Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
I’m Rob, Elder/Pastor here - It’s good to see all of you - Glad you’re here to worship.
Today we’re going to continue our journey through the Gospel in Genesis.
We’ve been at this officially for over a year now.
Seen the Creation - Fall - Flood - Other things -
Spent a lot of time in the lives of Abraham & Sarah (because Genesis does).
A large portion of the narrative of these two was their faith in and SOMETIMES lack of faith
in the promise from God that he would
make of them a large nation that couldn’t be numbered.
And that through this nation the whole world would be blessed.
Over the last couple of weeks we’ve begun to see the next generation ushered in.
Last week we heard a little bit about Isaac and the beginnings of his family.
This week we’re in chapter 26 of Genesis.
All about Isaac and his relationship with God.
So, let’s Read Genesis 26, then I’m going to pray, then we’ll dive in.
Explanation
Slide!
The rest of the story of Isaac begins here.
This verse sets up the rest of the chapter.
It is the beginning cause of Isaac moving out.
This is already an arid climate so famine would not ever be far away.
Famine was essentially a lack of food, whether it be for the livestock or the family.
Usually brought on by drought.
Isaac certainly wouldn’t have been the only one packing up and heading out.
This would’ve likely affected many others as well.
I remember when I reached the end of my service in the Marine Corps in 2010
Donna, Dallas, and I moved to southern Indiana, where I’m from originally, and where I had lined up a job through a long-time friend.
We weren’t there very long when we realized the difficulties in the economy there at the time.
We weren’t making it.
- I remember the feeling of panic.
The uneasiness only grew stronger when we learned that Donna was pregnant and that Wyatt was on his way.
Making rent late and getting further and further behind was causing me a lot of stress.
Started looking elsewhere.
I knew the boom was going on in North Dakota and, well, here we are.
Myself and others here at Hillside came up here for similar reasons as those that drove Isaac to set out toward Gerar.
He gets there and is thinking about and planning to move on to Egypt where the Nile would surely get them by and get them through.
Isaac would’ve known from Abraham that Egypt is where he once tried to live during a famine back in Genesis 12.
We should note that there’s no recording of Isaac seeking guidance from God on what he should do.
Isaac knew God
He was brought up to know God
He saw God work in and through his father, Abraham.
His relationship with God is evidenced from last week - chapter 25, verse 21
Gen. 25:21
“Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife”
Isaac knew his wife wasn’t having babies.
He understood from the story of his own birth that God was the one who had the power to make that happen.
But here, in this instance, when his back was against a wall and he didn’t know what the right move was it seems his first reaction was not to inquire of God, but to take care of the situation himself.
Many of us have this reaction.
I KNOW I do.
Nevertheless, Isaac is in Gerar and pondering and planning destination Egypt.
So, God shows up and reassures Isaac of the covenant with Abraham, and promises that were made to him.
Isn’t it GREAT that in moments when things are difficult and
when we’re oblivious to Christ
when we’re not seeking out guidance from the Spirit
when we neglect prayer or trying to manipulate a situation to get out of a jam
God shows us grace and shows up and gives us what we need.
Slide!
“Stay here Isaac.”
So Isaac Stays in Gerar.
(v. 6)
Though he probably heard the story of dad attempting to ride out a famine in Egypt, he must’ve let it go in one ear and out the other.
Isaac’s obedience followed immediately by displaying another area where he lacks faith.
Slide!
He learned a lack of faith from dad here.
He has faith enough to stay put but there’s a lack of trust in God for protection.
So, he lies.
And this wasn’t a little lie.
This was bigger than whatever answer a husband stutters when asked the infamous, “do these jeans make me look fat” question.
This was bigger than, it’s -30 outside - Blizzard conditions - but “thank you Jesus for the moisture”.
This was a big deal!
Isaac LIVES a lie.
In verse 8 we see that it was after a “long time” of them living there that the king notices and Isaac gets busted.
Isaac lives a lie for a long time
lives with this lack of faith
lives with the guilt associated this lie
lives in hiding from letting the truth be known
To be clear, he doesn’t do this because he’s a coward.
He does this because he either doesn’t believe God can protect him or he doesn’t believe God wants to protect him.
Both of these options are lies about who God is.
The reality is that God is the greatest being in existence so there’s no question as to whether he CAN protect Isaac.
And God has already told Isaac of his intentions and promises to multiply his decendants as the stars of the heavens.
And that through him, just as his father, the entirety of the world would be blessed.
God declared to Isaac, “I’m going to bless you and through you all the earth will be blessed.”
So what is going on inside of Isaac here that leads him to lie to the neighbors is simply that he stopped believing what God had promised him.
He stopped believing that God was with him and would bless him.
God’s answer to Isaac’s unbelief is to bless him despite his sinful unbelief.
Slide!
Though Isaac spent a significant amount of time living a lie because of unbelief, God blessed him.
One of the themes of this is God’s blessings in the midst of sin.
God’s blessings in spite of Isaac’s unbelief.
And not only blessing but, MUCH BLESSING.
Isaac sowed - reaped - hundredfold.
“continued to grow richer”
“became very wealthy”
so much so that “the Philistines envied him”.
so much so that the King - the leader - the mightiest and richest man in the land
sent him away telling him that he is “too powerful for us”.
Despite Isaac living a lie and not trusting and believing God,
God lavishly poured out blessing and love on Isaac.
Sound Familiar?
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