Answer for Adam, Columbiana County Jail 12/26/2025
Answer for Adam • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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What is the fear of Issac mean?
What is the fear of Issac mean?
42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
The fear of Issac is one of the most obscure names you see for God. The name is only found in one chapter of Genesis.
It is Jacob who calls God the Fear of Issac. The context is Jacob’s departure from his uncle Laban. Jacob had worked for Laban for twenty years. Jacob was reminding Laban of the poor working conditions he had labored under. Those conditions were Laban had lied to him and changed his wages ten times.
41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Jacob’s hardships had been many..
40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
Further, Jacob had been forced to cover any business losses out of his own pocket to Laban. And through it all, God had blessed Laban for Jacob’s sake.
Jacob summed up his view of both God and Laban this way.
42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
Laban, in his greed, wanted to keep everything Jacob owned; in Jacob’s estimation, it was God alone who stood between Jacob and Laban and prevented the theft.
To resolve their conflict, Jacob and Laban set aside their active hostility and made a mutual covenant that neither one would do harm to the other. Jacob sealed the covenant with this oath.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
and then offered a sacrifice to God.
54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
In this passage (Genesis 31:42), Jacob refers to God by three titles.
the God of my father
the God of Abraham
the Fear of Issac
In calling God “the Fear of Issac”, Jacob was saying his father, Issac, feared God and worshipped only God.
13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
Yahweh is the God of Issac and was the object of Issac’s worship. It is interesting Jacob does not call God the “Fear of Abraham”. Why? Abraham was dead and gone to that world where ther is no fear. In heaven, Abraham knew no more fear, because “perfect love drives out fear.”
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Jacob was right to refer to God as the Fear of Issac, and Issac was right to have holy reverence and godly fear. Jesus said this.
5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
In many other places, the Bible promotes fear of God as appropriate and wise.
Examples
13 Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; And let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods.
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: And the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
The Fear of Issac is the One who made heaven and earth by His great power,
17 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
who displays His power in the whirlwind and the storm and never lets the guilty go unpunished,
3 The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked: The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of his feet.
and watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.
4 The Lord is in his holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.
In fearing God, Issac submitted to Him, and regarded Him more highly than anyone else. The Fear of Issac is still on the throne in heaven and He should be our Fear as well.
