He is most well known for being the son of Abraham and the father of Jacob. Some commentators have referred to him as a mediocre son of a great father and a mediocre father of a great son. I think this is unfair to Isaac. I believe he admirably fulfilled his place in history. He was not born to be an Abraham nor was he born to be a Jacob. He was just Isaac.

Everywhere you go you will find men with the spirit of Isaac. Most people unfairly consider them to be mediocre. For instance, you might see a man at the little league game in grimy clothes. His clothes are dirty because he came straight from work to watch his child or grandchild play. You might also see him in those grimy clothes at church on Wednesday night. He wants to be an example for his children and grandchildren so he also came there straight from work. He will probably never be great in the world’s eyes, but he loves his family, does his job, and worships Jesus. He will never be seen as a V.I.P. But neither was Isaac.

On Sunday a bi-vocational pastor will step into the pulpit to preach a message that God has given him. Many nights he has been up past midnight praying and laboring over the sermon. He pays the bills by working all day. He then rushes home, cleans up, and spends the evening visiting his small congregation. The members of his little church love him but the denominational leaders don’t know him. Although his sermons are better than most of the big-shot preachers, he will never be asked to preach to large crowds. He is just a simple man doing what God called him to do. Just like Isaac.

Throughout history, a handful of great men have done great things for God, and we all know their names. However, the Bible teaches that in Heaven the first shall be last and the last shall be first. By far the men who have done the most for the Kingdom of Heaven are the simple men whose names are not known. On earth, they never hear the applause of men, but in Heaven, a great cloud of witnesses will greet them with a standing ovation. With dirty hands and calloused knees, they are simple but faithful servants who do their jobs well. Just like Isaac.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends