One Man's Family

Generations come and go. Now we move into a new generation. Genesis 25, beginning in verse 19. Genesis 25:19,

"And these are the generations of Isaac."

Now we pause at this point to remind you that the Book of Genesis is the book of generations. The word "Genesis" means beginning, and it's a first cousin to the word "generation." A generation represents a new beginning. To generate something means to bring something new into the world. And actually, the Book of Genesis begins with "this is the generations of the heavens and the earth." Then "these are the generations of Adam." Then "these are the generations of Abraham." Then down in verse 12, "these are the generations of Ishmael." And now over in verse 19, "these are the generations of Isaac." We're going to have the generations of Jacob.

You see, God's in the generation business. You ever think of that? Now be thankful that he is. And some of the folks in the older generation say, "Oh, but this younger generation!" And the younger generation shakes his head and says, "All the older generation!" And when the younger generation becomes the older generation, it will shake its head and say, "Oh, the younger generation!" You know what people were doing back in the good old days? They were talking about the good old days.

You see, a generation is God's way of starting all over again. Every—I'm going to go off a little detour now. I think it's necessary. Every generation has three responsibilities: to conserve, and to criticize, and to change.

You see, my father's generation handed to me a certain heritage, and we took this heritage and we criticized it. We said, "Well, now why in the world should we drive around in horses and buggies when we can drive around in something better than this? Or why should we let people die of pneumonia when we could give them a shot of something?"

So every generation receives the heritage, criticizes it, and then makes changes. This is how progress comes along. Now, there's some things you don't change. You don't change moral standards. You don't change spiritual things. The externals are what change. And I thank God that generations can come along and make improvements.

Now, you can't improve on the gospel, you can't improve on the Bible, you can't improve on prayer. But God brings along a new generation to start a new work. Someone says, "Well, we don't need the old generation in the church." Don't you kid yourself. In fact, some of the older folks will come and say, "Oh Pastor, you don't need us anymore." Church needs everybody.

The older generation has the wisdom and ought to have the spiritual maturity. The younger generation comes along with new ideas and a little bit of zeal, and you put them both together, you got a winning combination, a winning combination. And so the younger doesn't despise the older and the older doesn't criticize the younger. We all learn to live together and work together and make progress to the glory of God. Isn't that right? I think that's true.

Now God's going to start all over again. Abraham's dead. Abraham is dead. And for people to stand and say, "Oh, for the good old days of Abraham! All the world is not what it used to be since Abraham died."

I told you about the lady who wrote to William Randolph Hearst and said, "Your newspaper is not as good as it used to be." And he wrote back and said, "Never has been."

Now they didn't stand around and complain. God picked up Isaac and starts all over again. It's a beautiful thing. Every time a man and a woman get married and establish a home, God is saying, "Here is a little island of sanctity. We're going to start all over again, all the blessings that can come from a believing home."

"These are the generations of Isaac. Abraham's son Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca to wife."

Now, some of you folks who've been waiting a little while, don't get discouraged. Don't get discouraged. It's far better to be single in the will of God than married outside the will of God. As I've mentioned before, it's far better to live in single loneliness than married cussedness.

Forty years old when he married Rebecca, "took Rebecca to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord was entreated of him.

"And Rebecca his wife conceived, and the children struggled together within her. And she said, 'If it be so, why am I thus?' And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said under her, 'Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger.' And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment, and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel, and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. And the boys grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison, but Rebecca loved Jacob."

What a passage this is for our consideration. Let's remember that the Book of Genesis is a book of families. We saw the family of Adam and we saw the sad results of sin. We saw the family of Noah, and we saw a restoration of the human race. And so we've been following Abraham. Abraham had faith, and God blessed Abraham, and the blessings of Abraham came to the whole world because Abraham believed God.

Now we leave Abraham, and Abraham is a hard act to follow. And God picks up Isaac. And when I read this passage, I marvel, and I must confess, I weep. I weep because here is a home that started out so wonderfully and ended up so wretchedly. And I don't want that to happen to you. I don't want that to happen to me.

Now let's analyze it briefly. First of all, I notice a very wonderful home. This is a very wonderful home. We've talked about the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. Isaac waited until he was forty years old, and God's servant found for him a wonderful bride. The record doesn't say that Rebecca was beautiful. Sarah was beautiful. Rachel was beautiful. The record doesn't mention Rebecca's beauty. Perhaps she wasn't beautiful, but she sure was godly, and she sure was kind. And if you have a choice between beauty and godliness, I would suggest godliness because it lasts longer.

But this was a very wonderful home. Look at it, first of all. It was a dedicated home. It was dedicated. Notice verse 21: "And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebecca his wife conceived." One of the first things I notice about this home is that they prayed.

Isaac and Rebecca prayed. Now it's too bad that every husband and wife doesn't pray. But this was a dedicated home. They sought the Lord. They wanted to have children. For twenty years, Rebecca was barren. And for twenty years, Isaac and Rebecca prayed. And one day God answered prayer.

Now this, to me, is a mark of a dedicated home. A dedicated home is a praying home. I don't care how much money you have. I don't care how much education you have. I don't care how much social standing you have. If you don't have prayer, you don't have a dedicated home.

I think one of the tragedies of the Christian home today is that we have so little family prayer. We have so little private prayer. Husbands and wives don't pray together. Parents and children don't pray together. We're so busy. We're so occupied with so many things. But here was a dedicated home. They prayed.

Now notice something else. Not only was it a dedicated home, but it was a directed home. Verse 23: "And the Lord said unto her, 'Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger.'"

Rebecca went to the Lord. She didn't understand what was going on. The babies were struggling within her, and she went to the Lord. And God gave her directions. God spoke to her. Now this is a mark of a spiritual home—when God can speak to the members of the family and give them direction.

You see, when you have a dedicated home, you have a directed home. When you pray, God speaks. When you seek the Lord, the Lord gives you guidance. And Rebecca received guidance from God. She didn't understand what was happening, but God told her, "Two nations are in your womb. Two manner of people shall be separated. The elder shall serve the younger."

This was a prophecy. This was God's plan. And Rebecca knew it. This was a directed home.

Not only was it a dedicated home and a directed home, but it was a disciplined home. Verse 27: "And the boys grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents."

Now here's what I want you to notice. These boys grew. They developed. They had different personalities. Esau was the outdoor type. He liked to hunt. He liked the field. Jacob was the quiet type. He liked to stay around home. And the parents recognized this.

You see, a disciplined home is a home where parents recognize the individuality of their children and allow them to develop according to their own gifts and abilities. You don't put all your children in the same mold. You recognize that God has made them different, and you help them to develop according to God's plan.

Now this is a mark of a spiritual home—when parents are wise enough to recognize the differences in their children and help each child develop according to God's will.

So we have here a very wonderful home. It was dedicated. They prayed. It was directed. God spoke to them. It was disciplined. They recognized the individuality of their children.

But then I notice, secondly, a very wretched home. Oh, it started out so wonderfully, but it ended up so wretchedly. What happened? What went wrong?

Well, first of all, I notice that this home became a divided home. Verse 28: "And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison, but Rebecca loved Jacob."

Here's the tragedy. The parents took sides. Isaac loved Esau. Rebecca loved Jacob. And when parents take sides with their children, you have division in the home. And division in the home always leads to trouble.

Now I want to be very careful here because I know that parents have a tendency to favor certain children. It's only natural. But when you allow that favoritism to become obvious, when you allow it to divide the home, you're asking for trouble.

Isaac loved Esau. Why? Because Esau was a hunter, and Isaac liked to eat venison. So Isaac's love for Esau was based on something very carnal, very physical. He liked the food that Esau brought home.

Rebecca loved Jacob. Why? Well, probably because God had told her that the elder would serve the younger. Probably because Jacob was the quiet type who stayed around home. Probably because she felt that Jacob was the spiritual one.

But whatever the reason, the home was divided. And a divided home is a wretched home. Jesus said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." And this home was divided.

Not only was it a divided home, but it became a deceptive home. If you read on in Genesis, you'll discover that this home was filled with deception. Jacob deceived his father. Rebecca helped Jacob deceive Isaac. Esau was angry and wanted to kill Jacob. The whole family was filled with scheming and plotting and lying.

You see, when you have a divided home, you usually have a deceptive home. When there's division in the family, people start taking sides. They start scheming. They start plotting. They start lying. And before you know it, the whole family is caught up in deception.

And so this home that started out so dedicated, so directed, so disciplined, ended up divided and deceptive. What a tragedy.

Now let me ask you, what made the difference? What caused this wonderful home to become a wretched home? Well, I think I can put my finger on it. I think the problem is right there in verse 28: "And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison, but Rebecca loved Jacob."

You see, the parents forgot what God had said. God had told Rebecca that the elder would serve the younger. God had a plan. But the parents went their own way. They followed their own desires. They forgot God's plan. And when you forget God's plan, you're heading for trouble.

Now I want to apply this to our homes today. I want to say to every husband and wife here tonight, to every parent, to every young person who's thinking about marriage: Don't forget God's plan. Don't go your own way. Don't follow your own desires. Seek the Lord. Pray. Get God's direction. And then follow it.

Because if you forget God's plan, if you go your own way, your home will end up divided and deceptive. But if you follow God's plan, if you seek the Lord, if you pray, your home will be dedicated and directed and disciplined.

Now let me close with a very wonderful word. Notice verse 23 again: "And the Lord said unto her, 'Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger.'"

You know what this is talking about? This is talking about God's sovereign choice. God chose Jacob. God rejected Esau. Before these boys were even born, God made a choice. God said, "The elder shall serve the younger."

Now this brings up the whole matter of election and predestination. And I know that some people have problems with this. They say, "How can God choose some and reject others? How can God be fair?"

Well, let me say this. The Bible teaches election. Romans 9 makes it very clear. Paul uses this very incident—Jacob and Esau—to teach the doctrine of election. He says in Romans 9:11-13, "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, 'The elder shall serve the younger.' As it is written, 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.'"

Now you say, "But how can God do that? How can God choose one and reject the other?" Well, I don't know. I can't explain it. But I can tell you this: God is sovereign. God has a right to do what he wants to do. And if God chooses to elect some and reject others, that's his business, not mine.

But let me say this. The Bible also teaches human responsibility. The Bible says, "Whosoever will may come." The Bible says, "God so loved the world." The Bible says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

So how do you put these two things together—God's sovereignty and human responsibility? I don't know. I can't explain it. But I can accept it because the Bible teaches both.

Someone says, "But you believe in election." I say certainly, it's in the Bible. "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Peter wrote that. Paul said, "Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world."

I have no problem with election, and I don't have one bit of a problem with election. If there were none, nobody would ever be saved. If our sovereign God did not, through the preaching of the gospel and the sharing of the Word of God, save people through gracious election, nobody would ever be saved. If God left it to you and me, we'd never be saved. "There's none that understandeth. There's none that seeketh after God."

And so it's a blessing to stand here tonight and say anybody here who will trust Jesus Christ as Savior can be born again. If God is speaking to your heart tonight, you can come and give your heart to Jesus Christ and be saved. Because my Bible says, "God so loved the world." My Bible says, "Whosoever will, let him come."

I like the way Dr. Ironside used to put it. You've heard him say it. Salvation's like standing outside of a door, and over the door it says, "Whosoever will may come." And you say, "It means me." And so you walk through the door, and you turn around and look, and on the inside it says, "Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world."

It's like marriage. You make a choice and you discover you've been chosen. God made a choice. God chose Jacob.

One man's family started out to be so dedicated, ended up divided. It started out so spiritual, ended up so carnal. Started out so happy, ended up so tragic.

You say, "That won't happen to my family." Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

The danger in our Christian homes is that we do not maintain that spiritual fervor with which we started. As Jesus said to the church at Ephesus, "You've left your first love."

It may be that some husbands and wives tonight, when they get home—don't do it here, but when they get home—just need to say, "You know, we've not been walking with the Lord as we should. We don't have our private devotions. We don't pray together. We've not been concerned about our children getting spiritual nourishment at church. We haven't been setting the example at home." Maybe some of our homes just need readjusting.

Maybe some young person here tonight is starting to get locked into a situation that's out of the will of God. Now, you watch it. You watch it.

It's wonderful to begin your home with God and to continue your home with God and let God use your home. And on this point, I'm going to close.

The thing that thrills me about a Christian home is you never know what's going to come out of it. You just don't know. It's just thrilling to know that God can work. God can take a young man, a young woman, bring them together in marriage, bring children into the home. For all we may know, today in our nursery may have been, if the Lord tarries, the next D.L. Moody. We don't know.

When I walk through the departments of our Sunday school, I'm sure Pastor Rands feels the same way. You see these precious little kids, these dear, precious, wonderful kids. You don't know what's there. You haven't the slightest idea. God does.

And so we just take our children and say, "God, here they are. Whatever you want them to be, that's what we want. We aren't going to scheme. We aren't going to plot. We aren't going to try to circumvent your will. Here they are, Lord. For these children, we prayed. Now take them. God, they're yours."

Let's pray together.

Father, we're thankful tonight that we can just open the Word and be reminded of things that we've already known but perhaps have forgotten. We pray for our homes. Oh God, help us to have spiritual homes. Lord, help us as men to be men of God, as women to be women of God, children to be children who know and obey God.

We pray, Father, for our singles who are here that you might guide them. We realize that not everybody's supposed to be married. You have a different plan for different lives. We pray that you'll guide these who are planning toward marriage. Don't let them make blunders that would hinder their lives and ministries for years to come.

We pray, Father, for mates tonight who may not have Christian partners, that their unsaved partners might come to know the Savior. And then, Lord, for anybody here who's never been born again, needs to come and trust Jesus.

We're thankful for your grace and your love, and just speak to our hearts, whatever the need may be. Lord, help those to come who ought to come, to whom you're speaking. We ask for Jesus' sake. Amen.