Genesis 26:1-35

It is amazing to see how often history has a tendency of repeating itself.  That was certainly the case with the life of Isaac.  He ended up facing many of the same trials that his father Abraham had faced.  Some of them he faced better than his father had and sometimes he committed the same mistakes.  Learning from the mistakes of those who have gone before us is a sure sign of wisdom.

ISAAC LIVED BY FAITH: Just as Abraham, Isaac faced a sever famine in the land.  There was food available in Egypt and the logical thing to have done was to move his family to Egypt in order to provide for them there.  However, God told Isaac to stay where he was and to trust Him.  Isaac trusted God and obeyed Him.  Abraham went to Egypt, and while there, ended up almost losing his wife.  Isaac did not follow his father’s error in this case.  There are times when physical need and logic or opportunity will enter into direct conflict with the requirements of the Word of God.  When that happens we must trust what God has revealed to us even when our instincts, circumstances or the actions of other all scream to the contrary.  Obedience and faith are always victorious over self reliance and rebellion.

ISAAC LIED IN FEAR: Unfortunately, when Isaac was faced with the fear of losing his life because of the beauty of his wife, he, like his father lied and told the men who were asking about her that she was his sister.  Fortunately, it never came to the point where he actually gave her away to another man as Abraham had done, but the lie demonstrated that he was controlled by fear and likely would have done that had he been forced to do so.  The king of the land saw Isaac treating Rebekah as his wife and confronted him on the lie.  Isaac admitted his deception and ended up hearing a stern rebuke from a pagan king.  It is very embarrassing when the children of faith must be rebuked by unbelievers.  We must strive in every circumstance to keep a solid testimony before those who do not know God so that they will see His glory through us.  It is a sad day when we allow our fears to draw a cloud over the glory that God desires that we reflect to the nations of the world.

ISAAC’S LIFE IS FULL: Despite Isaac’s fear and lie, God promised to bless him as the son of Abraham and for staying in the land.  When Isaac planted a crop he harvested one-hundred fold.  This made him a very rich man and his flocks grew and he became an even wealthier man.  I think that it is interesting that this great blessing follows on the heels of a moral failure.  We must never consider God’s faithfulness to His promises to be dependent upon our faithfulness.  God is faithful even when we are not.  He knows of our weaknesses and He has made provision for us through the promise of Christ.  No amount of obedience could ever merit His favor and no amount of disobedience can disqualify His true children from the promises He has made.  God’s promises are not secured by our obedience but by the cross of Christ.  There may be losses suffered and we may experience unnecessary pain because of disobedience, but we will never the gift of salvation granted by His grace.

ISAAC‘S LAND HAS FOES: Even though he had great wealth and blessing from God, Isaac’s life was not without its trials and difficulties.  He had constant disputes over the wells that he dug.  He was sent from place to place because of the fear that the people had of him.  However, God did eventually provide for his needs and the needs of his herds and he was able to secure a treaty that gave him security in the land.  We must not think that life will always be easy but we must persevere in times of testing and know that God will not allow us to be tested beyond the strength or the escape that He provides.  Struggles appear in our lives to make us strong and to teach us to depend upon Him.  Perhaps the greatest struggle Isaac had to face was the behavior of his son Esau who once again followed the desires of his flesh and married two women who were not of Isaac and Rebekah’s choosing.  Following our flesh will often bring us great loss as well as great heartache to those who love us most.