Fear of Isaac...

“Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.’ And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.” ~ Genesis 31:51-53, NKJV

Unsurprisingly, Jacob and Laban's relationship ended on rocky ground. Laban had used Jacob and dealt dishonestly with him. Jacob - while a tricky man himself - ultimately obtained great wealth from Laban because the Lord supported him. Having heard from the Lord that it was time to return to Canaan, and afraid of Laban's displeasure, Jacob left Haran secretly with his wives, children, servants, and goods. Laban pursued him and the two parties met in the mountains of Gilead. Here they set up stones, shared a meal, and struck a pact of mutual distrust. Neither Laban nor Jacob would pass the stones towards the other while intending harm. The idea was: “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.” (vs. 49) It's interesting, however, that when Jacob swears to uphold this covenant, that he swears by the "Fear of his father Isaac." The Lord is the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (Abraham's brother), but He is also called the Fear of Isaac. Why? Isaac feared God, certainly, but I don't think that's what this term implies. There is also no indication that Isaac was a particularly warlike man. I don't think he needed to be. The fear of God guarded Isaac from his neighbors' ill-will. Fear of Him was synonymous with fear of Isaac, because God favored Isaac. Our God favors all His children. We will almost certainly experience harm at the hands of the world, facing tribulation and trial and suffering, but there is nothing we can do or the world can do that the Lord will not work together for good for us. Nor is there anyone who does us harm that will "get away with it." The Fear of Isaac awaits them for judgment in eternity, and what we might endure now is nothing compared to what they will have to endure. Because of the certainty of God's judgment, I don't have to hate my enemies. I don't have to wish vengeance on them. I have a Fear on my side that vastly outweighs the fear of evildoers, and instead of responding to my enemies with defensiveness I can show love instead. I can pray that they will find mercy and salvation. I can pray for the joy of receiving them as a dear brother or sister instead of as an enemy. When I trust in my fear-inspiring God, and have confidence in His love for me, I have great peace.

by Rebecca

Put on Jesus...

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” ~ Romans 13:14, NKJV

It's a mistake to focus either only or foremost on the latter half of this verse (making no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts). A believer's flesh is his or her "old man," or old nature, which is a slave to sin. Am I offended by a perceived wrong someone has done me? That's my flesh at work. Am I afraid to the point that I disobey God (which is the only thing that should really frighten me)? That's my flesh at work. Am I trampling over the hearts and needs of others in an effort to get what I want? That's my flesh at work, as well. Would I like to be able to make no provision for my flesh (don't feed it, don't give it room or opportunity to work), fulfilling God's purposes instead of my old man's? Yes. Do I? No, not really. When it comes to those fleshly desires that challenge my commitment to obey God, I don't have a lot willpower to overcome them. That's why it's deadly to focus only on the latter half of the verse above. If I try, if anyone tries, to overcome their flesh in their own strength, it will only end in defeat and discouragement. Our human efforts may in fact only sink us deeper into bondage. Instead of release, we find only guilt, condemnation, and fear. This is not what God has for us! He tells us first to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ," because unless it is Christ doing the fighting, our flesh is going to win the battle. Putting on Christ, however, is not a magical, one-time thing, or some fantastic effort of self-hypnosis. On the contrary. To put on Christ, you must become like Christ. The way to become like Christ is to spend time with Him through immersion in His word. As Paul wrote earlier in Romans 12, the truth renews one's mind and transforms him into someone heavily influenced by the Spirit of God. The more we come under the influence (control) of the Holy Spirit, the less provision is made for our flesh; and gradually, instead of the lusts of the flesh, we begin to produce the fruit of the Spirit: "...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) Putting on Christ is the only way to victory!

by Rebecca