Isaac’s Remarkable Faith

 

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

       –Hebrews 11:20

 

Read Genesis 27, the passage to which Paul refers, and you will see why Isaac is held before us here as a man of remarkable faith. The Holy Spirit specifically declares that Isaac, in an act of faith, blessed both his sons, both Jacob and Esau. Here are eight things I have gleaned from the record God has given us of this event.

 

1.      God almighty saves whom he will.

 

Let men rant and rave all they may, gnashing their teeth upon the Word of God, the fact remains —“Salvation is of the Lord!” God has mercy on whom he will. He chooses some and passes by others. The purpose of God according to election stands firm. “The foundation of God standeth sure: the Lord knoweth them that are his!” Read Romans 9:11-16.

 

1.      God’s elect are almost always those we least suspect might be.

 

God’s ways are not our ways. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. And God’s choices are not our choices. Isaac chose Esau; but God chose Jacob (1 Cor. 1:26-29). Let us never imagine that we know the purpose of God concerning another person. None are beyond the reach of omnipotent grace. And none, no matter how excellent they may appear to our eyes, have anything to commend them to God’s favor.

 

2.      Faith cherishes and prizes Christ above all things.

 

Faith chooses Christ. Faith seeks Christ. Faith counts Christ precious and all things but dung in comparison to him (1 Pet. 2:6-8).

 

3.      Unbelief despises Christ and cherishes the lusts of the flesh.

 

Esau despised Christ. Jacob chose him. Esau counted Christ but dung for the momentary gratification of his lust. Jacob counted that dung which Esau cherished, that he might win Christ and be found in him (Phil. 3:3-14). Multitudes there are like Esau. The sons of Korah, Elimelech, Judas and Demas stand before us as glaring examples of men in whose heart the world was so set that they could not behold the works of God (Ecc. 3:11). Jacob preferred Christ to anything and everything. Few there are like him. The birthright Jacob chose represented Christ and God’s salvation in him. For that, Jacob was willing to incur his father’s wrath, a life of separation from family and friend, and anything else.

 

4.      God gives every one of us exactly what we want.

 

This is a fact deserving much thought and consideration. –  If you desire Christ, I am fully aware that God himself has made you want him; but if Christ is what you want, Christ is what you shall have (Jer. 29:11-14). If you want the world, if you want self-gratification, if you want what all men naturally want and choose, if you despise Christ and choose your own lusts, God will give you that. Oh, how I pray that God will cause you to seek Christ. But if you despise him and choose to serve your own lusts, God will give you what you want. Esau found enough to gratify his heart in the portion with which he was blessed (“I have enough” – Gen. 33:9). His blessing proved to be his everlasting curse (Pro. 1:23-32). Jacob, when he had given everything away, found that which gratified his heart and soul in his blessing (“I have enough” – Gen. 33:11). His blessing is Christ!

 

5.      When the Lord God shuts a sinner up in reprobation, he is doomed forever.

 

If God gives a person up, if God turns a sinner over to himself and lets him have his own way, he is as good as in hell. When God shuts the door, the door is shut! He shut the door going into the ark before the first raindrop fell from heaven! Esau set his heart upon the world; and God set the world in his heart (Ecc. 3:11).

 

6.      Nothing stands in the way of or in any way hinders the purpose of God.

 

Yes, blessed be his holy name, God always has his way, overruling our wills, our desires, our purposes, and even our most reprehensible behavior, to accomplish his everlasting purpose of grace! The purpose of God shall stand.

 

7.      Faith ultimately bows to the will of God, because that is what every believer truly wants.

 

Faith says, “Thy will be done!” This is what we see in Genesis 27:33-41 and Hebrews 11:20. Though the purpose of God was in direct opposition to all that Isaac wanted, purposed, planned and worked to secure, in the end, he bowed to God’s will.