As we continue to read in Genesis, we learn of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and how He is preparing a nation through which would come the Messiah.
Isaac, the son, is once again a type of Christ- the Son in relationship to the Father; not in moral character, but in the overall pattern of his imitation of his father Abraham’s doings. He follows in the footsteps of his father.
Therefore, Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something, He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19)
What Isaac does, his father has already done. He camps in Gerar as his father did (Gen 20:2). He uncovers the wells that his father had previously dug there. Even in his errors, he imitates his father (calling his wife his sister Genesis 26:7).
Watchman Nee wrote about Isaac in his book, “Changed Into His Likeness”:
“Constituted the heir by divine promise, he (Isaac) was born, not after the flesh but after the spirit (Galatians 4:29). Apart from Christ there was no other of whom this was said. Let us briefly recount some other ways in which Isaac may be a type of Christ. To Sarah, Isaac was Abraham’s only true son, the beloved (Hebrews 11:17). Laid by his father on the altar, he was received back as from the dead to be to him the risen one. After Sarah herself died and her `age of grace’ was past, Isaac’s bride, a figure of the Church, was brought to him from a far country. Yet she came to him as the Church of God’s will, not brought in from without but born from within, for Rebekah and Isaac were of one blood, one family, as are Christ and His own. Moreover, Isaac really did occupy his inheritance. Abraham at one point went down into Egypt and Jacob returned to Mesopotamia, but Isaac was born, lived and died in Canaan. This is the Son who `is in heaven’, who never left His Father’s bosom.”
“In his old age Isaac at last did have his own ideas about blessing his sons. He wanted to bless Esau. But God would not let him do something his father had not done; he too had to bless the younger son! In the end, even the tomb in which Isaac was laid was the one provided by his father.”
Genesis gives us a wide-open window to the scheming, deceitful hearts of humankind. We can see why the Psalmist said,
“All men are liars.” (Psalm 116:11).
“There is no one who does good.” (Psalm 14:1)
In Genesis 27 all the characters involved are scheming, yet God’s sovereign purpose prevails.
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a God of all grace!
Another principle, by way of application, is to note how Isaac is deceived by feeling. His sense of touch overrides his sense of hearing. He is deceived into believing the lie. It felt like Esau was asking for the blessing, even when what he heard was the voice of Jacob. We would do well to listen to the voice of the Word of God (Romans 10:17) “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ” and let that take precedence over all else.
New Testament Reading: Matthew 9:1-17
Here we have more evidence of Jesus’ deity. We learn of Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, something ultimately only God can do. Jesus substantiates this claim by healing the paralytic (Matt. 9:5)
We see the great danger of the sin of self-righteousness in the attitude of the Pharisees. They looked down upon Jesus because he ate with the tax-collectors and sinners, not seeing that they were cheating people more than tax collectors by not exercising their responsibility as the teachers of Israel to point out that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies, the Savior that they so desperately needed. These doctors of the law see themselves as healthy, when in fact they are deathly ill. These people fail to see their need for the Savior and their need for grace.
Matthew 9:11-13 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus answers the question that the disciples of John the Baptist had about the liberty of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus clarifies with His parable of the wine-skins that He did not come to put a new patch on the old religion. He came to give a new kind of life and a new kind of relationship with God; a new covenant relationship in which God becomes a Husband to His people and we can joyously celebrate doing life together (fellowship). The apostle Paul puts it this way in the Book of Romans: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
PSALM 10:16-18
This excerpt from Psalm 10 gives us great perspective for prayer. Jesus is King. We who believe have been delivered from the dominion of darkness and transferred into His kingdom. His rule takes precedence over all. The rule of all competitors will fail. Let us intercede for those who are afflicted, fatherless and oppressed and captive to fear. May they be released from their bonds through faith in the power of the Word.
PROVERBS 3:9-10 A PROMISE TO THOSE WHO HONOR THE LORD WITH THEIR WEALTH
Proverbs 3:9-10 9 Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.
PRAYER: Thank you for this new life in Christ. It is a privilege to read, hear, study, memorize and meditate upon Your Word and let it take precedence in our thinking. Help us to discern what it truly of You. As Jesus could do nothing apart from You, we can do nothing apart from Him. Keep us abiding in the True Vine! We want to honor You with all that we are and all that we have, In Jesus Name. Amen
-Pastor David