Hebrews 11:20

Πίστει περὶ μελλόντων εὐλόγησεν ᾿Ισαὰκ τὸν ᾿Ιακὼβ καὶ τὸν ᾿Ησαῦ.

Hebrews 11:20. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

Isaac was a holy person, who, though a pilgrim, yet, as far as appeareth, spent most of his time in peace, without great perils and dangers. Wherefore there is less spoken of him, and the trials of his faith, than either of his father or his son. Howbeit there is no doubt but that this son of the promise led his life in the faith of the promise; and the promise was particularly renewed unto him, Genesis 26:4.

The apostle chooseth to instance in his faith with respect unto the blessing of his sons, which was in his old age, and was the most eminent act of it, because of the conveyance of the promise unto his seed made thereby.

The story which he reports is recorded Genesis 27. And there is none in the Scripture filled with more intricacies and difficulties, as unto a right judgment of the thing related, though the matter of fact be clearly and distinctly set down.

The whole represents unto us divine sovereignty, wisdom, and faithfulness, working effectually through the frailties, infirmities, and sins of all the persons concerned in the matter. It was taken for granted by them all, that, by God's institution and appointment, the promise, with all the benefits and privileges of it, was to be conveyed by paternal benediction unto one of the sons. Hereon there had been sundry indications of the mind of God, as unto the person to whom it was to be communicated. There was so in the answer of God unto Rebekah, when the children strove in her womb, when he said unto her, “The elder shall serve the younger,” Genesis 25:23. And an immediate indication hereof was given in their birth, wherein Jacob laid hold on the heel of Esau, as being to supplant him, verse 26. It was further manifest when they grew up, partly by the profaneness of Esau, evidenced in marrying evil and idolatrous wives; and partly in his selling his birthright for a mess of pottage, verses 32-34. Yet did not all this prevent the miscarriages of them all in the communication and obtaining this blessing; namely, of Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob. For,

1. Whatever may be spoken in excuse of Isaac, it is certain he failed greatly in two things:

(1.) In his inordinate love unto Esau, whom he could not but know to be a profane person, and that on so slight an account as eating of his venison, Genesis 25:28.

(2.) In that he had not sufficiently inquired into the mind of God in the oracle that his wife received concerning their sons. There is no question on the one hand, but that he knew of it; nor on the other, that he did not understand it. For if the holy man had known that it was the determinate will of God, he would not have contradicted it. But this arose from want of diligent inquiry by prayer into the mind of God.

2. As for Rebekah, there is no doubt but that she was infallibly certain that it was the mind and will of God that Jacob should have the blessing. So far she had a sufficient ground of faith. But her contrivance for the obtaining of it, when she ought to have committed the event unto the providence of God, whose word was engaged for it, cannot be approved; nor is what she did to be made an example for imitation.

3. Jacob also had, no doubt, sufficient evidence that the birthright was conveyed unto him; yet although he followed his mother's instructions, and obeyed her commands in what he did, his miscarriages in getting the conveyance of it by his father's blessing, which were not a few, are not to be excused.

But under all these mistakes and miscarriages we may observe two things:

1. That true faith acted itself in all the persons concerned. The faith of Isaac was true and right in this, that the promise was sure to his seed by virtue of the covenant, and that he was instrumentally, in the way of external evidence, to convey it by his solemn benediction. The first was express in the covenant: the other he had by immediate revelation and inspiration; for his blessing was a “prophecy of things to come,” as it is in the text. But he missed it in the application of it unto the object in his own intention, though in matter of fact, by the divine disposal of circumstances, he was in the right. This mistake hindered not but that he blessed Jacob in faith. One expositor, who abounds in conjectures, and is as unhappy in them as any man well can be, would have it that the blessing of Jacob in faith doth not belong, or is not to be ascribed unto that solemn blessing which he pronounced upon him when he mistook the person, supposing him to be Esau, Genesis 27:27-29, but unto what he said afterwards concerning him unto Esau, verse 33, “I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed;” than which nothing can be more remote from the mind of the Holy Ghost. For in these words to Esau he directly affirms that he had blessed him, and now only declares the consequent of it, namely, that he should enjoy the blessing, “He shall be blessed.” Now this hath respect unto that former blessing; which was therefore in faith, notwithstanding the previous mistake of the person, which he now understood, by what he had done, as being under the immediate conduct of the Spirit of God.

So did true faith act itself both in Rebekah and Jacob, and they were in the right, from divine revelation, that the promises did belong to Jacob. Howbeit they variously miscarried in the way they took for obtaining a pledge of it in the paternal benediction.

Wherefore it cannot be denied but that sometimes, when true faith is rightly fixed on divine promises, those in whom it is, and who truly believe, may, through darkness, infirmities, and temptations, put themselves on irregular ways for the accomplishment of them. And as in these ways they may fail and miscarry, unto the scandal of religion and a dangerous concussion of their own faith; so if they do succeed in such ways, as Jacob did, yet are not their ways accepted or approved of God, as they will quickly under- stand. But although these mistakes may be such as to vitiate their works, and render them unacceptable unto God, yet shall they not condemn their persons in the sight of God, neither here nor hereafter.

Whereas, therefore, there yet remain many promises to be accomplished concerning the church, and its state or condition in this world; as it is our duty firmly to believe them, so it is our wisdom, not, upon any temptations, provocations, or advantages, to attempt their accomplishment in any unwarrantable way and undertaking.

2. We may see herein the infinite purity of the divine will, effectually accomplishing its own purposes and designs through the failings and miscarriages of men, without the least mixture with or approbation of their iniquities or miscarriages. So did God accomplish his purpose and promise unto Jacob, by ordering the outward circumstances of the irregular actings of him and his mother unto his own blessed ends. And although he neither commanded nor approved of these irregularities in them, yet whereas there was true faith in the persons themselves, though misguided as unto some outward actions; and that acted, as they judged, in compliance with his will, without the least design of injury unto any others (for they aimed at nothing but what was their own by his grant and donation); he accepted their persons, pardoned their sins, and effected the matter according to their desire.

And we may yet observe,

Obs. That the failure, error, or mistake of any one leading person, with respect unto divine promises and their accomplishment, may be of dangerous consequence unto others; as here the failing of Isaac was the occasion of casting Jacob and Rebekah into all their irregularities.

These things being premised, as unto the story which respect is here had unto, the words themselves may be briefly opened. And there are three things in them:

1. What is ascribed unto Isaac; namely, that “he blessed his sons.”

2. How he did it; and that was, “by faith.”

3. What was the subject-matter of his blessing; and that was, “things to come.”

1. He blessed them. Those patriarchal blessings were partly euctical, or prayers; partly prophetical, or predictions. And the matter of them was the promise made unto them, with what was contained in them, and nothing else. They did not pray for, they could not foretell, any thing but what God had promised. They were authoritative applications of God's promises unto the persons unto whom they did belong, for the confirmation of their faith.

So far as they were merely euctical, or consisted in solemn prayer, they were an effect and duty of the ordinary parental ministry, and as such ought to be used by all parents. Not as some, by the trifling custom of daily asking and giving blessing, whilst perhaps a curse is entailed on families by wretched examples; but by solemn reiterated prayer unto that purpose. But there were two things extraordinary in them:

(1.) A certain determination of the promise unto particular persons, as was here done by Isaac; which falls not within the compass of the ordinary paternal ministry. We may fail in our most earnest desires and sincere endeavors for the communication of the promise unto this or that child.

(2.) Prediction of particular future events, falling within the compass and verge of the promise. So was it in the solemn blessings of Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Herein were they acted by a spirit of prophecy and immediate revelation.

2. Thus he blessed his sons; and he did it “by faith.” But yet there is a difficulty that ariseth on both hands, from the one blessing and the other. For the blessing of Jacob was from immediate inspiration, and not intended by Isaac to be applied unto Jacob; both which considerations seem to exclude his faisth from any interest in this benediction. And the blessing of Esau related only unto temporal things, and that not with respect unto any especial promise.

I answer, That as unto the first, or the blessing of Jacob,

(1.) There was a proper object of his faith, which it was fixed on, namely, the promise of the covenant, that God would be a God to him and his seed, and that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Herein was his faith exercised in his blessing of Jacob; which was no way impeded by his mistake of the person. Faith was acted by the promise, and was guided as to its object by God's providence.

(2.) Immediate inspiration doth no way hinder the actings of faith on preceding revelations. He had the warrant of the word of God before revealed for the ground of his faith, and his immediate inspiration guided him to act according unto it. And,

(3.) As for the blessing of Esau, although it respected only temporal things, yet he gave it him in faith also, in that it was the fruit of his prayer for him, and contained predictions which he had received by divine revelation.

3. The subject-matter of both these blessings were things to come; that is, things that were not yet, nor yet to have their present accomplishment. For that part of the blessing of Jacob, that he should be lord of his brethren, as it is expressed in the blessing of Esau, “Thou shalt serve thy brother,” was not fulfilled in their days, there being a great appearance of the contrary. Wherefore the things contained in these blessings, absolutely considered, were future, and yet for to come, in the days of, and among their posterity.

Now, the blessing of Jacob did not contain only a better portion in this world than that of Esau, as Grotius would have it; nor had there been any need of so great a contest about the difference between the land of Canaan and that of Edom, but as it did comprise also the numerous posterity of Jacob, their quiet habitation, power and dominion in the land of Canaan: so the principal subject of it was the enclosure of the church, the confinement of the covenant, and the enjoyment of the promise of the blessed Seed unto him and his offspring. And it was the contempt hereof, and not of a double portion of earthly things, for which Esau is stigmatized as a “profane person.”