Jacob calls the Lord, “The God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac.” He even takes an oath in that name (v. 53). But “Fear of Isaac” is a name of the Lord we are not very familiar with.


In a riveting story in Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham obeys and has the boy tied up, the knife in his hand ready when the angel of the Lord stops him. “Do not lay a hand on the boy…Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me… your only son” (v. 12).


Abraham believed God could raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19), but he likely struggled at the command. And Isaac had every reason to be scared stiff that day. But both Abraham and his son were willing and obedient before their gracious, miracle-working, awesome God.
Theirs was a healthy fear. Jacob was coming to know it, too, and so he called God “the Fear
of Isaac.”


God is always proved good. He held back Abraham’s hand, yet He did sacrifice His own Son so that all His children could be saved by the blood of Christ.