Isaac

Given that Isaac is one of the Patriarchs, and that his name is used in the identification of the God of the Israelites, not much space is given in the Biblical text to relating his relationship with God. Simply the amount of words used to record his story indicates the transitional nature of this man in the story of Israel, and God's redemptive work in the world at that time. The writer of Genesis records Isaac's birth, circumcision, offering, and betrothal to Rebekah as part of the Abram/Abraham cycle. After the death of Abraham, the narrator finds little of interest in the life of Isaac. The birth of Esau and Jacob, the famine and God's instructions to avoid Egypt, God's blessing of Isaac with property and harvests, and Isaac's blessing of his sons are the items that concern the writer.

As always, I find these types of details interesting. What is there in Isaac that renders him less important than Abram or Jacob/Joseph? This is actually the wrong question, for there is nothing in Isaac that was not initially put there by God. The correct question is, "What is there about Isaac's life that makes his story of less importance to future generations?" and the answer is that Isaac was simply the agent of passage between Abram, the father of faith, and Jacob/Israel, the father of the nation.

By this, I do not mean to imply that Isaac's life is not important. Nor am I attempting to minimise the significance of his place in the Biblical record. I am also not trying to diminish his place in either history or in the foundation of Israel. What I would like to emphasise is the importance of the role of "pass-through" in the plan and purpose of God.

Genesis 25, in reporting the end of Abraham's life, records that Abraham dispersed some of his wealth to his non-Isaac sons. Most of it, of course, went to Isaac as the son of God's promise. But the gifts Abraham gave to his other children diminished to some degree his possessions, that sign of God's blessing and favour. Abraham had also encountered God on several occasions; God called Abraham "friend". In short, Abraham was the one who had a personal, intimate relationship with God, and Abraham had passed to Isaac less of the visible sign of the blessing of God than had been Abraham's during his life. These two items provide sufficient reason for Isaac, as part of the founding, patriarchal line of Israel, to require his own encounters with God. So God provides opportunity to "right the wrong", in a manner of speaking.

The first thing God does is provide time and opportunity for Isaac's wealth to grow. Remember, in that time and place, wealth and possessions were considered good and sufficient evidence of both the blessing of God, and the righteous character of the individual. So by increasing Isaac's wealth, God indicates divine approval of Isaac and his way of life. The second thing God does is initiate communication with Isaac, and provides both guidance and the opportunity for relationship. Isaac is part of the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" formulation precisely because Isaac had the opportunity for relationship with God, and availed himself of that opportunity.

Some time ago, I was studying denominations, their birth, growth, and decline. One of the factors that caught my attention, beyond the requirements of the course, was the importance of the second generation of members. The first generation are converts, and possess the fire of conviction. The second generation is born into the experience, and believe because they were taught to believe. If this is all they have, they have nothing to pass on to the third generation. The faith of Abraham would have ended with Isaac, and not been passed to Jacob, had Isaac not embraced this faith for himself, and made it his own.

So, what do you believe, and why do you believe? Do you believe because of what you were taught? Or do you believe because of what you have experience for yourself of the goodness of God. Are you trying to pass on to others things you know, or only things you have heard about? If the former, you are involved in making disciples. If the latter, you can only make students. God calls each follower of Christ to the business of making disciples, not students.