The FEAR of Isaac
Posted on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 12:11 PM by David Zavadil
Ge 31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.’’
Ge 31:53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’’ So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac,
Isa 8:13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Jacob had set out to find a wife and ended with two. In the process he had found himself indentured to Laban, the father of his wives. In Genesis 31 we find Jacob having another of his famous dreams. The angel of God tells him to take his wives and flocks and flee Laban's abusive treatment.
Jacob drives his flocks toward home as he and his wives flee Laban. When Laban hears of their flight, he gathers a posse and sets off in pursuit. After seven days he catches up to them and confronts Jacob. Unknown to Jacob, Rachel had stolen her father's idols, seeking some sort of inheritance. Laban lays into Jacob. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, ‘‘What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?’’
Jacob expresses that he feard Laban, that he would take his daughters back by force leaving him without a living and without his wives. He tells Laban to look around, if he finds the idols, who ever has them will be killed. Laban searches but can not find them. Neither relized that at that moment Rachel was sitting atop them on her camel. When Laban comes to search the animal's bags, she tells him (this is my paraphrase) 'Daddy, you don't need to come near me, it is that time of the month." Laban steps back, fearing becoming unclean, and does not check her saddle bag.
After Laban's failure to prove his claim, Jacob begins to berate Laban and in the course of this monologue shares what we read in verse 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.’’
As we continue in our look at The Fear of God we come to this passage. The word translated fear is used only here in verse 42 and in verse 53. It literally means "the dread or terror." Here we find Jacob ascribing to God, as a name of God, "the FEAR of Isaac." Isaac had become the spiritual leader of his people. He was a man of God and as Abraham's son, the first in the Abrahamic promise of blessing. Jacob was not saying that Isaac was fearful of God like we might be scared of the bogey man or dreading God like we dreaded the announcement in school calling us to the office. I believe that Isaac had learned something on the altar in Genesis 22. That day he saw the hand of God in ways many of us never will and at the same time came to a greater understanding of Jehovah Jirah so that his fear was not on of fear of what God could do, but a fear of what would happen with out the God who sees all.
Jacob is learning a lesson, obviously taking more time to learn than his father, that without God there is not hope. He is learning, as we all must learn, that to fear God is to fear what our lives would be like without God. He is confessing here, that if God had not seen what was happening and moved on his behalf he would be undone. The thought of being alone, without God's protectiona and guidance, produces a godly fear.
The prophet Isaiah develops this thought in Isaiah 8: 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.’’ As we fear life without God, not just fear it but dread it, we find our true sanctuary and rest. My friends, when was the last time you truly thought about what your life would be like without Jesus, with out the salvation you now profess? Does the thought bring chills and dread to you? Can you not bear the thought of life without the Almighty in your life?
The FEAR of Isaac brought santuary to Jacob and there he found hope. Isaiah paints a picture of our life in Christ. As we are in awe of our relationship, in fear of being separated, we find sanctuary, protection and strength to be what he desires of us. In fact, as we grow in this holy fear of God we become living rocks of stumbling for the lost. As the see our hope they will literally stumble all over trying to figure out how they can have it. It is only as the Spirit convicts them and brings to light Proverbs 1: 7 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction, that they will truly be able to find sanctuary. Only as they see that apart from Christ they can do nothing (John 15:5) will they be able to know true peace and salvation.
Edited on: Sunday, November 18, 2007 3:18 PMPosted in Bible Study (RSS), Fear of God (RSS)
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