以撒有天然弱点如亚伯拉罕—接上篇
以撒离开别是巴，向南走下坡路，不是去埃及，乃是去了靠近埃及的地方（创二六1-2）。神的心意是要祂的选民留在美地。每当神子民的天然弱点出现，他们总是走下坡路。我们找不到一个例子，当神的子民软弱时会向北走上坡路的。最坏的是下到埃及。这是亚伯拉罕所作的（创十二10）。亚伯拉罕第二次南下时，只走到非利士地，就是非利士人之地（创二十1）。以撒重复亚伯拉罕走下坡的故事，向南走去时，神就干涉并警告他，说，“你不要下埃及去，要住在我所指示你的地。”（创二六2）。以撒可能打算下埃及，但神吩咐他要住在祂所指示的地。以撒虽然没有留在正确的地方，他仍然有平安享受神的恩典，他完全没有要虔诚的感觉。享受神的恩典不是根据我们的虔诚。在以撒身上我们看见一个完全不虔诚的人；但他一直享受神的恩典。
以撒不但没有留在正确的地方；他还说谎牺牲他的妻子（创二六6-7），如同亚伯拉罕所作的。但他和他的妻子都蒙神主宰的看顾所保守（创二六8-11）。神的恩典保守他，不至于牺牲了妻子。
以撒活在天然生命里如雅各
以撒不仅有天然的弱点，也有天然的生命。他仍然活在天然的生命里。他并不是一直过着所谓属灵的生活。以撒祷告之后，神给了他两个儿子－以扫和雅各。以撒爱以扫，因为以扫善于打猎，以撒常吃他打来的野昧（创二五27-28）。以撒爱长子完全是在天然的生命里，照着他天然的喜好，像雅各爱约瑟一样（创三七3-4）。因着丈夫率先偏爱，妻子就跟着偏爱。以扫是善于打猎的人。是父亲的宠儿；雅各是安静的人，住在帐棚里，是母亲的宠儿。每一个母亲都爱安静留在她身边的孩子。在以撒的家里，父亲偏爱以扫，母亲偏爱雅各。这是怎样的生活？这是属灵的生活，复活的生活么？不。这虽然不是罪恶的生活，却是天然的生活。我们不该以为我们不同。你若有几个儿女，你会照你的喜好多爱其中的一个，所有的儿女也知道你偏爱谁。这种偏爱不是照着我们的灵；乃是照着我们天然的喜好。我们爱某一个儿子或女儿，因为他或她很合我们天然的喜好。这是天然的生命。
每日一问：以撒偏爱以扫，利百加偏爱雅各，结果家庭里产生很多痛苦。今天我们在人际关系或家庭里，会不会也容易有“天然的偏爱”？
请享受诗歌 (点击诗歌名）
Isaac’s Natural Weakness and Natural Life (4) — Gen. 25:27-28
Isaac Has the Same Natural Weakness as Abraham — Continued
Isaac left Beersheba and traveled south — downhill — not to Egypt, but to a place near Egypt (Gen. 26:1-2). God’s intention was for His chosen people to remain in the good land. Whenever the natural weakness of God’s people emerges, they always go downhill. We cannot find a single example of God’s people going north, uphill, when they were weak. The worst case is going down to Egypt. This is what Abraham did (Gen. 12:10). The second time Abraham traveled south, he only went as far as the land of the Philistines (Gen. 20:1). Isaac repeated Abraham’s downhill story; when he traveled south, God intervened and warned him: “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you” (Gen. 26:2). Isaac had apparently planned to go down to Egypt, but God commanded him to dwell in the land He would show him. Although Isaac did not stay in the right place, he still enjoyed God’s grace in peace — he had no sense of wanting to be pious. Enjoying God’s grace is not based on our piety. In Isaac we see a person who was completely without piety; yet he continually enjoyed God’s grace.
Not only did Isaac fail to stay in the right place, he also lied and sacrificed his wife (Gen. 26:6-7), just as Abraham had done. Yet both he and his wife were kept by God’s sovereign care (Gen. 26:8-11). God’s grace preserved him from actually sacrificing his wife.
Isaac Lives in the Natural Life like Jacob
Isaac not only had natural weaknesses; he also had the natural life. He still lived in the natural life. He did not live a so-called spiritual life all the time. After Isaac prayed, God gave him two sons — Esau and Jacob. Isaac loved Esau because Esau was a skilled hunter and Isaac often ate the game he brought home (Gen. 25:27-28). Isaac’s love for his firstborn was entirely in the natural life, according to his natural preference, just as Jacob loved Joseph (Gen. 37:3-4). Because the husband led the way in showing favoritism, the wife followed with her own favoritism. Esau was the skilled hunter — the father’s favorite; Jacob was the quiet man who dwelt in tents — the mother’s favorite. Every mother loves the child who stays quietly by her side. In Isaac’s household, the father favored Esau and the mother favored Jacob. What kind of life was this? Was it a spiritual life, a life in resurrection? No. Though it was not a sinful life, it was a natural life. We should not think we are any different. If you have several children, you will love one more than the others according to your preference, and all the children will know whom you favor. This kind of favoritism is not according to our spirit; it is according to our natural preference. We love a certain son or daughter because he or she suits our natural disposition. This is the natural life.
Daily Question: Isaac favored Esau, and Rebekah favored Jacob, and as a result, much suffering was produced in the family. In our relationships and family life today, are we also prone to showing “natural favoritism”?