Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20000116.htm

GENESIS: THE SOURCES OF GOOD AND CALAMITY IN OUR ORIGINS
Part III - God's Ongoing Program Of Countering Man's Apostasy At Babel
R. Round Seventeen - God's Permitted Trials To Make Us CONSISTENTLY Rely Upon Him
(Genesis 25:19-26:35)
  1. Introduction
    1. God wants the believer to live by faith, not just trust Him occasionally, 2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:6; Hab. 2:4.
    2. When Isaac and Rebekkah failed to live habitually by faith, the Lord worked to put them in the spotlight of repeated difficulties to teach them to continue trusting Him. This provides a lesson for us as follows:
  2. God's Permitted Trials To Make Us CONSISTENTLY Rely Upon Him, Genesis 25:19-26:35.
    1. Isaac and Rebekkah failed to trust the Lord consistently regarding the rearing their sons, Gen. 25:19-34.
      1. Under duress by "falling behind" in the production of sons as compared to Ishmael, Isaac had called unto the Lord for children, Genesis 25:19-21a.
      2. God gave Isaac his request in the form of Rebekkah's conceiving twins, but with the announcement that there would be stress in their relationship requiring additional prayer on Isaac's behalf, Gen. 25:21b-26.
      3. However, the couple's joy at receiving children from God replaced their sense of need to continue to trust God regarding the boys' rearing, fueling a future crisis between the boys, Gen. 25:27-34.
    2. Accordingly, the Lord in grace arranged for a series of troubles that did not have to do with the parent-child relationship issue itself so Isaac would have to learn to look repeatedly to the Lord for help, and thus get God's help with the sons and avoid such a crisis, Genesis 26:1-33.
      1. God allowed a famine to rise in Palestine as it had in the days of Abraham, Isaac's father, Gen. 26:1a.
      2. When Isaac traveled into Philistine territory looking for water, God hemmed him in, telling Isaac to stay in the land of Palestine to be blessed, Gen. 26:1b-5 , 6.
      3. However, while there, God let Isaac be repeatedly stressed to learn to look to God consistently:
        1. First, as had Abraham who feared for his life due to the beauty of wife, Sarah, Isaac was tested in regards to his own life being threatened by Philistines for Rebekkah's beauty, Gen. 26:7-11; 20:1-18.
        2. Second, because of his growing wealth, Isaac was repeatedly tested with Philistine opposition to his having wells for his much livestock as had father, Abraham before him, Gen. 26:12-23; 21:22-34.
        3. When Isaac returned to Beersheba where father, Abraham had ended up after his past interaction with the Philistines, God appeared with a promise to bless him, Gen. 26:23-24 with Gen. 21:31-34.
        4. At this point, Isaac worshipped the Lord by building an altar, having learned to trust the Lord consistently for whatever needs arose regarding dealing with Philistines, Genesis 26:25.
        5. So, as God had done for Abraham before, God moved the Philistines to make peace with Isaac, and let his servants find water in a well there, Gen. 26:26-33. This signaled him to keep looking to God.
    3. Well, when trouble arose with Esau, God wanted the lesson learned about consistently seeking His help in other areas to apply to parenting stresses as had been so in when the boys were born, Gen. 26:34-35!
      1. After learning to get trust God consistently concerning relating to Philistines as had father, Abraham, Isaac and Rebekkah faced the trial of son, Esau's marriage to pagan wives, Gen. 26:34-35.
      2. What should have happened at this point in time was the APPLICATION of Isaac's faith to handle Esau's wives as he HAD in looking to God in faith for Esau's conception, Genesis 25:21, 25.
      3. However, there is no hint of such a faith application, and it only led to an all-out crisis in the family!
Lesson: When Isaac and Rebekkah failed to look to GOD CONSISTENTLY for rearing their sons, God set them up for REPETITIVE lessons (which they had also KNOWN in father ABRAHAM'S experience) to urge them to a CONSISTENT faith. That way, God sought to fend off FUTURE troubles with their sons by having them CONSISTENTLY look to HIM for help in REARING them!

Application: (1) If we see a FAMILIAR trial REPEATED, take it as a sign from God that we be more CONSISTENT in our faith. (2) We should also seek where the Lord wants us to APPLY that faith as we might be failing to trust Him in some OTHER area of life that CONCERNS us! If we trust God with, say handling the NEIGHBORS (Philistines), apply it to FAMILY (rearing the boys)!