MAN (7)
[p. 115] MAN (7)
Genesis 25:19 - 21; Genesis 26:12 - 35; Genesis 27:6 - 41
JT No doubt we shall be observant of the fact that in our subject of Man we are dealing with a very extensive matter in the sense of the persons and the scriptures involved in it. We feel that the subject is of main importance because man was recently created; that is, comparatively recently; but that God reserved this creation with man in view. We shall hope to cover the subject in some sense, because it is so important that we should understand what God has in mind to work out in man; and particularly that the Lord Jesus Himself became Man. Nothing should be more affecting than that fact, that He became, not an angel, but Man. And so in the group of scriptures read we should not exclude certain persons that represent less attractive features of manhood. Therefore Ishmael ought to be mentioned. And then we have the sisters as well, Rebecca and others, but especially Rebecca. Ishmael, we might say, affords a variety. He is a son of Abraham, but not the promised seed; still he is the son of Abraham and God takes account of him accordingly, and we have to take account of him too as presenting certain features of manhood. Isaac’s history does not cover so much ground as Abraham’s or Jacob’s, but we are mainly occupied now with him.
RWS Of Ishmael it says in verse 12, “Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s bondwoman, bore to Abraham”, Genesis 25:12. Is that over against Isaac being called Abraham’s son in verse 19? There it says, “Abraham begot Isaac”.
JT And the word ‘called’ has to be remembered, “In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee”; Genesis 21:12. I mean to say Isaac is the divine thought, he was the promised seed; Ishmael was a mere contrivance by Sarah. Still, he was Abraham’s seed too, and God said He would bless him because he was his seed; but “in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee”, Genesis 21:12 that was the idea.
ANW In God’s mind Isaac was his ‘only’ son: “Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest”, Genesis 22:2.
JT So that God confines Himself to the promise, and why should not God do that? Any father ought to be free to do it, but certainly God. And so He regards Isaac as the only son of Abraham.
SCM And so it is said of the Lord Jesus, “My beloved Son”.
JT Yes, quite so, “in whom I have found my delight”, Matthew 3:17. Matthew 17:5 it is only the Lord Jesus that could be so regarded, but Isaac is clearly a beautiful type of the Lord Jesus and Rebecca is a type of the assembly. That is another thing that has to be noted, hence so much is made of her.
AR Do these verses go back to Genesis 1 and 2 where it says, “Let us make man”, Genesis 1:26 which includes the woman?
JT That is right, “and let them have dominion”. “Them” is plural, of course, so that the man and the woman are regarded as having the same derivation. I mean Eve is taken from Adam, she is out of him.
AR Whereas Rebecca was the father’s thought for Isaac; it was the suggestion of Abraham that she be procured for Isaac, was it not?
JT Quite so; it was a divine matter really that Christ and the assembly should appear in just this beautiful way, Isaac being a type of Christ and Rebecca a type of the assembly.
JHE It says, “And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren”. Is that, in some sense, going on now, the Lord being on high having the assembly in view [p. 117] for fruitfulness?
JT Well, quite so.
ABP Does Ishmael serve as a sort of background to bring out by way of contrast certain features of Isaac? He is spoken of as a wild ass of a man and his hand against every man.
JT Quite so. That is a remarkable thing, that he is called a wild ass of a man, so that he is entirely different in that sense from Isaac.
Rem In chapter 26:13 it says of Isaac, “And the man became great”.
JT He became exceedingly great, so that he would fill out what Abraham represented in that sense.
GVD It says in verse 5 of our chapter: “And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac”, Genesis 25:5. Would that link on with the Father loving the Son and giving all things into His hand?
JT It would. Isaac was, as it were, the only son although Ishmael was recognised as Abraham’s seed. But really, Isaac is the only son, he is the heir, he receives all, the first-born’s portion.
CAM While Rebecca was the suited wife for Isaac, yet it is remarkable that she was barren and it was necessary to entreat Jehovah for her.
JT But that only gave occasion for God’s power to come in, God overcame that by His power.
CAM Do we see that in the working out of things in the assembly now?
JT It gave God the opportunity to show His power, to make His power known, and His power is being seen currently. The assembly is being brought to light; it is a question of the power of God.
JHE Does it not help to see Isaac here as the heavenly man? We noticed in our last reading that no mention is made of his coming down from [p. 118] the mountain.
JT We have to see Abraham in the same light because his generations are not given, whereas Isaac’s are. Abraham’s generations are not given; therefore he is a distinguished man, hence a heavenly man. But Isaac also is heavenly, only more in detail than Abraham. Abraham’s generations are not given which is perhaps something which some of us have not observed.
CAM Is that to emphasize the father idea in Abraham?
JT Just so, it is the idea of the father. The New Testament has to be taken into account in all these matters; you cannot get the full thought without the New Testament. So that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit must come into our considerations.
CAM It is a very striking thing; I think it throws light on why his generations are not given.
JT Therefore it is “things new and old” Matthew 13:52; not old and new, but new and old. The New Testament is first in that sense.
EAL Stephen begins his address in Acts 7 with Abraham.
JT Just so.
ATD Verse 19 refers to Isaac’s generations and says, “Abraham begot Isaac”. Will you say something about that, please?
JT You have to regard the language of Scripture and it does not speak of Abraham’s generations, but it does speak of Isaac’s and even of Ishmael’s. So that we have to look for Abraham somewhere else, as the heavenly man, I would say. You have to learn to look for persons who seem to be omitted; but we shall find out that they are not omitted.
ANW That must be so for his name means ‘father of a multitude’.
JT Yes; ‘high father’ first, and then ‘father of a multitude’.
ABP Is there some connection between what has been said about Abraham’s generations and the word in Ephesians 3:21: “To him be glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus unto all generations of the age of ages”?
JT Just so, that has its place, it is “unto all generations of the age of ages”.
AR Do you think the fact that no reference is made to the generations of Abraham is a question of our understanding that God has no origin, He is from eternity to eternity?
JT Well, John tells us that with respect to the Lord: “In the beginning was the Word”, John 1:1. He was, He is eternal. “And the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. So that you can connect those thoughts with the Father and with the Son, but it is stated especially of the Son: “In the beginning was the Word”, and then, “the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us”, John 1:14.
RWS Is there any link in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with the thought of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?
JT I think so. You would think so yourself?
RWS Well, I would. We shall come to that later I suppose as to Jacob. I think I can see it in Abraham and Isaac, and I suppose we shall have to wait until we come to Jacob to see it there.
JT And so in Revelation 4:8: “Holy, holy, holy” — three holies, suggesting the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I would say.
SCM In Matthew 1 Abraham is linked on with the generation of Jesus Christ: “Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham”, Matthew 1:1 The question therefore arises as to why should David be mentioned before Abraham. But it is only to bring out the thought of kingship, to give it its full place in David; full room has to be [p. 120] made for kingship; the brethren will follow that. We must make room for royalty.
JHE When the Jews came back from the captivity there were those who sought to serve, but their names could not be found in the genealogical register; they were not fit. It is a good thing to trace our genealogy.
JT God gives it to us and we should trace it and value it too, because we are derived from Christ.
RWS Had you something more in your mind about the barrenness here, and Isaac entreating Jehovah for his wife because she was barren? The assembly was alluded to in this connection, as to God’s power coming in in relation to the assembly.
JT Well, it was to bring out the power of God; the power of God overcomes the barrenness. That is all I would say about it. But I would like to hear what you have to say.
RWS I thought there was a remark made applying it to the assembly today, Rebecca being a type of the assembly, but I cannot follow it myself. I thought you had something more in your mind.
JT I have nothing on my mind as to begetting, as to children being derived from Isaac and Rebecca, if that is what is in mind. I have nothing in my mind about that; I should not like to speak of that in connection with the assembly.
ANW Isaac entreating for his wife has been compared with the Lord’s thoughts about the assembly.
JT But I would not have the thought that it relates to any progeny that would come from Rebecca; I would not have that in mind.
CAM Although Rebecca was kindred to Isaac she was still in this distant country and needing to be brought to him. Is there not a sort of process that goes on in connection with the formation [p. 121] of the assembly?
JT Quite so.
JHE Do we not get in the early days that “the Lord added ... daily”? Acts 2:47. Would that not be the power to add?
JT Yes, but that is not derivation from parents, unless we speak of God as a Parent; but it does not allow the thought of Rebecca as a mother. There is nothing of that kind. It is a question of “the Lord added to the assembly daily those that were to be saved” Acts 2:47, it is those that were to be saved, that is all. It is not that they were to be born. In John 3, of course, we have: “Except anyone be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God”, John 3:3. But that is not the idea in Acts 2.
JHE John 1 says, “To them gave he the right to be children of God, to those that believe on his name; who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh’s will, nor of man’s will, but of God”, John 1:12,13.
JT “But of God”, not of any mother, it is just God.
EAL When we think of the difference in these twins that were born to Rebecca it is just sovereignty on the part of God.
JT Oh, quite so, it is not to introduce members of the assembly. I do not understand that. It is a question of God if we speak of those of the assembly, “born of God”.
JTJr We know something about it as understanding something of the power of God; it is known experimentally.
SCM In Hebrews 2 it says, “And again, Behold, I and the children which God has given me”, Hebrews 2:13. Is that not some suggestion of the corn of wheat falling into the ground and dying and bringing forth fruit?
JT That is quoted from Isaiah, “the children which God has given me”.
ANW How far would Genesis 1 go? It says, “God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply”, Genesis 1:28. How far would that go?
JT Well, that is the race, just the generation of the human race; they were the parents of the race, that is all.
RDG Did Isaac outshine his father Abraham in that he took the matter of the barrenness to God? Abraham did not do that apparently.
JT Quite right; Isaac did it and God answered it. But I would connect the first of Genesis with the human race; Adam and Eve were the parents of it. It is no question of the assembly there, it is just the human race.
Rem Isaac, in taking the matter to God, acted much more sympathetically and comelily than Elkanah, the husband of Hannah, who seems to have had no exercise about the matter at all.
JT Well, quite so; but we cannot make things fit exactly, they are recorded as they happened; the Spirit of God is sovereign in it all; the whole matter is inspired. I would be afraid of not making enough of the actual facts that are mentioned in relation to creation and to the human race. We must go by the facts and be spiritually discerning in what we say.
Rem The hymn says, “O God, the thought was Thine, Thine only could it be” (92:2).
FW Does it emphasize the development of the divine operations, and that these go on at the same time that the natural generations go on, and that God is intervening on His own side to bring in His own thoughts?
JT Quite so, and let us seek to follow them and seek to be spiritual, comparing spiritual with spiritual and not going too far either way but being careful in what we are saying and doing. To look at Isaac and Rebecca as parents of members of the [p. 123] assembly I would not like at all; I do not think that is intended.
RWS I am glad it is being enlarged upon, I see what you mean; it is the power of God in the circumstances indicated here.
JT Quite so, it is the power of God; it is not the father and the mother, it is just God.
JTJr So the Lord said to the Sadducees, “Ye err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God”, Matthew 22:29. They were bringing the family relations into the thought of resurrection. It is a question therefore of the power of God.
ANW Isaac’s prayer is evidently in accord with the divine mind, for it says Jehovah was entreated of him. He yielded to his entreaty.
JT And that is all there is to it, it is just a fact.
CAM The mighty workings and the power of God which you have been stressing involve the fact that the assembly belongs to a world of things beyond the natural; beyond death in resurrection.
JT Well, these are all facts that are borne out by Scripture. I would take them just as they are and seek to see that there is what is spiritual, but that there is also the natural, creative side that enters into all this matter. Adam was created, but Eve was taken out of Adam, but not by birth, it is the power of God; it is a miracle, and there is no repetition of that.
Ques In Revelation 19 it says, “The marriage of the Lamb is come”, Revelation 19:7. Is there any fruit or issue from that marriage?
JT Not at all, I do not think that is admissible at all.
Ques Is the spiritual side seen in Ephesians 1 where it speaks of the power of God “which he wrought in the Christ in raising him from among the dead” Ephesians 1:20; and then later it says, “and gave him to be head over all things to the assembly, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all”? Ephesians 1:22,23.
JT [p. 124] Well, there is no idea of a mother there. It is a question of God; the resurrection is the power of God, and believers have to come into that experimentally, to be raised from the dead.
AR Does verse 12 of chapter 26 suggest the same idea of the power of God in the creation? It says, “And Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold; and Jehovah blessed him”. It is the power of God in creation.
JT Quite so, it is just the fact of the matter.
DP Are Isaac and Rebecca then the prominent thought, and to be viewed, as types, apart from the ordinary circumstances of this chapter?
JT Surely, viewed separately.
DP As Christ and the assembly?
JT But not Christ and the assembly as begetting children, nothing of that kind. I feel that there is some confusion in applying this idea of parents begetting children when it is just the natural thought. We have to work out the spiritual and see whether we are accurate in what we are saying.
Rem There are no children spoken of in the outline in chapter 24.
JT Because in chapter 24 it is really a question of the type, what Isaac and Rebecca mean, that is all; it suggests Christ and the assembly.
ANW So that the type would seem to end when you view the feminine side as the complement of the man.
JT Quite so.
CAM Does not the Lord Jesus make that very clear in connection with the resurrection world and all beyond? What we know in this way of generation is all ended. “Jesus said to them, The sons of this world marry and are given in marriage, but they who are counted worthy to have part in that world, and the resurrection from among the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for neither can they die any more, for they are equal to angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection”, Luke 20:34 - [p. 125] 36.
JT I was thinking of that; it is a question of being as the angels, “sons of God, being sons of the resurrection”. There is no idea at all of fruit-bearing. It is a question of being sons of the resurrection.
RWS This all seems very important lest we carry the types too far and become fanciful and confused.
JT Well, I think so; I am concerned that we go by the Scriptures accurately, get the facts by Scripture.
FNW Is it not important that what we may learn from the Old Testament is regulated by what we have in the New, particularly by what the Lord has given us through the apostle Paul?
JT Quite so, it is New and Old, that is the principle; the New Testament begins everything. You must learn everything on those lines from the New Testament. Not that the Old Testament does not yield, it does; but we begin with the New.
JTJr When allusion is made to our birth in Galatians, Isaac is in mind; it is like the birth of Isaac; not a material thought, but according to promise. The pattern is brought in there, in Isaac.
JT We should proceed now to chapter 26. We have touched on chapter 25 and now we want to see how Isaac sowed and reaped in the land: “And Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold”; that is just an ordinary event, an occurrence. Isaac was a farmer and he was getting a hundredfold on the principle of farming.
ANW And he became great; “And the man became great, and he became continually greater, until he was very great”. He was “very great”.
JHE Is not the secret in that Jehovah blessed him? That is the principle, is it not?
JT Yes; but they are not other than ordinary facts that Isaac became great and was prosperous in what he was doing, just as other people have been prospered. And then it goes on to say, “And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his camp in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there”. I understand the word Gerar refers to a circle. “And Isaac dug again the wells of water that they had dug in the days of Abraham his father”; so that the work of Abraham is carried through, but evidently somewhat checked by the power of the Philistines, which God allowed. And so we go right through to verse 21, “And they dug another well, and they strove for that also; and he called the name of it Sitnah”, meaning ‘opposition’, there was opposition. “And he removed thence and dug another well; and they did not strive for that. And he called the name of it Rehoboth”, which means ‘broadways’, that is, room is being made for Isaac under God. This is ordinary, not miraculous, it is just God acting for Isaac.
FNW Does Isaac here typify the believer or Christ?
JT Well, it is something that we have to look into to see how he gained and what happened to him in a godly way, because evidently God was blessing him on the line of godliness. He was the son of Abraham.
JTJr He would have to contend with the features of the flesh in man; and so we see, I suppose, how he deals with it, moving on to a place where there is room, where the thing is not overwhelming him any [p. 127] more.
JT Just so; and so he called the name of the place, “Rehoboth”, and said, “For now Jehovah has made room for us”. That is just an ordinary event and shows that God is blessing him.
ABP Is the value of it that he brings God into it?
JT Yes; he brings God into it; it is a godly matter; the man is godly.
ABP We are told that God sends the rain upon the just and the unjust alike.
JT Just so; just as anyone of us might be blessed, even today; only we would not be content with ordinary physical blessing; we want to be spiritual. And so verse 23 says, “And he went up thence to Beer-sheba. And Jehovah appeared to him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake”. These are all ordinary matters, but God is in them. And then further, “And he built an altar there, and called upon the name of Jehovah. And he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. And Abimelech, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phichol the captain of his host, went to him from Gerar. And Isaac said to them, Why are ye come to me, seeing ye hate me, and have driven me away from you?” Now these are all ordinary matters, but God is helping in them. “And they said, We saw certainly that Jehovah is with thee; and we said, Let there be then an oath between us — between us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no wrong, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done to thee nothing but good, and have let thee go in peace; thou art now blessed of Jehovah”. That is what they said to him; that is, these Philistines have come to see that God is with [p. 128] Isaac. Of course we might see it among ourselves here, that God is with us.
RWS Isaac has been defending the testimony right through, and especially the testimony relating to the Spirit, and so God honours him. Is the thought that this is open for us today, just as it was for Isaac?
JT Quite so; it is a question of our being godly and bringing God into things — which we are doing, thank God.
CAM Would not the circumstances surrounding the wells here — one meaning ‘quarrel’ and the other ‘opposition’ — tend to quiet us with regard to any difficulties there are as to the truth of the Spirit? Such difficulties are existent, but we are not to be troubled about them.
JT Just so, while recognizing that we have to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. Every bit of truth that comes out is usually opposed, but God helps us, and the truth is caused to stand.
AR There is one well here that suggests what is very large, it is named Rehoboth which means ‘broadways’. But then there is another one in verse 33 which is spoken of in relation to a city; it says, “We have found water. And he called it Shebah; therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day”. It is very extensive, is it not?
JT So that we might say that this is Isaac’s chapter, so to speak. It is the truth as to Isaac. Then we come down to the next chapter where it is a question of his becoming old, another matter altogether. But we ought to particularly dwell on chapter 26 if we want the full truth as to Isaac.
JTJr I suppose he becomes morally greater than the elements involved in those that came up to see him, Abimelech and his captain and his [p. 129] friend.
JT There was moral greatness with Isaac because he overcame the difficulties. Instead of the quarrel being increased they left him in friendliness.
JTJr That should be so with us, there should be moral supremacy in the believer. As he moves through the world he should be morally superior to the evil with which he has to contend.
JT It is real victory when that is so; and God is ready to give it to us.
JTJr Then there is peace, there is not a quarrel but peace. It is remarkable that he sends them away without any bad feeling as they leave.
FNW And does not God quickly answer that faithfulness? It says in verse 24, “And Jehovah appeared to him the same night”; and again in verse 32, “And it came to pass the same day”.
JT Showing that God was working with him, a real work was going on. Chapter 26 is really Isaac’s chapter where you get the full truth as to Isaac. And then we come on to chapter 27 and there is a sad situation. It says, “And it came to pass when Isaac had become old, and his eyes were dim” Genesis 27:1, and so forth. There is an entire change in the history of Isaac.
JHE Referring to 24:2: “Through weakness and defeat He won the meed and crown”, would not Isaac show the spirit of Christ in chapter 26 in that there was no opposition and so God came in for him?
JT “Trod all our foes beneath His feet, In being trodden down” (24:2), that is the truth.
AR Does manhood develop in Rebecca in selecting Jacob as the man of God’s promise?
JT Well, it does. Manhood is seen in the woman, too, in a sense. But we have a sad picture here as compared with chapter 26. So Esau says in verse 1, “Here am I”. And then Isaac says, “Behold now, I am become old; I know not the day of my death”, Genesis 27:1,2.
[p. 130] That is what Isaac says; it is rather sad; it is a different note altogether from chapter 26 and a different note from Abraham’s history, too, but we have to face all these things and ask why they should be.
EAL You mean that he was weak in saying, “I know not the day of my death”? Genesis 27:1. You have been saying recently that the believer should not be looking for death or be occupied with it.
JT I do say that and I think it is a very comforting thing that we are not looking for death but for the coming of the Lord. So that it is a sad picture in this chapter. Again it says in verse 6 — and this is another contrivance — “And Rebecca spoke to Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak to Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and prepare me a savoury dish, that I may eat, and bless thee before Jehovah, before my death. And now, my son, hearken to my voice in that which I command thee. Go, I pray thee, to the flock, and fetch me thence two good kids of the goats. And I will make of them a savoury dish for thy father, such as he loves. And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, in order that he may bless thee before his death. And Jacob said to Rebecca his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. My father perhaps will feel me, and I shall be in his sight as one who mocks him, and I shall bring a curse on me, and not a blessing. And his mother said to him, On me be thy curse, my son! Only hearken to my voice, and go, fetch them. And he went, and fetched and brought them to his mother. And his mother prepared a savoury dish such as his father loved. And Rebecca took the clothes of her elder son Esau, the costly ones which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son; and she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck; and she gave the savoury dishes and the bread that she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob”.
[p. 131] So that we see, alas! the sad side of the truth, and it is to warn us, every one of us, that God may be blessing us and yet we may be marring everything that He is doing for us by having recourse to clever unfair methods, unseemly methods; and that is what happened here.
Ques On whom is the reflection here, is it on Isaac or on Rebecca?
JT On both.
Rem The reason I asked was that if Rebecca had not done this it would appear that Esau would have been blessed instead of Jacob.
JT Well, but God would have seen to that. Esau was blessed to a point, but not the full blessing that Isaac intended to give him.
ANW Can we give Rebecca a credit mark in verse 13, “On me be thy curse, my son!”?
JT Well, quite so, she accepted the responsibility there. But the whole matter is humbling that the saints of God, who are prospering generally, should have recourse to such methods as seen in Jacob and Rebecca here.
RWS So would chapter 26 bear upon the fruit of the Spirit, and chapter 27 more upon the works of the flesh?
JT Just so, the works of the flesh in the unseemly course they pursued, both Rebecca and Jacob. And even Isaac too was brought into it; he had become blind; that is a humbling thing too, that a spiritual man should become blind. I mean to say these are things that we might just as well face, and get something out of them.
JTJr Nothing can hinder the purpose of God. We could not say that the purpose of God would not have gone through if Rebecca had not done this, if she had not taken it into her [p. 132] own hand.
JT Just so.
FW Is it not solemn that even in an epistle such as Ephesians the apostle has to draw attention to the subject of lying? But although he exhorts as to the evil of lying, yet the purposes of God go through. Would you say something of the prevalence of lying that there is to be found even amongst the saints?
JT “Do not lie to one another”, Colossians 3:9. We are likely to do that, likely to say untrue things and perhaps know that we are doing it. It is a most humbling thing that it should happen! And I think we should all learn from what is before us now, the sorrowful side that we have had to consider here in chapter 27.
JHE If we lie to one another we lie to divine Persons, in principle, inasmuch as the Holy Spirit indwells us.
SCM Do we not see that in the case of Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts where they are said to have lied to the Holy Spirit?
JT It is so serious there in Acts 5; most serious that such things should happen among the saints of God and such saints as were at Jerusalem at that time.
Ques Is it not comforting that notwithstanding these humbling circumstances to which you are drawing attention, it says in Hebrews that Isaac blessed them by faith? “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau”, Hebrews 11:20.
JT Quite So. God puts the best side on it there, that it was done by faith, which is just like God.
JTJr Is not the allusion there to what Isaac said? Is that not what is in mind in Hebrews? It is a question of what Isaac said, it is what God had purposed regarding Jacob and Esau. So that he blessed them in faith.
[p. 133] Ques So Isaac did recover himself, would you say? In verse 33 of our chapter Isaac said to Esau, “I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him; also blessed he shall be”.
JT Yes, he stands firmly by the truth; “Blessed he shall be”, he says. So that the purpose of God went through unfailingly, and it always will go through. God will have His way.
DP Were Isaac and Rebecca not lacking in unity regarding the right man?
JT Yes, because Jacob was the right man. He was God’s man in this case, not Esau. God overruled it, His purposes went through, and that is the thing to keep before us; and the other thing to keep before us is not to resort to mean methods and lying. We are told not to lie to one another.
CFE At the same time Jacob was acting under parental influence, was he not?
JT Well, he was; Rebecca, you might say, was more wrong than he.
RHS The reference to Ephesians is a searching matter because it is not, as it says in the foot-note to chapter 4: 25, not merely the act of lying, but that which has the character and nature of falsehood. You said lately that we should have plain speaking.
AR So that in the assembly everything should be based on established facts, as it says, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established”, 2 Corinthians 13:1.
JT “Every word”, just so, every word; not every sentence, but every word.
Ques Was Jacob passing any judgment on himself when he said to Pharaoh in Genesis 47, “Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they do not attain to the days of the years of the life of my fathers”? Genesis 47:9.
JT Very good, he was humble there.