Hebrews 11:20

Barry Bonds, former professional baseball player, holds the record for total home runs with 762. That’s one home run every 2-3 games played. He also holds the record for walks with 2,558, which is one walk every game. According to my math and ESPN’s stats, he hit 1,495 singles during his career. When we add his walks and singles together, we find that Barry Bonds made it to 1st base 41% of the times he walked to the plate. For every 5 at bats, he made it to 1st base twice. I bet he wanted to hit home runs, but I think he also knew getting on base meant he was in the game. Being in the game is better than being in the dugout.

We aren’t going to read any verses today that will make us think Isaac had home run faith. You might think Isaac’s faith was just enough to get to first base. If first base is enough to be in the game, that should encourage us. We aren’t walking up the plate and hitting a home run for Jesus every day. Some days, we strike out. Some days, we had just enough to be in the game.

God was victorious with Isaac’s “just enough” faith. Isaac’s need for personal sovereignty never vetoed God’s sovereignty.

Hebrews 11:20 ESV

20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.

Hebrews 11 will be on the screen, would you turn in your Bible to Genesis 25?

This one verse screams God’s sovereignty, but we need to unpack the middle phrase. Many Americans tend to view a blessing as something affirming. If you are familiar with Esau, you probably know the Bible isn’t very affirming to him. “invoked blessings” is one Greek word eulogeo. It’s where the English word EULOGY comes from. Isaac is speaking a future eulogy onto Jacob and Esau.

As we see God’s sovereignty in Hebrews 11, let me create some context.

Last week, Abraham and Isaac had this amazing mountain-top worship experience. In Genesis 24, Abraham sent his top servant back to his family in Nahor to find a wife for Isaac. After Abraham died, it appears that Isaac lived on this unnecessary spiritual roller coaster.

Remember, Abraham put all of his chips on Isaac. Did you know that Abraham remarried after Sarah died? Did you know that Abraham had 8 sons? Did you know that he sent all of them away and gave everything he had to Isaac? Did you know that God blessed Isaac because he told Abraham that he would?

“By faith, Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.” In the 2 1/2 chapters the specifically focus on Isaac, I don’t see home run faith. I don’t see the worship of Abel, the walk of Enoch, the work of Noah, or the witness of Abraham. I see a man that had a privilege of knowing the future of his children. I see a man who favored those who gave him gifts. I see a man who was told by the Lord multiple times, “I will be with you and I will bless you.” I see a man who lied about his wife because he was fearful. I see a man who cared about himself more than his wife. I see a man who was unsettled in his spirit and argued with other people. I see a man who worked his agenda, even though the Lord revealed his sovereign agenda. I see a man who took a long time to land where the Lord wanted him. I see a man that possessed “just enough” faith for God to use.

If you walk out of this building today and remember only one thing, remember this ~ The right outcome is the result of God’s faithfulness, not yours.

Read the Bible passage

Genesis 25:19–34 ESV

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two people from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

First lesson about God’s sovereignty - Human manipulation will not change God’s sovereignty.

Look at verses 29-34. Jacob, can I have some food? Sure, will you trade your birthright for some soup? Of course, I’m so hungry that I’m about to die. My birthright is no good to me.

I would suggest that Esau despised his birthright before this conversation. Otherwise, he would not have offered it so easily. The birthright held the rights and privileges of the firstborn son, but centered on three things. First, the birthright gave a double-portion of the inheritance. Second, the family line passed through the birthright. Third, the holder of the birthright provided necessary spiritual leadership for the family. I feel like Esau’s only birthright interest was the inheritance because he married Hittite women. If he wasn’t interested in spiritual leadership, why should he have other privileges? Listen men, if you’re not providing biblical spiritual leadership for your family, you should not be surprised when other things in your life come unglued and fall apart.

Second lesson about God’s sovereignty - Weak faith will not change God’s sovereignty.

Read the Bible passage

Genesis 26:1–7 ESV

1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance.

The Lord was not unclear with Isaac. There was no ambiguity about the Lord’s plans for Isaac’s future. If Isaac was going to be killed without the promise, the Lord could have taken care of that on the mountain top with Abraham. Instead of resting securely in God’s promises, he lied because he feared a situation he had created in his head. Some of us live in fear because of an unreal situation we created in our head. Look at verse 7. I’ll tell them she is my sister because they might kill me if they know this hot lady is my wife. It appears that he’s not even concerned with protecting Rebekah. You don’t have to be married for very long to know this ends badly. God comes to Rebekah’s rescue. The pagan king seems to have more ethics than God’s chosen person, calls out Isaac and sends them packing. Look at verse 22. Lord, it’s about time you showed up. Isaac, I haven’t moved. What took you so long to get here? I’ve been waiting.

God used Isaac’s weak faith to push them into the geographical location he wanted them to be in. When we find ourselves in a similar conversation as Isaac, I want to remind us focus on the clarity of the Lord. That clarity will come from your journal. That clarity will come during coffee with a trusted friend. That clarity will come while sitting at the table in my office. That clarity will come as you sit alone with God’s Word.

Friends, if you’re fearful or your faith is weak and you need clarity ~ do not trust social media or the internet to bring biblical clarity into your life.

Third lesson about God’s sovereignty - Controlled outcomes will not change God’s sovereignty.

Read the Bible passage

Genesis 27:26–29 ESV

26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed! 28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let people serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

At the beginning of the chapter, Isaac asked Esau to go hunting and make a meal for him. During this meal, Esau would receive the family blessing. Rebekah overheard the conversation and prepared a meal for Isaac. She dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothing and put animal fur on his body. She told him to take the food to his father and pretend to be Esau ~ the family blessing would be his. After Jacob received the blessing, Esau entered with his plate of food.

Isaac’s favorite son versus Rebekah’s favorite son. Both are controlling outcomes for their son to gain the blessing, but God’s sovereignty wins the day. Esau didn’t receive the kind words that his brother received.

Read the Bible passage

Genesis 27:39–40 ESV

39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. 40 By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

The families of Jacob and Esau have been enemies since Genesis 27. As much as Isaac may have wanted Esau to have the blessing, God’s sovereignty chose differently. The results were not about Isaac’s wishes or Rebekah’s deception, they were about God’s faithfulness to a dysfunctional family because he said he would do it.

Personal sovereignty vs. God’s sovereignty

I wonder if there is person listening to my voice that is currently missing a blessing from the Lord because you are attempting to control the outcome. The Lord already knows how he wants to proclaim the glory of God in your life. I want to encourage you this morning, let him do it.