Isaac (1823-1643 BC)
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob
and Esau in regard to their future. Hebrews 11:20 (NIV)
READ: Genesis 27:27-40
When Isaac first intended to
bless his sons he wanted to bless Esau with the birthright because he favoured
him more than Jacob due to the wild game that he brought home. Esau was a man’s man and Isaac respected
this. Instead, on accident, he gave the
blessing of the birthright to Jacob, as God had chosen. At a quick glance it looks like this was all
in the flesh and not out of faith at all except when you take a closer look at
Gen. 27:33. This verse tells us that
Isaac trembled violently when he discovered that he had blessed Jacob instead
of Esau. He knew that he could not
defeat God’s plan and that he should not try to resist God’s purposes. Isaac says, “Indeed he will be blessed” (vs. 33). He acknowledged that he transferred the
birthright and all the promises that came with it to Jacob and that this was
binding. Fighting God’s will is
fruitless; Isaac learned to accept God’s will and to submit to it. By ratifying the blessing he is submitting to
God as his faith in God’s plans prevail over his own selfish desires for His
children. God was pleased by Isaac’s
change of heart and faith and therefore inspired the writer of Hebrews to
include him in the list of men and women with great faith.
Jacob (1763-1616 BC)
Hebrews 11: 21 (NIV)
READ: Genesis 47:29-31;
48:8-20; 49:1-33
In Genesis 48 Jacob has come to
the end of his life and is preparing to die.
Jacob sometimes lacked courage and his life frequently revealed deceit
and dishonesty yet through the entire narrative about him in Genesis we see a
man with persistent faith in God. His
life was one of conflict. He was
constantly affected by struggles in all areas of life and upon many occasions
the promise of the blessing was threatened.
Yet Jacob’s name was changed to Israel and he became the father of the great
nation of Israel through his 12 children, the 12 tribes of Israel. This patriarch carried the promise for over
140 years and even though his life had its share of ups and downs he desired to
finish well and was determined to pass the blessing and the promise on to the
next generation. So, at the end of his life, Jacob bestowed a blessing upon
Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh, and then upon his own sons. God’s promise to Jacob was fulfilled and at
his death the Egyptians paid him great respect as his sons buried him with
Isaac and Abraham in the family graveyard in the land of Canaan.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Where do you feel weak in your faith?
2. Ask God how He wants to grow your faith this summer. What does He want to do in your heart?
3. Thank God for what He has shown you, and pray that it would become a reality in your life.
