FAITH DIRECTED BY GOD. Hebrews 11:20 The faith of the next three patriarchs was defined by their actions. Without compromising, they looked beyond death to what was to come. God had made promises, and they believed what God said despite their personal weaknesses. Isaac acted in faith when he blessed both Esau and Jacob. His inclination was that through Esau would come the promised seed, but in mercy, God overruled his mistake because Isaac’s faith was genuine, and God honored it. It took years of divine discipline to deal with the deception of that day.
Isaac (laughter; he laughs) was a man of faith despite a weakness in discernment. The early men of faith each recognized the perspective of faith as appropriate to the situation in which they were found. When we read in the scriptures about Isaac, we see that God’s power makes His promise a reality. He was a miracle child; his birth was promised [Gen. 17:16-18], and he was the first descendant of God's promise to Abraham and Sarah [Gen. 21:1-3]. He was the heir of the covenant God made with Abraham [Gen.17:19,21], and shortly after he was born, he was circumcised [Gen.21:1-8] as a testimony to his separation unto God, visible only to him and God. In his early life, we do not see much evidence of faith on Isaac's part, but in Abraham, we see the vision of faith, and in Sarah, the conviction of faith. Abraham wasn't running away from evil by faith. He was moving forward in faith toward what was right. He left Ur on his own initiative to become a lifetime pilgrim. For generations after him, starting with Isaac, his descendants were pilgrims.
The test of Abraham's faith was a grim task for him, and it must have been a startling awakening for Isaac when he learned that he was to be offered as a sacrifice [Gen. 22:1-19]. Abraham knew by faith that Isaac would have children, even though Isaac wasn't yet married. The logic of his faith was that even if Isaac died, God would raise him from the dead. The test of that faith was simple, sound, and often frightening to the point that his action overwhelms us. For many years, Isaac's life followed the direction of his aged father, who secured Rebekah as his wife under the Lord's direction, through Abraham's servant [Gen. 24:1-67]. God's covenant with Abraham was confirmed to Isaac [Gen.26:2-5].
Our future is not here in this world. We do not commit ourselves to settling down and being like everyone else around us. Faith looks beyond the immediate present and considers trials in light of the future. One worshipped by faith, another walked by faith, and another worked by faith. Faith persists, perseveres, and dares to act. Those who understand the power of faith are not satisfied with a bit of faith. They want faith that conquers and overcomes obstacles. People of faith need to keep their eyes on the future glory that is promised. Those people lived by faith and died in faith, even though they had less light and fewer opportunities than we do. Faith determines salvation. Faithfulness determines reward. The doctrine of faith is taught from verse one through verse sixteen. The remainder of the chapter concerns testing the faith.
Isaac was obedient, peaceable, devout, and prayerful. He was the quiet, mind-my-own-business type. He found it easier to lie and compromise under pressure to avoid confrontation. He played favorites. His father modeled faith, which Isaac would have learned at the altar. God works through people despite their shortcomings and sometimes through them. The significance of Isaac: He was a child of promise (Gal. 4:22-23). He was a man of faith (Heb. 11:9, 20). He was a type of Christ (Gal. 3:16). He was a type of believers (Gal. 4:28-31). He was an ancestor of Christ (Lu 3:34) and a patriarch of Israel (Exodus 32:13).
On the surface, the story of Isaac might seem to show little evidence of faith. However, in the very act of blessing his sons, we can see that he believed the great promises made to Abraham and his seed. Despite Isaac’s natural preferences and feelings, God mercifully overruled. God recognized that beneath the emotions, feelings, and sensations that deceived, there was a genuine core of faith. When he buried his father, he was on his own, but Abraham had given him everything he had. When he became the father of Esau and Jacob, he preferred Esau. When famine came, he went to dwell among the Philistines in Gerar. There, the covenant with God was reaffirmed, and there he called Rebekah his sister. In that lie, he went further in the same kind of deception as Abraham had done in Egypt.
A lesson for us is that emotions, feelings, and a sense of satisfaction that may come when we realize God’s blessings are not the basis of our assurance of salvation and divine guidance. Faith in God’s word leads to faith in Christ, and faith remains when feelings and emotions are gone. Relief is a wonderful comfort that follows forgiveness, but it is not faith; it is a result of faith. Spiritual “highs” may come and go and are often promoted by circumstances, a message we have heard, or a spiritual victory we might have had. Feeling good is not being holy; walking with God by faith leads to holiness. Faith must be directed to God, and that comes through His word.
Isaac became prosperous and very great in the land of the Philistines because the Lord blessed him there. He had trouble over wells in Gerar, which led to a covenant with Abimelech. When we spend time in the world, it is not long before compromises begin. We can understand his grief over Esau's behavior and Jacob's deception. Even so, Isaac blessed his sons because, by faith, he looked into the future. It took a lifetime of discipline for Jacob to overcome the effects of his deception when Isaac blessed him. We learn from him that patience often brings rewards. God’s plans and promises are bigger than people. God keeps His promises – He remains faithful though we are often faithless.
By faith, we believe God will bless our children and grandchildren, even though we may never see the results of that faith in them during our lifetime. There is only one way to find assurance that God will save and bless them, and that is by faith! We trust God to use the power of faith in us to influence them to call upon the name of the Lord. If we believed only what we see and hear, we would be in despair, but by faith we can rest in God's will.
It is only by faith that we can bless our homes. We know God wants to save our families and is willing to bless all who come to Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we look to God alone and to His will and promises, we can find rest for our souls regarding the spiritual condition of our children and grandchildren. Jacob’s weakness and sin did not change Isaac’s conviction that the world would be blessed through Jacob. Jacob’s unfaithfulness and unworthiness did not frustrate Isaac’s blessing on him.
Our self-searching, agony of soul regarding our families, and the hidden grief do not affect the promises of God. We must be sure that our character and conduct show that our faith is real and unchanging. Our hopes, confidence, commitment, and joy rest in God, and by faith we rest in Him.
Lessons for us from the life of Isaac are that patience often brings rewards. Put into words your willingness to be available to God, and you will discover that He will use you. But playing favorites is sure to bring family conflicts that can hinder blessings that could be ours. This is a common mistake we may make. Thinking that the emotions, feelings, and sensations that accompany or result from God’s blessing are the blessing itself is a mistake. Our senses can easily be moved by what we experience. Some new Christians experience relief and elation, resting their assurance of salvation on those feelings rather than on faith in God’s word. When the feelings subside, their assurance is gone. Preachers can stir up feelings and emotions that move people to decisions for Christ, rather than allowing the preaching of the word of God to produce the feelings and emotions of true repentance. God is merciful to us, too, and recognizes genuine faith beneath the surface and will credit that faith. We tend to try to live by spiritual "highs" rather than by faith. Making decisions without convictions, moral judgments, and human intelligence can easily deceive people.
Every parent wants to see their child living and doing what's right. But we all know that most of their lives are lived far from our sight. So, by faith, we still tell them the right way, hoping that in the future they'll see what we have learned in our lifetimes and be free from heartbreak. But realistically, I know it's unlikely they will pay much attention to us. About the best I can hope for is that we have earned and still maintain their trust. In a general sense, we have set the course they will choose to follow with integrity, knowing that if they decide not to, there will be some big and bitter pills to swallow.
Abraham and Isaac were different, though God saw evident faith in them both. The father lived by faith each day; the son in circumstances he chose. Yet God saw the faith of each one and, in wondrous grace, commended it. One was strong, the other one weak; yet faith in both was seen before their life's journey was ended. It is my prayer, Lord, that our children learn to live by faith right from the start. I know my influence is diminished when each one's life's call leads us apart. Would it please Thee to strongly impress on their minds that life is short, eternity's long, and move them to keep reading the Bible, so that by growing in faith, they'll be strong.