Isaac

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0:00 All right, well, we're still going through the stories of dentists. We have a couple more weeks. We're going to look at the life of Isaac today and then Jacob next week. And then a week from this coming Wednesday is Ashland's day. We'll be up here to gather, commemorate Ashland's day together. And that'll take us off in the lens and we'll flip back into the church of the season of the month. Hey, buddy.

0:31 We've got books. Good idea. I like it. We've been getting into the stories of dentists. It started out mostly because I like the stories of dentists and I like the start of the year and why not start at the beginning. But as we've gone into it, one of those things that's been encouraging for me as we look at the story of creation, fall, floods, battle, Abraham, is how much we, how much these stories kind of tend into the space of fable, almost.

1:10 Whereas easier to make the story of creation and the flood really the children's stories because it's hard for us to believe them. And so one of the things I've been trying to consider for us is like, what's that stake for us in the opportunity? What might be gained by allowing ourselves to believe the stories of Genesis? Believe the story of creation, the story of the fall of flood of battle.

1:42 What's that stake there? What might be gained? And lastly, it was really fun looking at the story of Abraham and what was interesting about the story of Abraham. One of the things I took from that story we talked about about Jesus was like Abraham's defining characteristic, his key quality was that he was willing to let God give him stuff. Let's see, Micah, winning quality really.

2:16 But when you look at the story of scripture and you consider the fatal flaw of humanity, you can see that the tendency of humanity is to believe and act on the belief that somehow we can create things, gain things, manipulate things to be better than what God might give us. That God doesn't have our best interests at heart. It's the fatal flaw of humanity. And it seems to have just a little bit there with Abraham when they come out of

2:49 Egypt and they've got some money and they've got some some birds and they've got some servants now and they feel like they have a sense of agency. That was the new idea for me last week. It was like seeing that the story of Hagar and Itchmael, where they try and create their own descendants, sidestep the gift of Gal. Gives God was taking too long. I know you promised us a child, but we can really take care of ourselves. We've got the servants. We don't need to wait on your unexplainable, unpredictable gift.

3:26 We could just using our own logic, reason, means, capability, and most importantly, money, we can manufacture our own future. We'll just do it this way. Abraham and Sarah make that choice real briefly, right? In God, in his like phenomenal generosity, which is for your own obstinics. This is what hopeful for me from last week. Of course, if Abraham and Sarah nomadic in the ancient Near East are

4:01 enamored with their money and their capability, you and I with computers in our pockets and climate controlled homes can be an and 401 K and a self accruing interest. We can be enamored with our own capabilities to control our future and dream bright our path. But of course, we cannot.

4:34 What God gives is better. So I was thinking about that holding this idea of what God gives us better than I can get, even if I can't understand, predict or explain how when why God will give me the things that he does, if I can channel the gifts of Abraham that allows God to give me good things. This is our thinking now we turn and look at the story of Isaac. And when you've been through the story of Abraham, you know, the story of Isaac is

5:07 kind of blank. I don't know when the last time you look at the story of Isaac was, but you dream to look at the story of Isaac. It's more about Abraham sacrificing Isaac. And then what's the next one? Isaac messing up and getting the blessing to Jacob and so you go on stuff beginning and the end of Isaac's life. But when you look at Isaac's life, he takes a lot of wealth, right, which is

5:39 good. But it doesn't seem like a lot happens. Let's look at his story really goes. And Genesis 22 is the sacrifice or the near than sacrifice of Isaac. And then in 23. Sarah dies. And it's worth mentioning just because it's one of my favorite little

6:11 sections. A very Sarah in the cave of MacPella. I love it. Sarah and Abraham are both buried in the cave of MacPella. I mentioned it before, but one of the most fun things about Genesis is in their placeness. You look through, they have the oaths of Marm, the plains of Stenars, the steers of Lebanon, and the cave of MacPella. The cave of MacPella is the only land that Abraham finishes his life only in

6:46 Canaan. God promises in all of Canaan and he owns one cave, right? He's like moving around. People keep asking him to move one place or another because his purge keeps getting bigger and bigger and he's eating all the crop and digging as well to different places. But he doesn't own any land. The only land he owns is this cave. And so Sarah and Abraham bury themselves into this cave. This promise, believing that the goodness of God will endure beyond their life past their death.

7:16 That we're in the first group here. This cave is the beginning of what God will give our generations. And so Sarah is laid down in the cave of MacPella. Then the next big thing in chapter 24 is Isaac once Sarah died and he ate Abraham, realizes how old Isaac is. He sends someone to go find Isaac a while.

7:47 And this might be the most play by play we get from Isaac's whole life is the story about how he lands Rebecca. And this is one of the things that got me thinking, you know, I tell the kids and it's true because of how old and stories scripture that all of God has got to Abraham Isaac and Jacob. But notably Abraham Isaac and Jacob have wide cool, very deep significance in the story.

8:19 Sarah Rebecca and Rachel. We know all three of them. We know stories about each of their lives. And Rebecca is no different. Abraham sends the man to the man to go find a wife. Please make a promise to me that you will not let Isaac marry some lady come around here. Please.

8:51 And he's like go back and find a woman in the garage. And the guy said, I'm going to go. But what happens? Abraham loves to roll plays a little bit. What happens if I go there? Nobody heard of you. You haven't been there in several decades. And they don't want to like this journey with a servant back to someone they haven't heard of. What do I do then? It's like if you can't get him to come back if you then you're released. But still promise me that even if you can't get someone from

9:21 her run, I just won't marry somebody here. If you look forward in I've described one of the problems they have is that he married a hit tight woman, somebody voted. And they're like this hit tight woman. Rebecca ladies are this hit tight woman. I can't take her. Like if you read in the story. The he goes. It's almost uncomfortable. If you were to read it, we're not going to read those too long. So the whole play about right. You can read it. Seven twenty three and twenty four.

9:54 The the servant going back to her run. To make this arrangement. He's like praying over God's please give me favor. So that I could find a woman for Isaac and he has this like system or it's like I'm going to ask for first of water and if she responds to our water and I'll draw water through the channels. Then she's the one for me. Right. And I mean it could be but it could also be like he wants like a

10:27 hospitable lady that you want one to take care of things. I don't know. And then he does. Rebecca walks up. He's the first thing you hear about Rebecca is that she looks good. Then the next thing you hear about is that she takes care of the camel and this person. Then once you does that, he puts the markers on a ring and some bands on her arm and they go back to meet the family and he asks the family for permission to take the daughter away and marry

10:59 someone now they recognize the family connection. So Abraham and Isaac are not complete unknown as long as this guy is not lying. And then they ask Rebecca they're like let her say a couple of days a week 10 days before she goes and the guy's like, I can't wait now. And they let Rebecca do you want to go to this. Right. So she does. And then he comes back and famous and they meet Isaac out like

11:29 meditating in the field and they come back and they even give us in the stories of meaty. They're like riding on these camels. Isaac is out alone in the field moving towards meditation. You can read them. Rebecca looks over and says, who's this gentleman walking towards us? I know like that's the man and they're like, great, you get down off the camel, puts the veil on. They meet and marry. Right.

12:00 And the faculty ever asked her. That's like probably the most. In prevention against about Isaac like the longest story we have. He has this thing with a bimla where he does the same thing with his dad where he flies and says that Rebecca is a sister and back in trouble again. And then he does when he when he has all the wealth, he's built lots and lots as well. So that a bimla has been the lead. You're taking up too much faith.

12:31 They go and dig a well and then people are like, hey, that's our well. So then he goes and digs another and they may need to be 12. The reason is the reason this is going like this is because by the time they're reading it like when the interlides are coming out of the desert into the protestant, they're going to come across these wells again and the wealth carry the same name. So they come out of the desert. They've been slaves for a couple hundred years. They come back into a place where they find remnants of the

13:02 alternates that Abraham and Isaac built. They find the well, but they say, you don't rightfully our well. All four fathers dug these wells. They're they're a naming place. But when they walk in, they just sense of home that belongs to them. But what was most telling to me is how like culturally specific

13:33 and relatively ordinary Isaac's life. I mean, God made some promises to him, but like I'm looking for the like Abraham's size moment. This is Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is the patriarch of our faith for thousands of years. The name of Isaac has been associated with the God of creation and life, the God of Christ and the church.

14:04 And he kind of like he never really even leads Canaan. He's the only one of the patriarchs who stays in this little area. I was thinking God is field here very conventional. Like he doesn't disrupt the cultural norms or conventions. I mean, Isaac needs a wife, I guess, if he's going to have a kid,

14:43 but Mary didn't correct. Like it just interesting for me how how patient. Slow and embedded the way of God. If you were to look at Isaac's life from outside the story of scripture, there would be nothing particular that stands out. Maybe this business about the sacrifice of Sinai. Maybe or maybe Abraham just had a moment of conscience.

15:14 I couldn't do it. I'm saying that if God wanted to get our attention, it feels like he could have done something much more significant. Something momentous. Where you couldn't miss the song that the God of creation and life was at work. How about how about for you?

15:50 Any. Any like God shaking up time guy moment. Also transfiguration moment. I think for. For most of us. Most men is windy. I think for most of us. Most of the events in our lives.

16:21 We could find a rational explanation. It's so interesting that that not only is. I think like. Seemingly normal. It's even. That might be a death. Like.

16:52 The room. The business about like the way they took a wide. It's kind of a bummer. Like it was are just a step above a possession. And God doesn't change that process. If you read towards the beginning of I did right and end of Abraham by now that he takes life. They take and they lift them. And the names of the children. I mean they're not trying to hide it.

17:24 Like. God is like working here inside of cultural norms and expectations. You have embedded inside of the everyday thing of life. In such a way that if you wanted. You can explain the whole business.

17:55 If you wanted. You look at the story of Abraham ago. This is here in today that the rest of this is ridiculous and nothing happens here. You can do the same thing with Isaac. This is this business about the sacrifice is more. The business about Rebecca is cultural manipulation and. And subjugation. And you could explain the whole thing away.

18:27 And I imagine. For you. There is a way to consider the history of your life and go anything decent. I figured out how to make happen. There are some unexplainable things but circumstance happens and the universe guides and here I am.

18:57 What I'm saying is when we explain away the option of God in your life. It's the same thing to Isaac. It's the same thing to Abraham. For some reason. That creation of life. We got it Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We got Christ in this place. Works with. It's a fascinating. Sudden.

19:28 Fascinating your lives. You're repeated fascinating. You broke the fire. Fascinating subtle to. I don't know particularly why. He says, you know, he remember when he was like doing his miracles. Like.

19:58 Like. Like, I mean, like he's 35,000 people. He's opening blind eyes. He's fixing your time. He's repairing. Laying. Laying. And he tells the people. Don't tell anybody about it. Keep it quiet. And subtle. Even the person of Christ and the fulcrum of humanity, the chrome.

20:30 It happens on the outside of a town on the wrong side of the desert between no name criminals without fanfare. Right. Abandoned even by his friend. Much subtle to you, but you could just kind of blow right past him.

21:02 I don't know why he doesn't make his way. I'm indisputable. Or even. A lot of all in the way that the world blog. A blog. I don't go live. He doesn't do that. Sometimes I think it would be easier. But I do think.

21:33 That there is some. Kind of. Power. In the ones. From the time of Isaac. Today. Have been captured by. The subtle movement of God. Who allow themselves. To believe. That the God. Of creation.

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