0937. Abraham, or the Faith That Sees the Resurrection

Abraham, or the Faith That Sees the Resurrection

"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son,

"Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

"Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure" (Heb_11:17-19)

Another distinct vision of Abraham's faith is recorded by the Holy Spirit. Abraham was called upon to offer up his son, Isaac. To be sure every promise of God to Abraham was tied up in this son of promise. Yet Abraham wavered not. He went a three-day journey to Mount Moriah. He prepared the altar, he fastened Isaac and placed him ready for sacrifice, he even lifted his hand to slay the lad. Then God spoke: "Abraham, Abraham, * * lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him."

As Abraham stayed his hand, and as turning he saw the substitute, a ram caught by its horns in the thicket, Abraham saw Christ's day and exulted.

But this is not all that Abraham saw. He saw Christ raised from the dead. He stood ready to slay Isaac because he believed God was able to raise him up. He did more, he saw in Isaac's resurrection a parable or a figure of another resurrection.

That resurrection included the resurrection of Christ, but it must have looked far beyond to the resurrection of those in Christ.

If Job who was, perhaps, a contemporary of Abraham, believed that he would stand again upon the earth and see God for himself, why should not Abraham have had a like faith? And that is just what Abraham did have. He stands before us in Hebrews 11 as an example of the faith that has unswerving convictions of the things to come. He looked down the ages and saw the resurrection of Christ, and beyond that, the resurrection of all those who sleep in Christ How could all the visions of faith already noted, be possible, apart from this added vision? Abraham believed God.

What shall we say? We have much added revelation concerning the resurrection. We have particularly the proof of the "first fruits," in the certified resurrection of Christ; can we doubt then that the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout and that the dead in Christ shall rise first and that those of us who remain and are alive at the coming of the Lord shall be changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air? Let us be believing and not forever casting insult at the Holy Spirit of Promise.

The faith of Abraham did see

His son raised up, from death set free.

This man of faith looked down the years

And saw death robbed of all its fears,

Saw Christ raised up; believers too,

All raised, translated, made anew

With bodies changed and glorified

With Christ forever to abide.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR