Threefold Way

The flesh had to be broken, fallen nature exposed; law had to be tried and found fruitless for faith, promise had to be rested upon, and then the fruit of accomplished promise had to be surrendered for the power of resurrection on Mount Moriah. Until this came, he never was really and fully a worshiper, nor did he ever know God by that new name, "Jehovah-Jireh." I do not dwell much upon his earlier history. He did what true children of God do also until they learn otherwise. He saw, when called of God at first, that which it was God's will should be done or possessed, and he attempted to realize and accomplish it in the strength of man. All fails and then at last God does by him what he tried to do himself. The end in view was right and the motive was right, but the energy put forth was of "man." He had not yet taken "the sentence of death" to himself, nor had he learned "the power of His resurrection.”
Was not this so with Moses when he decided to deliver Israel, with David at Ziklag, and with Peter in the judgment hall? Each was tried, each sought to do that which was right and of God, but the energy was of man. God did, at the end, by each one the same things which each had attempted to do themselves. We see this around us every day in the history of saints. We know it in our own lives.