HERE I STAND. [LUTHER] GENESIS 21.

 LET'S LOOK AT LUTHER'S TAKE ON THE FURTHER ILLUSTRATION WITH THE PORTRAYAL OF THE SACRIFICE OF ISAAC BY ABRAHAM.. HEAR  THE TALE AS
 LUTHER EXPOUNDS IT:
 ABRAHAM WAS TOLD BY GOD THAT HE MUST SACRIFICE THE SON OF HIS OLD AGE BY A MIRACLE, THE SEED THROUGH WHOM HE WAS TO BECOME THE FATHER OF KINGS AND OF A GREAT NATION. ABRAHAM TURNED PALE. NOT ONLY WOULD HE LOSE HIS SON, BUT GOD APPEARED TO BE A LIAR. HE HAD SAID, " IN ISAAC SHALL BE THY SEED, " BUT NOW HE SAID " KILL ISAAC." WHO WOULD NOT HATE A GOD SO CRUEL AND CONTRADICTORY?  HOW ABRAHAM LONGED TO TALK IT OVER WITH SOMEONE!  COULD HE NOT TELL SARAH? BUT HE WELL KNEW THAT IF HE MENTIONED IT TO ANYONE HE WOULD BE DISSUADED. COULD HE NOT TELL SARAH?
  HE KNEW HE WOULD BE PREVENTED FROM CARRYING OUT THE BEHEST.  THE SPOT DESIGNATED FOR THE SACRIFICE, MOUNT MORIAH, WAS SOME DISTANCE AWAY;  AND "ABRAHAM ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND SADDLED HIS ASS, AND TOOK TWO YOUNG MEN WITH  HIM, AND ISAAC HIS SON, AND CLAVE THE WOOD  FOR THE BURNT OFFERING. "  ABRAHAM DID NOT LEAVE SADDLING OF HIS ASS TO  OTHERS. HE HIMSELF LAID ON THE BEAST THE WOOD FOR THE BURNT OFFERING. HE WAS THINKING ALL THE TIME THAT THESE LOGS WOULD CONSUME HIS SON., HIS HOPE OF SEED. WITH THE VERY STICKS HE WAS PICKING UP THE BOY WOULD BE BURNED. IN SUCH A TERRIBLE CASE SHOULD HE NOT TAKE TIME TO THINK IT OVER?
WITH WHAT INNER TEARS HE SUFFERED! HE GIRT THE ASS AND WAS SO ABSORBED HE SCARCELY KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. HE TOOK TWO SERVANTS AND ISAAC HIS SON. IN THAT MOMENT EVERYTHING DIED WITHIN HIM.: SARAH, HIS FAMILY, HIS HOME , ISAAC. THIS IS WHAT IT IS IS TO SIT IN SACKCLOTH AND ASHES. IF HE HAD KNOWN THAT THIS WAS ONLY A TRIAL, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TRIED. SUCH IS THE NATURE OF OUR TRIALS THAT WHILE THEY LAST WE CANNOT SEE THE END.
" THEN ON THE THIRD DAY ABRAHAM LIFTED UP HIS EYES, AND SAW THE PLACE FAR OFF."  WHAT A BATTLE HE HAD ENDURED IN THOSE THREE DAYS!  THERE ABRAHAM LEFT THE SERVANTS AND THE ASS, AND HE LAID THE WOOD UPON ISAAC
 AND HIMSELF TOOK THE TORCH AND THE SACRIFICIAL KNIFE. ALL THE TIME THINKING, "ISAAC, IF YOU KNEW, IF YOUR MOTHER KNEW THAT YOU WERE TO BE SACRIFICED" " AND THEY WENT BOTH OF THEM TOGETHER." THE WHOLE WORLD DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HERE TOOK PLACE.  THEY TOO WALKED TOGETHER. WHO?
THE FATHER AND THE DEAREST SON- THE ONE NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS IN STORE
 BUT READY TO OBEY, THE OTHER CERTAIN THAT HE MUST LEAVE HIS SON IN ASHES.  THEN SAID ISAAC, "MY FATHER,"  AND HE SAID, "YES MY SON."  AND ISAAC SAID, " FATHER," HERE IS THE FIRE AND HERE IS THE WOOD, BUT WHERE IS THE LAMB?"  HE CALLED HIM FATHER AND WAS SOLICITOUS LEST HE HAD OVERLOOKED SOMETHING, AND ABRAHAM SAID, " GOD WILL PROVIDE A LAMB, MY SON."
 WHEN THEY CAME TO THE MOUNT, ABRAHAM BUILT THE ALTAR AND LAID ON THE WOOD, AND THEN HE WAS FORCED TO TELL ISAAC. THE BOY WAS STUPEFIED. HE MUST HAVE PROTESTED, "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN: I AM THE SON OF SARAH BY A MIRACLE IN HER AGE, THAT I WAS PROMISED AND THAT THROUGH ME YOU ARE TO BE THE FATHER OF A GREAT NATION.?"  AND ABRAHAM MUST HAVE ANSWERED THAT GOD WOULD FULFILL HIS PROMISE EVEN OUT OF ASHES. THEN ABRAHAM BOUND HIM AND LAID HIM UPON THE WOOD. THE FATHER RAISED HIS KNIFE. THE BOY BARED HIS THROAT. IF GOD HAD SLEPT AN INSTANT, THE LAD WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD.  THE LAD WAS A SHEEP FOR SLAUGHTER. NEVER IN HISTORY  WAS THERE SUCH OBEDIENCE, SAVE ONLY IN CHRIST.  BUT GOD WAS WATCHING, AND ALL THE ANGELS. THE FATHER RAISED THE KNIFE, TH BOY DID NOT WINCE, THE ANGEL CRIED, " ABRAHAM, ABRAHAM" ! SEE HOW THE DIVINE MAJESTY IS AT HAND AT THE HOUR OF DEATH.  WE SAY, " IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE DIE."
GOD ANSWERS, "NAY, IN THE MIDST OF DEATH WE LIVE."