What is the lesson we learn from Isaac? Galatians 4 says that Isaac is the promised son (v. 23). In Isaac we see that everything comes from the Father. The history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Genesis 11 through 50 shows us that Isaac was an ordinary and unexceptional man. He was not like Abraham, and he was not like Jacob. Abraham came from the other side of the great river; he was a pioneer. Isaac was not like this. But neither was Isaac like Jacob, whose life was filled with difficulties and who suffered many dealings. Isaac's whole life was an enjoyment of his father's inheritance. It is true that Isaac dug a few wells. But even the wells were first dug by his father. "And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them" (Gen. 26:18). The lesson that Isaac teaches us is that we have nothing other than what we have inherited from the Father. Paul asked a question: "And what do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). In other words, there is nothing that we have that has not been received. All that we have comes from the Father. This is Isaac.
Many people cannot be in the position of Abraham because they cannot be in the position of Isaac. Many people fail to become Abraham because they fail to become Isaac. It is impossible to have the experience of Abraham without the experience of Isaac. It is also impossible to have the experience of Isaac without the experience of Abraham. We have to see that God is the Father and that everything proceeds from Him. We also have to see that we are sons and that everything we have is from Him. The life of the Son which we inherit comes from Him. In the eyes of God we are only those who receive. Salvation is received, victory is received, justification is received, sanctification is received, forgiveness is received, and freedom is received. The principle of receiving is the principle of Isaac. We have to say, Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Everything we have is from God. We see from God's Word that everything He promised to Abraham was promised also to Isaac. God did not give anything additional to Isaac; He gave Isaac what He gave his father. This is our salvation; this is our liberation.
Now let us come to Jacob. Many Christians see that God is the source of everything. They also see that everything they have comes through receiving. But there is a problem: Many Christians do not receive. We know that everything we have comes by receiving and that if we do not receive anything, we will be left with vanity and emptiness. But we still do not receive, and we still try to do things ourselves. Why? We do not overcome by the law of life; instead, we try to overcome by our own will. Why? One reason is that the principle of Jacob is still in us. The activity of the flesh is still present, the power of the soul is still present, and the natural life is still present. We know doctrinally that God is the Initiator of everything, yet in reality we initiate many things. We remember a doctrine for two weeks, but by the third week we have forgotten it. Then we try to initiate something again. We behave this way because Jacob is still present within us. If a doctrine of overcoming or a teaching of sanctification only tells us that everything comes from God and that everything is received, without telling us that the natural life needs to be dealt with, the doctrine of overcoming and the teaching of sanctification are incomplete and impractical. If a teaching does not touch the soul-life, it will only make us happy for a few days. Then everything will be over. We have to see that God is the Head of all things. We have to see that we are those who receive. At the same time, we have to see that our natural life must be checked. Only then will we see the goodness of the Son and the way of submission to the Father. Whether or not we can receive the promise of the Son and whether or not we can take the way of the Father depend on whether we accept the discipline of the Holy Spirit and whether we are willing to have our natural life touched. We can see this from the life of Jacob.