ISAAC, JACOB, AND JOSEPH
Past, Present, and Future
INTRODUCTION
1. It would be nice to know what God is doing at some point in time wouldn’t it be?
2. While we cannot know exactly what He is doing at any single point in time there are some clues He gives and we can know that He has not left us on our own
3. Read Hebrews 11:20-22
4. Three ways we can see God operating in the world
a. Isaac was able to look to his past and see God operating
b. Jacob worked with God’s operation in the present
c. Joseph saw what God intended to do in the future
5. We know that Jesus promised never to leave us
a. Matthew 28:20, "…and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age"
b. John 14:18, "I will not leave you orphans"
6. We can learn by looking each direction, behind, around, and ahead, who God is and what He expects from us
TRANSITION: First of all:
I. Isaac learned from the past
A. He learned from his father, an important thing to remember
1. Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it"
a. A proverb is a saying of general truth that can be overridden by man’s will
b. If you do your job as a parent then most often you will be successful in training children who love God
2. In which way should we train them?
a. Deuteronomy 4:9, "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren"
b. Mind the things of God and teach them to your family, children and spouse, sisters and brothers
c. What happens if you don’t?
d. Judges 2:10, "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD or the work which He had done for Israel."
3. And that business of families is to continue in the New Testament church family
a. Ephesians 6:1-4, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: 3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord"
b. We must be careful what we teach our children so that they are not provoked to wrath
i. Wrath of men
ii. Or wrath of God
B. Isaac learned bad things from his dad
1. Genesis 12:10-17
a. Abram was afraid to be killed because of the beauty of his wife Sarai so he lied about her and said she was his sister
b. Pharaoh took Sarai as his wife and was plagued by God
c. Pharaoh took exception to the deception of Abram and sent him away
2. Genesis 26:6-11
a. Isaac tells Abimelech, king of Gerar that Rebekah was his sister because he was afraid to be killed on account of the beauty of his wife
b. Abimelech has the same discussion with Isaac as the Pharaoh did with Abram
3. The younger generation is watching us to see how we react to things and they are learning tools that determine their reactions in the future
4. Titus 2:3-10 deals with how the younger women ought to instruct the younger women to love their husbands and behave properly
C. He also learned good things
1. Genesis 21:22-26
a. Abimelech’s servants seize wells from Abraham
b. He does not fight with them over the wells but is defrauded
c. Them he meets with Abimelech and discusses the wells like grown men and things are made right between them
2. Genesis 26:26-33
a. Isaac’s servants dig two wells that are seized by Abimelech’s servants
b. They are told to dig a third well and it is left alone
c. Isaac met with Abimelech and insured peace with them and all was well
3. He learned how to deal well with other people even when those people do not deal well with you
D. Look back at what God has done
1. How?
a. Galatians 3:24, "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith"
b. The law teaches us who God is, He is loving, He is just, and He is serious
2. Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever"
3. He will not change in nature or mission
TRANSITION: Isaac learned from the past, but:
II. Jacob learned from the present
A. He learned from Esau
1. Genesis 25:27-35
a. Esau came in from the field tired and hungry
b. Esau was the older of the two twin boys and so was entitled to the double portion of the inheritance as a birthright
c. Jacob had a pot of stew that Esau wanted
d. He sold his birthright for a bowl of stew
2. He was concerned about present distress and forgot about the future reward for his short-term suffering
3. Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us"
4. Times can be difficult but God wants us to stay true to Him
B. Genesis 29
1. Jacob works for Laban so that he can have Rachel
2. When he was married he realized that he had been tricked into marrying her ugly sister Leah
3. Jacob realized the importance of dealing honestly in the present for future reward and so he worked another seven years for Rachel
4. Jacob learned that people can disappoint but God will not
C. We should learn that God’s way is best
1. Know that God is bigger than the situation we face and will afford us the opportunity to rise above or through it
2. Also know God’s will before you face the challenging situation arises so that you are not groping for answers
3. God is able to be present in your life now if you have proper dedication to His word
TRANSITION: Isaac learned from the past, Jacob learned from the present, we see that:
III. Joseph learned from the future
A. He saw dreams
1. Genesis 37:5-8 he dreamed about sheaves of wheat
a. His sheaf and those of his brothers
b. His stood tall and his brothers’ sheaves all bowed to his
c. He understood that this meant that he would rule over his brothers one day
d. His brothers understood this too
2. Genesis 37:9-11 he dreamed that the sun, moon, and stars all bowed to him
a. His brothers and parents all understood this one
b. His brothers envied him but his father kept the matter in mind
3. Joseph knew there was hope for him in the future
a. When thrown into a pit and sold into slavery he could remain strong
b. When a slave to Potiphar, Joseph could serve well
c. Because he trusted the vision of the future God gave him
B. He also interpreted dreams
1. When falsely accused of a sin that Pothphar’s wife wished he had committed he was thrown in jail
2. But he remained faithful because he trusted God’s plan and promise for the future
3. Genesis 40 he interprets the dreams of the cupbearer who would be restored and the baker who would be killed
4. In Genesis 41:16 he interprets the dream of Pharaoh of the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine to follow
5. Genesis 41:46 is the key to Joseph’s whole life, "So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."
6. The peace he had in slavery and prison came from the peace of knowing of God’s plan for the future
C. We must know what God will do for us
1. Matthew 6:24-33 deals with trusting God and making His will the priority in your life and letting Him worry about things that are out of your control
2. John 14:1-6
3. Jesus is the ever-present hope for our lives
CONCLUSION
1. As we look back we can see what God has done for us
a. Laid off and snow kept out another day
b. Call about a better job came and good job for Tony
2. Know that God has not abandoned you, even though sometimes you struggle, God is with you
3. And His hope for the future is worth the troubles of today, so stay strong and live for Him regardless of what today might bring because tomorrow is brighter for the Christian
