Read Genesis
25-26 & Matthew
9v1-17
To discover:
As you read note the ways God is active in choosing those he
is going to work through.
To ponder:
Throughout the Lord does things his way. God’s promise will
be fulfilled through Isaac. So Abraham leaves everything to him, and sends his
other sons away, ensuring Isaac alone remains in the land. And although God
fulfils his promise to make Ishmael a nation (twelve tribes), from this point
we hear no more of him.
God’s
answer of Isaac’s prayer for children challenges us husbands to be praying for our
wives. But as with Sarah, the point of Rebeka’s barrenness is to show her children
are specially from the Lord. God reveals that he has ordained what will be for
her sons – two nations: Edom
and Israel.
God’s reversal of the usual order which favours the eldest again shows that
things will progress as he determines. Esau is not innocent in losing his
birthright (25v30, 34), but God’s choice of Jacob is one of grace. From the
start, by name and action he is deceiving. Nothing in him could warrant God’s
favour.
Paul makes
much of these twins in teaching that we too are included in God’s purposes not
because of anything in ourselves, but simply by God’s choice – and so grace
(Rom 9v1-13). Indeed, just as God granted life to his chosen Jacob from
Rebeka’s barren body, so he gives us life when we are born again, not by human
decision, but by God (John 1v13). We should be deeply thankful.
God’s prior
choice of Isaac for the fulfilment of his promise is displayed in what follows.
Repetition highlights what is most important. So much feels familiar: God urges
Isaac to stay in the land, twice now repeating his promise to him. Isaac lies
about his wife before Abimelech just as Abraham did, showing Abimelech to be
the more upright. Yet again, because of his promise and choice, it is Isaac not
Abimelech who is blessed, making the Philistines envious (26v3, 12-13, 22, 29).
They later make a treaty with Isaac because the Lord is with him. Presumably
they recognise Isaac will therefore succeed come what may (26v28-29).
Election is
a contentious topic. But we raise it because it is perhaps the main point of
these chapters. Indeed, it pervades the Bible: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Joseph are all chosen for their roles whilst evidently far from righteous. It
is only having chosen them that the Lord then shapes them into the people of
faith and obedience he wants them to be – just as we saw with Abraham (26v5).
“For those God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his
Son” (Rom 8v29). And God just continues to bless. In “all things” he works for
our good (Rom 8v28). Indeed, having given us Christ he will give us “all
things.” So no-one can condemn us, and nothing can separate us from his love
(Rom 8v31-39).
Praying it home:
Thank God for the faith he has given you, and the gracious
blessings he showers on you despite your sin. Pray for his help to accept the
difficult doctrine of election even though it is hard to understand. We will
never fully fathom God’s ways.
Thinking further:
It is commonly said that Arabs descended from Ishmael,
locating the tension between Muslims and Jews in the story of Ishmael and
Isaac. 25v13-18 lists Ishmael’s sons. The reality is that they settled in the
North of the Arabian Peninsular (25v18). Such clear descent to modern Arabs is
therefore extremely unlikely. To read Jim Packer on predestination click here.
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