Scripture Reading: Gen. 17:19, 21; 21:1-3, 8; 24:36; 25:5, 20-21; 26:23-24; Gal. 4:23, 28
Ⅰ
Isaac was a model, a pattern, of the enjoyment of God's grace; his life was a grace-enjoying life, a life of enjoyment—Gen. 24:36; 25:5; 26:12-14:
A
In the record of Isaac's life, the experience of grace is implied; Isaac was born of grace, grew up in grace, and was made an heir of grace—21:1-3, 8; 25:5:
１
In the experience of life, there is the aspect of enjoyment, the enjoyment of grace—Phil. 1:7:
ａ
In the biblical and experiential sense, grace means enjoyment; grace is the enjoyment in our Christian life—John 1:16; Phil. 4:23.
ｂ
Grace is God working Himself into our being as our enjoyment.
２
Whenever the effort of the natural life ceases, that is the time of life; at the time of life, something is born in grace—Heb. 11:11.
３
Isaac was not a doing person; he was an enjoying person, always enjoying the provision of grace—Gal. 4:23, 28.
B
In the New Testament, all the called believers are heirs of grace, destined to enjoy God's absolute and unconditional grace—Eph. 1:3, 6, 8; 2:7:
１
Since we have been put into the position of grace, we are Isaacs, enjoying the grace that is now with our spirit; we have been ordained by God to the enjoyment of His grace—Rom. 5:1-2; Gal. 6:18.
２
Grace is God Himself in Christ wrought into our being to become the constituent of our being—1 Pet. 5:10; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 10:29.
３
Grace is the Triune God wrought into our being to be what we should be and to live, work, and do things for us so that we may say, "By the grace of God I am what I am" and "not I but the grace of God which is with me"— 1 Cor. 15:10.
４
If we do not have any enjoyment in the Christian life, we will not be able to live the Christian life—Neh. 8:10.
５
God's grace is powerful, enabling us to bear everything—2 Cor. 12:7-9.
６
God wants to bring us into the enjoyment of grace, but there is a frustration to this grace—the self; if we would have the enjoyment of grace, the self must go—Gal. 2:19-21a.
Ⅱ
Isaac inherited all things from his father; all that the father had was his, for Abraham gave all his riches to this unique heir—Gen. 24:36; 25:5:
A
It was by grace, not by his effort, that Isaac became the heir of his father's riches—21:10; Gal. 4:28:
１
Isaac was the son, and the son inherited everything from the father; there is no need for a son to strive with his own strength—Gen. 24:36:
ａ
Isaac was not required to do anything that he might inherit the father's riches.
ｂ
Isaac did not do anything for the inheritance; it was absolutely and unconditionally of grace.
ｃ
Isaac's relationship with Abraham was one of receiving—25:5.
２
In the line of life, the meaning of Isaac is that God does the work, and we receive the work—1 Cor. 4:7; Gal. 3:14.
B
In Christ God has put us into grace that we might become the heirs of grace, inheriting all the riches of His divine fullness as our enjoyment—1 Cor. 1:30:
１
The book of Galatians shows us that the principle of the believer's living is being an Isaac, one who inherits—3:7, 26, 29; 4:6-7, 22-23, 28.
２
Our Christian life must be like Isaac's, doing nothing by himself but inheriting and enjoying all that the father has—Acts 26:18; Eph. 1:14.
３
In the inheriting of grace, we must cease from the effort of our natural life that we may keep ourselves open and available for the enjoyment of grace.
４
God has done everything in Christ; when we are in Christ, everything that is done in Christ is done in us—1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 6:6; Eph. 2:5-6.
５
God has accomplished everything in Christ; all that we have to do is receive—Acts 10:43; John 1:12, 16; 7:39; 20:22; Rom. 5:17; Gal. 4:5.
Ⅲ
In Beer-sheba Isaac had a life for the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose—Gen. 26:23-24; 25:20-21:
A
God wants to work Himself into a corporate man that He might have a corporate expression; this is the basic concept of the Bible, and this is God's eternal purpose—1:26; Eph. 3:14-21, 11; 1:9, 11; Rom. 8:28; 2 Tim. 1:9.
B
Although the enjoyment of grace is our destiny, we must still take care of the place where we have this enjoyment—1 Cor. 1:2-3; Gal. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-5a.
C
Once Isaac realized that he needed a son and that his need corresponded to God's need, he prayed, and God answered his prayer—Gen. 25:20-21, 26b.
D
In the enjoyment of God's grace, we must render Him our human coordination that He may fulfill His eternal purpose through us—Matt. 6:9-10:
１
When we realize that our need corresponds to God's need and then pray accordingly, God will answer our prayer—John 14:13-14; 15:7, 16; 16:24.
２
God cannot do anything until we realize our need and pray about it; then God will answer our prayer to meet our need for the fulfillment of His purpose—1 Sam. 1:1-20, 26-28.