GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB
The main theme that flows from the life of Abraham to Jacob is that of inheriting the promises of God. God had a promise land for them, a promise of blessing even unto their descendants, and a promise of impacting the nations of the world. God has certainly brought these promises to fulfillment. In fact, to this day, all three of them continue to reap the fruits of the promises. Thus, it pays to look into their lives to learn from these men that we ourselves may enter into all that God has for us.
"Promised Land" || Copyright © 2011 SusanStilwell.com
But not only that, each one of them was separated from the rest. Abraham was commanded by God to leave his family and his country. In Isaac’s case, God commanded Abraham to send away Ishmael because he will not partake of Isaac’s inheritance. For Jacob, he was told to flee from Canaan and go back to the land of his fathers and stay there for a time. God called for their separation from those who are not co-heirs with them. How does this apply to us today? In our lives, as we pursue the purposes of God, it will lead to a separation. This means walking a life of consecration. A separated walk calls for us to live according to the will of God rather than the influence of others even when it results in a severing of ties or displeasing people. If one looks at his life, a person may see that at many points he made decisions based on what others felt he should do or for the sake of keeping people precious to him. We may be called by God to a separated walk from friends or loved ones whom we allow to influence our lives.
Philippians 1:9: “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment"This verse tells of a need to love with discernment, which means good judgment. This is an area where we have to be careful against human mercy. Take the example of King Jehoshaphat. No matter how wicked King Ahab was, he still called him his brother and went to battle with him even though this was not God’s will. Perhaps there are times where our associations with certain people will call for compromises in the guise of “helping them in a time of need.” May we be able to discern and choose to follow God.
Another thing we can look at is how God revealed Himself to each one of them when they were given the promises of God for their lives.
God has no grandchildren. He only has sons. Each one of them had to have a personal relationship with God. Despite the intimacy of Abraham with the Lord, it did not mean that his children would share the same intimacy with God. No one is saved by virtue of the spiritual maturity of somebody they are related to.
To each one of them, God said that He will be their God. We cannot ride on the coattails of others into heaven. Even being in the right church or the right company does not make one holy or acceptable before God. While it is crucial to be surrounded by the right people for a person to grow in his walk with God, he cannot put his confidence in somebody else’s walk to be considered by God as holy. Not even the walk of a person’s spouse can save him. We will all be individually judged by the Lord.
ABRAHAM
Abraham received progressive revelation of God’s promises for His life. The first time God spoke to him about His purpose for him, God said that he was to get out of his country and go to the land He will show him.
Genesis 12:1-3
“Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
At this point, Abraham only knew he was being led by God to Canaan but he did not know which part. But upon hearing the Word of God, Abraham obeyed and left and went to Canaan. When he reached Canaan, the Lord spoke to him once more and confirmed that he was in the right place.
Genesis 12:6-7: Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Then time came that Abraham and Lot had to part ways due to a conflict among their servants. Abraham, being a very gracious man, allowed his nephew to choose the land where he will go. After Lot separated from him, the Lord spoke again to Abraham and revealed the expanse of land God was giving him.
Genesis 13:14-17: And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”The whole plan of God for Abraham was not revealed in one encounter. It was a series of encounters that would finally lead Abraham to such a clear understanding of God’s plan for his life. Each revelation of God’s purposes however was contingent on Abraham’s obedience to the previous revelation. This tells us that to the extent that we are able to walk in obedience to God’s revelation we shall receive further understanding of His will for our lives. Thus, we must be faithful to walk in the light we have today that we may progress to greater levels of God’s plans for us. Do not despise small beginnings. Abraham was able to obey God even when he was often called to unfamiliar or impossible situations because of faith.
ISAAC
Isaac, on the other hand, was called by God under a different situation. Yes, he must have been told that God promised Canaan to his father and that Isaac will inherit these same promises. Yet, God was not content that Isaac knew the plans of God for him simply by hearing from his father. God met Isaac as well and confirmed this promise. Any person called of God must have a personal revelation from the Lord on His promises for his life. In his case, it was at a time of famine that God met him.
Genesis 26:1-6
“There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.”
What an encouragement! God can truly meet us in our times of hardships. And the amazing thing is he was not only assured he will survive the famine but that he would be richly blessed. There may have been a natural famine in Isaac’s day but certainly there was no famine in God’s revelations. Sometimes it is in our most difficult hour that God can meet us and reveal His purposes for our lives. I believe He intends it to be so to give us something to hope for so we will endure the trial.
But also notice that the Lord did not only give Isaac promises, He also gave him instructions. God’s promises have conditionalities. If we shall be faithful to do our part, God will be faithful to keep His. The fulfillment of God’s plans are determined by our obedience.
God warned Isaac against fleeing to Egypt for safety in the time of famine. And Egypt as we know represents the world. Essentially, what God was telling Isaac was not to put his trust in the world or worldly ways to see him through the famine. God told him to remain in the land despite its grim situation. That meant God was telling him not to put his trust in the world but to rest his faith in God.
Jeremiah 17:5-6
Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited."
Also, God was warning him against seeking to escape a God-ordained trial. Often when we are in difficult situations, we are more inclined to ask God to take us out of it immediately. However, we must understand that trials are allowed by God to work for our good. We must cry out for the meekness to yield to God’s ways that are far higher than our ways. In times of trials, the best prayers to utter are “what are you working out in me Lord?” and “may You finish the work, Lord. Do not allow me to get out of here until Your work is done.”
In the succeeding verses of Genesis 26 we see the fruits of Isaac’s obedience and faith.
Genesis 26:12-14: "Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.”Even a famine could not stop God from making Isaac fruitful. This is the promise of God to those who put their trust in the Lord. Even in the seasons of drought they will be fruitful.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
JACOB
Finally, with Jacob, the revelations came as he continuously allowed the Lord to deal with him. Jacob prior to his encounters with God was just as his name. He was a deceiver. He also did not appear to have a personal walk with God. However, God looked at Jacob not at what he was presently and judged him hopeless. Rather, the Lord saw the end of Jacob and knew that it was good. Thus, despite all his shortcomings and failures, God still chose to work in and through this imperfect vessel to make His word come to pass. He first met Jacob at Bethel when he was fleeing from his brother because he deceived their father to get his blessing.
Genesis 28:13-15: And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”How amazing it is to consider that after such a work of unrighteousness, God would meet him and affirm to him that he is the heir of God’s promises to Abraham and Isaac. Not only that, God assured him that He will be with Jacob and will keep him and not leave him until His word is done!
This is not to say that God tolerates unrighteousness. Rather, that even with lives filled with failures, God sees a man’s end and He knows those who will eventually become finishers. Each one of us today has a living hope that despite wherever we may be at, God can accomplish His purposes for us. And to this what was Jacob’s reply?
Genesis 28:20-22: Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
Jacob may not have known God personally prior to this encounter, but he became willing to cooperate with Him. And many years shall pass before God was going to enable Jacob to catch a glimpse of God’s promises for him. God caused him to be subject to his Uncle Laban, who was a far greater deceiver than he was, for 20 years that God can thoroughly address issues in Jacob’s life and prepare him to enter God’s plans for him.
After two decades, God finally called him to go back to the land of his inheritance. But on the way, God met him and he wrestled with the Lord and prevailed. It was at this point that God changed his name to Israel which also signaled a change in character. After many years of dealings, Jacob finally prevailed and was ready to go to the promise land.
Genesis 35:10-12: “And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.”We live in the generation that will experience the fulfillment of the promises of God for the church. May we be like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who will be counted worthy to receive the promises of God.
Hebrews 11:16: “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
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