"God's Hall of Fame: Isaac"  

         

        First thing this past Monday morning Connie and I were alerted to an uproar that was building down in the Senior Center.  It seems that one of the clients was agitated over a sign that was posted threatening to tow away cars that were parked without permission in the church lot.  She was upset because she, and others, had long used the parking lot during carnival time and for other events. 

      Knowing nothing about any such sign being erected, Connie and I investigated.  What we discovered was that there is such a sign in the parking lot.  However, the sign has been up for so many years that the bolts are all corroded and rust stains have left streaks down over the sign.  Apparently, this woman, who has used the parking lot for years, had never noticed the sign before, and thought it was a new restriction.

 

      We’re all guilty of seeing but not noticing things.  For instance, one of the most important things to know where to find in a public building is a fire extinguisher.  My guess would be that no one here could tell me how many and where the fire extinguishers are in our building.  Before doing this message, I couldn’t.  I had to go and look for them.  It turns out I look at one at least once every day, but if asked, I couldn’t have told you it was there.  Not counting the ones in the kitchens, there are ten: 1 in each hallway outside the front of the sanctuary, 5 in the hallways downstairs, 2 on either side of the front of Fellowship Hall, and 1 in Heritage Hall.

 

      But it’s not just things that get overlooked.  People and their accomplishments do, too.  Orville and Wilbur Wright had tried repeatedly to fly a heavier-than-air craft without success.  Then, one December day, off the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they did what no human had ever done before.  They actually flew!  Elated, they wired their sister Katherine this message.  “We have actually flown 120 feet.  Will be home for Christmas.”

      Upon receiving the news, Katherine hastily ran down the street and shoved the telegram – the news scoop of the young century – at the editor of the local newspaper.  He read it carefully and smiled.  “Well, well!” he commented.  “How nice the boys will be home for Christmas!”

 

      After a three week break, today we resume examining the lives and examples of the men and women listed in Hebrews Chapter 11, sometimes called God’s Hall of Fame of Faith.  Looking back over his life, I think Isaac, our next member in the Hall, could relate to those stories of being overlooked.

 

      For instance, much is written in the scripture prophesying and leading up to his birth.  In fact, Isaac is often referred to as The Child of the Promise.  And although Isaac’s life story takes 19 chapters in the Book of Genesis to tell, in those stories he is constantly overshadowed by his father, Abraham, his wife, Rebekah, and his sons, Jacob and Esau.

 

      If anyone could claim an identity or inferiority complex, it would be Isaac.  Though hailed as the child of the promise, nothing spectacular happens in Isaac’s life with him as the focal point.  He is best known for being an almost child sacrifice and for being deceived by his younger son, Jacob.  When he was almost sacrificed, the focal point of the story was the faith of his father, Abraham, not Isaac.  Later, when he was tricked by the younger twin, the focus was on the family blessing being transferred to Jacob, not on Isaac.  In both cases Isaac seems to be nothing more than an insignificant pawn in a larger game being played.

 

      And yet, his identity remains as the child of the promise and he has been granted a place in Hebrews 11, God’s Hall of Fame of Faith.  As such, we might expect to hear grandiose exploits and tales from his life.  We might expect the account of the birth of the child of the promise to be colorful like that of Moses or Jesus.  Instead, in just four short verses in Genesis 21 we learn that God kept his promise, Sarah gave birth to a son, Abraham named him Isaac, and then circumcised him as required.  That’s it.

      Likewise, a long chapter in Genesis tells how God made it possible for Rebekah to become Isaac’s wife.  But Rebekah and Abraham’s trusted servant play a much more prominent role in the telling of that story than does Isaac.  In fact, Isaac doesn’t even appear in the 67-verse story until verse 62.  It’s almost like he was an afterthought. 

 

      Maybe Isaac felt that way concerning the birth of the twins, Esau and Jacob.  God spoke to his father, Abraham, about his Isaac’s birth.  But God spoke directly to Rebekah, not to Isaac, about the boys to be born to them.  Later, when God finally does speak to Isaac and confirms the fulfillment of the promise through him, it is done so in the shadow of his father Abraham.  Listen.

 

      The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you.  Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.  I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father.  I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands.  And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.  I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 

      Genesis 26:2-5  New Living Translation

 

      I will do this because Abraham listened to me.  To his credit, Isaac remained faithful and loyal to God.  He did not permit the snubs of others, or even of God, to weaken his faith.  He did not allow the lack of personal recognition to undo his faithfulness to God.  Isaac’s faith was one of humbleness and meekness, of a willingness to be used or to be set aside as God chose. 

 

      For instance, when Isaac’s servants found fresh water and dug a well, local herders claimed that the water belonged to them.  So Isaac let them have that well, moved on, and dug another well.  When the locals claimed that one, too, once more Isaac packed up and moved.

      Eventually God directed Isaac where to settle and so he obediently stayed there and dug yet another well.  Despite being walked on, despite being taken for granted, despite being inconvenienced by his faith, Isaac demonstrated his faith and trust in God as Genesis 26:25 reveals: “So he built an altar there, called on the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there.”  In this way, perhaps Isaac was more like Jesus than any of the other great saints mentioned in God’s Hall of Fame. 

      Isaac’s faith was not appreciated as he and we might expect.  Isaac’s position as the child of the promise was not recognized as we might expect.  Still his faith was rewarded and was evident to others, as this story from Genesis 26:26-29 shows.  

      One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander.  “Why have you come here?” Isaac asked.  “You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.” 

      They replied, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you.  So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you.  Let’s make a covenant.  Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you.  We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace.  And now look how the Lord has blessed you!” 

      Folks, keep the faith, even when it seems that no one, not even God, may be noticing.  Others may plainly see that the Lord is with you, even if they don’t treat you that way.  And others may see the blessings God is giving you because of your faithfulness, even if those blessings aren’t apparent to you.

 

      Isaac was a vessel through which God’s promises would be fulfilled.  And so, Isaac could be the spokesman for all the unnamed, all the anonymous saints throughout history whose faithfulness was absolutely crucial and essential for the fulfillment of God’s promises and the work of the Kingdom.
   

      Abraham made all the headlines and would be revered as the father of God’s people.  Rebekah was the charismatic one who caught the eye of others.  Jacob was the one who would eventually father the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Isaac seemed to be nothing more than a forgotten middle man in the divine plan.

 

      But without Isaac, that divine plan would not come to fruition.  God relied and depended upon the strength of Isaac’s faith, as unnoticed and as underappreciated as it was, to be a strong link in the chain of God’s design.  Although Isaac did not receive the glory or accolades of others, his place in God’s scheme of things was essential.  Although he is not remembered with the same reverence as his father Abraham or his son Jacob, Isaac’s faith and faithfulness were just as important as theirs.

 

      Isaac’s faith was important because through it, he demonstrated belief in God’s future.  Isaac maintained his faith in God even when that future wasn’t what he expected or anticipated it would be.  Isaac maintained his faithfulness to God even when he himself, would not benefit directly from that future’s blessings.   Isaac is included in God’s Hall of Fame of Faith because he embodied these teachings of God’s Word. 

      What is faith?  It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.  It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.  God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. 

      It was by faith that Isaac blessed his two sons, Jacob and Esau.  He had confidence in what God was going to do in the future. 

      All of these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.  For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race.
  Hebrews 11:1-2, 20, 39-40            New Living Translation

      Friends, let us follow the example of Isaac to place our unwavering faith and trust in God.  Let us place our unwavering faith and trust in God without expecting to receive any recognition or appreciation for the faithfulness we demonstrate.  Instead, let us place our unwavering faith and trust in God with the willingness to be unnamed or anonymous servants of God, because our faithfulness may be absolutely crucial and essential to the work of God’s Kingdom.  

      Let us place our unwavering faith and trust in God with the hope that we, too, might be a vessel through which God’s promises might be fulfilled in the lives of others.  And let us place our unwavering faith and trust in God because God may be relying and depending upon the strength of our faith, as unnoticed and as underappreciated as it might seem, to be a strong link in the chain of God’s design today.

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