The Gavelyte, April 1908

The Gavelyte. VOL. Ill APRIL, 1908. NO. 4. Isaac. Xnn:-\\ rittPn by n tiny mPmh!'t' nf J{p \·. \\"m. \\"nllnN' llifff•~ Jloc:k, ])u1u1rshnrg-, K . Y .. and ~uhmittr,1 to thr CL\ \' ELYTI'. In the Bible there are many interesting characters portrayed. Among these there are few that border so much on the humorous, as that of Isaac. From the time when Ishmael made fun of him. to the time when his wife made a fool of him, we find but few things in the history of Isaac that appeal to our admiration or respect. Under the loving care of his mother and the strict discipline of his father, he grew into manhood. We have little rr,cord of his life up to the time when Abraham was called upon by God to offer him as a sacrifice upon the altar. We do r.ot know exactly at what age of Isaac's life this event occurred; but we do know that he must haw be.en a young man, if not fully grown. Much has been said and written of the beautiful submission of Isaac to the will of his father, but no doubt the experience of his life had taught him that anything but submission would be dangerous, and any active resisoance to that stern ,,Id patriarch would h::tve brought on him something more to_, be dreaded t ban a mere knife. If we needed anything to show the weakness of Isaac's character, we ha\'e it very plainly shown in the next important event of his life. When he is forty Jears of agt>, and one would imagine quite cc,mpetent to choose for himself, his father decidrs to get him a wife, although Isaac sPems not t c, havP bePn intrrPste<l in the mattC'r at all. His father sPnds the hired nian C1Tl a lnng jC111rtwy tn i-;1' <'nrc 1 for him a wif P and <lrrlares that. undrr no

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