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And a very good evening to you, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to see you here. I feel perhaps you need some word of explanation. As the lecture program of the earlier part of the year drew to its close, I was persuaded to give some informal talks to the young people of this church and a few of their friends. That being an easy assignment that I consented to do, that I shall proceed to do in these meet- meetings of a Sunday night, if and when I am able to be here. I hope those that have invited you have warned you what I propose to do, so that none of you is here under false pretenses.
What these things are in these coming weeks, God willing, is a few informal talks to the young people of this church and one or two of their friends. Secondly, if you could be so kind, because what I want to say will involve some writing on this whiteboard behind me, if you could find yourself kindly of heart, I would be grateful if some of you at the back would come and fill in these seats at the front. I haven't a lot of hope because I've often asked audiences to do that, and the more Christian they are, the more resolutely they refuse to do it.
But I would be grateful if some of you at least could come up, uh, so that you could see what it is that I should be writing on this board. Now, one further explanation of, um, uh, what we are doing. These present studies are, arose out of the plan of studies that this church has been conducting in the winter months, when on a Thursday evening we have been considering together lessons from the lives of some of the ancient people of God that are mentioned in the book of Genesis. And so it came to pass that one night our Mr.
Hugh Hamilton was charged with talking to us about the patriarch Abraham. And, uh, very kindly and at the expense of time and much effort, he produced this diagrammatic chart here on my left and expounded it to us one evening. He had found it helpful himself, and we certainly found it helpful to see the life of Abraham put out here in tabular form, so that we could see the progress and development of faith in the life of Abraham. Now, Mr.
Hamilton will be on hand here when I have finished to explain to you who care to come up and look at this, uh, tab- table of contents, the particular significance of some of the symbols that he has here used. Let me just briefly point out some. What he has done is to note, to list the appearances of God to Abraham in the order in which they occur in the text. And there they go along that top line there, uh G one to G ten, the appearances of God, uh, to Abraham and the places where Abraham was at the time when God appeared to him.
And secondly, he has recorded the promises that God made to Abraham, such as that he would give him the land, signified by the letter L, such that he would bless him and grant that through him and his seed should all the nations of the world be blessed. Here down here is a row of what looked like capital letter pi, but is in fact meant to be a symbol of the various altars that Abraham erected in the course of his life. Uh, inviting us, of course, to remember those occasions and to consider the significance of the experiences that God, uh, that Abraham had of God on those occasions that moved him to build those altars.
Then lower down here, Mr. Hamilton has charted for us the testings and temptations that Abraham endured in the course of his life. He has put the testings that resulted in failure in black letter T, T one and T two and so forth, and then the testings in which Abraham was, uh, victorious here with the green letter T, T three, T four, T five. And though perhaps Mr. Hamilton won't note it, know, know it, it was a comfort to a good deal of us, good many of us, to find out, um, how late in life Abraham was still failing in the temptations that came his way, right up to here, for instance, T seven, the test that he suffered with the Philistines in Gerar, a test which Abraham, alas, failed.
But, as I say, much to our comfort, though it's a bit naughty to talk like that, isn't it? But that great man of God was of like passions as we. He didn't come through all his tests with flying colors. He came through some tests and failed at the first. Then he came through a lot of tests, he was successful. Then he failed again, grievously failed, though thank God the last temptations found him victorious again. And here on the bottom row are, of course, the chapters in Genesis where these things occur, and here are the ages of Abraham's life in which he experienced these things.
Useful tabula- tabulation, therefore, of some of the main facts of Abraham's life. And Mr. Hamilton got us all so interested in that, that knowing that I had promised to give these informal talks, uh, on on the Sunday nights, I was, uh, carried away by his enthusiasm and said, would it be an idea if we worked together in these nights and added to this tabulation here, added to this chart, some of the other significant features about the life of Abraham, so that, who knows, before we finish, we could get out, uh, quite a comprehensive chart that would be, as Thucydides said, a catema ezar ai, that is a possession forever.
It is in that spirit that, uh, we go about things tonight, and I make a very modest contribution. What I should like to point to this evening is the significance of the order of Abraham's experiences, and therefore of the order of the events that occur in Abraham's life, as seen by the New Testament itself. And I'm going to start on the ground floor, and then perhaps work on to something a little bit more this evening, and God willing, if there are future occasions, then to fill in yet more of the detail.
But tonight we start on the very ground floor, and we observe the book of Genesis chapter fifteen. as all of us know, but then we could look at it, could we, if we have our Bibles with us. Genesis fifteen uh, and verse six. One of the most famous verses in the whole of the Old Testament. Genesis fifteen verse six says, and he, that is Abraham, believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. And therefore I have put here under Genesis fifteen the simple words, justification by faith.
We should then notice that there follows in Genesis fifteen from verses seven onwards, the great covenant that God made with Abraham and with his seed, covenanting to give Abraham the possession of the land. The land as defined in the geographical terms of verses eighteen to twenty one. That is Genesis chapter fifteen. And then I've recorded the simple fact here for the moment that in Genesis seventy, the Lord appeared to Abraham, so we're told, when he was ninety and nine years old, and told Abraham that he and his seed after him were from now on to observe the rite of the circumcision of all male pe- m- uh, people in his family.
So Genesis fifteen, justification by faith and the covenant of the inheritance. Genesis seventeen, the right of circumcision. Two simple, obvious, elementary observations on the order of events in the book of Genesis. Now, if you please, I read with you from the New Testament, Romans chapter four, so that we may listen to Paul the Apostle making some deductions from this very matter of the order of the chapters of Genesis.
So Romans chapter four, beginning to read at verse one: What then shall we say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not toward God. For what saith the scripture and Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now that, as I say, is a very much quoted verse, and I do not stay this evening to expound the significance of justification by faith. I take it that we all understand exactly what that means.
What I do observe first is point number one, the authority that Saint Paul attributes to the book of Genesis. The authority that Paul attributes to the book of Genesis. Paul is here discussing how a man or woman can be right with God. On what terms, on what conditions? Is it by his work and merit, or is it by faith? To settle the matter, by an authoritative pronouncement, Paul quotes the book of Genesis chapter fifteen and, uh, and verse 6.
What saith Scripture is for Paul the final court of appeal. That settles it. If Scripture says so, it is so. What saith Scripture? So I call on our young folks to notice that. In these days, we do well to observe what was the apostles' attitude to Holy Scripture, not only to New Testament that they were used of God to write, but to Old Testament. There can be no more important topic than this practical thing, how is a man or woman right with God?
You will perhaps, doubtless, when you go away tonight, complain that in addition to the terrible heat of the room and the shining of the sun, the man lectured at length on abstruse theological matters. But I beg you to notice this, that this first point isn't an abstruse, impractical, useless theological matter. It concerns that which is more practical than anything else in our lives. How can I be right with God? If I get this wrong, I end forever in perdition. Then how can I be sure, and on what authority can I know it?
Says Paul, you'll know it because Genesis says so. That's how you know it. I need say no more to impress upon you the authority that the apostles regarded the book of Genesis as possessing. But here too, he has quoted just one verse, it is Genesis fifteen and verse six. But now let us notice in Romans four, Paul attributes authority not simply in general to one particular verse in Genesis or to the book as a whole.
He attributes authority to the very order of events as recorded in this book. For look, if you will, please, to verse nine. Is this blessing? What blessing? Well, the blessing that verse eight and seven have talked about. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin. That blessing, complete forgiveness, justification before God. Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision or upon the uncircumcision also?
For we say to Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness. How then was it reckoned? When he was in un- in circumcision or in uncircumcision? So point number two, Genesis fifteen verse six lays down the principle that justification is by faith, and it cites this principle as evidenced in the actual life of Abraham. Let us notice that Paul isn't using Genesis here as a type.
He doesn't say, if you want a type to illustrate justification, we'll use Abraham, for Abraham isn't a type, he's an actual case, a man walking around on two legs that literally got justified by God, and therefore is quoted, as the lawyers say, as a precedent, establishing for all time how you can be justified. You know how it is in the, uh, in the courts of law. You'll see when criminal X comes up before judge Y, and criminal X is convicted by the jury of having done the crime, and judge Y is about to, uh, pass sentence.
Oh, but criminal X says, but you can't do that, judge, with all due respect. Though criminal X doesn't say it, he gets his, he gets his lawyer to say it for him. Why can't the judge? Oh, but judge, your honor, Judge Lollipop, two centuries ago in the case of Ningenpoops versus Regina. He did the very thing I did, and they let him off. Hm. And learned counsel for defense, he knows his case law. And the case law establishes, therefore, that if in times past the man who did this, though he was guilty, was let off, a man who does it today, though guilty, must be let off.
So Abram is a bit of case law, he's a precedent, establishing for all time the principle that a man is justified by faith without works. Ah, but here comes a snag. You, for our fall, I know, ladies and gentlemen, a whole lot of Gentiles. And everybody knows that Abraham was a Hebrew. That Abraham was circumcised, and all his descendants, male descendants to the very present day, have observed the right of circumcision, apart from certain exceptions in odd times in their history.
Hmm. Now here comes an interesting point. Can you, who are not Hebrews, not Jews, not Israelites, not circumcised, can you cite Abraham as a precedent for you? Ah. So now Paul bids us go back to Genesis once more and raises himself the point. When Abraham was justified by faith, pray tell us, was it after he was circumcised or before he was circumcised.
You say, what does it matter? It matters everything. Because if he was circumcised before he was justified by faith, then anybody could reasonably argue that to receive justification, you must first be circumcised, and then you must learn to believe. Whereas, of course, if he were justified by faith before he was circumcised, it would establish the precedent that circumcision is not necessary for salvation. But what is the truth of the matter? And now you will per- you will perceive what a thing of enormous importance is turning on the exact order of these events in Genesis.
Of course, you could only argue like that, couldn't you, if one scripture were true to the fact. If you can argue like that, if and only if, scripture is in fact correct here in its chronological order. Secondly, of course, you can only argue so if and only if this scripture and this order is divinely inspired and therefore authoritative.
And the answer is obvious to see. I have made it obvious for you here, uh, in this simple, uh, uh, uh, record on the, on the whiteboard. Great answer to the question is that Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised. And therefore, we who are Gentiles can rightly take his case as a precedent for our own. Then Paul makes point number three.
But let's read the intervening verses, if we may. How then, verse ten, was it reckoned when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision, and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them. And the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision. So that completes point two.
This principle of justification by faith is for Gentiles, uncircumcised though they are, as well as for Jews. Now, now see point three. Verse thirteen: for not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect. For the law worketh wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. For this cause is it of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end, that the promise may be sure to all seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
Point three. Paul observes here that the book of Genesis speaks of a promise. Now, on Mr. Hamilton's tabulation, you will find the various promises that God made to Abraham as his life went on. The promise we are now talking about is in particular the promise made that Abraham should inherit what is here called the world. Verse thirteen, the promise to Abraham and to his seed that he should be heir of the world.
Now, it's difficult to convince Christians of this, or at least difficult enough, uh, difficult to convince them enough of it to make them look at all happy. You would think you were delivering them a death sentence when you expounded it, at least so my, uh, experience tends to suggest. Here is a promise that Abram should be heir of the world. And Paul is about to argue that this promise obtains also for all those who, like Abraham, are people of faith.
To Abraham and to Abraham's seed, all believers in the Lord Jesus, who, because they've been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ, and because they are Christ's, they are Abraham's seed, according to the promise. Here then is the promise to all- to Abram and to all his seed, and if you are a believer, to you as well. The promise we should be heir of the world. That is such an enormous boon and blessing, that how could you rest in your bed tonight unless you could feel yourself secure, and that inheritance likewise secure to you?
Why, sir, if it were merely a contract for half a million, the profit from which would enable you to have that new bungalow that you set your heart on. You'd be so excited, wouldn't you? Just in case tomorrow the contract might slip through your fingers after all and you not get it. And here is a promise that we should be heir of the world. How can I be sure of it? And on what grounds may I be certain of it? Once more, we come, therefore, for our answer to the order of the chapters of Genesis.
Here is the covenant that guaranteed that inheritance to Abraham and to his seed. Though the terms of the benefit seem in that covenant to be limited geographically, it transpires that God of his bounty has determined to increase the terms of benefit. You may do that with a covenant if you like, you know. Have you made your will, madam? You've left Tommy your house. Yes?
Uh, your bungalow by I the see. sea. And Fido your Pekinese. And it's all signed, sealed, and settled. The lawyer's got it down in black and white. Well, go on, be generous. Leave him your pearl necklace as well. He can turn it into cash. Say, but the will, will is signed. Well, add to it then. Can if you like, you know. Nothing to stop you. So has God.
Ah, but now I want to know on what conditions. So here is the covenant. Here the conditions are spelled out. It is, in fact, upon the basis of the covenant. But now look at the same simple, obvious fact. Not only was justification by faith granted to him before he was circumcised, but the covenant of the inheritance was given to him before he was circumcised. And that tells us not only is that covenant available to us Gentiles who likewise are uncircumcised, but it tells us something more.
Would you notice the term in verse fourteen? For if they which are of the law be heirs. Why, you say, does Paul suddenly go off talking about the law? Well, for the simple matter that circumcision had and carried with it certain very far-reaching implications. Let me read you those implications now for, uh, from the Epistle to the Galatians, you needn't turn to it, chapter five and verses two and three and four: Behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.
Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole law. You are severed from Christ. You who would be justified by the law, you have fallen away from grace. From which verses we learn that circumcision wasn't just an immaterial right of no particular significance, just an innocent little custom that the Jews in their peculiarity observed. Along with circumcision came the obligation for the Jew to keep God's law, the whole of it.
So much so is that, that if you were to preach that salvation is partly by faith, but also by circumcision, then what you would be saying is this, that salvation is by faith and by keeping the whole law. Circumcision is a little bit, you know, like a wedding ring. A wedding ring, be it gold or platinum, is a pleasant looking thing, isn't it?
It's supposed to have all sorts of symbolic nuances, you know, a circle, an a- an unending circle that has neither beginning nor end, like true love, and it goes on forever and all these things. But my dear lady, let you once put that on your finger, or more, let that gentleman beside you put it on your finger. And it isn't just a pretty little ring that will adorn your evening gown and make you look that little bit prettier. It brings with it an obligation to be faithful unto death. Used to bring an obligation, didn't it, your senior years? To obey.
Hmm. So it's not just a little symbol, carries implications. Circumcision was not just a little symbol. It carried the implication, the obligation to keep the whole law. Now then, says Paul, let's get this matter straight. Justification. When did it happen to Abraham? Well, before he was circumcised. Thank God for that. For that tells me this.
Not only is that same justification open to Gentiles as well as to Jews, justification is available to you simply by faith and not on the condition of keeping that law. And secondly, it's not only that justification is thus a free gift from God, but so is this glorious inheritance covenanted to us in that covenant sacrifice that too is open to Gentiles who are uncircumcised, but more importantly, it does not depend upon our keeping of the law.
So we have started with some very simple observations. It's always a good thing to start on the ground floor, isn't it? The order of the chapters and of the events of Genesis is immeasurably important. Paul is prepared to stake his soul and yours on the authority of the order of those chapters.
You will say perhaps to me, well, sir, very good if justification and the inheritance are by faith and are not dependent on circumcision or on keeping the law. Very good, but doesn't scripture say that as well as being justified by faith, you have to be justified by works? Well, it does indeed. So let me read to you the Locus Classicus o- o- on that matter. It is found, of course, in the epistle by James and chapter ah two. Chapter two, and we take up the argument at verse seventeen.
James two seventeen: even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. Yea, a man will say, thou hast faith and I have works. Show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. Thou believest that God is one? Thou doest well. The demons also believe and shudder. But wilt thou know, O vain men, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?
Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. You see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. So now here we have it, plain black and white, from the penitent James himself, that a man is not justi- is justified by works and not only by faith.
How shall we reconcile the two propositions? Well, they don't want any reconciling, for they never fell out. Hm. But you will observe that, that James is not quoting a different book from Paul. He is quoting the same book, the book of Genesis. That Abraham was justified by works. And now that we've got the notion into our heads, we shall be all agog to find out, whereabouts in Genesis does it say that Abraham was justified by works? Hmm.
Would it make any difference to you where the chapter is in Genesis? Suppose this business of offering his son had been in chapter twelve. Then the rest of you would scarce have any right to be sure of salvation as you sit here tonight. But it isn't that way round, is it? Abraham was justified by, uh, works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar.
And that, if you please, is Genesis twenty two. And if you're careful to look at Mr. Hamilton's chart afterwards, you'll see that this thing here occurred years after his justification by faith. So that's point number one. Yes, it is true that justification by works is necessary. It comes second in the order of experience. Then let me call your attention to the actual verbs that Saint Paul uses, uh, that Saint James uses in those verses we have read.
Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works... What happened? The works you say earned him the salvation, they did nothing of the sort. No, what happened was that by works, his faith was made perfect. The works are in relation to the faith. They perfect that faith.
And secondly, the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. So this scripture in Genesis fifteen, that he was justified by faith, it was reckoned to him for righteousness, was here fulfilled when he was justified by his works. So pray, let's consider in the second place what that phrase may mean.
His faith was made perfect. The issue here in Genesis fifteen that God raised with Abraham, the issue over which he believed God. What was he? It was this, Abraham says, God, I'm going to give you a son. I'm going to give you a seed. Your heir shall not be your servant, this Damascene here, Eleazar. Your heir shall be your own son.
One day you'll have a son. That was the gospel message preached to Abraham. And Abraham, in that moment, believed God. And it is faith in God that hears his word and believes it. That makes a man right with God. So Abraham was going to have a son. On what terms? The following chapters tell us.
Not by Abraham's own merit or strength. For now see the long, long story in Genesis. Here was God's promise that he should have a son, and Abraham believed it. That son was not born till late on. Chapter twenty one is the record of it. And all those while God left him without fulfilling the promise until Abraham was a decrepit old man. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for Abraham to generate new life. He was as good as dead.
While God was teaching him, says the New Testament, that this son, this life, was going to be a gift from God, a miraculous gift. Abraham believed God, and so Paul exhorts us likewise. That's what faith is, believing in God, who gives us life by his own gracious, unmerited gift. Who, when Jesus Christ was delivered over to death for our offenses, God raised him and gave him new life, and gives us that new life along with Christ on the grounds of our repentance and faith.
Eventually, Abram believed God, and he was given this gift of new life, his son Isaac. All by faith, you say. Yes? What do you mean by faith? Well, faith in God. Ah, you say it's easy, isn't it, to claim to be a believer. You should say, I am a believer. I believe God. I'm justified. I have the gift of eternal life. Good for you.
Here. How does anybody know whether your faith is genuine or not? Pray, listen to St. James. No good saying I've got faith. Anybody can say I got faith. Goodness me, my man, if you're diddling the income tax inspector just like your next door neighbor, and you say you're justified by faith...
What is he going to think of your claim? If your next door neighbor is going to be convinced of the reality of your faith, the only way he'll be convinced, if that faith in you and me leads to works. Isn't that so? How, incidentally, is God going to know that your faith is genuine? Oh, that's easy for God, I mean, ha, God reads my heart, you say, no difficulty for God.
I mean, it might be difficult for my next door neighbor, but God, God can read my heart, he knows. Well, so he can read your heart, but God will want more than reading your heart, says James. God too will require some works... that demonstrate the faith is genuine. And what kind of works? Well, let's consider Abram's test, and we come back to the fact that God gave him this new life as a gift, simply because he believed God.
So says God eventually, when Abram was ready. Now, Abram, you're a believer, aren't you, Abram? Yes, Lord. That means, Abram, you're trusting me, doesn't it? And not yourself. Yes, Lord. That means, Abraham, that your whole hope for the fulfillment of all the promises is in me, isn't it, Abram? Yes, Lord. And not in anybody else?
No, Lord. And not in Isaac, Abram? Ah. Look, Abram, we'll settle the point. You give me back Isaac. Because it's me you believe, isn't it? It's me you trust. You give me back Isaac. What would he do?
Now he is called upon by his works to show that he means what he said when he said he believed. Our Lord taught us to pray, lead us not into temptation. He did not teach us that in vain. Sooner or later.
In the ordinary things of life, of course, maybe sooner or later, there will come big crises in life, where we shall be required to justify our faith by our works. That's a big thing, isn't it? It sounds frightening. Might the test of faith be that I should be re- I should be called upon to surrender all I have?
Could be. Though doubtless God's tests will start with simpler lessons than that. But some dear folks are called from the very start, aren't they? Some in our church here were not so many months ago in Muslim countries. And every Muslim man and woman knows that whereas if they profess salvation in their hearts and tell nobody, things are okay. But let them confess Christ.
Let them get baptized. They risk life itself. How shall I say I believe God? If when the test comes, I'm not prepared to trust God. You say that sounds very threatening.
One little lesson more about the context of Genesis, and we shall have done our lesson for tonight. Genesis chapter twenty two, where Abram offered his son Isaac upon the altar, Genesis chapter twenty two comes after Genesis chapter twenty one. Yes, of course. But what I mean is, the story here follows the story of Genesis twenty one. And you say, what is the story of Genesis twenty one about? Well, just let me remind you briefly. Genesis twenty one tells us about, uh, the Philistines.
The story begins in verse 22 of Genesis 21. And it tells us at that time how Abimelech and Ficol, the captain of his host, spake unto Abram, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest. Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. And Abram said, I will swear. You will have noticed that there is one way that sobers up a man and begins to bring that look of responsibility into his face.
It's not all together when he gets married, but it is when his first child is born. And as the years go on, the responsibility increases, doesn't it? What's going to happen to my boy? And should I be taken early in life and my boy is left, will he be secure? We all seek security, don't we, for our sons?
And f- and uh, Abimelech the Philistine was no exception. He had a son. He hoped one day his son would come to the throne and occupy the throne that he, Abimelech, occupied. And he sought for security. And here was this great nomad sheikh, Abraham, with enough servants in his encampment to furnish a whole army and go upon expeditions. Here was this sheikh roaming around about, knowing no allegiance to anybody, apparently. And Abimelech began to get nervous. What would happen when Abimelech died? What might Abram do to Abimelech's son?
Raid his city and destroy the inhabitants and crush the son and take over? Genesis twenty one indicates that Abimelech thought it was wise to seek some security for his son. And so he came and negotiated a covenant with Abraham. Swear now, he said. So they did what they did in those ancient days when you made a covenant, and they got various ulams and things and had a sacrifice, and Abraham swore an oath, giving Abimelech all the security that Abraham knew how to give him.
He swore by an oath, and they called the place Be'er Shevach, the well of the oath. And Abimelech went home and slept as peacefully as a man can sleep, who depends for his security. It's a hostile world, isn't it?
Look under your car when you go out to make sure there isn't a bomb there. I say, sir, your job. Is the old understudy beginning to push hard? Has he noticed you've gone gray in the head? And he's trying for your position? This is a competitive, cutthroat old world, isn't it? And you, sir, in your business. Is somebody planning a supermarket right on your doorstep? And what about your son? Where will you find security?
And where will you find security for this life? And where will you find security for the next? Security. You say the only way to do that, you know, is to mass as much as you can around you, really fortify yourself. Be the father of a half a dozen sturdy, strong sons, you know, and when you're old and decrepit, they'll be your safeguard, see. And, uh, be the father of half a dozen pretty young girls, and they'll probably get married, and their... your sons-in-law will be a great security and nurse you in your old age. Hm. And have a good deal of insurance, and uh, I see, gird yourself around with things, and thus get security.
May I show you a better source of security? The oath, not of a man, but the oath of Almighty God, talking out of heaven to your very soul, by myself have I sworn that in blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee, so that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, you might have strong consolation.
God-given security by the word and oath of God. Ah, how vividly those two chapters come, don't they? Oath. Oath. Men's oath. God's oath. You say, I would like to hear God speak those words of assurance to my soul, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord.
Well, you could hear it, friend. On what terms? On what terms? I tell you where Abraham came to it. God called him up the mountain one day and said, Abraham, whom exactly do you trust? Where is your faith placed for the future? In man?
In yourself? In Isaac, perchance? Well, come, says God, now, Abram, you give me Isaac. For you'll never, never, no security while your faith is in any other but God. So give me Isaac. And he gave him. And stood an elderly man. Humanly speaking, with all the possibility of a future gone, Isaac on the altar.
And only God left. And there he found immovable and eternal security. Thus will God test our faith. Not trying to prove us wrong. Not being stingy and hoping we shall fail.
But leading us until our faith is strong enough and made perfect. That it can bear the test and thus arrive at the ground of security, which is in actual, practical faith in God, though all else be taken. So if in chapter twenty one uh our hero dwelt by the well bare Sheva, when he came back down the mountain in chapter twenty two, he went and dwelt by...
Beersheva. And chapter twenty two follows chapter twenty one, Not by any accident, but because they are part and parcel of that same lesson. The question where we shall find security. It's obviously important, this, isn't it? Not only what Genesis says, but the order and the context in which it says it.
And if that's true of those two chapters we've read, could be true, couldn't it? In deeper things and more detailed considerations. And if the Lord will, we shall be looking at them in coming weeks. Enough for
