Isaac & Jacob: Finishing Well

The expression “They Finished Well” could certainly be said of Isaac and Jacob. Their names are mentioned no less than 480 times throughout the inspired, infallible, and everlasting Word of God, and no less than 40 times in the New Testament. Not because they were perfect, but because they finished well. The Bible reveals to us their lives as they really were—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

We can profit and learn from the study of Isaac's and Jacob’s lives, not only in studying their good points but also their weak points. If we choose to look at only the good part of their lives, we would assume that their characters were impeccable, without flaws or blemish. On the other hand, by only examining Isaac and Jacob when they stumbled, they would appear to be weak, frail, faulty, and completely unusable in serving the Heavenly Father. However, one’s life is not one huge sentence. One’s life, like Isaac’s and Jacob’s, is broken up into verses, punctuated sometimes very strangely and surprisingly. To pick out any one sentence from a chapter and say, “This is who they are,” is a cruel and great injustice. Certainly, one event can alter our life, but it does not reveal our whole story.

One’s life is the sum total of all those events that cast our characters and mold our lives.

We can learn a lot from the sum total of both Isaac and Jacob’s life.

Isaac

Faithfully obeyed God (Gen 22)

Was a man of meditation (Gen 24:63)

Was a man of love (Gen 24:67)

Was a peace-maker (Gen 26:20-22)

Worshipped God (Gen 26:25)

Was a man of faith (Hebrews 11:20)

One of the greatest lessons we learn from Isaac’s life was from his submission to his father. Isaac willingly laid down his life, submitting to Abraham in Genesis 22.

A Willing Sacrifice

Read Genesis 22 with me.

Abraham was certainly asked to do the impossible, but have you considered what is being asked of Isaac.

While he is unaware of what is being asked of him at first, this must have become a challenge the closer they came to the altar.

The closer to the altar we become, the more difficult it is to do what God has asked us to do

Think about what must have been going through Isaac’s mind as his father bound him to the altar. The fact that he willingly laid there as a sacrifice speaks to his devotion to both Abraham and God.

APPLICATION: Are we just as willing to lay our lives down at the foot of the cross?

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We will go through many ups and downs along our journey in this life. Maybe it will be on our way up to the cross, or back down from it. Either way, at the end of the day we must submit to our Father who is in Heaven as a willing sacrifice. And this is not something that Jesus Himself has not already done. As we know, Jesus willingly laid down His life for us.

Jesus says to take up our cross daily. He says to count the cost. He says to follow Him in total obedience. When the sum of our life is done, what will it say about you? Will it say that you finished well as a follower of God? If not, then we need change in our lives.

Jacob

Jacob’s life is littered with poor decisions. He was impulsive, self-centered, self-serving, and deceitful. While this is how Jacob started, it is not how he finished.

Jacob was an opportunist (Genesis 25:29-34)

He deceived his father (Gen 27)

He learned there are consequences for his actions (Gen 27:41-45)

He learned value of spiritual things (Gen 28)

He loved deeply (Gen 29)

He learned humility (Gen 32)

He was a man of faith (Hebrews 11:21)

One of the greatest lessons we learn from Jacob was the transition he went through. From Genesis 25 through the end of the book we see a transition with Jacob that is remarkable.

A Wrestling Man

There is one encounter that speaks to much of Jacob’s life. It is found in Genesis 32:22-32.

Jacob wrestles with God. There are many lessons we can learn from this, but the first and main lesson is that we can spend most of our lives wrestling with God. Sometimes we are stubborn and will just not give in. In these times God may even let us win. But in the end, true victory comes from humbling ourselves before God’s mighty hand and acknowledging Him.

APPLICATION: God can do more with our surrender than we can do with our control

The point of this wrestling match was not about who would win, but to test the faith of Jacob. His whole life he had been wrestling for control and power. He whole life was defined by deceit, cover ups, and confusion. But God needed him to carry on his lineage to bring about a great name, ultimately the name of Christ.

Finally, Jacob recognized that he could not continue relying on his own ability and wit to acquire blessings. He knew that it was only God who would be able to give him genuine blessings, promise, purpose, and change.

God wanted to know how badly Jacob wanted the blessing. He wanted to see how far his perseverance would take him and see his limit. To further test Jacob, God “touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him” (v. 25). So, in pain and tears, Jacob wrestled with God (Hosea 12:3-4).

Finally, when the day was dawning, God told to Jacob to let Him go. Jacob responded, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” This is where Jacob finally obtained God’s blessings. His “name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.”

It is true that following God and keeping His commandments are not always easy. As a matter of fact, it says in Acts 14:22

Acts 14:22 (ESV)

through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

However, this must not discourage us, but rather inspire us. We know that something is worth it

when it is difficult.

So, change must happen so our lives are a sacrifice and look much like the rest of Romans 12.

Romans 12:9–21 ESV

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Conclusion

The Christian race is not a sprint, but a marathon.

We must keep going. The price is never found in the beginning, but at the end! The road to eternal life is not an easy path to take. There are a lot of challenges and obstacles. But we can be assured that it will be all worth it when we have already finished our Christian race. For it is written,

1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Isaac and Jacob may not have started out well, but they finished well. No matter where you are in your life today, finish well.

My coach used to tell us this in our games. Finish strong. Maybe you start sluggish, but finish strong. Pick it up, turn it up, try harder, and do better. Finish well. Be a willing sacrifice, wrestle within yourself to allow God to change you to who He wants you to be.