It strikes me that this was the master work of AbrahamвЂ™s faith.

And must that vision, after all, flit from before his eyes? Must his faith become a delusion and all his hopes a mockery? So it would seem! And yet mark the faith of AbrahamвЂ“he not only submits to the loss of his choicest jewel, and to tear away one who was bound to his heart by ties stronger than flesh and bloodвЂ“but in doing it, he staggers not, for he still believes that God will be true to His promise! He has been pleased to give him strength of mind and faith of heart enough to see these expectations realized in a vision. To slay his own son, to cut off his hope of posterity, to sacrifice for a burnt-offering that son who was a special gift of GodвЂ™s bounty, to kill him in whom he looked for a further fulfillment of GodвЂ™s promiseвЂ“to stop that golden pipe through which mercy is to flow to the whole world, to dam up that silver stream which is to enrich nations yet unbornвЂ“that were to blast AbrahamвЂ™s brightest hopes as well as to wound his most tender affections! God has cherished in him high anticipations. And now, when the Lord says, вЂњTake your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love,вЂќ there is a cut in every word at the most tender part of AbrahamвЂ™s soul. It is in him that all the nations of the earth will be blessed. No, something still more mysterious is linked with that youthвЂ™s life. It is in Isaac and in IsaacвЂ™s seed that God will fulfill His Covenant which He has made with Abraham. What marvel, then, that this son, when born, should be the object of AbrahamвЂ™s fondest affection? Moreover, a strange halo of hope gathers round the ladвЂ™s head, for God has made him the heir of a Covenant. He considered not the infirmities of his own body, nor the deadness of SarahвЂ™s wombвЂ“he waited patiently, not doubting that God would, in due time, according to His promise, give him a son. Still he looked steadfastly for the promise because he believed implicitly in the Promiser. At length old age crept over the Patriarch and his wife. Year after year elapsed, but no sign of the long-looked-for child appeared. Abraham had received a great promise, on the fulfillment of which he greatly relied.

It pleased God to try him on a very tender point. How stern the trial! How striking the triumph! How sublime, both in action and passion, was the faith of Abraham in that terrible crisis. вЂњAnd Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.вЂќ

Binding of isaac antetype jesus