10th February 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 27 and Hebrews 11:20 Message Alan Burke It was ‘By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future’, that is what Hebrews 11:20 tells us. Yet when we turn to Genesis 27 the account of how Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau is a shambles, fill with deception, as Jacob and Rebekah conspire together to prevent Esau from receiving the blessing of his Father. There is no one that comes out well in this account, there is no one that can hold their head up high and look down at others, everyone’s hands are stained. Everyone in this account were trying to bring about what they wanted by their own means. Both Isaac and Rebekah were as bad as each other. Isaac who by faith blessed Jacob and Esau, was a man that was intent on disobeying the word of God. Even though God had been clear, Isaac desired something in his heart that was contrary to what God had said. The reason for that conclusion is a simple one, for when Rebekah sought the Lord of why her children struggled in the womb (Gen 25:23). There we learn how the older would serve the younger, Esau would serve Jacob and Isaac didn’t like it. Also remember how Esau sold his birthright for a some bread and lentil stew, he swore to Jacob that the birthright was his. Even so Isaac was a man who lived by faith, he looked to the promises of God in Christ but he’s not a poster boy, a role model, but what is wonderful and should be a comfort to us for he was one who had faith. It is not an excuse for us to seek to live contrary to the word of God, just because we feel, because we want should never be the reason to go against God’s word. It was by faith we are told Isaac blesses both Jacob and Esau, the blessing received via the deception of Rebekah and Jacob comes first, the near blind Isaac thought Jacob was Esau through the deception, after coming near at his fathers invitation he kisses him and after Isaac smells his clothes Jacob is blessed by his father, with the blessing that Isaac had intended to give to Esau (v28-29). Then Jacob makes a quick exit, Esau arrives, and Isaac is enraged, he trembled violently, Esau burst out with a loud and bitter cry, but it was too late. Isaac had sought bless Esau with the blessing of the covenant promises that were given to him, he failed. God had elected Jacob to be the one, chosen Jacob to be the one through whom the promises of the Christ would ultimately be fulfilled. God had told this couple before Esau and Jacob were born the way it would be but sinful people make sinful choses and in the end the older brother would serve the younger at least for a time, while the younger brother would see prosperity and nations would bow to his descendants. The blessing of Isaac to his sons was dependant on faith, for Isaac was still a stranger in the land of promise, he was an alien, a foreigner, he had no land to pass on, nothing of which could be bestowed on his children of significant worth, yet he had the word of the Lord and the blessing that God had promised, Isaac was confident in the word of God, that is what he had and while he had sought to bless Esau Jacob’s line shows the enduring faith in that word. Isaac at the end of his life had only one thing of value that he left his descendants, God’s word of promise, it was that word that sustained Isaac in the highs as well as the lows. What do we have of value for our children, for our children’s children, is not in treasure here on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. This is one mucked up family, yet our God is faithful to forgive, His plan of redemption is not derailed by the mess of our lives, our sinful actions, know that what matters here today is faith. What mattered for Isaac in the carnage of his life, he was saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The faith he had was in Christ, he was saved Christ, they only faith that saves is in Christ! For every believer it is by faith alone in Christ alone that we are saved. Just as Isaac was heavily flawed, he uses we who are likewise heavily flawed for his glory. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q73 Which is the eighth commandment? The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal. (Exod. 20:15)
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