The Next Level—Isaac

The Family Legacy Test

INTRODUCTION

Today’s lesson features an episode from the life of Isaac, the promised son of Abraham and Sarah. As Wilson leads us to look into this happening from the life of Isaac he wants us to notice both the good and bad tendencies that Isaac picked up from his mother and father.

Each of us learn from the people around us in our lives. Some people have more influence over us than others.

Children and young people find themselves greatly influenced by teachers at school and at Sunday school as well as by coaches, church leaders, and many other people.

However parents remain the most influential people in the lives of children and young people.

Family Influence

I remember, on occasion, by parents saying to us, “Do as I say, not as I do.” That rarely happens. We are much more likely to follow the example we see than we are to follow words not backed up by an example.

Read highlight beginning on the bottom of p. 47.

ASK: Can you think of some ways you might be like your parents or times when you can see yourself in your children?

I hear my dad’s words coming out of my mouth. I notice ways in which my daughter sometimes reflect my characteristics and sometimes TJ’s.

Read first full paragraph on p. 48.

Don’t throw your parents under the bus, but can you, for just a few moments talk about lessons learned from your parents?

Work ethic, respect for authority, importance of disciplane, looking out for family, faith and faithfulness to Christ.

Isaac Follows Abraham’s Example

Genesis 26:1–10 NIV

Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.” So Isaac stayed in Gerar. When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.” When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

Isaac’s First Test

God had commanded Abraham to go the the Promised Land and to live in it. Abraham followed God’s command. He lived in the Promised Land. He believed God when God promised him a son. He passed an extremely trying test of faith when God called him to sacrifice Isaac. He lived a life of faith before the Lord.

Isaac followed Abraham’s example of faith. He lived in the Promised Land. He received from God a reaffirmation of the promise God had given to Abraham. Then a great famine struck the land And God told Isaac not to go to Egypt, but to stay in the land.

He followed the instructions of the Lord. He endured the famine in the land of Gerar. He honored God and God’s instructions by doing so.

The faith of Abraham set a positive example for Isaac. He passed this test and God blessed him abundantly in return.

Isaac’s Second Test

Then came the second test. Some men noticed the beauty of Isaac’s wife and Isaac became afraid. He was afraid that, if they knew he was married to Rebekah, that they would kill him and take her. So he lied and said that she was his sister.

In this he followed the example of his father Abraham. Abraham did the same thing on two separate occasions. He lied about his relationship with Sarah. He didn’t tell a total lie, but he did lie. Sarah was his half-sister. Abraham’s fear motivated his lies about Sarah.

Isaac followed that same pattern of fear. He failed God. His failure was discovered. The king of the land, Abimelek, saw him with Rebekah and realized he was touching her in a way a brother would never touch a sister.

The king showed more morality in the situation than Isaac did.

Isaac failed this test and he failed it miserably.

Our Family Legacy Can Influence for both Bad and Good

Isaac passed the first test by following his father’s example. He failed the second test because he followed his father’s example.

This shows us that family legacy holds the potential for both good and bad.

Read second paragraph, first highlight, on p. 49.

Wilson gives three steps we can take to impact our family legacy and make it better for the generations that will follow us.

First, observe the strengths and weaknesses your parents modeled before you (the good and the bad).

Second, treasure the good traits they passed on to you and thank God for them.

Third, create a plan to prevent harmful traits from being passed on to future generations. (Dave Ramsey would call it changing your family tree.)

Think of people and families you know and talk about some harmful or even sinful traits in those families you want to avoid in your family.

Think of families that you know and make a list of positive and Godly attributes that you would like to have in your life and in your family.

Share with others in your group one thing in your life, marriage, or family that you would like to add or strengthen so you could strengthen you families Christian legacy (change your family tree).