that in him, all the nations of the world would be blessed, and his descendants would be innumerable. He was the most important figure of antiquity and with him the Hebrew race would begin. His familiar intercourse with God gained him the name of “Friend of God,” by which he is still known in the East. His faith was counted to him for righteousness and by it he secured the blessing of God. Mere natural descent from Abraham was regarded as entitling men to be partakers of his Spiritual inheritance, an error which John the Baptist, the Saviour and His followers earnestly controverted. By faith the Gentiles are brought within range of the promise, and are blessed with faithful Abraham. So closely is the revelation of future Gospel blessings associated with him, that God is never spoken of in Scripture as the God of Enoch, or Noah, but only as the God of Abraham and his descendants.
We must now deal with the great trial of his faith and its triumph on Mount Moriah. After the hardships he had gone through he might have been thinking that the worst was over, when he heard these words, as a command from God, “Take now thy 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 will tell thee of.” This was a tremendous test and Abraham might have heard it with amazement. It was not a bullock, nor a servant, nor an adopted son, but Isaac, whom he loved. He was not only to kill his son, but to kill him as a sacrifice, kill him with sedateness and that composure of mind with which he used to offer his burnt offerings. The difficulties that might now occur to him were that this was against the law which forbids murder, it was unnatural, it was against the promise, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called,” how could he return to his family with Isaac’s blood on his garments, what would the Egyptians and the other heathens of the land say. But he was certain that it was indeed a command of God and not a delusion. That would be sufficient to answer them all, for God’s commands must not be disputed, but obeyed. Abraham speedily prepared for the journey taking Isaac and two young men with him. He laid the wood on Isaac. He took the fire in his hand and a knife and they went, both of them together. They came to the place which God had told them of and Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar. Isaac now realizes that he is the lamb to be sacrificed and he willingly submits, for no mention is made of his objecting. Then when Abraham took the knife in his hand to slay his son they heard the angel of the Lord saying, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” Then Abraham lifted up his hands and looked and saw a ram caught in a thicket by his horns, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. By grace Abraham came through this tremendous test of obedience and faith in a manner that glorified God.
Isaac was not sacrificed, but God spared not his only begotten son in order that unworthy sinners might be saved from eternal destruction. How wonderful it is that He should pass over angels who sinned and set His love on lost sinners of Adam’s race! The sacrifice of the ram typifies the sacrifice of Christ on behalf of His people. A new name was given to the place to the honour of God—Jehovah Jireh—and for the encouragement of believers to the end of the world cheerfully to trust in God in the way of obedience. Jehovah Jireh means that the Lord will not only provide for the needs of his people, but that He has His eye on them in all their straits and distresses in order that He may help and deliver them at the critical moment, thereby manifesting His love, goodness and power in meeting their wants. After His wonderful career of faith and fellowship with God, Abraham at the age of one hundred and seventy-five years gave up the ghost and was gathered to his people. He was buried in his own burial place at Mamre, beside Sarah, his wife.