Remember His Glorious Covenant

One of our great patriarchs of the faith, Isaac, knew a little something about living in the enormous legacy of greatness. His father, Abraham, was one we might consider to be the most faithful in all of human history.

The bible denotes him as a “friend of God”, and the hallmark of his life was that he believed the Lord, and that the Lord considered him to be righteous and good. Not because he was perfect, but because he consistently returned to faith as the fundamental principle of His life. He walked with God and God was near to Him.

Abraham successfully passed this faithfulness down to His son, Isaac, who had been trained up in a believing dependence upon God, the Father, and His precious leading into the land of Canaan.

In Genesis, chapter 26, we see a familiar story unfolding.
A godly man, with his godly family resting upon the promise of God.
But a famine had hit the land.
And it may have been reasonable for this to become a setback to anyone.

Verses 1-5 say this, “A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.’”

Oh what a sweet promise.
“I will be with you.”

The assignment was clear.
“Do not go down to Egypt.”
He was not to return to where it might be comfortable, to where there may be “plenty.”
Instead, he was to live as a foreigner in the land.

But there was that promise… “I will be with you. I will give you all these lands to you and your descendants. I will multiply your descendants.”

And why?
Because of the faithfulness of his father, Abraham.

Remember the promise to him, just before his passing?
It’s found in Genesis 13:14-17.
God in His loving kindness would show Abraham the promise, even though He wouldn’t see it for himself. And He left him with the reassurance of a friend, that the inheritance his children would see, and their children would see, would be a “permanent possession.” (verse 15)

Because of God’s goodness, and because of the sweet promise He made to His beloved Abraham, Isaac was able to claim victory in whatever situation he found himself in.

Even a famine.
Even in uncertainty.
Even in the midst of national disaster.
Even in panic and fear.

My commentary says that, “Isaac” here, “still cleaves to the covenant.” He understood that the seeds that had been planted in his youth was the harvest he was now able to fully benefit from, and that nothing but his own unbelief and distrust could dissuade his success and comfort.

Isaac made the decision to trust in the One who was proved throughout his life as faithful. And he understood that, regardless of external circumstances, he would set his mind upon remembering the covenant.

So I ask myself the hard question - how am I doing?
Am I fixating on all that hasn't happened…focusing on all I’ve lost… or am I remembering the covenant?

He says, if nothing else, “I will be with you.” And so we have no fear.

Regardless of external circumstances, remember His glorious covenant!
He is a good, good Father who cannot be unfaithful to His promises.