I want to live a Godly life so that my son will do the same. But when I blow it in my life that same little boy is watching, and learning and that’s a strong incentive for me to be careful in the first place. But most importantly I hope he’s still watching when Daddy repents. Because I know that he, like me will be imperfect. I also believe that what God is looking for in my son, is the very thing he’s looking for in me: Obedience. I think What God is looking for in each of us is what Eugene Peterson named “A Long Obedience In the Same Direction.”
But what does obedience truly mean? I’m beginning to believe it doesn’t mean perfection as I believe most of us initially would think of it – because We’ve already ruined perfection but God does call us to obedience. I think rather that an attainable obedience is evidenced in a sustainable, consistently positive response to the verbalized commands of God.
Tonight’s text is an example of that pattern of failed perfection coupled with obedience passed on from father to son. From Abraham to Isaac we see a remarkable series of repetitions. Read with me in Genesis 26:1-11 if you would a passage I’ve titled, “Like Father Like Son”.
The Similarities between What we’ve seen Abraham do in the past, and what we see Isaac doing here are amazing.
We have the same tests Being drawn to our attention in the Famine of verse one. We see the same general movement towards the land of the Philistines and beyond to Egypt. Obviously Isaac was headed to Egypt as Gerar is a small settlement on the road to Egypt1 rather near to the southern boarder of the Negev. Isaac must have intended to pass on , and that’s why God had to stop Isaac to prevent him from going there. We also see the same command, where Abraham was told to move into the land, of which God would tell him and Isaac is told to dwell in the land of which he would tell him.
Moreover we have the same promises given as the Abrahamic Covenant is passed on now from Father to son. But we also have the same reasoning (A beautiful wife) given for the same weaknesses being revealed in Isaac that we saw twice in Abraham. From the Seventh verse forward, Isaac reacts to fear just like his father. He fashions in his mind a convincing storyline (Which circumstance demonstrates is a baseless one) and as a result bows to it. Only he does one worse than his Father. At least Abraham could weekly say that Sarah was his ½ sister, but no such relationship existed between Isaac and Rebekah.
Let me ask you this, How much more plausible would it be for the same people who would be so base as to murder a man to get his wife; would they not also be willing to murder a man for lying about something so sacred? Surely they would. But instead, both Abraham and now Isaac received the same Rebuke from a pagan king!
I want to briefly draw your attention to a bit of wordplay going on there in verse 8. After lying to Abimelech and convincing Him that Rebekah was Isaac’s sister he was seen Caressing her Both, Isaac’s name and the word translated as “caressing” centers around the idea of laughter so that the “Hebrew wordplay on the name Isaac literally means ’He Who Laughs was laughing with Rebekah his wife.’”2 While obviously there was something in their behavior that was strictly suitable for husband and wife alone. As one commentator put it:
The choice of words is interesting. It is as if Moses was writing that Isaac’s lapse of faith—going to Gerar and calling his wife his sister—made a mockery of the great promise embodied in his name. In fact Isaac made a mockery of Abimelech by the deception. “Caressing” his wife was a mockery to Abimelech, whom he had tried to deceive. Isaac should have taken more seriously the covenant promises just given [by god in] (26:2-5).
So Isaac, like Abraham, received God’s great promise, but in fear he deceived Abimelech and made a mockery of the promised blessing. Fear mocks faith; faith boldly laughs in triumph. But a person who truly believes God’s promises obeys His statutes, precepts, and commands.3
As you look through the text here,the repetition of so many different events is obviously deliberate. It is intended, I think, to demonstrate the the blessing was indeed passed on to Abraham’s descendants with full knowledge of their frailty. In fact it highlights with bold letters and bright highlighter yellow the revealed grace of God who would take one so weak and use Him as a vessel of blessing for all nations. And that is after all, very encouraging to we who also are weak, is it not?
Centered around this whole episode is the promise given to Isaac. And I want you to note if you will the fifth verse – which I think is key because it passes to us the reason for this promise being given also to Isaac.
GENESIS 26:5 says, simply:
“because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”
Verse notes for Gen 26:5
There is here however something uniquely being called to attention in this verse. This is an expectant “like father like son" moment, and even though it is followed by a negative example of the same it is powerful.
Just like Abraham twice lied about his wife and nearly cost Sarah her purity, Isaac will do the same thing to Rebekah. Moreover you and I watched Abraham’s wavering faith when he agreed to circumvent God by sleeping with Hagar in hopes of achieving the son of the promise. Those items alone are significant failures. And I don’t think they are being glossed over in this verse here.
Abraham’s obedience is the reason for this covenant being passed on to Isaac. But Abraham’s obedience does not imply perfection. It has to imply something else then doesn’t it? And this is important because you and I are called likewise to obedience and I deeply desire in my own life to be known by God as one, who has been obedient. So what does it mean to be obedient to God?
In the context of this passage I think it’s important to recognize that the word translated as "obeyed" is the verb translated elsewhere as "to hear". Back in the 22nd chapter when God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable, to sacrifice his own son, Abraham complied, when God stopped him his response to Abraham was amazing,
Genesis 22:17-18
" I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring {18 Or seed} all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
Abraham’s obedience wasn’t measured in perfection, which is usually what we measure it by; but rather by responding positively to that to which God had explicitly called him.
So what does that mean for me? What does Obedience to God look like in my life and in yours? For one thing I can tell you that it doesn’t mean perfection. True enough God demands perfection - but he also knows we can’t deliver it, that’s why he provided the perfection he demands in the sacrificial life and death of his son - so that through Jesus Christ and my faith in him I have become perfect in Jesus.
So obedience doesn’t mean perfection, it means listening; and more specifically it means listening to what God has said to me and for me. And here’s the clincher, obedience for me doesn’t mean that I have to do what God has called someone else to do. God hasn’t called me to be a missionary in Russia or even in Haiti, he’s called me to be a pastor here. So obedience for Tom means, being a pastor and pursuing excellence in that through the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me ask you this...
What does obedience for you look like? What has God called you to? There are a number of generic markers of obedience that God has called all believers to. Those are the one’s clearly spelled out in the scriptures. How about this one from Paul in Colossians; Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, " For one thing Obedience for you means that whatever job you have been given, it must be pursued with passion and diligence, not as though you’re working for the boss, for the customer or even for the paycheck but for God.
What about commands to love your wives men? What about commands ladies to be submissive to your husbands? What about commands to be truthful? All these and more are issues of obedience for all Christians, but what has God given you specifically to do?
I believe God does lead us day by day, and I believe the old Billy Graham tag line, "God loves you and he has a wonderful plan for your life." I happen to think that’s true, and I think that at various times God will call us to do something specific and our reaction to that command is the measure of our obedience.
And I know what is prone to happen next, we get all uptight because we worry that somehow we’re going to mess up and not hear what God has called us to do. Listen, I know what that fear is, but can you name me one person in all of the scriptures that God left dangling with the “what do you want from me” question? you can’t find one. I think that’s because when God calls you, if you’re listening even in the slightest he makes the call unmistakable.
Abraham wasn’t guessing if God wanted him in Canaan, and he didn’t try to guess if God really wanted him to tie up Isaac and place him on the Altar. Isaac didn’t have to try and guess if God wanted him in Egypt - God told him clearly don’t go there. Jonah never had to guess where God wanted him to go. Isaiah never had to draw up a list of pro’s and cons to figure out what to preach on. Paul wanted to go into Asia but the Holy Spirit Blocked him.
My friends, all of these things are written so that we can learn from them. God isn’t some cruel puppet master who wants us to move but won’t pull the strings. Not at all, in fact if you will listen, he will speak. And we say, "God, only show me what it is that you need from me." Do you remember the hymn, "Where he leads me I will follow...."
1. I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
"Take thy cross and follow, follow me."
Refrain:
Where he leads me I will follow,
where he leads me I will follow,
where he leads me I will follow;
I’ll go with him, with him all the way.
2. I’ll go with him through the garden,
I’ll go with him through the garden,
I’ll go with him through the garden,
I’ll go with him, with him all the way.
(Refrain)
3. I’ll go with him through the judgment,
I’ll go with him through the judgment,
I’ll go with him through the judgment,
I’ll go with him, with him all the way.
(Refrain)
4. He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
and go with me, with me all the way.
(Refrain)
