Tremble חָרַד

As we move into chapter 27 of Genesis, we find our word for today is used for the first time in the Bible. And today is a good example why word studies are important they help us understand things from God’s perspective better. Our word for today isחָרַד tremble, be terrified, be frightened, startle, hurry, move or jerk quickly and involuntarily. It is used 39 times in the Old Testament. A good example is when God showed up on Mount Sinai before the people. Exodus 19:16-18 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain...so that all the people in the camp חָרַד trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain חָרַד trembled greatly. So both the mountain and the people shook. The mountain because of the earthquake and the people because of fear. Another example of God’s power that evokes this emotion is in Job 37:1-5 At this my heart חָרַד pounds [trembles ESV] and leaps from its place. Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. I find this very interesting because when we look at our word in our chapter today this is what we find Isaac doing. Genesis 27:30-33 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, that you may bless me.” His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” Then Isaac חָרַדtrembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”Until I looked closer into this word I thought Isaac was angry because he was being deceived. But now I know anger wasn’t what he was feeling he was experiencing fear. I think he was afraid because he knew he was going against God’s will and got caught. It struck Isaac that God had used this deception to bring about his will and that Isaac’s plan to bless Esau instead had failed. This experience is realizing God’s power at work that you had underestimated. Like God showing up and shaking a mountain or experiencing a lightning and thunderstorm. It shakes you to your core in a very humble way. We don’t see much more of Isaac after this, but we can assume that he trusted God with this emotion of fear because he shows up in Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. How could God say that Isaac had faith to bless Jacob when he was being deceived and thought it was Esau? The only way this makes sense to me is that once Isaac realized that God’s will prevailed over his own and he gave the blessing he intended for Esau to Jacob, that he didn’t go back and change it. Instead, he realized that God’s will was better and trusted in God in this way. So, he lets Jacob’s blessing stand. God gives us emotions as gifts to help us navigate in this negative sinful fallen and corrupted world. He uses this emotion to ultimately move us closer to gladness. The emotion of fear leads us first to wisdom. So, when I feel fear I need to trust God with that feeling of fear instead of ignoring it or acting on it immediately. I allow myself to feel it in prayer to God and with godly trusted friends. Isaac must have allowed his fear to lead him to wisdom because he wisely trusted God with his feeling and ended up in the group known for their faith in God in the New Testament book of Hebrews chapter 11, the big faith chapter.