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| Of the Oracle and Blessing Which Isaac Received, Just as His Father Did, Being Beloved for His Sake.
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Chapter 36.—Of the Oracle and
Blessing Which Isaac Received, Just as His Father Did, Being
Beloved for His Sake.
Isaac also received such an oracle
as his father had often received. Of this oracle it is thus
written: “And there was a famine over the land, beside the
first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto
Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the Lord
appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; but dwell in
the land which I shall tell thee of. And abide in this land, and
I will be with thee, and will bless thee: unto thee and unto thy
seed I will give all this land; and I will establish mine oath,
which I sware unto Abraham thy father: and I will multiply thy
seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all this
land: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed; because that Abraham thy father obeyed my voice, and kept
my precepts, my commandments, my righteousness, and my laws.”955
This
patriarch neither had another wife, nor any concubine, but was
content with the twin-children begotten by one act of generation.
He also was afraid, when he lived among strangers, of being brought
into danger owing to the beauty of his wife, and did like his
father in calling her his sister, and not telling that she was his
wife; for she was his near blood-relation by the father’s and
mother’s side. She also remained untouched by the strangers,
when it was known she was his wife. Yet we ought not to prefer
him to his father because he knew no woman besides his one wife.
For beyond doubt the merits of his father’s faith and obedience
were greater, inasmuch as God says it is for his sake He does Isaac
good: “In thy seed,” He says, “shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed, because that Abraham thy father obeyed my voice,
and kept my precepts, my commandments, my statutes, and my
laws.” And again in another oracle He says, “I am the God of
Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless
thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.”956
So that we
must understand how chastely Abraham acted, because imprudent men,
who seek some support for their own wickedness in the Holy
Scriptures, think he acted through lust. We may also learn this,
not to compare men by single good things, but to consider
everything in each; for it may happen that one man has something in
his life and character in which he excels another, and it may be
far more excellent than that in which the other excels him. And
thus, according to sound and true judgment, while continence is
preferable to marriage, yet a believing married man is better than
a continent unbeliever; for the unbeliever is not only less
praiseworthy, but is even highly detestable. We must conclude,
then, that both are good; yet so as to hold that the married man
who is most faithful and most obedient is certainly better than the
continent man whose faith and obedience are less. But if equal in
other things, who would hesitate to prefer the continent man to the
married?E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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