Isaac is calling you

You may never know how it happened, but suddenly you are out in a very dry desert place. You have never been here before, but it is very important for you to be here. There is someone waiting out there and he has wonderful news for you.

The latitude is the same as the state of Georgia. It gets hot here in the daytime, but the nights can be cold.

You have no idea where you are or why you are there, as you walk toward a distant horizon. The air is clean and dry. It seems as if you can see a hundred miles. Far off you can see purple hills. Their images waver in the shimmering heat. As you continue your walk, the wind whipping your clothes around your body, you see, far, far off, some black objects, like pieces of paper on the ground. No, they are black cloth, their corners staked down against the force of the wind.

They are tents, you realize. Someone lives out here! Then you see the figure of a man. He is facing toward you and you feel he is looking right at you. He has something in his hand, fluttering in the wind, and he is holding it out to you.

As you draw close, he beckons to you, still holding out the piece of cloth or paper.

He is looking directly at you, smiling at you as if he knows you.

"You look like someone from the Bible days", you tell him. "Your clothing looks like it and so does your hair and beard."

"I am someone from the Bible", he says, still smiling. "Come, sit with me my brother, I've been waiting for you. My name is Isaac."

"I think I have heard your name somewhere, but I'm not sure who you are. Why do you call me "brother"?

"Because we have the same father. My earthly father is Abraham, and he is the father of all who believe. If you believe in the God of the Bible, you are a son of Abraham too."

He gestures for you to sit with him on a large, folded blanket and you begin to look around. A lovely woman wrapped in a loose garment is preparing a meal for you and your brother Isaac. She put cheese into earthernware bowls, and cuts pieces of meat that she removes, still sizzling, from the fire. Then she prepares a tray with fresh bread and two silver cups of wine.

"You will dine with me, brother?" Isaac asks, with a look of pleading. You happily agree and he smiles with pleasure. He is silent for a time. There is an air of total peace here. No one is in a hurry. It is as if they have all the time in the world.

You glance around and see a little boy, about four years old. He is feeding a baby goat. He offers it a little branch of a plant and watches it disappear into the goat's mouth. His head is tilted as he stands close so he can see the goat eating. He is fascinated with how it chews. In his hand there is a bundle of plants to offer when one has been eaten.

Isaac pushes the platter to you, and you break off a piece of bread. It is still warm, and has such a rich taste. You marvel how it could come from this simple little desert kitchen.

"Take your time, brother," Isaac says. "While you eat I want to tell you about this scroll in my hand. It is for you, my friend, a legal document, with such good news of riches, and love, you will need eternity in which to enjoy them. You may need to study its contents to fully appreciate the blessings that are yours. It is signed by God, our heavenly father and cannot be revoked or nullified."

"But why me?" you ask. "What have I ever done to deserve anything like this?"

"Oh, it's not what you have done. It is about what He has done. He picked you out to be his heir before you were even born."

"But I don't understand" you protest.

"Your Father knows you don't understand. This thing is great, it is from all eternity. All He asks of his children is that they believe. You do believe, don't you, my brother?"

For some reason, beyond your understanding, you do believe, and tell him so.

Faith puts you into the family of God", says Isaac, with such peace and certainty in his voice. "None of us has ever done anything to earn these treasures." Isaac holds out the scroll for you to see.

When you have finished your meal, Isaac rises. "I have all the time in the world", he assures you. "But I know that you have things to do before you join me and the others. We will all be waiting for you, and some day we will never need to say goodbye."

As you rise he hands you your scroll of God's promises. As he places it into your hand, he puts his other hand on top of yours in a gesture of warm farewell.

"But brother Isaac, I thought you lived a long, long, time ago?" you ask in wonderment.

"Thousands of years ago." he says. "By now I am dust, as are they." He gestures towards the woman and child and the baby goat.

"But how can I be seeing you and talking with you?"

Isaac looks deeply into your eyes. "You are looking into the living word of God, my brother. With the eyes of faith you will see me there whenever you search for me."
He lifts his hand in farewell as you turn to walk away. After a few steps, you turn to see him once more. But there is nothing but empty desert, and the dust blowing in the wind.

The light of the setting sun casts a glow upon your scroll.

And I say to you that many shall come from the east and west, and shall
sit down with Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
Matt.8:11

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Gal. 4:28