Isaac & Jacob: The Promise Continues
Child of Promise: Isaac's Story • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
Whenever I go to see live theatre, I am pleasantly surprised
Usually go at Karen’s request… not sure about it
Almost always blown away by the talent and the impact of the show
Look back at a few Rainbow Stage performances: Marry Poppins and then Johnny Cash
Our story this morning would make an excellent play… but probably not a musical
4 characters (Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Esau)
2 sets (Isaac’s tent, and just outside his tent)
4 acts (of a pair of characters interacting)
The Story
The Story
Act 1: Isaac and Esau
Isaac is old and believes his death draws near
Part of his old age is that he is nearly blind; Isaac cannot see
He desires to give Esau (his eldest) a blessing before he departs
That would be the norm, except that God had prophesied Jacob this blessing (Genesis 25:23 “And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.””)
But Esau was Isaac’s favourite, and he is acting on his own wishes here
Isaac tells Esau to go and hunt game, make him his favourite meal, and receive a blessing
Esau grabs his gear and heads out to do so
Acts 2: Rebekah and Jacob
Perhaps it wasn’t just Isaac and Esau in the first Act; Rebekah was eavesdropping
Kind of like Sam Gamgee outside of Frodo’s window during his fateful conversation with Gandalf...
She hurries to Jacob and convinces him to steal this blessing for himself (he is her favourite, after all)
Rebekah instructs Jacob to go grab 2 young goats so that she can prepare Isaac’s favourite meal (like Esau was supposed to do)
Jacob has some objections:
Esau is hairy (sasquatch alert!) and I am smooth
If I get caught, Isaac will curse me instead of bless me!
Rebekah comes up with solutions to these problems:
Let the curse be on me; I will protect you
She takes the skin of the young goats and puts them on Jacob’s hands and neck (Esau was an exceedingly hairy man)
Lastly she prepares and gives Jacob the food, and sends him to Isaac
Act 3: Jacob and Isaac
Isaac asks Jacob directly, “Who are you, my son?”
Jacob lies directly to his father by saying: Read Genesis 27:19.
Isaac is skeptical; he asks how it was possible for “Esau” to have returned with game so quickly
Jacob lies directly again, saying that the Lord granted him success
Isaac is STILL not convinced, so he asks for Jacob to come near so that he can feel if he is Esau or not
Here the skins of the goats do the trick, and Jacob feels hairy
Isaac still seems doubtful as the voice sounds like Jacob but the hands feel like Esau… which sense would win?
He must have been more than a little deaf as well
Right before the blessing, Isaac wants to smell Jacob (another sense) to double check
And since Jacob is wearing Esau’s clothes, he smells like his brother
The deception wins out, and Isaac blesses Jacob
Read Genesis 27:27-29.
This blessing held some importance; it was not just well-wishes but a prophetic word from God
Just like names, these blessings spoke truth to the reality and future of a person
Jacob (and his descendants) would receive the dew of heaven and fatness of the earth
Strong agricultural blessing that was required for prosperity in the ancient world
Other nations would serve Jacob, including his brothers!
More than just Jacob and Esau; this was an inheritance blessing
Everyone who curses him would be curse, and blesses him would be blessed
Echoes God’s original promise to Abraham in Gen. 12; this is proof that the original promise would continue through Jacob
Act 4: Isaac and Esau (again)
Soon after Jacob leaves, Esau returns with a meal and ready for his blessing
Isaac asks the same question, “Who are you?” and Esau gives the same answer… truthfully this time
At this news Isaac “trembled very violently”
Aware of the depth of the deception; aware that God was working out His plan despite his best efforts
Esau is also distraught, weeps, and asks for a blessing also
He receives a blessing, but not the one he desired (anti-blessing)
Read Genesis 27:39-40.
He will NOT have agricultural success like Jacob
Instead, he will live by the sword
And, unfortunately, he must serve his brother
But will one day be able to break Jacob’s yoke from his neck
Edom was subservient during David’s reign and onward
Eventually found their freedom during the reign of Judah’s King Jehoram in 2 Kings 8.
Epilogue: The result of everyone’s sin:
Esau hated Jacob and pledged to kill him
Jacob was forced to flee to his uncle Laban
The family was broken, and the promise was threatened
And make no mistake, ALL players had fault
Isaac was trying to circumvent God’s prophecy for Jacob and bestow the blessing upon his favourite child
Rebekah was coniving to work against her husband and look after the interestes of her favourite, Jacob
Jacob boldly lied to the face of his father (multiple times!) to grab a blessing he desired
Esau reacted in anger that caused his younger brother to flee
Such an imperfect way for the promise to continue, but...
The Promise Continues
The Promise Continues
God keeps His promises despite our shortcomings.
EVERYONE had some blame in the dysfunctional story of Genesis 27.
Just like the issue of generational sin the week before (with the same final point)
Yet God’s promise to Abraham -> Isaac -> Jacob persevered through it all
When God makes a promise, He will not be deterred by our schemes, failings and sin
This truth is not limited to the patriarchs, it applies to us today
God can uniquely keep His promises because of His unique character
Characteristics of God that make this possible:
God is longsuffering.
Longsuffering? Are we doing this sermon in old English?!
Oh Lord, thou art longsuffering in thine perfect being, henceforth this day cometh our own limited understanding of thine glory and doth hasten our own humble estate
I choose the word because I think it paints a beautiful picture: humanity can create long suffering for God!
In Scripture this is often translated as being patient or slow to anger
Talk about parenting being a real “proving ground” of patience; show Michael Scott, Lego and Yoda memes
Cf. Psalm 103:8.
If God were to be quick to anger, we would rightfully lose out to many of His promises (our own fault)
For Israel, they constantly tested the patience of God, who proved slow to anger
Even when God chose to (rightfully) punish, he never pulled back on His promises
God is loyal.
Cf. Psalm 103:8.
hesed = “Steadfast love” = “lovingkindness” = “loyal love”
The love of God is perfectly loyal, through thick and thin, even when we are not (like the players in our story today)
Loyalty is a commodity growing more rare these days (jobs, families, churches, sports teams)
It is much easier to leave and go somewhere where you GET MORE
Talk about leveraging the “loyalty department” with cell phone providers
God’s loyal love does the opposite: He willingly pays the cost to stay loyal to His people
Refer to my conversation with Patrick Franklin on the podcast
God is eternal.
God can keep His promises because He doesn’t have to “react” the way we do; He keeps His promises in the past, present and future
Cf. Psalm 103:15-17.
The Lord prophesied to Rebekah about Jacob (past), navigated the deception in our story (present) and continued to stay true to Jacob’s descendants (future)
God goes behind us, beside us, and before us to work out His promises and overcome our shortcomings
This is proven through a line of “blessings” that shows the promise continues through Jesus
Isaac -> Jacob = Read Gen. 27:29.
Jacob - > Judah = Read Gen. 49:8-12.
Judah -> Jesus = Read Philippians 2:9-10.
The eternal God was already at work in Jesus Christ; the ultimate fulfillment of blessings for His people
Through His sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus has assured the promises of God for all those who trust in Him
Conclusion
Conclusion
What are some of the promises of God given to us, made possible in Christ alone?
Forgiveness for sinners, peace that passes understanding for the anxious, fulfillment for the spiritually hungry, rest for the weary, strength for the weak, freedom for the addicted, comfort for those in grief, hope for the hopeless, and life everlasting
Just to name a few; all found promised in Scripture
Which promise speaks loudest to you today?
It is yours thanks to the longsuffering, loyal, eternal love of God displayed in Jesus Christ