This Is Us: Isaac's Family Series

Today we are continuing our new family series called This is US.

Everyone has a family and every family has a story. What we want to get pressed deep within our hearts through this series is that God is an integral part in your Family Story. We’re going to take a look at several Bible Families and see, first, that none of them were perfect and, second, that we can see our own Family Story reflected in these families.

Last week Pastor Dave brought you the story of Abraham and Sarah. Today we get to look at their miracle-baby Isaac grow up and have children of his own. Isaac was the one who God would use to fulfill His covenant promise he gave to Abraham to make him the father of many nations. Speaking of to Abraham about Isaac, God said

I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:17-18)

God sovereignly orchestrates the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. It is literally a match made in heaven.

When Rebekah met her beloved Isaac and heard him talk about God’s promise—she fully expected to soon be pregnant. But it did not happen. And now twenty years had passed, Isaac was approaching sixty, and Rebekah was still barren! Isaac’s brother Ishmael had produced twelve sons to Isaac’s zero.

The reason was because God was teaching his people that the promised blessing through Isaac could not be accomplished by mere human effort. We saw that last week in the life of Sarah. This is how it would be for Sarah’s daughter-in-laws Rachael and Leah. And ultimately the promise would culminate with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and—last but definitely not least—Mary, the mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

Isaac’s Family

In Genesis chapter 25, we have the first reality parenting show. Isaac and Rebekah lives are exposed for everyone to see the faults and the successes of parenting. Parenting is hard and some of our kids will be easier than others.

The Huffington Post

Top 10 Common Mistakes Parents Make

(Huffington Post Dec.2017)

#10 Worshipping our children

#9 Believing our children are perfect

#8 Living vicariously through our children

#7 Wanting to be our child’s BFF

#6 Engaging in competitive parenting

#5 Missing the wonder of childhood

#4 Raising the child we want not the child we have

#3 Forgetting our actions speak louder than words

#2 Judging other parents and their children

#1 Underestimating Character

To be quite honest with you, as you look over the parenting techniques of Isaac and Rebekah, there just are not a lot of good qualities to rave about! But I tried my best to find some the first one I found is in 25 verse 21

And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. (Genesis 25:21)

Isaac and Rebekah were joined together in prayer!

This leads me to my first principle for today.

1. Praying together as parents UNITES your family unlike anything else can!

Are you and your spouse praying together? For your kids? For your marriage? For your family? Isaac and Rebekah were diligent at praying! Isaac was 40 years old when he prayed for Rebekah! And he was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth! That means…ISAAC AND REBEKAH PRAYED FOR 20 YEARS! Parents are called to be diligent in praying together! There is a couple reasons why. While you are praying and waiting, God is making YOU spiritually fit to receive what He has in store for you! And every time you kneel down in faith, God is working on YOU! He’s working on your faith! Prayer just isn’t changing things and situations…prayer changes us! What was God doing for the 20 years while Isaac prayed? God was working on Isaac! God was teaching him that the fulfillment of the promised blessing could not be accomplished by mere human effort. They needed God’s divine intervention and we need the same for our kids.

This leads to the next point

2. The greatest thing our kids need we cannot give them. Only God can give them salvation, a new heart, and a new life.

So we must take them to God in prayer. Rebekah also went to God—in prayer—with their problems. Verse 22

The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:22–23).