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Abraham’s Great Example of Obedience, February 17
In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have
obeyed My voice.
Genesis 22:18
, NKJV.
On Mount Moriah, God again renewed His covenant, confirming with a solemn
oath the blessing to Abraham and to his seed through all coming generations: “By
myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, for because thou hast done this thing, and
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and
in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which is upon the sea shore.” ...
Abraham’s great act of faith stands like a pillar of light, illuminating the pathway
of God’s servants in all succeeding ages. Abraham did not seek to excuse himself
from doing the will of God. During that three days’ journey he had sufficient time
to reason, and to doubt God, if he was disposed to doubt.... Abraham was human;
his passions and attachments were like ours; but he did not stop to question how the
promise could be fulfilled if Isaac should be slain. He did not stay to reason with
his aching heart. He knew that God is just and righteous in all His requirements,
and he obeyed the command to the very letter....
It was to impress Abraham’s mind with the reality of the gospel, as well as to
test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he endured
during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand
from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the
infinite God for humanity’s redemption. No other test could have caused Abraham
such torture of soul as did the offering of his son.... What stronger proof can be
given of the infinite compassion and love of God? “He that spared not his own Son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?” (
Romans 8:32
).—
Patriarchs and Prophets, 153, 154
.
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