Skip to content Understanding God's Economy in Genesis 25-26 Jan 13 · 13 min ...more
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Abraham's Legacy and Family Reconciliation 0:10 Good morning, and welcome to Stand on the Word. As we look at Genesis chapters 25 and 26, we're gonna look at God's economy. Verse 12 of chapter 26, and Isaac sowed in that0:22 land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. So in chapter 25, we read that after Sarah died, Abraham lived another 38 years, being gathered to his people at the age of0:33 175 years old. Verse 7, chapter 25. This is the sum of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, 175 years. Then Abraham breathed his last and0:45 died in a good old age, an old man, full of years, and was gathered to his people. Just a note on that that term gathered to his people. We're gonna see that elsewhere in the old testament. It0:57 speaks to the fact that there is life after death. You're not gathered to the bones, you're gathered to your people, and so there is life after death. Verse 9, and his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried1:09 him in the cave at Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the field of Ephron and the son of Zohar the Hittite, the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There1:21 Abraham was buried and Sarah, his wife. Both Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham in this cave at Hebron. Their love for their father brought them together. I think this is quite remarkable. It1:32 appears that they may have been reconciled at least on this occasion. We don't have all the details in the scripture about their ongoing relationship, but there is something here for us as children of1:44 God. Alright? Our love for the father who first loved us should cause us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. It should help us overcome those areas of opposition that keep us1:56 apart. John wrote this in first John chapter 4 verse 7. Beloved, let us love 1 another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for2:08 God is love. And I I I know that sounds easy and it can be difficult in application, but it's something we certainly should be praying for. Now further observation on these 2 men who represent the2:20 Jewish people and the Arab people, The present day conflict that we see that has just been lived out on our television screens over the last couple of years, and beyond2:32 traces back to the origins of these 2. Indeed, had Abraham waited on the Lord for the son of promise and not yielded to Sarah, Ishmael would not have been born.2:45 But that said, we see the Lord repeatedly repeatedly intervening to spare Ishmael's life and even telling Abraham that he would2:57 bless Ishmael. Well, clearly, God stated that Isaac was the child of promise and that his covenant would be with Isaac's offspring, God has also3:08 shown compassion for the Arab people and in like manner, so should we. Now the following is my observation from a spiritual perspective. Okay? The3:20 wounding, I think, that Ishmael experienced in the rejection that took place was passed on. And just as a blessing is is passed on from generation to generation, this wounding,3:32 I think, was later exploited, opening the Arab people to the introduction of Islam, a counterfeit that contradicts the truth, which is where we have the conflict today.God's Promise to Isaac Through Obedience 3:45 But God is doing a work in the Arab people and the Islamic people. We need to be praying that their eyes would be open to the truth. Now look at chapter 26 at the3:57 continuation of the promise of God to to Isaac and why that promise is being extended. Verse 4, and I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give to4:08 your descendants all these lands. And in your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because, here's the why, Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my4:20 statutes, and my laws. Now don't miss this. Regardless of the past, the family history, or where you came from, we are new creations in Christ Jesus. And our4:32 obedience to the Lord from this point forward can shape future generations. It doesn't I know we all have issues in our, you know, our family past. We can break4:44 those, and I think we do need to break some of those spiritual strongholds, but we make we those things will not define us if we are in Christ. We are we find our identity in Christ4:56 and we can break those things, and through our obedience to the word of God, we can shape future generations. Now leaving that positive note,5:07 we, see how our children follow in our footsteps. Okay? Look at this. Verse 6. So Isaac dwelt in Gerar, and the men of that place asked about his wife, and he said, she is5:19 my sister. For he was afraid to say she is my wife, because he thought less the men of the place kill me for Rebecca because she is beautiful to behold. It's exactly5:31 what his father Abraham had done. And look how the ruler, who was not of the chosen line of Abraham, who had a relationship with God, look how he responded. Verse 8. Now it came to5:43 pass when he had been there a long time that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through the window and saw, and there was Isaac showing endearment to Rebecca his wife. Then Abimelech called Isaac and said,5:55 quite obviously, she is your wife. So how could you say she is my sister? Isaac said to him, because I said, lest I die on account of her. And Abimelech said, what is this you have done6:06 to us? 1 of the people might have soon lain with her, and you would have brought guilt on us. So Abimelech charged all his people saying, he who touches this man or his wife shall surely6:18 be put to death. Now, was this conviction of of of this act being sinful, the result of relationship with God? Or as we looked at before, was it the moral law of God inscribed6:30 upon the human heart? The moral law of God sets universal standards of right and wrong for all people in all places in all times. Paul writes about this in Romans chapter 2,6:42 in in verse 14. He says, for when Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are law to themselves, who show the work of the6:54 law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them. So it's written on the hearts of mankind.7:06 Next, the blessing of God transcends the difficulties of today. This is something you wanna grab a hold of. Look at what happens to Isaac as he operates in God's economy.God's Famine-Proof Blessing and Faithful Walk 7:18 He discovers that God's economy is famine proof. It's even politician proof. Alright? God is not bound by economic forecast or economic downturns. He is7:30 God, and his blessings can overcome all obstacles. So Isaac went down to Gerar because there was there had been a famine in the land, and look what happens. Verse 12.7:42 Then Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. Then, the man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very7:54 prosperous. So he prospered and he prospered until he became very prosperous. For he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants, so the Philistines envied him.8:07 So in a time of famine, a recession, even a depression, Isaac saw a hundredfold return. It was the result of god's blessing. Isaac became very prosperous8:19 because of the Lord. Now he obviously had to work, but it was the Lord's blessing. Now I am not promoting the prosperity gospel. Okay? But I am saying that God's ability to provide8:31 for his children and even prosper them has nothing to do with the economic conditions in which they live. Look at what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 37. I have been8:43 young, now I am old. Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good, so shall you8:54 dwell forever. The the blessing of God is I think that we walk into it is the the contentment and the peace and the joy that comes from knowing the Lord. It is the abundant life. Doesn't9:06 necessarily mean material things, but it means contentment and joy and peace. 1 1 additional aspect of this blessing. Look at verse 26. Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar9:18 with Ahazeth, 1 of his friends, and Phicol, the commander of his army. And Isaac said to them, why have you come to me since you hate me and have sent me away? So they had sent Isaac away when he got9:30 became too prosperous. You just need to move on. But they said, we have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, let there now be an oath between us, between you and us, and let us make a9:42 covenant with you that you will do us no harm since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace, You are now the9:54 blessed of the Lord. They recognize that blessing. God's blessing on our lives as we walk in obedience before him can bring the fear of God upon others. Abimelech saw God's10:06 hand upon Isaac and had enough sense to know he didn't wanna take on God by messing with Isaac. And there's another important point in this chapter that we we skipped over while looking10:18 at the impact of God's blessing. I wanna go back to verse 24 very quickly as we wrap up. And the lord appeared to him in the same night and said, I am the god of your father, Abraham. Do not fear, for I am with you. I10:29 will bless you and multiply your descendants for my servant, Abraham's sake. So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there, and there,10:41 Isaac's servants dug a well. Abraham's faith and his relationship with God, which Isaac had grown up around, at this point becomes his.10:53 Isaac was around 80 years old, but his father's faith became his own as he worshiped and walked in covenant with God. You see, we need to show our children, our grandchildren what it11:05 looks like to walk faithfully before the Lord so that our walk with God will eventually become their walk as well. Father, we thank11:17 you for your word, and we we just thank you, Lord, for the for the insight and the understanding that we gain through the word, through the holy spirit opening our eyes to these truths. And I pray11:29 that, Lord, and not this would not just be a head knowledge, but that we would know how to rightfully apply your word to our lives, that we might bring honor and glory to you. So11:41 we thank you, father, and we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning. And, again, encourage, others to join us on the journey. It doesn't matter. Fall behind or if somebody wants to11:52 join us right now. Look. We're just getting started. Plenty of time to, to catch up with us. So encourage people to go to f r c dot o r g slash bible. Until next12:03 time, keep standing on the word.12:08 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you12:20 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Abraham's Legacy and Family Reconciliation3:43 God's Promise to Isaac Through Obedience7:06 God's Famine-Proof Blessing and Faithful Walk
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