WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD
Genesis 27:1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. 2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: 3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; 4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. 5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
Genesis 27:6 ¶ And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, 7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. 9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: 10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. 11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. 13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. 14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. 15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: 17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
There is not a thing in events of this chapter that can come to pass unless we have the two things revealed by the “that’s,” as seen in verse one. For they all can only come to pass when, 1. Isaac was old. And 2. when his eyes were dim, so that he could not see. The providences that are appointed for you, dear Reader, are only designated to occur as you reach certain ages, and in certain conditions! And in the glorious mercies of God, they are appointed in order to cause you to find the Lord and his will!
Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
There is a circumstance, orchestrated by the wisdom of God, in the New Testament that also sheds light on this truth. For we read in John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. This man’s blindness, even from birth, just as Isaac’s, was for the display of the purposes of the Lord God!
And even concerning the death of one, loved of the Lord, we read in John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
And as Lazarus’ death was needful for the Lord Jesus Christ to show that he, and not just an appointed event, is the resurrection and the life! John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
He proved that he is the resurrection! And to do so required a dead man. That is why he waited two days before going to the scene. John 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
And to show his sovereignty in getting the right of birth to the younger son, Jacob, when his father Isaac was determined to give it to Esau, the eldest, it required Isaac to both be old and blind!
All things, contrary to man’s opinions, are not solely about man, but for the glorifying of the Son of God! (Have you noticed that the ‘blogs’ on line usually start with the words, “About Me!”?) Psalm 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And Jacob, like all of the Lord’s people must learn that ascendancy over the eldest, representing our fleshly man, cannot be had by deception, but comes only by dying! 2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For those who seek to please their concept of ‘god’ by their works, are but mere religionists! For the true believer is a living sacrifice – living the death life – while Christ lives in and through him! Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The believers spiritual life is not of fleshly works, but it most certainly is unto good spiritual works! The works from the flesh are not the cause for God’s will to be done. But they most assuredly follow the workings of the Holy Spirit! Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Abraham’s life spoke of the beginning of our faith. His oneness with Sarah speaks of our oneness with the covenant God, for fruitfulness. For the marriage of man and woman speaks of the ‘marriage’ of the believer’s soul to God! Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
And Isaac’s life speaks of our sonship; our being birthed by the Holy Spirit. For other than the Lord Jesus’ birth, Isaac’s birth was the most supernatural, miracle-birth on earth! Romans 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
But so is the spiritual birth of the soul in righteousness! John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Then Jacob’s life speaks of our servitude to God. For his life is marked by serving. First he had to learn to serve Laban (Genesis 29:15), in order to learn how to serve the Lord God.
But in order to get to the glory, (as that is the state the believer seeks to attain), we must come next to Jacob’s son Joseph! For Joseph comes to be as high as Pharaoh. For Pharaoh’s glory is Joseph’s glory! (See Genesis 41:44). And the true believer shall be brought to the glory of the King of kings; the Lord Jesus Christ! Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
But neither did Joseph attain to such a high position, nor shall we, without the sufferings of the cross! Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
For even Christ, the perfect Son of God did not ascend to his glory except he endured his cross first! Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
1 Peter 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
So as Jacob could not obtain the victory over the eldest (Esau), by deception and works, neither can the believer obtain the victory over his flesh in that manner. 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
And we must assuredly notice that the spiritual man (Isaac), seeks to bless the first born, Esau, representing the flesh. We identify ourselves by that which we have sensed to be “self.” For therein has always been our sight, our taste, our hearing, our understandings, and our feelings. Eve wanted Cain to be her “man from God.” Abraham wanted Ishmael to walk before God. David wished Absalom to be so. And the Apostle Paul wished it of national Israel! Romans 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
But Cain was of that wicked one. (1 John 3:12). Ishmael turned out to be a wild man. (Genesis 16:12). Absalom led an insurrection, trying to throw David off the throne. (2 Samuel 15:10). And God rejected national Israel. Matthew 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Hebrews 7:18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
But Rebekah, a picture of the mother of us all, that is the Jerusalem which is above, (Galatians 4:26), which is the Bride of Christ, the true church, had a direct word from the Lord God that the elder shall serve the younger! (Genesis 25:22,23). And Isaac’s love was a “because” love. That is, he loved Esau, whom God hated, for a selfish motive. But Rebekah just loved Jacob, whom the Lord loved – PERIOD! Genesis 25:28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. Malachi 1:2 Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 3 And I hated Esau,
Isaac would turn Esau into Jacob, the blessed of the Lord, by attempting to give him the blessing of the right of birth. But Rebekah would turn Jacob into Esau in order for him to rightfully obtain the blessing!
Isaac sent Esau out into the field with his natural weapons. The field is the world. (Matthew 13:38). But Rebekah sent Jacob into the flock to obtain a blood sacrifice that would cover him for the obtaining of the blessing. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,…
Esau, the first born, comes back last. But Jacob the younger is first to obtain the blessing! Luke 13:30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
Pastor Gene Breed
April 6, 2016
