When you consider the people who are listed in Hebrews 11, just for a minute, think about the people in Hebrews 11 that you know were in there, and that list of people who are said to have great faith, then the names that typically stand out for us are Abraham and Noah and Moses. If you ask me, who are the ones that stand out, those would be the really, the big three that I would say, but they're all included as people of faith, and then there are others listed. And there would probably be some names listed that if I said their name this morning, you might say, I don't remember what's said about them, or I'm not even sure that they would be in there, because some are listed but yet not much is said about them and I understand that. Isaac might be one of those people who is listed in Hebrews the 11th chapter, but not much is said about him. But we're going to look today at what is said and why I think what is said is said about him. We're going to do that here in just a moment.
We know Isaac best as the son of Abraham, as the Promised Son, as the Son whom God told Abraham, you go and you sacrifice him. And my guess is, and that's not my guess I know, Abraham questioned that in the sense of he saw, well, this is the only son that I have, and that that wasn't the case, but it was the promised son that God had given him. And we know about this story, it may be the most emotionally compelling story in Scripture. If I just think about it, it is more compelling from a father's standpoint, from a father who has two sons, to me in just thinking about the emotion of a story, it is as compelling, or even more compelling, in my judgment, than God sending His own Son to die. I'm not diminishing that, but as I read this story of Abraham and Isaac, I am taken aback by the fact that so much emotion had to be part of what this story was about. The focus in Genesis 22 is Abraham, but I want you to think about Isaac for a minute this morning. We're not told how old he was. Some commentators say he could have been between 18 and 25 years old. Here's what I know. He was old enough to carry the wood for the sacrifice. Evidently, all the wood, and that would have been, I would think, quite a bit of wood to offer a sacrifice to God. But Abraham gave him the wood to tote and to carry to the sacrifice. So he was at least of age where he could do that. 18 to 25 sounds pretty reasonable, doesn't it? That's 18 to 25 year old young men are probably at their strongest during those periods of time. The Midrash, which is a Jewish commentary, says that Isaiah was 37 when this happened. That would make Abraham 137 No wonder he wanted Isaac to carry the wood. But regardless of how old he was, what I want you to think about, he was plenty old enough to be aware of the situation. I just want you to think about that. Where we going, dad? We're going to offer sacrifice to God. Where's the sacrifice Dad? God will provide it. God will provide the sacrifice. And as you read the passage that Gavin just read, I want you to think about how both of these men felt. "But Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, and said, my father. He said, Here I am, my son. He said, Look the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering. So the two of them went up together, and then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order, and he bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood."
Did you hear that? He bound his son, and then he bound him and he laid him on the altar, upon the wood that his son had placed in order for the sacrifice to take place. Now we're not told about a conversation, but I can imagine a conversation. I can imagine a tearful father who as he's doing what he's doing, and as a son who evidently was willing to allow his father to do what his father did, without any backlash, without any fight back, evidently, and He bound his son. As I said, it is impossible to know about the conversation, but I can tell you right now. I can imagine what was going through Isaac's head, practically and maybe spiritually. I don't understand the emotions of what went on. You know, Jacob talked about the emotional part of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and that's certainly true, but I cannot imagine what Isaac was thinking as he watched his father take a knife and then watched as the angel stopped him and said, do not do it. I've seen enough.
Isaac had to be impressed with his father's faith. Don't you think? Don't you think, as he unbound his son, and as he hugged his son, and as he my guess is, thank God for not demanding that he kill his son, but understanding that he would have, can't you imagine the Thanksgiving that both of them had? Isaac had to be impressed with his father's faith, because he lived it. He lived what the Hebrew writer said in Hebrews 11, when he said, "By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son, of whom, it was said in Isaac, your seed shall be called, concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense." I cannot imagine, I cannot, I cannot imagine being told by the God of heaven. I want you to sacrifice one of your two sons, Kenny, and I want you to trust me.
But that brings me to what's said about Isaac. In Hebrews, the 11th chapter, following what we have on the screen there. This statement is made about Isaac, "by faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come." That's it. That's all that's said. And Isaac's listed here with Abraham and with Noah and with Moses and all these great people of faith. And all is said about him is he blessed, Isaac, blessed Jacob and Esau and be did it by faith concerning things to come. That doesn't sound like much to me, does it you? I'm thinking, you know, surely you could've used that, that room to put in somebody else. I mean, what? What was the Holy Spirit telling the writer of Hebrew, you know, include Isaac in this, and include him for saying this. This is why you include Isaac in there? Well, blessing your children was not unique to Isaac. The Bible tells us that Abraham blessed his children. Jacob blessed his children. Moses blessed his children. And blessing your children carried the idea of acknowledging and accepting God's will and God's purposes for them.
I want you to think just a minute about this idea of blessing something. The text when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, the text tells us that Jesus took the bread and blessed it. I have often thought, What does that even mean? What does that mean? Almost every time a prayer is offered on the Lord's day for the emblems, we say, bless the bread. What in the world does that even mean? Bless the bread? Well, the idea is to ask that its intended purpose be fully realized. When you bless something, that's the idea. Have you ever thought about why Jesus blessed the emblems and why we do that? What does that word even mean? Well, I think he wanted and we want his purpose realized, don't we? Why would Jesus bless the bread? Why would he say? Why do we bless the bread? Because we want everyone who takes it to realize its intended purpose. That's what blessing means. When Moses blessed his children and Abraham blessed his children and Isaac blessed his children, the text tells us that they did that so that their purpose could be realized that Hebrews 11 says concerning things to come, and we're going to look at that here more in just a second. Isaac, blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things that were to come, and that has something to do with this realized purpose, this intended, realized purpose. But when I think about Isaac, that's not what jumps out to me. Faith. Now, it jumps out that he obeyed His Father, that that scene jumps out, but I don't know how much of that was Isaac's faith, and how much much of that was. I trust my dad. I don't know how much of that was any of that, but as I said, the text includes that.
It would appear to me that Jacob, or rather, Isaac, had some personal issue and some personal motivation when it came to his boys. You know the story. We're going to look at this story in just a minute. But I think there was a problem initially with Abraham's faith, and we're going to look at a sequence, sequence of events in the life of him and his boys that I think is a game changer, and that I think could be a game changer for you and me as well. You remember what Isaac did in his old age? The birthright was to be given Jacob and Rebecca decided to deceive Isaac and Isaac eats the, my translation says the savory food, that was brought to him. Some translations say porridge. I just think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears when I think of that story. I don't even know if anybody reads that story anymore, but if you don't, you ought to, I digress. So I'm going to go back. But Jacob and Rebecca deceive Isaac and Genesis 27 says this, "and he Jacob came near and kissed him, kissed Isaac, and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said, Surely, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. Therefore, may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let people serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you." That's what Isaac said to Jacob, and Jacob and his mother, Rebecca, because she loved him, and evidently she loved him more, and Isaac loved Esau more because he ate of the food that his father had killed and that he would kill. And so this is the deception that takes place, and he pronounces all of these things. Let the people serve you, and the nations bow down and be master over your bother. All this is is to say, Jacob, I'm giving you what you want. And he thought, this is Esau. And the text then tells us that Esau comes in. "Now it happened as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac, his father, that Esau, his brother, came in from his hunting. He also had made savory food and brought it to his father, and said to his father, let my father Arise and eat of His son's game, that your soul may bless me." And his father, Isaac said to him, who are you? He said, I'm your son, your first born son. Esau.
Well, again, you can imagine what's going through Isaac's mind, because the next verse says this, "then Isaac trembled exceedingly and said, Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me. I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him, and indeed he shall be blessed." This verse, I think, identifies something. I think it's a light bulb moment for Isaac, when he understands I have blessed in his mind, someone who is the wrong son, but yet he acknowledges the fact that he did what he did, and I have blessed him, He says, and indeed he shall be blessed. There is no turning back. What's done is done. And Isaac trembled exceedingly. Some translations say he trembled violently. My guess is because he realized that what had happened was not something that he could overturn, but he also realized that it was something that God wanted all the time, even in the womb, even in the womb of Rebecca, Those boys fought. You remember the story, and even in the womb, the prophecy was that Jacob would be over Esau, in a sense, and those whom they represented would have this -- would qualify in the same way toward each other. Esau and Isaac talk, and Isaac tells Esau that he made Jacob a master over Esau. That was exactly what God said would happen before the twins were ever born. and Esau pleads for a blessing, but Isaac does not try to undo or revoke the plan. He cannot do that. Look carefully at what Isaac does say when you get to verse 38 listen to this. "Esau said to his father, have you only one blessing? My Father, bless me, me also, my father. And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And then Isaac, his father, answered and said to him, Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above, by your sword, you shall live, and you shall serve your brother, And it shall come to pass when you become restless that you shall break his yoke from your neck." That is all understood when you think about the history that would follow Jacob and Esau. You will serve your brother. What appears to me to be happening is Isaac realizes that He had been resisting God. He had been resisting what God wanted from the get go, but that's not what he was wanting to do. He was wanting to bless Esau when God all along said that's not going to happen. And so now he stops. He blesses His sons, listen, for their intended purpose. You see that? He blesses them for his intended purpose. Isaac, by faith, blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future. Hebrews 11:20. That's where, that's where the faith came into play. That's the difference maker. When Isaac realized what God had said and what God was doing now, he said, I understand that. And what Isaac did, he yielded to the will of God, because prior to that moment, he was going to bless Esau, that was his intent. And he said, I can't do that now. And he understood, and that, in my judgment, is why he trembled exceedingly, because he realized what he was doing.
What is the message? What's the message of Isaac's faith? That's short, little just a few words in Hebrews 11. Why is he included in that? I think he's included because the Hebrew writer wants us to understand at some point you have to give way. If you are a person of faith you have to yield to God even when it's hard to do. So that's the message. It yields to God even when it's hard to do. And I think that principle surrounds Hebrews 11. Sometime we're not told directly about it, but if you study the lessons of all those who are mentioned, every one of them did something that was hard to do. In Isaac's case, it was hard to give the birthright to Jacob, and yet he did it, but he also understood that that's what God wanted, and that's what faith does, my friend. That's what faith does. In the family report, I mentioned that I will be in -- I start a meeting next Sunday in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and for the last several weeks, I've been giving some thought to what it Is that I want to preach when I go there. A lot of time my mind goes when I'm other places, and even when I'm here, my mind, a lot of time, goes to faith. It's just, it's just natural, and I think it goes to faith because without faith, it's impossible to please God. That's what the Hebrew writer says. So it seems to me that that's something we ought to be talking about an awful lot, and maybe looking at all the characteristics of those people who are listed in Hebrews 11. Maybe looking at all of them, maybe that ought to say something to us, because we've got to have that kind of faith. And I will tell you that sometimes in the quietness, when I'm thinking about my own faith, I ask myself this question, do I-- do I have faith? You ever done that? I'm not talking about, do you go to church? I'm not talking about, do you read your Bible? I'm talking about, do you have faith? Without faith, without it, it's impossible. And it may be that you're sitting here this morning, and as I ask that question, you're going Kenny, I'm not sure. Well, I'm telling you something. Let me tell you something about that: you need to be sure, because without it, it's impossible to please God. And what Hebrews 11 tells me is, is that we need to yield to God in every single area of our life, even when we may not want to. That's what's hard. That's what's hard.
Let me give you a couple of examples. Hebrews 11, "by faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son." Abraham had faith. Abraham was tested. And Abraham survived the test. It's clear he had faith, but he was tested. He was fully willing to go through with it. Well, this passage a little further in Hebrews 11 about Moses, "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin." He was tempted. He made a choice. He said, I'm not going to do this, which is something that probably, for me personally, would be the most enjoyable thing from a pure, temporary standpoint. But he said, I'm not going to do that. "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he looked to the reward." That's what faith does. It looks to the reward, and Moses was tested. So I think very clearly Moses had faith. Every one of those listed has faith or the Holy Spirit wouldn't have had the writer to write that about they all had they all had faith. Or this in Hebrews 12, "looking unto Jesus. Us the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Jesus chose.
So let me ask you a question as I move to the end of my lesson, let me ask you this question. Is there an area of our lives in which we're all resisting the will of God? As you sit there this morning, is there-- is there some area in your life where you're resisting what it is that you know you ought to do? You know what God said to you, you know what he wants of you, you know what he's told you, and yet you resist that. You just, you just act as though it, it doesn't exist, and you're going about doing in this area of your life exactly what you want to do. That's resisting that. That's what I think Isaac was doing. I think that was his problem. He was resisting God until he didn't resist God. That is a serious question.
Let me close with two passages. I think we have to accept the circumstances of our lives and believe that God is working, and then yield to that. I will tell you there are things about my life that I do not like. There are circumstances in my life that I don't like, and maybe this is not the right way to say it, but I'll say it this way. I wish they were different. I wish I could make them different. I do, but evidently I can't. And maybe it's because I shouldn't. Maybe what I need to do is adjust my thinking to God's will. Maybe that's what I need to do, not maybe, that is what I need to do. That's what Isaac did. Let me mention these two final verses from the story of Job. Job 36, Elihu speaks to job, and he says, "Behold, God is exalted by His power, who teaches like him, who has assigned him his way, or who has said you have done wrong." Elihu, in essence of saying to job, you're not going to question God, are you? You're not going to tell him he's done wrong for what he's doing to you. That's not a wise thing to do. And then a little later, God Himself says to Job, "would you indeed annul my judgment, would you condemn me that you may be justified?" You know what God is doing? He's kind of putting job in his place. Because true faith gives total control to God. And I'm going to tell you, that's hard. That's hard to accept for me. Giving God total control in my life is hard for me to do, but do it I must. That's what faith is.
Let me close with this. Had a conversation earlier in the week with a man who's dealing with the situation. He dealing with the work situation. It's tough. We talked about that, and here's what, he's concluded, whatever happens happens, and I'm going to trust God. I'm going to tell you what that is. That's faith. That's faith. Does he have a-- does he have a sense in which he'd like for circumstances to be this way as opposed to this way? Absolutely. But what he said is, you know, I've prayed about it and I've thought about it and I'm just turning it over to God. That's exactly what needs to happen. You know how many times I have to tell myself, just turn over to God Kenny? Turn over to God. Happens a lot folks, but that's what faith does, and I think that's what Isaac learned. May God help us to have that kind of faith.
If you're in this audience this morning and you do not have a relationship with God, not according to what he wants. You need to have that. You need to accept who Jesus is by faith, based upon what you know about him, commit to him, Do what he says, and then live a life of trust and let him take you home to glory. Sounds easy, but it's not, but it's the right thing to do, and it's what faith, the kind of faith that Isaac, it's that kind of faith that it takes. Can we help you with that? If you'd come believing in Jesus, repent of your sins, confess his name before men that he truly is the Son of God, the ruler of heaven and earth, only at the end time to turn all that back over to his father, then be buried with him in baptism for the remission of your sins. That's what the Bible tells you to do. Can we help you with that? If we can let us do it while we stand and while we sing.
