Monday, October 21st

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Hebrews 11: 20

 

Isaac is our next person on our Wall of Faith in Hebrews, chapter 11.  We know from our previous devotions that Isaac was the beloved son of Abraham and Sarah; the son they had begged God for years to give them.  In this chapter of Hebrews, only one verse is devoted to Isaac, so whatever else we know of Isaac will come from other verses in the Scriptures. 

 

I believe Isaac was a Godly young man, likely very obedient and honorable to his parents.  What's more, he had a walk with the Lord of his own---meaning, he didn't ride on his daddy's spiritual coat strings.  How do I know that?  Genesis 25:21 says,

 



 

And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

You see, Rebekkah, his own wife, faced the same situation his mother did---she was unable to have babies.  Isaac was close enough with the Lord that he was able to pray and have his prayer answered.  Again in Genesis 26:12, the Scripture tells us that God blessed Isaac.  So, was he a perfect man?  No, but he did know the Lord.  Today's verse tells us that he blessed his two sons, Jacob and Esau, concerning things to come---things that had not happened yet but had been promised.  You see, the custom was that the eldest son would receive the birthright or the blessing.  In this case, Esau was the elder.  However, before the twins were born, God had already revealed His plan. 

And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. Genesis 25.23.

Even though Isaac made a profoundly devastating choice in playing favorites with his sons (he liked Esau best, while Rebekkah preferred Jacob), Isaac knew that what God had decided was permanent.  He prophesied exactly as the Lord had already spoken---Esau would indeed serve Jacob and so would follow their lineage of generations. 

Even though it wasn't what Isaac would have wanted had he been able to choose, he followed the Lord's direction in giving Jacob the blessing.  When the Lord chooses a different plan for our lives than we would choose, do we still love him enough to obey?



Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 21
Romans 2