Lesson 5 The Faith of Isaac Introduction Isaac, the son of promise, is the main character in view from the middle of Genesis 25 through 27. His name appears in other places in Scripture … where he is usually mentioned favorably. He did not always do everything right, but he is mentioned in the heroes of faith section of Hebrews 11. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. – Hebrews 11.20 Like his father before him, Isaac died without seeing God’s promise of the possession of the land of Canaan fulfilled. But he did pass the promise on to his sons, who then passed them down to their sons. It is these men to whom Hebrews 11.13-16 applies. They were so confident in God’s promises, they believed what they never saw, and never gave up. This is the assurance of faith that the Hebrew writer commends. These men never doubted that the promises would come true. They did not die in the despair of unfulfilled dreams, but in the perfect peace of unfulfilled promises, confident because they were God’s promises. They knew by faith that God would fulfill the promises because they knew He was a covenant-keeping God and a God of truth.7 Isaac’s journey of faith In a time when material possessions, power, and money reigned supreme when it came to inheritances, Isaac received promises. Isaac, who lived longer than any of the patriarchs, 180 years old – Genesis 35.27- 29, and yet gets a small amount of attention when compared to the other patriarchs. He appears to have been a quiet and passive man … and the Genesis account reveals more of his failures than his success. In Genesis 26.3-6 God shared with Isaac the same promises he had Abraham. stay in this land as an alien, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because Abraham listened to me and kept my mandate, my commands, my statutes, and my instructions.” So Isaac settled in Gerar. – Genesis 26.3-6 These promises were specific and certain. God told him I will be with you and bless you. What a tremendous promise! But yet, at the first test of his faith, he fails in the same way his father did – lying

7 MacArthur, p. 338. Week 5 | The Faith of Isaac 28 about the identity of his wife. God revealed who Rebekah was to the king, who rebuked Isaac, Genesis 26.10. Despite this, God continued to bless Isaac, who became very wealthy. Isaac eventually moves out of the land of the Philistines and back into Canaan’s land. God spoke again the promises to him, where he called upon God’s name and set his tents up there, Genesis 26.24-25. Like his father before him, Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, was barren. Isaac prayed earnestly for a son. God answered him and Rebekah conceived, Genesis 25.21. Genesis 27 tells us Isaac was more favorable to Esau than Jacob. At the end of his life, he instructed Esau to kill some game and prepare a tasty dish, Genesis 27.7. After this, he planned on giving the birthright to Esau. This is despite the fact that Esau had previously sold his birthright to Jacob, Genesis 25.33, and yet he was determined to give it to Esau anyway. Jacob and his mother engaged in deceit to gain the blessing rather than by faith. God did produce the outcome Jacob and Rebekah wanted, but not for their reasons or methods. The right outcome came because of God’s faithfulness to His promise … not theirs. Isaac finally fully accepts God’s promises It is not until Genesis 28 where we begin to see Isaac’s true faith come into view. As he faced death, Isaac blessed Jacob with the blessing that neither he nor his father possessed and that neither Jacob or his sons would possess. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you so that you become an assembly of peoples. May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.” So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. – Genesis 28.3-5 Isaac blessed Jacob in faith, knowing that God would fulfill the promises in His own way and in His own time. While Isaac’s faith journey was definitely a bumpy ride, in the end he submitted, believed, and obeyed. For Thought and Reflection 1. Read Genesis 26.3-6. What about these promises stands out most to you?

2. How did Isaac respond to these promises? (Genesis 26.6)

3. What happened in Gerar with Isaac’s wife Rebekah?

Week 5 | The Faith of Isaac 29

4. What did King Abimelech say to Isaac when he discovered Rebekah’s true identity?

5. How did God bless Isaac materially?

6. What is significant about the restatement of the covenant in Genesis 26.24-25?

7. What does the story regarding Isaac’s desire to bless Esau say about him?

8. What do the actions of Jacob and his mother reveal about their faith?

9. What is significant about Isaac’s blessing on Jacob in Genesis 28?

10. What is your overall opinion about Isaac’s faith taking both the Hebrew and Genesis accounts in view?