relationships (Genesis 26:1-17) Be an Obedient Example

(Genesis 26:1-17)  Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”

6 So Isaac lived in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife,” thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful.” 8 It came about, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘I might die on account of her.’” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

12 Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with earth. 16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” 17 And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

God repeats the covenant with Isaac, reminding him that these promises would be accomplished through his descendants, only because his descendants would eventually include the Lord (Jesus) coming in flesh to pay for all sins.  In this way all nations would be blessed.  And only through believing in the Lord, could Abraham be obedient to God.  This is the only way that anyone can be seen as blameless in the eyes of God and become His child.

Now, God's grace is there because once we are a child of God, we will still make mistakes.  And we see Isaac doing exactly like his father did!  Even though he trusted the Lord, he didn't trust the Lord in protecting them in this circumstance.  It's so very easy to forget that our heavenly Father is right here to help us!  In all things!  So which father are we going to focus on for our example to follow?

What we do and say as parents will impact our children, so it is very important to be a godly example, while teaching them to stay focused on God.  Isaac had learned to trust in the Lord, like his father, but he probably learned some of his bad habitual behavior as well.  And hearing the stories of his parents would not a bad thing - if - the story is told in such a way that one can learn from it.  But if we talk about our struggles and spin it so that it sounds fun and cool... we will eventually be seen as hypocrites.  Others could begin to wonder, if they are wrong there, then, maybe they are "wrong" everywhere.  

Abraham had claimed that his lie was really half true.  We don't know if he had ever corrected his thinking in this.  But we do see Isaac following his dad's example.  Only his lie wasn't even half-true.  Being "half-true" does not make a lie okay.  Lying in order to obtain a favorable result is also not okay.  All lying is wrong.  We can see how as we let one "little thing" slip by, these "little things" become bigger.  And there are most often consequences.  

While Isaac maybe thought he was protecting his wife, as he was trying to protect himself, he was in fact putting Rebekah into more danger.  Anyone could have taken her, and then Isaac would have lost his wife!  Interestingly, even though the king did not know God personally, he knew that it was wrong to touch another man's wife!  And even though nothing happened, Isaac's actions angered the king and an entire nation.  These people would become another formidable enemy of Israel.

All actions have reactions.  When we do things God's way, even if something terrible happens, at least we "are in the right".  What I have experienced over the years is that when I do things my way, things don't go well, but every time I do things God's way, in His will... things go well.  Now, what does that mean exactly?

We usually associate things "going well" to mean financial success.  Sometimes - SOMETIMES - God allows a person to become wealthy.  But do study the verses closely.  People get jealous and you will become a target in their eyes.  So even when things are going "really well" - keep doing God's will.  And then if and when things look like they are not going "well" - keep doing God's will - and see how God will work things out for good!

relationships (Genesis 25:19-34) Pray! And Do Not Have Favorites!

(Genesis 25:19-34)  Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Isaac did the right thing in asking God to help them conceive.  God wants us to give everything to Him in prayer.  So of course, as a married couple, why not pray for a child.  Then we should rest in the Lord - trust that He will accomplish His will.  God does answer.  Maybe we are not meant to have kids.  Maybe there's a reason we should wait.  Or maybe we are meant to adopt.  No matter what the outcome, relax and have fun trying.

I have seen so many scenarios where couples were desperate to have children.  After some time trying to conceive, they adopt.  AND THEN - because they are not desperate any more - they conceive.  Now, if adopting is something you feel led to do, adoption is a very wonderful thing to do!  Be in serious prayer for that decision.  My point here is that being desperate in anything is anti-productive.  We are told...

(Philippians 4:6-7)  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

So - not just in some things - but in everything.  Everything!  Our walk with God.  Friendships.  School.  Work.  Finding the right spouse.  Marriage.  Conceiving.  And once there are children, now we need to pray like crazy to help us raise them in God's will.  We actually see Rebekah doing just that - at the very beginning!  But what about along the way and as they got older?

Just because God gave Rebekah a prophecy about her sons, didn't mean she was supposed to help "create" the events.  But God is all-knowing, and knew that the actions and choices of the parents would only exasperate and encourage their sons into pitting themselves against the other.  To have favorites is a terrible thing to do!  Yes, each child is different and we might have to alter how we deal with each of them, but having favorites will only generate frustration, jealousy, hatred, rivalry... 

I can only imagine Rebekah telling Jacob, her favorite son, that one day he was going to rule over his brother, and therefore Jacob kept his eye open for opportunities to take take advantage.  Eventually we will see that he makes an enemy of his brother, to the point that Esau wants to kill him.  Even after they themselves reconcile, Esau's descendants would still become enemies of Israel.

My takeaway from all of this:  Pray!  About everything!  And wait for God to give us clear guidance, understanding and results!

relationships (Genesis 25:1-18) Be Wise and Content

(Genesis 25:1-18)  Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. 5 Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; 6 but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.

7 These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. 9 Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife. 11 It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.

12 Now these are the records of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid, bore to Abraham; 13 and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam 14 and Mishma and Dumah and Massa, 15 Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages, and by their camps; twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

According to customs, the eldest son inherited everything.  Isaac was the legitimate eldest son because he came from Abraham's wife, Sarah.  His first wife.  Remember, polygamy - NOT part of God's plan - ever!  Ishmael, although older and still loved by Abraham, came out of a bad decision made by Abraham and Sarah because of their impatience and lack of trust in God giving them a son.  And we can see that Abraham remarried.  From the word "now" in verse one, we can assume that Abraham probably married again after Sarah died.  

It was wise of Abraham to give all of his children gifts while he was still alive.  Although even when a parent teaches their children that they should get along, it is outside a parent's control as to what they will do.  Notice that even though Ishmael helped Isaac bury Abraham, Ishmael and his descendants became Israel's greatest enemy, as they still to this day believe they are the rightful heirs.

After parents pass away, people can get very greedy and ugly as they fight over who should get what.  So, as parents, it is an excellent idea to have a clearly written will earlier on.  Even though neither of us want to remarry, my husband and I have still included instructions that if one of us passes away and the other remarries, the inheritance from us will only go to our shared children.  This is complicated enough, but with several blended families, it helps all involved to be prepared for all future events and situations in order to keep the peace, as best as possible.  

Besides teaching our children how to best get along with each other, it is wise to teach our children how to be satisfied in life... which should hopefully produce mature adults who won't argue and fight at a reading of a will!  So, let's consider verse 8 which states Abraham had been satisfied with his life.  

One could say, of course Abraham was satisfied, because the Lord had blessed him with so much wealth.  But we have to look over his entire life to remember that it wasn't without challenges.  And Abraham hadn't been trying to get rich.  Overall, he had trusted in the Lord, and the Lord saw him through many things, and because of his trust, the Lord blessed him.  

It is essential to understand that God's blessings aren't necessarily financial.   More important in life is having the Lord's joy, strength, hope, peace and contentment, which is true satisfaction.  As we were created with a soul to be filled by the Lord, and have a close personal relationship with Him, it is only in the Lord that will we will find true satisfaction! 

(Philippians 4:11-13)  Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

(Psalm 107:9)  For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and He has filled the hungry soul with what is good.

relationships (Genesis 24:28-67) Put God first

(Genesis 24:28-67)  Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. 30 When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” 32 So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” 34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. 36 Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ 40 He said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; 41 then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

42 “So I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; 43 behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; 44 and she will say to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”; let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.”

50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. 53 The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” 56 He said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 And they said, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59 Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“May you, our sister,
Become thousands of ten thousands,
And may your descendants possess
The gate of those who hate them.”

61 Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

62 Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev. 63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. 64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her veil and covered herself. 66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We can already see the selfishness and greed of the brother, Laban;  while Rebecca was lovely in spirit, respectful to others and the culture, as well as trusting in the Lord.   She heard the servant's testimony and knew that this marriage arrangement was from God.  And while her mother and brother tried to manipulate the situation for her to stay longer, she agreed to leave immediately.

Isaac trusted in the Lord as well, and also trusted that the marriage arrangement was from God.  In their culture, there wasn't any ceremony - yet.  God created us so that in the act of having sex, one is emotionally married.  So, in their culture, this was not only appropriate but considered a legal and binding marriage.  And even though Isaac didn't know Rebekah at the start, he "loved" her.

True (agape) love is not a feeling, it is a decision.  If and when both husband and wife choose to love each other unconditionally, and both want to make a marriage work, and both work on the marriage - the marriage will work.  But it is a decision, and it is work!  

Put God first, your spouse second, then your children, then the rest of your family and friends, etc.  By having and keeping God at the heart of a marriage or any relationship, we have the best counselor at hand.  He created us and He knows us best and He knows what works and what doesn't work.  Understanding this "hierarchy" will not only help within marriage, but with other relationships as well.  

The servant is an excellent example.  Before thanking Laban and the mother, he gave thanks to the Lord.  Rebekah is another excellent  example.  As soon as she was betrothed, she respected her husband (even before meeting him), and put him before her own family members.  

As for parents with married children, seriously, they will still need you but in a different way.  Respect these boundaries!  Remember, we are to leave our parents and cleave to our spouse.  So for your child's sake, don't take your child's side... take the side of their marriage!  Be supportive and encouraging!  And when asked, give constructive advice!  And our best advice will be - put God first!