Isaac was the son of promise, yet Abraham was tested. How does a father feel, sacrificing his son, to war, or to a cross? Abraham faced that test, and passed. What could Isaac have been thinking during his father’s trial of faith?
“And Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.” (Genesis 22:7-9 ESV)
What could have been running through the mind of Isaac when he realized that he would serve as the burnt sacrifice? There is no record of him struggling against the bindings. As a young man, he would certainly have been stronger than his father. Did he have the same faith as Abraham who believed that God could resurrect his son?
“because he was sure that God could raise people to life. This was just like getting Isaac back from death.” (Hebrews 11:19 CEV).
Abraham was spared the suffering of a son who was sacrificed. God was not.
Rebekah
Sarah died and Abraham bought property in Hebron to bury her. Then begins a love story of Isaac and Rebekah, and the faithfulness of Abraham’s most senior servant whom he sent to find Isaac a wife. Though he would have inherited everything if Abraham did not have a son, this loyal servant prayed.
“O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” (Genesis 24:12-14 ESV)
Rebekah was willing, Isaac loved her and she became his wife.
After Sarah’s death, Abraham had more children by Keturah and several concubines. He sent them away with gifts and gave his entire inheritance to Isaac. Abraham died, Isaac and Ishmael buried him beside Sarah and the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael still attend his grave to this day, side-by-side in Hebron.
Unlike his father Abraham, Isaac knew only one woman. But they had to wait about 20 years for a child.
“And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” (Genesis 25:21 KJV)
Favoritism
Favoritism was a generational problem. It was a problem for Abraham's descendants even to this day, and has hurt many other families throughout history.
“Now Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.” (Genesis 25:28 NASB)
God shows no favoritism. In Abraham God wants to bless the whole world, not just one nation.
“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” (Deuteronomy 10:17 NIV)
“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2:8-9 NKJV)
“Then Peter replied, ‘I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.’ ” (Acts 10:34-36 NLT)
“God does not have favorites.” (Romans 2:11 CEB)
All are equal, yet there are different responsibilities given to different people, and a firstborn son was usually given a double inheritance because he had greater responsibility, for instance, to lead the clan, and take care of any family widows or unmarried sisters. When Isaac realized that he blessed who he had initially thought was the wrong son, he “trembled exceedingly” and wept.
“Isaac started trembling and said, ‘Then who brought me some wild meat right before you came in? I ate it and gave him a blessing that cannot be taken back.’ ” (Genesis 27:33 CEV).
Perhaps, because Isaac was a man of honor he stood by his word even though it was given under false pretenses, in a way that our society cannot understand, where people so easily break their word. Perhaps in faith, he also realized that this was God’s will all along, and he was not going to go against God. Jacob had no need for his deception, because God was indeed going to bless him with the clan leadership. So, Isaac told Esau the decision.
“ ‘My son,’ Isaac answered, ‘I have made Jacob the ruler over you and your brothers, and all of you will be his servants. I have also promised him all the grain and grapes that he needs. There’s nothing left that I can do for you.’ ” (Genesis 27:37 CEV).
The New Testament gives a clue to Isaac’s motive, faith. Do we have that kind of faith, to place our lives in God’s hands, whether or not He works things out as we had planned?
“By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.” (Hebrews 11:21 WEB)
Liar
Like father, like son. The family weakness of lying about their wives comes once again to the fore.
“And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.” (Genesis 26:7 KJV)
God’s human leaders on earth have never been perfect, but they have had faith.
Peacemaker
Some men wanted to fight Isaac over an ancestral well. But, rather than argue over well water, Isaac chose to make peace and move on. In the annals of Middle East history, this example could be followed more often.
“So Isaac departed from there and camped in the Valley of Gerar, and settled there.” (Genesis 26:17 NASB)
Similar disputes over well water with locals continued again and again until finally there was peace.
“He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, ‘Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.’ ” (Genesis 26:22 NIV)
Being able to take a loss for the sake of peace is a good thing. It’s a pity the world has not learned that lesson very often in history.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9 NKJV)
As we see with all of God’s servants, none are perfect, but it is righteousness by faith that counts. Is Isaac saved? Quoting Exodus 3:6 Jesus provides us an answer.
“But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.” (Matthew 22:31-32 NLT)
Will you have a change of heart and mind and like Isaac believe the good news of God’s reign? You decide!
