Reclaiming Your Inheritance

Reclaiming Your Inheritance

Genesis 26:15-25

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In 1940, after Paris fell under Nazi control, German troops began looting thousands of artworks from

museums, galleries and personal collections across France. Today, one of those paintings hangs in the University of Oklahoma's Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Now, the daughter of its former owner wants the painting back. The painting is “Shepherdess Bringing In Sheep,” an 1886 work by French impressionist artist Camille Pissarro. It was stolen from Raoul Meyer, a Jewish businessman in Paris, during the Nazi occupation of France. Meyer's daughter, Leone Meyer, is suing OU in hopes of recovering the painting.

(http://newsok.com/french-woman-sues-ou-in-hopes-of-recovering-painting-stolen-by-nazis/article/3924814)

- Whether Ms. Meyer will be successful in her venture is yet to be determined. But it is completely understandable for someone to at least attempt to reclaim an inheritance that has been stolen. In our day it seems to be common for there to be a dispute over an inheritance. Unfortunately it is often family member VS family member fighting over an estate left behind by a loved one.

- There was a time in the life of Isaac, that he too had to reclaim a portion of his inheritance. Abraham left an inheritance for his son. This inheritance consisted of some valuable wells. Water was a valuable commodity in that day and age.The Philistines robbed Isaac of that inheritance they filled the wells up and stopped the water. Isaac did not sit idly by and allow the enemy to destroy what was rightly his. He took the proper steps to reclaim what the enemy had taken from him. Furthermore he did what was necessary to leave an inheritance for his own children.

- Maybe you were blessed to have parents and grandparents who left a spiritual inheritance for you! They taught you the Bible. They lived as examples before you. They made sure that you knew the plan of salvation. They helped you in your spiritual growth and maturity. They invested in you and taught you the ways of the Lord. They left a lasting legacy of devotion and faithfulness and had a great impact on your life.

- Maybe there are some of you who have indeed received this "spiritual inheritance" that I speak of. Someone took the time to dig some "spiritual wells" for you... And perhaps somewhere along the way your enemy (ol Satan himself) has come along and robbed you! Maybe he has taken certain steps to fill in those "spiritual wells" in your life. If you do not take the proper steps to recover what you have lost, then you are allowing the Devil to rob your children of their spiritual inheritance as well.

- When the Philistines attacked Isaac's inheritance he did not just sit by and allow this to stand. He went and re-dug those wells. He reclaimed his inheritance. That is exactly what you must do if your inheritance has been attacked by the enemy. I would like to look Isaac's response to the Philistines and preach on the thought "Reclaiming Your Inheritance. Let's begin by examining the fact that:

I. THE INHERITANCE WAS RECEIVED- v12 ¶Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. 15 For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

- Isaac planted his crops and harvested 100 times more than he planted. This happened because "the Lord had blessed him". He became rich and his wealth continued to increase. He purchased flocks of sheep & goats as well as herds of cattle. As a result of his success the Philistines became envious and they plotted against him. They filled all of his wells with dirt.

- A well may not seem very important to those of you on city water. But in Isaac's day a well was extremely valuable. And for someone with many herds and flocks a well was very important. For Isaac a well was much more than just a hole in the ground. A well was a source of life. The well sustained the people and the livestock. And in ancient times a well was an indicator wealth and prosperity. We see something important about these wells here in verse 15 "these wells were dug by the servants of Abraham."

- The wells were property that Isaac inherited from his Father. These wells were part of Abraham’s legacy. Abraham knew that his family, servants and his animals must have water to survive. The land where they lived was semi-desert land. Because of the dryness, water was as valuable to them as oil is to us. Abraham had his servants dig some wells. He named those wells And it was his intention for them to be an inheritance for his family