While the saga of God’s “mentoring” of Abraham features something like a long-running mini-series, the portrait Genesis offers of Isaac’s relationship with God flashes by as a largely out-of-focus snapshot.
The son’s tale does replicate some of the episodes of his father’s life. During a famine, Isaac also tries to pass his wife off as his sister (Genesis 26:1-11). The couple logs twenty years of marriage before God answers Isaac’s prayers and Rebekah gives birth to twin boys (Genesis 25:19-26). And God renews for Isaac the promise of multiple descendants “for the sake of my servant Abraham” (Genesis 26:24).
Even so, Genesis takes care not to present the chronicle of Abraham’s faith journey as the template for others to follow.
For example, Isaac learns about the Lord as a child, but, second-hand – from his father. Similarly he experiences God’s providence largely through the faith of others: during his near-sacrifice when God summons a ram to take his place at the altar (Genesis 22) and when Abraham’s servant finds him a wife from his parents’ homeland (Genesis 24). Although we hear God speak the pledge of blessing to him (Genesis 26:24), we never hear Isaac respond.
Do we need to conclude from this that Isaac was somehow less than his father?
Or is it merely that Isaac has his own story – much of which simply did not pertain to the larger story of Israel.
Yet, throughout the rest of the Bible Isaac’s name shows up between his father and son Jacob. God introduces Himself to Moses – and others – as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6).
Each of us is precious to God, who does not measure our lives by our individual impact on human history. Rather God’s chief interest is nurturing our relationship with Him. To that end the Lord designs a “mentoring program” for each of us that is tailor-made to our needs.
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