Sermon Tone Analysis

THE BINDING OF ISAAC

This chapter introduces 2 important concepts:

Substitutionary atonement (dying in the place of another to make things right)

Belief in the resurrection after death

Exodus 20:16 (CSB)

Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Remember that Genesis is building up to the rest of the Torah, which builds to Jesus.

Abraham’s family is one of liars…so no surprise that not giving false testimony is a top ten commandment.

In the previous chapter, we saw Jacob’s name is a wordplay on “heel”, since he was grabbing Esau’s heel when they were born (perhaps to stop him from being born first).

As adults, Jacob buy’s Esau’s birthright (inheritance, clan leadership, etc.) for some lentil stew.

Jacob is about to deceive his father, but deception is embedded in their family makeup.

Jacob’s (Ya’aqob) name is a play on heel (aqeb) and cheat (aqab).

Jacob is called a cheater by Esau later on.

The name Jacob probably is related to the phrase “God Protects” (Ya’qabal’el), and God does indeed protect Jacob.

God will ultimately change his name to Israel (meaning “God struggles’).

Chapter 26 may seem repetitive…Issac relives some of Abraham’s struggles, not having learned from his father.

This chapter establishes that God’s covenant extends to Isaac completely.

This chapter validates that the Lord is indeed the God of “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”.

test

What does your dream house look like?

How can you tell a couple is married?

Can children avoid the sins of their parents?

Have an example when in-laws actually were the bad guys?

There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time.

And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar. 2 The LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt.

Live in the land that I tell you about; 3 stay in this land as an alien, and I will be with you and bless you.

For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, 5 because Abraham listened to me and kept my mandate, my commands, my statutes, and my instructions.”

6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

gn26:17-22

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