Isaac was continuously brutalized by his own imagination. Though a great man who was thoroughly blessed, Isaac never realized practically what he was positionally in God. His life bore no evidence of the power and glory and faithfulness and sufficiency of God. He fails to demonstrate the providential graces of God because he lacked trust and faith. God thusly confronts Isaac and his fear with a glorious self revelation; “I am the God of your father Abraham.”
There is a two-fold purpose in the self-revelation of God to His servant; first it is a call to remembrance. By mentioning Father Abraham, God is reminding Isaac that he himself, as a descendent of the seed of Abraham, is the benefactor of all the promises of God concerning that seed. God is guiding Isaacs heart to remember the faithfulness of God toward Abraham. And so God first causes Isaac to remember.
The second purpose behind this self revelation was to correct. God purposed many great things for Abraham and his progeny in keeping with the covenant promise he established with the Patriarch of faith. Isaac must need be corrected, for as he fails to trust, as he continues to fear, he relinquishes the joy of his salvation resulting in the serious sin of disbelief.
We may take from these brief words much to consider and hold in faith for our own joy. The joy that God has promised will be realized when the patterns of fear and distrust are replaced with a pattern of faithful and believing dependence. Please understand - we cannot deter the will of God, and there is nothing that will separate us from the love of God, but we can relinquish the joy and power of it in daily life because of distrust and fear. This is what lies behind the command, “do not fear;” fear is the grave enemy of our assurance in God. So then - “Do Not Fear!”
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