Epic Faith, Epic Fail: Like Father Like Son
Epic - The Story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 42:26
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As we continue this series entitled EPIC, we will get into the story of Jacob, Isaac's son, today. The Bible doesn't say a whole lot about Isaac, especially when you compare what is said about Abraham and Jacob. If you read chapter 25 in preparation for today, you will have noticed that Abraham married again and had several sons born to his new wife, Keturah. Before Abraham dies, he gives his other sons gifts and sends them away, but to Isaac he leaves all the rest of his possessions. We know Isaac to be the son of the promise of God to Abraham, so he would have received the birthright of the firstborn (even though technically Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn).
Abraham then dies and is buried alongside Sarah, Isaac's mother.
Isaac goes off to live at the well Lahairoi, where, if you recall, is the place where Hagar, Ishmael's mother, first encounters God as she is running away from Sarah.
This is where we pick up the story.
Genesis 25:19-21 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
So we see Isaac here at the age of 40, married to Rebekah. It turns out that Rebekah is barren, just like Isaac's mother had been for so many years. I like to think that when this became apparent for Isaac, that he comforted Rebekah and himself with the memory of his mother and the promises of God that he had inherited from Abraham.
I can imagine a conversation similar to this, as another month goes by and Rebekah finds out she is not pregnant.
"It's OK honey, eventually you will have children."
"How can you be so sure? We've been married for 20 years, and we still have no children."
"God promised my father that He would make a nation out of his descendants. That means you will have children some day. Remember what I told you about my mom? She was 90 years old when I was born!"
And Isaac, full of that faith goes and prays to God. The Bible uses the word intreated. That word means to worship, to burn incense, to intercede on someone's behalf. Isaac went to the Lord, and I can only imagine the worship that proceeded from his lips and his heart as he prayed for Rebekah. When he was done, the Lord was moved and He allowed Rebekah to conceive.
Genesis 25:22-23 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her,
Two nations are in thy womb,
And two manner of people shall be
separated from thy bowels;
and the one people shall be stronger
than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Isaac was a prayerful man, and it seems that Rebekah was too. It seems that the pregnancy was difficult because the two boys she carried struggled within her.
We have been studying about Jonah on Wednesday nights, and through our reading plan we have been able to see the importance of going to God first when problems arise. This is exactly what Rebekah did. When she wondered why her pregnancy was rough, she ask God, and God told her.
"There are two nations in your womb, and two very different people." He didn't stop there, however. God gave her a prophecy about what was to become of them: "The elder shall serve the younger."
She was prayerful as well, and in due course, her sons, Esau and Jacob, are born. We will get into that more next week.
But I want to look at Isaac's faith in more detail.
Like Abraham, Isaac faced his father's temptations.
Genesis 26:1-6 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
We see that there is a famine in the land of Canaan and God commands Isaac to NOT go to Egypt. No doubt, Isaac had heard the stories from Abraham of their time in Egypt, so he listens and instead travels northeast from the well, Beerlahairoi, to Gerar. Now, Gerar, is a city that is in the land of the Philistines, but still part of the promised land that God will eventually give to the Israelites. However, as of now in our story, it is under the reign of Abimelech, king of the Philistines. Isaac goes and dwells there.
Remember, just a few weeks ago we studied how Abraham had made a healthy relations with Abimelech, digging a series of wells to the south of Gerar around Beersheba. But that was not the first interaction that Abraham had with Abimelech. Does anyone remember how Abraham's first interaction went with Abimelech? He was afraid and told everyone that Sarah was his sister. When Abimelech took her to join his wives, God told Abimelech that if he didn't return Sarah to her HUSBAND, Abraham, that God was going to kill Abimelech.
There was a whole fiasco in which the women of the house of Abimelech all became barren until he returned Sarah and Abraham prayed for him. But Abraham and Abimelech were able to get beyond this and live in peace together.
Well, here comes Isaac, trusting in the Lord, living out his faith, and NOT going to Egypt when the famine comes.
But look what happens next:
Genesis 26:7-11 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. 9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. 10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. 11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
So Isaac's faith is strong enough to endure one temptation that Abraham did not, but immediately after, he loses faith in another area.
He gets to Gerar and realizes something: Rebekah is beautiful. So, he does what Abraham did. He begins to tell people that Rebekah is just his sister. Now, by the grace of God, nothing happens to Rebekah like it happened to Sarah.
In Egypt, Sarah was taken into the Pharaoh's harem, and with Abimelech, she is about to be married to the man.
Nothing of the sort happens to Rebekah, after a while of staying there in Gerar, King Abimelech looks out his window and sees Isaac "sporting" with Rebekah. Now, that does not mean that they were playing football. That was a polite way of saying that they were making out.
This puts the fear of God into Abimelech. And I do not know if this was the same Abimelech Abraham had dealings with or a descendant of his (it is very possible that Abimelech was a title for the Philistine king, much like Pharoah was the title for the Egyptian kings), but I believe if he's not the same guy, that he had heard of what happened with Abraham.
He immediately calls for Isaac and rebukes him and asks him why he says that Rebekah is his sister when clearly they are married.
Isaac responds much the same way his father had years ago: "Because I was scared people would kill me to be able to marry her." Fear is the enemy of faith.
So Abimelech makes a proclamation that anyone that touches Rebekah will surely be put to death. Why the drastic response? He doesn't want a repeat of what happened with Abraham. He doesn't want God appearing to him in a dream saying he is going to kill him and that his whole household is cursed!
So Isaac continues to dwell in Gerar and God blesses him. Again, we find God's blessings despite the failure of faith. God is gracious. The Bible continues to say that Isaac becomes very great and very blessed with lots of cattle. He becomes so great in possessions that the Philistines are envious of him.
Genesis 26:13-16 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. 15 For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
Abimelech tells Isaac, "Isaac, you are to great for to dwell here. Because you are so prosperous you have become stronger than us, and we can't have you living here anymore. You're going to have to leave."
People often fear what they do not understand. Abimelech and the Philistines do not understand that Isaac being there would ultimately result in blessings for their nation, nor do they understand that Isaac is not present in Gerar as a threat to their kingdom. They see a man that is mighty, blessed by God, and because they are not godly themselves, they cannot fathom someone with power who would not use it against them.
So Isaac leaves.
All those wells that Abraham had dug in that area, the Philistines have gone over and filled them with dirt out of spite after Abraham had died.
So Isaac begins to re-dig those wells. He had spent significant time in that area as a youth and probably knew the area pretty well. He goes and digs the wells once more and calls them all by the names that Abraham had once called them.
As he digs these wells, the there are Philistine people that come in behind him and begin to fight with Isaac's herdsmen. When they do, Isaac moves to new locations. People will often persecute what they are afraid of.
As he is moving, avoiding fights with the Philistines, even though he is mightier than they are, the Lord appears to him as he gets to the place where the well of Beersheba once was.
Genesis 26:23-25 And he went up from thence to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. 25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
After these events, Abimelech himself goes to Isaac. Isaac asks, "Why are you here, seeing that your people hate mine so much?" And Abimelech responds, "We have seen that God is with you, and we want to have peace."
Reminiscent of his last encounter with Abraham, in the same place that Abraham and Abimelech made an oath of friendship, Isaac and Abimelech now make a similar oath.
This probably all sounds very familiar because we have seen very similar things with Abraham. What I do not want you to do though, is to look at this as ho-hum repetitiveness. Isaac lived more years than both Abraham and his son Jacob, but this is what God decided to include for us in His Word. Only about six chapters are dedicated to Isaac's life, whereas we just finished covering 15 chapters of the life of Abraham. There rhyme does have a reason, even though it sounds so familiar. One of the reasons is to reinforce what God has already taught us, so I want to reinforce that today.
There are two things that we have seen already, and a third thing that we will deal with that is new.
What we can pull from and apply from these events in Isaac's life is the following:
1. Isaac's and Rebekah's faith in God. When we read of the story of Abraham, the desire to have a child seems like such a desperation for Abraham. He knows it is coming, but he is so desperate to have children on his own time that he loses faith and takes matters into his own hands. Isaac, on the other hand, after twenty years of trying for a baby, just goes to God in worshipful prayer. Prayer full of faith, knowing that God has already promised and therefore will fulfill his promise.
We also see Isaac's faith in not going to Egypt. He has learned from the mistakes of his father, and therefore choses to obey God.
What does that tell us? Parents, your kids are watching you! They see you in your faith, and they see you in your failures. When God comes through in a moment of faith, GIVE THE GLORY TO GOD FOR IT AND TELL YOUR KIDS ABOUT IT!
When there is failure, TEACH YOUR KIDS TO TRUST IN GOD AND TEACH THEM THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO NOT TRUSTING GOD!
Teens, watch your parents. Learn from their faith and learn from their failures. When they do fail, and they will because we are human, don't use this opportunity to justify your sin, consider it for what it is: God's grace allowing you to see what not to do in a given situation and learn from it.
2. We also see Isaac's failure. Once again, through the failure we see that God is gracious and merciful.
3. The third thing that I want to note here is that when Isaac had gotten right with God and with Abimelech, God began to bless him immensely. This was no new thing, God had done the same for Abraham. But look at Isaac's testimony. He was mightier than the Philistines, yet when asked to leave, he left. He could have said no and fought, and he would have won. He could have taken the land by force. He knew that land was one day going to be his and his descendants' land. But instead, he decided to go. He waited on God's timing for that to be given to his descendants.
When he went and started digging the wells that the his father had dug and was harassed by the Philistine herdsmen, he could have stood his ground and fought. He did, after all, dig the wells that they had filled in. Wells that belonged to his father. But what did he do? He moved to a new spot to dig new wells.
When Abimelech came to make peace, Isaac could have answered, "Why do I need peace with you? I could crush you like an ant." Instead, he made peace and restored friendship that once existed.
It was Isaac's faith and meekness that made Abimelech go and meet with Isaac and ask for peace. It showed him that God truly was with him. Isaac's good testimony, being a man of faith and being meek even when he had the strength to demolish his enemies is what allowed Abimelech to see that God was with him even after he had witnessed sin in Isaac's life.
Invitation:
So what about you? Maybe you are following God but your faith is weakening. Take this time to refocus on the Lord. The Lord that provides, the Lord that guides, the Father that loves you as a son, as a daughter.
Maybe you are in sin. This is the perfect time to confess that sin and turn to Jesus. You don't need to confess it to me, just make things right with God. And if you have sinned against someone, make things right with them.
And maybe your here today, and it is a struggle to live out your Christian life outside of this place. Let me tell you, you may be the only Bible that some will ever read. The way you live your life can and will be a testimony of your faith in God and God's faithfulness in you.
You might say, "Well, my testimony is wrecked at work or at school." But Isaacs was too, yet when he confessed and started to live his life by faith, Abimelech and the Philistines, who at one time hated him, came around and realized that God was with him. Isaac was then able to make a difference in their lives as a result of living Godly.
Is there anyone that would say, "Bro. Mike, the sermon spoke to me this morning. Pray for me as God deals with me."
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LIFE GROUP:
When you think of "the good old days," what comes to mind?
Do you know anyone who lives in the past (think Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite)?
It is important to remember the past but not to live in it. George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
How can we see this phrase (and the inverse concept of those that do remember the past being safe from repeating those mistakes)in action in the life of Isaac? Isaac, at a much younger age, learned to trust God in ways that his father did not. This is shown by him NOT going to Egypt during the famine.
He also learned to rest in the Lord and wait for His timing when it came to having children. His faith is shown when he intreats (worshipfully intercedes) the Lord on Rebekah's behalf instead of desperately asking when God is going to give him a son.
But Isaac did not learn from his father in the sense of being honest about who he was and who Rebekah was. Therefore, he repeated the sin of Abraham, though God was gracious and did spare him from actually being a curse to the Philistine nation like Abraham had been to the Egyptians and later the Philistine king.
The Bible is full of references to our need to remember God's works in our lives and in the lives of others. Remembering God's goodness and His character is vital in different situations. It helps us combat the lies that come from Satan and from our own mind.
Remembering the works and the character of God helps:
- When we are in sin and need to confess it. Psalm 143 is a penitent psalm that David wrote. It is a psalm that is calling out to God to hear him after David has sinned. In it, we find verse 5. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
- When there is deep sadness and feelings of despair. Psalm 77 speaks to these things. The author, Asaph, expresses great grief and heaviness of the heart in the beginning of the psalm, but the turning point toward expressing faith in God of coming deliverance and strength is found in verses 10-12 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. 11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
- When we are in the midst of a fearful situation. Psalm 64 was written by David as he was on the run from his son, Absalom, who was attempting to kill his father and take over the kingdom. In it, David does not fall prey to fear when the night comes (a time when we are alone with our thoughts and because of lack of activity, fear and anxiety can become the strongest); he relies on the memories of who God is and what He has done to help him find joy. Verses 5-7 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
- When there is trouble around us. Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
It is so easy to forget what God has done for us. When times of need and times of trouble come, if we do not actively work to remember God, His works, and His character, then we will easily sink into despair.
What are things God has done in your life that you can use to encourage yourself and others in the Lord?Write these things down somewhere you can easily access them and re-read them when times are hard.
What are truths that we need to remember when we sin? God still loves us; We are still His children; discipline comes, not to destroy us, but to bring us back into deeper fellowship with Him; we need simply to confess our sin to return to fellowship with Christ, there is no need to attempt to "pay" or "atone" for our sin as Jesus already did that; God wants us, with all His heart, to return to Him because it makes Him happy when we walk with Him.
How did God work through Isaac to show Abimelech that Isaac was truly a man that walked with God? Isaac was blessed by God and grew to be mighty; Isaac showed meekness as he dug the well that had been filled by the Philistines; he showed meekness again as he avoided conflict, even though he could have won.
We need to remember that Isaac was able to live in a way that showed that he was with God and God was with him even after he had committed outward sin in the city of Gerar.
It is important to not give into the lie that once we "mess our testimony up" in front of friends/coworkers/fellow students/ family that we can never regain it.
God is willing to use us to draw others to Himself. It is hard, mainly because it takes humility. To tell others that the way you have acted is contrary to your true identity as a child of God is difficult. It will take time and consistency in that humility to "win people back" to the idea that you are truly a disciple of Jesus.
Has anyone had an experience like this?
Has anyone "ruined" their testimony in front of family/friends/coworkers/etc.? [I do not expect anyone to answer this question out loud, but I want them to know that there is hope in situations like these and that I am willing to talk to them and walk with them through the process of living out their walk with Christ.]
One of the most moving sermons that I heard was from a man (I don't even remember his name) that visited our church in California (Barstow Baptist Temple) and preached there. He was a former Marine, and it turns out he had been stationed as a young man in Okinawa along with one of our members there. This preacher was a Christian during his time in the Marines, but the member of our church did not come to Christ until sometime after his military service.
This preacher, upon finding out in the middle of his sermon that he had been stationed with and even had probably had contact with our member who was at the time not saved, broke down in uncontrollable sobs because he realized that during that time in his life he had not been living like a disciple of Christ ought to live. After regaining his composure, he publicly asked this man to forgive him and rejoiced that God had been merciful and gracious in still allowing him to be saved after witnessing a bad testimony from himself.
It reminded me of the importance of daily allowing Christ to live through me and making things right with those that I have wronged.
Invitation: Is there anyone that would say, "Pray for me, I have lived in a way that does not reflect Christ in front of other, but I want God to use me to influence those people for Him"?