AN ALTAR, A TENT AND A WELL- God of Isaac

SERIES: OUR GODFATHERS

TEXT: GENESIS 26:24-25

Isaac was the sun over famous father (Abraham) and the father of a famous son (Jacob Israel), 13 chapters are devoted to the story of Abraham, 10 chapters are devoted to Jacob. Isaac gets only two chapters. Nevertheless Isaac’s life was by no means insignificant. Isaac was the child that Abraham waited for hundred years. Isaac was the child of promise, a miracle baby. Isaac was conceived when Sara had given up on all possibility of ever getting her own child. Isaac was the one who carried on the line in the purposes of God not Ishmael. On his death Isaac blessed Jacob setting him apart for the future of Israel.

Today the Jews talk of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These 3 are our Godfathers of saving faith. Isaac is listed as one of the champions of faith “By faith Isaac Blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.”

Isaac lived in a faith and curbed out for himself the place God predestined for him in history. We find three things in the life of Isaac which are symbolic of spiritual principles of anyone who desires to live the life of faith. Free characteristics are to be found in real spiritual victory- Genesis 26:25, “So Isaac built an alter there under call the called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there and Isaac’s servant dug a well.” Let us learn:-

ISAAC BUILT AN ALTER.

“So Isaac build an alter there and called the name of the Lord.

• It was a time of great difficulty for Isaac.
• God really blessed Isaac in the land of Philistines where Isaac was living. In Genesis 26:13 “Isaac begun to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous for he had positions of flocks and positions of herds and great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.
• These envious Philistines filled in all his wells and their king Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us for you are much mightier than we.”
• Isaac begun to move from place to place opposition and conflict until finally he came to Beersheba.
• The night that Isaac arrived in Beersheba God appeared to him and God spoke to him Wonderful words of Assurance and promise.
• God repeated to Isaac the covenant he had made to Abraham.

1. Do not fear for I am with you.
2. I will bless you.
3. I will multiply your descendants for my servants Abraham’s sake.

• In response to the revelation of God, Isaac “so he built an altar of the Lord.”
• An outer speech of dedication.
• Isaac knew about Altars-as a boy he accompanied his father to Mt. Moriah where his father Abraham was offering Isaac as a burnt sacrifice.
• On that day God was testing Abraham’s dedication.
• An altar speaks of dedication no one knew the cost of full dedication more than Isaac. “So Isaac built an altar there and he called upon the name of the Lord.”
• An Altar is where you make your sacrifices to God-Romans 12:1.
• An Altar is a dining table a place of fellowship.
• An altar is a place of death-The cross.
• Altars speaks good things or bad things depending on the requests.
• Have you established your altar? Have you offered yourself as a living sacrifice to God? Have you rededicated yourself to the Lord recently? The greatest alter is in our hearts where we meet and where we call on the name of the Lord-Romans 12:1.
• Maybe you alter is already broken It needs rebuilding 1^st Kings 18.
• Concentrate your heart to the Lord afresh today.
• An alter means or speaks of the dedication, Isaac built an altar.

ISAAC PITCHED A TENT.

“And he pitched a tent there.”

• Isaac had heard the voice of the Lord in Beersheba, there Isaac met with God and the sort you pitched his tent there.
• We must stay close to God where God speaks but that is where our tent ought to be.
• He pitched a tent, he did not build a house.

A tent speaks of detachment.

• The reason Isaac was in Beersheba was because this was where God was speaking.
• God had brought Isaac to Beersheba.
• Isaac’s home who was wherever God and this will what to be found.
• A tent speaks of detachment as Christians, we are pilgrims we are passing through this world.
• We must remain detached from this world and all that it holds dear.
• Our hearts belong to another kingdom.
• Jim Elliott said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep in order to gain what it cannot lose.”
• No matter how hard we try the things of this life, they are passing away- moths are eating them, time and rust are corroding them.
• There is no future in earthly stuff, Jesus said “seek he first the kingdom of God……….”
• We must detach from this world’s pleasures. We must detach from this wall praise-1^st John 2:15.
• An altar speaks of the dedication; a tent speaks of detachment.

ISAAC DUG A WELL.

“And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.”

• A well speaks of dependence- Psalm 1:3.
• For Isaac a well was a matter of life and death. Either digging or dying. He had to have water, Beersheba is a desert.
• Whenever Isaac went he dug wells.
• The word of God is also the water of life. Without the word of God we will die spiritually.
• Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
• A well speaks of dependence

CONCLUSION

• Isaac built an altar, Isaac pitched a tent, Isaac dug a well.
• Are these characteristics present in your life today?
• A few built and alter and are you maintaining it? Are you daily the dedicating your heart to God? Are you continuing consecrating you heart to Him alone?
• Are you living a life of detachment from the love of the things of this world? 1^st Corinthians 7.
• Have you dug well? Do you depend daily in the word of God as you source in life?