Isaac –- An Example of Faith

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.”

–Hebrews 11:20

Were I searching for an example of faith, a single act of faith, by which I wanted to instruct, comfort and encourage God’s elect in the matter of believing God, I am certain I would never have thought about the example given here. In fact, that which is here held before us as a great example of remarkable faith, I have always thought of as an example of great weakness. But “the Lord seeth not as man seeth…The Lord looketh on the heart.”

Isaac and His Family

Hebrews 11:20 refers us to the 27^th chapter of Genesis. Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Esau, the firstborn, was exactly the kind of son every man wants—all boy. Judging by the description we are given of him, he probably wasn’t much to look at; but he was all boy. He was strong, manly, an outdoorsman, a sportsman, a great hunter. He and Isaac were real buddies. Esau appears to have always endeavored to honor his father.

Jacob, on the other hand, was apparently a bit of a sissy, a momma’s boy. He was soft, delicate, and always hanging around his mother’s apron. Jacob was as conniving and scheming, as Esau was plain and forthright. He was as weak as Esau was strong.

The Birthright

When it came time for him to die, Isaac was anxious to give the blessing of God to his beloved son Esau. This patriarchal blessing was much, much more than a father’s wishes for his son. It was the blessing of God in the firstborn, passed on from generation to generation in the patriarchal ages. It represented Christ and all the blessings of God’s boundless grace in Christ.

This birthright, normally, should have been Esau’s. He was the firstborn. And Jacob sure wanted Esau to have it. Who better to represent him and carry on his family than Esau? So he sent Esau out to kill a deer and fix him a pot of stew so that they could have their favorite meal together, reminisce about the things they had enjoyed together, and then Isaac would bless his favorite son.

But there was a problem with Isaac’s plans. Isaac’s plans, desires, will and purpose were directly contrary to God’s purpose. God loved Jacob and hated Esau. The Lord God chose Jacob. The Lord God had ordained that Jacob be the one through whom the covenant would be established, through whom Christ should come into the world, through whom he would accomplish his purpose of grace, through whom ultimately he would bring salvation to all his elect.

The Birthright Despised

Esau had long before sold his birthright to Jacob in a moment of trial (Gen. 25:27-34). It wasn’t much of a trial. He had been out in the fields, as usual; and as usual, Jacob had been in the kitchen with momma. When Esau came in, he was hungry and wanted the mess of beans Jacob had cooked. Jacob, in his normal deviousness, seized his opportunity, and made a deal with Esau and got him to swap the birthright for a bowl of beans. Esau, to gratify the lust of his flesh for a moment, swapped eternal redemption and life for a bowl of beans—Traded the Son of God for a meal!

Rebekah’s Plan

When Isaac was dying and wanted to bless Esau, Rebekah overheard the conversation between them and came up with a plan of her own, by which to deceive her husband and secure God’s blessing for her favorite son, Jacob. She had Jacob to kill a kid of the goats and bring it to her. She made a stew for him to take to Isaac, and put the skin of the goat on Jacob, so that Isaac would think he was Esau and bless him. Jacob was scared to death; but the plan worked, because Isaac was blind.

A Picture of the Gospel

What a blessed picture this is of the gospel! This is exactly how sinners receive the blessing of God. I make no excuse for Rebekah’s actions, or Jacob’s; but this much is clear: Rebekah knew what God’s purpose was; and she was determined that the promise of God be Jacob’s. Jacob knew what that birthright represented; and he was determined to have it. They both hazarded everything to get it. If we would have that same blessing, the blessing of God’s grace, we must do exactly what Jacob did. —A Lamb must be killed. No blessing can be had from God without a sacrifice being made. —We must bring the holy Lord God that savory meat he loves. – Christ himself (Eph. 5:2) —We must come to the holy Lord God in the skins of his darling Son. As Jacob came to Isaac wearing Esau’s clothes and in the skins of the slain goat, so we must come to him robed in the righteousness of Christ, wearing his garments of salvation. —Coming to God in Christ, he cannot see us. All he sees is Christ and us in him.

Isaac’s Great Faith

Faith bows to the will of God. The flesh resists it, but faith bows to it. Isaac proved himself to be a man of faith. When he, at last, saw that his will was in direct opposition to God’s wi ll, he humbly bowed to the will of God, saying, “I have blessed him? Yea, and he shall be blessed” (Gen. 27:33). He lifted his heart to heaven, and said, “Not my will, thy will be done.” That is great, remarkable, exemplary faith.