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"And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he
was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb; he staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform"
(Rom. 4: 19-21).
Isaac, the child of promise, was a literal example of resurrection power in operation.
Nor was this the last time in Abraham's life that he was to learn the exceeding greatness
of this power. The climax of this man's experience came when at length he was asked by
God to give back the son he had waited for so long, the one who had become so precious
to him. The Epistle to the Hebrews makes it clear how the patriarch's faith was able to
stand so severe a test:
"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son . . . . . accounting that God was able to raise
him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure" (11: 17-19).
Abraham knew that the power that had conquered the deadness of his own body could
bring his own son back to life and his implicit trust in resurrection power is seen in the
narrative in Gen. 22: 4, 5:
"And Abraham said to his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad
will go yonder and worship and come again to you."
and this in spite of the fact that he was intending to sacrifice his son. Now these things
are written for our learning and encouragement. The power that conquers death and that
wrought so wondrously for Abraham has not changed. It is indeed "to usward" who
believe (Eph. 1: 19, 20). As this age draws nearer to its end and the times grow darker
with increasing difficulties and problems, the need for a practical experience of the
inworking of this supreme power grows greater and greater. There is scarcely a child of
God to-day who is not being tested in one direction or another and the only way that we
can say with Paul that "in all these things (not exempt from them) we are more than
conquerors" (Rom. 8: 37), is by drawing on the power of His resurrection (Phil. 3: 10)
resident in our ascended Saviour and Head, by simple childlike faith. Then and only
then, shall we be able to rise above the difficulties with which we are beset and live to
glorify Him in our daily life and witness.
(4) Resurrection and Prophecy.--The promises made to Abraham in Gen. 12: & 15:
are revelations of the Divine plan as regards the earth. This man's descendants were to
be God's agents for worldwide blessing, with the consequences that the Old Testament
from this point onwards is really a record of God's preparation of this people for the role
they were to perform in His purpose and their reaction to His leading and guidance. The
record is largely a sad one, for God's revelation is one thing, and human response often
quite another. Israel's failure under the Judges and the Kings is black indeed, ending
with seventy years' judgment in Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. The restoration under
Ezra and Nehemiah was only a partial recovery spiritually and when in the fullness of
time their King came to them in the flesh, it was only a little flock who were ready to
receive Him. The official verdict of the nation was "we will not have this man to reign
over us" (Luke 19: 14) and they crucified their Saviour and their King. Such was the