Genesis 26: Does This Ring a Bell?

(upbeat music) - Welcome to chapter by chapter of four year journey through the greatest book given to the human race, the word of God, the Bible. We get to go through it, chapter by chapter, seven minutes a day and seven days a week. Join us each day and share it with others so they can join this journey that will be life changing. We'll stop at unexpected places on the journey and be challenged. Some verses will create awe and wonder. We'll have chapters that will be instructive and in others we'll find joy and comfort. We will occasionally be convicted and wanna change but all in all the journey will be worth it. Once in a while we may take a detour on the journey and hear from some of God's servants on their favorite passages from a chapter of scripture and let them give you their insight. Every journey needs a small detour occasionally. The best way to get the most from this podcast is to read the chapter we're discussing before or after. It's his word that transforms and you'll find more and see more than I can ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter and today's chapter is Genesis 26. Deja Vu is considered a lone word in English. That means we say the French word with familiarity and frequency and we think it's ours. The term Deja Vu comes from a French where it literally means already seen. It was first coined and used by French philosopher Emily Borac around 1876 or 1890 and refers to a phenomenon of feeling you've experienced something before. Genesis 26 is Deja Vu for the reader. Does this story ring a bell? Versus one through 10. Now there was a famine in the land beside the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Guerrard to a bemaleck king of the Philistines. So Isaac lived in Guerrard. And when the men of the place asked the batter's wife, he said she is my sister. For he was afraid to say my wife thinking the men of the place might kill me on the account of Rebecca for she is beautiful. It came about when he had been there for a long time that a bemaleck king of the Philistines looked out through a window and saw and behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebecca. Then a bemaleck called Isaac and said, behold, certainly she is your wife. How then did you say that she is your sister? And Isaac said, because I said, I might die on account of her. A bemaleck said, what is this you have done to us? One of the people might have easily lain with your wife and you would have brought guilt upon all of us. Talk about the opposite of chivalry. Isaac tells the people of Guerrard that Rebecca is his sister so they would not kill him and take her. Seems cowardly. How could Isaac do this to Rebecca? Because it was done by his father, Abraham, twice. Abraham lied about his wife being his sister in Genesis 12 and Genesis 20. Both of these stories have an eerie resemblance to Isaac's situation. You have a famine, you're dealing with Egypt and one has a bemaleck in it. Genesis 12 10 says this, now there was a famine in the land so Abraham went down to Egypt to soldier in there for the famine was severe. And it came about when he came near to Egypt. He said to Sarah, his wife, see now, I know that you're a beautiful woman. And when the Egyptians see you, they will say, this is his wife and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say that you're my sister so that it may go well with me because of you that I may live on account of you. If that story isn't enough, look at Genesis 20. Now when Abraham journeyed from there to the land of the Nagev and settled between Kedish and Shura, he sowed journey in Guerrard. Abraham said of Sarah, his wife, she is my sister. So a bemaleck, the king of Guerrard, sent and took Sarah but God came to a bemaleck in a dream of the night and said, behold, you're a dead man because of the woman who you have taken for she is married. No, this is unbelievable. Can you imagine if a bemaleck is the same guy that got lied to by Abraham and now by Isaac as son? No one can say for sure, but if it's the same guy, I will tell a bemaleck, stay away from the next child, Jacob. An author of the magazine, Readers Digest, writes how he studied the Amish people in preparation for an article. In his observation at the school yard, he noted that the children never screamed or yelled. This amazed him. He spoke to the schoolmaster. He remarked how he had not once heard an Amish child yell and asked why the schoolmaster thought it was so. The schoolmaster replied, well, have you ever heard an Amish adult yell? The example of a father is so key in a child's life. Stop and think for a moment of your upbringing and your father and mother. Can you see the similarity both good and bad? There's so much that I experience from being raised by a great dad that I emulate to this day. We never ate a meal without bowing our head. Church attendance was not optional. Tiding is income to the work of God was non-negotiable. I saw their Amish non yelling parts in the home that I picked up, but we all know that we can also pick up the yelling parts. It'd be impossible for Isaac to have seen the Genesis 12 or 20 incidents, because Isaac wasn't born until Genesis 21, but could it be that Isaac heard about it? Do you think Abraham told about how he got one over on Pharaoh or Bimilek? Could it be that Isaac has heard Abraham lie before on other things? It's hard for me to believe that Abraham just lied those two times. Those moments of fear did not produce trust in God, but trust in lying. Charles Spurgeon admonished parents one time and said, train up a child in the way he should go, but be sure you go that way also. Your children will watch more than they will listen. I think Isaac watched this father. I think when Isaac found himself in Garar, he went back to what he saw modeled. That's why I'm not surprised that what I have to correct in my own children are usually things that have not corrected in my own life. That will make you sit up in your seat. As we fix our lives, we are helping the next generation to face when they are in Garar. Please, please, please watch your step. Those in our home are close behind and will probably walk the same way. Stop yelling. Thank you for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book, The Bible, The Word of God. Seven minutes a day, seven days a week. We'll see you tomorrow.