The Life And Rhymes Of Isaac

What should we think of Isaac?  Though he lived longer than the other 3 patriarchs in Genesis (Abraham, Jacob & Joseph), there is less written about him than the other 3.  The jury is hung on his significance.

Negatively, W. Graham Scroggie analyzes:  “Isaac is unheroic, and far nearer than Abraham to the level of ordinary humanity.  He shrinks from death, and does not scruple much about the means he uses to escape from it.  He is devoid of any stern sense of the duty of veracity.  He likes ‘creature comforts,’ and unduly favours the son who provides them for him.”  (The Unfolding Drama of Redemption, Zondervan, 1953, p. 117)

Positively, Eugene H. Merrill observes:  "The reason for the brevity of the narrative concerning him may not be so much his lack of importance as his conformity to the will of God. His was not a life of bizarre escapades that warranted much discussion. In silent, obedient faith, he pursued the will of God, carefully ordering his life as God’s servant." (An Historical Survey of the Old Testament, Baker Academic, 1991, p. 85)

W.H. Griffith Thomas states:  "His was a quiet, peaceful, normal life.  He was the ordinary son of a great father, and the father of a great son.  We are accustomed to speak of such lives as commonplace and ordinary, and yet the ordinary life is the 'ordered' life, and in the truest sense the 'ordained life' life.  Like the rest of us, Isaac's experiences were marked by light and shade, by sin and discipline, by grace and mercy."  (Genesis: A Devotional Commentary, Eerdmans, 1946, pp.237-238)

But I'm impressed by his faith in following his father to Mt. Moriah in Genesis 22 when he would be offered to God by Abraham.  Talk about awkward!

With Isaac as a significant character in Abraham and Jacob's story, there's only a few rhymes for him.

·      25:12-34 Jacob & Esau - Even if mama liked your twin better than you, would you still sell your birthright for a pot of stew? 

·      26 – Not Well, Oh Well - Isaac dug two holes – one lying like father about his wife, the other a well causing real estate strife.

The Life And Rhymes Of Abraham

If your family tree is like mine, your family tree has knots.  Sometimes our family history has a history of horrible sins - abuse, alcoholism, crime, conflicts.  Genesis is a PG documentary of the first family of many nations who trace their origins to Abraham.  Moses did not airbrush the portraits of Abraham and his progeny in biography that would make Kitty Kelly blush.

Imagine, the family tree of the Messiah was full of faithful and flaky folks - often times one and the same.  Even Abraham, the great hero of faith, was as flaky as a Head & Shoulders test patient.  Here is a rhyming survey of Abraham in Genesis:

12:1-9 The Abrahamic Covenant - Abe was called to leave his station, God would make him a special nation. 

12:10-20 Sarai Taken To Pharaoh - A man of faith, the plot a twister, while in Egypt, his wife was his sister.

13 Abraham & Lot Split - The stock must split, the herd had grown. Lot took the best from Abe as his own.
14 Lot Gets Captured - Lot gets captured in the heat of battle, Abe gets him back with all his cattle.

 15 Covenant With Abraham - God’s faithfulness is shown prominent when He gave Abe a covenant.

 16 Hagar & Ishmael - Worried about timing, God’s promise seemed vaguer, Sarai suggested that Abe mate with Hagar.

 17 Sign of the Covenant - Every covenant has a sign, this one would make every man whine

18:1-5 Sarah’s Belly Blessed, Sarah Belly Laughts - Three OB/GYNs delivered the news about a boy for Sarah who was amused

18:16-33  Bargaining For Sodom - God would bring judgment, so Abe sought Him, Asking for less was more to save Sodom

19 Destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah -S & G’s sin aroused God’s ire, So God took them down with brimstone & fire

20  Abe Lies About Sarah To Abimelech - Sarah carried well, she was so fine, Abe told Abimilech “She ain’t mine”

21  Isaac & Ishmael - Isaac is born, Ishmael forlorn, Sarah would scorn, Hagar would mourn

 22  Abraham & Isaac - Abe offered his son in God’s exam, by His grace God provided a lamb

23  Sarah Dies - At 120 Sarah would yield, Abraham would bury her in a field

24  Isaac & Rebekah - In order for Abe’s nation to grow wide, Isaac would have to get a bride

25:1-11  Abraham & Keturah - Abraham had one last hurrah, Marriage and family with Keturah

Abraham was a man of faith with moments of failure - just like us.  God uses people like Abraham, Isaac & Jacob not because they were perfect, but because God Himself is faithful.   We can get through our awkward family situations because God is faithful.

You may think your family’s the most embarrassing in the human race

But in the Messiah’s line, it was commonplace

So instead of hiding your red face

Know that there’s hope with God’s grace!

Rhymes That Are Nifty For Genesis Twelve To Fifty

Trying to capture Genesis fun and witty
Here's the Patriarchs in a highlight ditty:

·      Abraham (Gen 11-25)

    With Abraham’s Faithfulness He Left His Station

    With God’s Faithfulness Abe Became A Nation 

·      Isaac (Gen 25-35)

    When He Was Very Poor In Sight

    He Couldn't Bless His Children Right

·      Jacob (Gen 28-36)

    Before His Father He Deceived

    Same From His Family He Received

·      Joseph (Gen 37-50)

    By His Brothers Sold As Slave

    Those Same Brothers He Would Save

The God of Covenants

Mary Poppins once corrected her adoring children who promised to stay with her forever to not make "pie crust promises" which are "easily made, easily broken."  God makes covenants with man and are as enduring as God is Himself.  Paul Benware defines a covenant as “An agreement between two parties that bound them together with common interests and responsibilities.”  (Understanding End Times Prophecy, p. 322).  Covenants, in the Old Testament, were contracts that governed how two parties relate to each other.

Genesis 26:28  But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you’”


Features of an OT Covenant:

• Agreement negotiated between 2 parties (Gen 15:1-7)
• Agreement ratified (Gen 15:8-17)
• Pledge given (item - 1 Sam 18:4, Ezek 17:18; oath - Gen 21,26)
• Sign given as reminder (rainbow - Gen 9:14-17; circumcision - Gen 17:9-14)
• Witness may be used for verification (1 Sam 23:18; Gen 31:50)
• Penalties may be employed if broker (Dt 29:21; Jer 34:18-20)

Here are the significant Covenants in the OT:

Covenant	Definition	Promise	Fulfillment	Sign
Noahic	Unconditional promise not flood the earth	Gen 9:12-17	No more sea (Rev 21:1)	Rainbow (Gen 9:12-17)
Abrahamic	Promise to provide Israel a land, rule and spiritual blessing	Gen 12:1-3; 15:13-18	Continues at present (Gal  3:17), but Israel still has a future in the new covenant (see Rom 11:25-27)	Circumcision (Gen 17:11)
Mosaic	Conditional stipulations for blessing on Israel	Ex 19 – 31; Dt 28	Death of Christ (Rom 7:4-6)	Sabbath (Ex 31:13)
Palestinian	Promise of physical land from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River	Dt 30:1-10	Land blessed (Amos 9:13-15) No sign (that I know of)
Davidic	Promise of eternal political rule of a descendant of David	2 Sam 7:12-17	Rule renewed (Amos 9:11-12)	Christ seated at the Father’s right hand (Act 2:34-36)
New	Promise of spiritual indwelling of the Spirit (law written on hearts), forgiveness, and total evangelization of Israel	Jer 31:31-34	Paul and the apostles (2 Cor 3-4) All Israel saved (Romans 11:26-27)	Cup of the Lord’s Supper (Lk 21:20; 1 Cor 11:25)

(from H. Wayne House & Randall Price’s Charts of Bible Prophecy, p. 27)

The Abrahamic Covenant is significant because God promised to Abraham unconditionally:

• a land (Gen 12:1,7; 13:14-17; 15:17-21; 17:8)
• personal blessings with family, wealth and a great name (Gen 12:2, 17:4-6; 22:15-17)
• a nation (Gen 17:4-8; 22:17)
• blessing the world through Abraham (Gen 12:3; 22:18)

God reminded Abraham of this covenant 8x (Gen 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-21; 22:15-18; 26:2-5,24; 28:13-17; 35:10-12).  It was fulfilled partially with Abraham when he received land (Gen 13:14,15,17), servants (Gen 15:7), cattle and wealth (Gen 13:2; 24:34-35).  He was spiritually blessed, had a great name and fathered several nations.  His blessing passed through Isaac, born of his wife Sarah (Gen 21:2).

The significance of this covenant today is that it will be ultimately fulfilled in the future with prophetic ramifications for Israel.  When God says "forever," He means it.

Genesis 13:15  for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 

Genesis 17:7-8  ⁷And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. ⁸Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”


Abrahamic Covenant:

·      Mosaic Covenant – Nation Formed

·      Davidic Covenant – Line of Kings over Nation

·      New Covenant – Enablement for Blessing

          (Albert Baylis – On The Way To Jesus, Multnomah Press, 1986, p. 92)

If God is a God of His word, the Covenant God will fulfill this covenant with Abraham's nation through Isaac:  Israel.  God doesn't make pie-crust promises.

(Holman Bible Atlas, p. 5)

Free Resources - WooHoo!

The ESV Bible is available for free for the Kindle reader or Kindle app (PC, Mac, Android, iPod or iPad).
http://www.amazon.com/Bible-English-Standard-Version-ebook/dp/B001EOCFU4/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294164421&sr=1-9

Jerry Bridges wonderful book "The Pursuit of Holiness" is free as an audiobook download at:
http://christianaudio.com/free/

January 2 - Genesis 1-11 Overview

http://bible.phillipmartin.info/bible_genesis.htm

Sunday morning, we surveyed Genesis 1-11.  Here's the outline.

I. Light From Dark (Gen 1-2)
   A. How Did God Create The Universe?
   B. Did It Really Happen In 6 Days?
   C. How Do I Respond To My Creator? (Ps 8:3-4; Rom 1:25)

II. Eden Park (Gen 3-5)
     A. Adam’s Fall (3:1-24)
          1. Eying: The Temptation (3:1-5)
          2. Trying: The Fall (3:6-7)
          3. Dying: The Judgment (3:8-24)
     B. The Adam’s Family (4:1–5:32)
          1. Cain & Abel – The Problem Was Cain Wasn’t Abel (4:1–15)
          2. Cain’s Family – The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree (4:16–24)
          3. Seth’s Family – The Godly Line of Seth (4:25–5:32)

III. Noah’s Ark (Gen 6-9)
      A. Fool: Mankind Rebelliously Drowned In Sin (6:1-7)
      B. Flotation: God Mercifully Threw A Giant Life-Preserver (6:8-22)
      C. Flood: God Judged Those Who Didn’t Board The Ark (7:1 – 8:19)
      D. Fellowship: God And Man Interact With Faith (8:20 – 9:17)
           1. Noah Worships God (8:20-22)
           2. God’s Covenant With Noah (9:1-17)
      E. Fail: Noah’s Family Forgets About God’s Righteousness And Justice (9:18-29)
          1. Noah Drank (9:18-21)
          2. Ham Dishonors (9:22-27)
          3. Noah Dies (9:28-29)

IV. Babel’s Bark (Gen 10-11)
      A. Fruitful Progeny (10:1-32)
           1. Japheth’s Family (10:1-5)
           2. Ham’s Family (10:6-14)
           3. Canaan’s Family (10:15-20)
           4. Shem’s Family (10:21-32)
      B. Futile Pride (11:1-9) 

          1. Tower Of Power: Pride In Human Achievement (11:1-4)
          2. Ball Of Confusion: Confusion And Dispersion (11:5-9)

Tower of Babel rendering by Pieter Brueghel, 1563, courtesy of Wikipedia

Chart from:  Boa & Lorenzen, A Visual Survey of the Bible, Thomas Nelson, 1995

Happy 1/1/11 in Genesis 1

Some have started reading the Bible, NT or OT through the year today.  Some are just reading the blog and  are on their own pace in the Word.  Welcome all.  If you'd like to write regularly on this blog, let me know.  All are free to comment with lessons learned, questions asked and answers shared.

This Sunday, I'll begin a 2 week survey through Genesis as we start the journey down Route 66.  A simple rhyme provides the roadmap through Exit 1.
·      Light From Dark (Gen 1-2)
·      Eden Park (Gen 3-5)
·      Noah’s Ark (Gen 6-9)
·      Babel’s Bark (Gen 10-11)
·      Patriarch (Gen 12-50)

In Genesis 1, I know God separated light and darkness, calling them day and night.  I wondered if darkness just existed as part of the ex nihilo God would add His created light to, but the text never said that.  I'm wondering if the darkness is part of His creation of the universe, which exists in the absence of light.  Because before there was anything, there always was God.  God is light.  Before there was a universe, God is light.

However God created the universe, light and dark, I still marvel that He's the Creator and we're the creation.  I am humbled like David, who asks in Psalm 8:3-4  "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

Yet, we live in a world that has exchanged worship of the Creator for the worship of creation.  Romans 1:25 cites with astonishment:  "because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!"  Who switched the price tag and why do we buy into it?  Why am I tempted to value earthly things more than Him?

Our Creator is amazing and the only One worth worshipping.  Anything else is merely ephemeral idolatry.