10 F ISAAC

were filled with laughter when Isaac was born, and he was to them the child of promise
because God had told them they should have a son.

And in their thankfulness they gave him back to God and marked him with God’s
mark. For Isaac was the first baby who was ever circumcised and brought into covenant
_ with God.

’ You know what a covenant means, do you not? It is an agreement made between
two parties, both of whom promise to do something. What then was this covenant into
which Isaac was brought? It was an agreement between God and man, It had an out-
ward sign. or mark by which men were reminded of it so that they might not forget it,
and the sign or mark was called circumcision. In this covenant the child was named
Isaac, and God made him His child and promised to watch over him ail his life through, and
Isaac promised to. observe and do God’s commandments and be an obedient child. And
at the same time Abram and Sarai were given the new names of Abraham and Sarah.
They were very beautiful names. Abraham means “ Father of a Multitude” and
Sarah means “a Princess.” Sometimes those who made this covenant with God did not
keep it and grew up to be bad men. But Isaac was true to his covenant and grew up to
be first a gentle and obedient boy, and afterwards a humble and God-fearing man.

 

He lived with his parents in.tents, moving about from one place to another, with the
flocks and cattle, to new pastures and cool streams. Abraham his father was very rich, and
I suppose Isaac, who was their only child, had everything he wanted ; but he never seems
to have given any trouble and instead of being spoiled and wilful and.troublesome was
always dutiful and meek and teachable.

There was one time in his life when he showed this in a very wonderful way. Let me
tell you about it. When he was a young man, his father Abraham had to doa very hard
thing. It was not the first time he had to do what was hard. It must have been very hard
to leave his own land and father and home and friends and go forth to a far country where
he would be a stranger to the people who lived there. But though it was so hard he went
forth, not knowing whither he went, because it was God's will.

It must have been hard to send away his son Ishmael with Hagar his mother because
he mocked and ill-treated his little brother Isaac. But he did it, in spite of being so hard,
because he felt and knew it was right and necessary.

But how much harder it must have been to take his son Isaac whom he loved so
dearly and offer him up as a sacrifice. But he believed God wanted to try and see how