1082. In the Stead of His Son

In the Stead of His Son

"And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son" (Gen_22:13).

When Abraham lifted his hand to slay his son, God cried: "Abraham, Abraham, * * Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him." Here the type breaks and it is transferred to the ram caught by its horns in the thicket. In the seventh sub-division we will take up this thread again. Just now let us look at the ram, which was to be taken in the stead of the son.

1. In that ram the doctrine of substitution is plainly set forth. We were under the curse, but Christ was made a curse for us. We were under eternal death, but He tasted the cup of death for us.

In the little Book of Philemon, Paul is sending back a runaway slave who had been saved in the jail at Rome. Paul writes a letter urging Philemon to receive Onesimus back, no longer, however, as a slave, but as a brother beloved in the Lord. In fact Paul urges that he should be received as a partner, even as he, Paul, would have been received; thus Paul said: "If he owes thee ought, put that to my account."

Thus does Jesus Christ send us back to God. Our sins are all gone, our record is made clean; our position is that of a son, not a servant. Christ carries us to the Father's heart, even as He Himself is in the Father's heart. He also presents His claim, "If he oweth Thee ought, put it to My account."

And God did lay our sins on Jesus Christ. The whole account against us was settled on the Cross.

"What! Lay my sins on Jesus,

God's well beloved Son,

Yes, 'tis a truth most precious,

That God Himself hath done."

2. Not only was the ram a type of Christ dying for us, but Abraham so understood it. It was a trying moment to the aged patriarch as he raised his own hand to slay his son. It was a blessed moment when Abraham heard God's voice saying, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad;" and as Abraham turned and saw the ram, he also was exceeding glad.

The Lord doubtless referred to this very scene when He said: "Abraham saw My day and was glad" (Joh_8:56).

And should not we rejoice. Is it nothing to us that we are taken out from the sentence of death, that our sins are gone? How can the sinner refuse so great salvation?

Would' Abraham slay his son with the substitute close at hand, held by his horns in the thicket?

Will the sinner rush on to death and hell when the Substitute is crouching at the door?

Why not believe Christ this very hour and live?

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR