SACRED ALTARS AND HOLY GIFTS
Unit I - The Genesis of Altars and Sacrifices (5 lessons)
4. Isaac Calls on the Name of the Lord (lesson 4 of 5)
Daily Bible Meditations by Jasmine Lynch
Sunday, June 15: Leviticus 19:30-37
God's moral standard has not changed. We are to keep His Sabbath, revere His sanctuary, stay away from mediums, honor our elders, and love the aliens as ourselves. Throughout the Bible, we are told to love the aliens because we were once aliens. Even Jesus was an alien in Egypt. God specified how we should treat strangers or aliens and how to demonstrate that we love them: do no injustice; deal with them honestly; treat them like they are "one of us"; and love them as we love ourselves. We should all remember that we were once aliens in our relationship with God and should not forget from where we came.
Monday, June 16: Genesis 25:19-28
Isaac pleaded with God for his wife, Rebekah, to have a child. Surely Isaac knew about God's covenant to make Abraham the father of many nations. This only added to the normal pressure on couples to have children to carry on the family line. I imagine Isaac and Rebekah were very anxious to have a child. Rebekah's concern, when the twins were struggling in her womb, was natural. She went to God and God spoke to her directly, just like He spoke to the men. Rebekah's relationship with God was her own, and not just a by-product of Isaac's. She was an important part of God's plan and the lineage of God's people.
Tuesday, June 17: Genesis 26:1-11
"Like father, like son." Isaac was not yet born when Abram and Sarai went to Egypt because of a famine (Genesis 12:10-20). Abram told the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister because he feared that they would kill him and take his wife. There was another famine during Isaac and Rebekah's time. They went to Gerar, following God's instruction not to go to Egypt. Isaac told them that Rebekah was his sister because he feared they would kill him and take his beautiful wife. God protected them and showed that when we trust in the Lord, we have no need to lie to protect ourselves.
Wednesday, June 18: Philippians 4:10-19
The church at Philippi was the first European church founded by Paul. Paul was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote the letter to the Philippians. He was grateful to the Philippians for sending him gifts. He commended them for being the only church that assisted him after he departed from them. He called their gift "a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God" (v.18) because in so doing, they were really serving as partners in his gospel ministry. Paul thanked them and assured them, "God will meet all your needs" (v.19, NIV). Let's remember this promise in difficult times.
Thursday, June 19: Genesis 26:12-23
The covenant God made with Abraham flowed down to Isaac. Abimelech discerned that Isaac was blessed by God and was much mightier than they were. Unfortunately, the herdsmen of Gerar had no such discernment. They picked a fight with Isaac by claiming not only the wells his father, Abraham, had dug, but also two new wells that Isaac's men dug. Isaac let them have their way, with confidence that God, who promised to bless him, would provide for him. As blessed children of God, we can live peaceably with all men knowing that God will fight our battles for us. Can others tell that your prosperity comes from God?
Friday, June 20: Romans 15:1-13
The importance of church fellowship is evident in these verses. When we get together, the strong can strengthen those who are weak. We have an opportunity to serve each other. We develop patience and hope, comfort each other, accept each other, glorify God, and worship Him together in unity. The power of the Holy Spirit will fill us with joy and peace so that we will abound in hope. Let us not forget to serve each other in this way, even as Jesus came to serve us. Do you enjoy coming into His fellowship in harmony with your brethren? Make sure you are taking care to welcome others as well.
Sabbath, June 21: Genesis 26: 24-33
What a beautiful story of reconciliation between Isaac and Abimelech. When your adversary can say, "You are now the blessed of the Lord" (v.29b), it is a sign that peace is prevailing. Isaac's response is a model for us. He made Abimelech's party a feast, and after they ate and drank together, he sent them away in peace. God's blessing bestowed on Isaac was revealed that day when his servants told him they had found water. What lessons of forgiveness and reconciling with enemies can you learn from the way Isaac responded to Abimelech?
Reading:
Genesis 26:24-33
Background: Genesis 26:1-33
Devotional: Genesis 26:12-23
Key Verse:
So [Isaac] built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's ser- vants dug a well (Genesis 26:25)
Heart of the Lesson:
As children grow to adulthood, they step into their own lives. What do we take with us from our family of origin? Isaac built an altar and called on the name of the Lord in response to receiving the blessing and promises that God had made to his father, Abraham.
Questions for Studying the Text:
- What is your favorite tradition, custom, or habit you inherited from your family? In what ways are you incorporating that into your own life and family?
- Compare God's assurance and covenant to Isaac in Genesis 26:24 with Genesis 15:1 and Exodus 3:12. How did this impact Isaac's faith journey? In what ways has God reassured you in times of uncertainty or transition? How can you cultivate a deeper trust in His promises?
- How did Isaac's experience with Abimelech compare to Abraham's interactions with Abimelech in Genesis 20 and 21? Compare Isaac's handling of the Philistine disputes with Romans 12:18 and Matthew 5:9. What lessons can we learn from Isaac about peacemaking?
- What does it mean to be blessed by God (v.29)? How does this phrase connect to the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:2-3)? How does Abimelech's recognition of Isaac's blessing compare with Pharaoh's recognition of Joseph's blessing in Genesis 41:38-41?
- Isaac built an altar in response to God's appearance (v.25). How do you personally mark moments of spiritual significance in your life? How does this help you trust God when facing opposition in your personal or professional life?
Understanding and Living by Ericessen Cooper
Like Father, Like Son
The saying, "Like father, like son," speaks to the manner in which many boys seek to follow in the proverbial footsteps of their fathers (and sometimes do so without even trying). Many boys want to be like their fathers, as he is their role model - especially when he is a hard worker, a loving husband, a supportive parent, and a good friend. Many of us had parents/ guardians who were godly examples for us. They taught us about God's Word and showed us what it means to trust God and put Him first in our lives. Maybe it was not even a bio- logical parent who provided that example for you, but someone else who was instrumental in your life in guiding you to hav- ing faith in God.
Isaac had a father who he saw firsthand demonstrate his faith in God. When Abraham took him to Mount Moriah (Genesis 22), Isaac was a full participant in everything that transpired that day. We remember his question, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (Genesis 22:7). Abraham's response to him was that God would provide the sacrifice. Isaac was the obedient son and even showed that he would have been a willing sacrifice. He witnessed then not only his father's faith, but God's benevolent grace and provision in providing the ram for the sacrifice. Imagine how that moment shaped his life and his faith in God.
Faith on Display
That is how our faith in God should be on full display to our children, relatives, and friends. We should be willing to step out in faith each day, trusting God for everything in our lives. Isaac demonstrated that faith in dealing with the Philistines, who even to their own detri ment, stopped the wells that watered their own cattle. They confiscated the wells that Isaac's servants dug because of their jealousy of the increase that God had blessed him with. Then, when the rulers sent him out of the country, Isaac moved on-no kicking and screaming, no sense of anger or malicious- ness-because he knew that God was with him.
It is as Jesus taught, that if one smites us on the cheek, we should turn the other (Matthew 5:39). Difficult, maybe, but that is what we are called to do. That is how we are called to live. God should be at the center of our lives and conversations, and the only one we seek to rely on. Our victories before men should be readily attributed to the God we serve and proclaim before men. Nothing should be of self; God must be at the forefront of our lives.
Coincidentally, parts of Isaac's life somewhat mirrored parts of Abraham's life: a famine forced both men to leave their homeland; both men conspired with their wives to say that they were their sisters; and both men were sent out of the region when the truth of their relationships with their wives was discovered. Like father, like son.
Passing Down the Covenant
God reiterated the Abrahamic Covenant to Isaac- that He would be with him, bless him, give him the land, and multiply his seed. What an assurance to have from Almighty God. As what seemed like dis- ruption came upon himself and his family, God stepped in and declared, "I am with you and my blessing is on you." Isaac commemorated this declaration of God's covenant with the building of an altar (v.25), just like Abraham had when God declared His promise unto him (Genesis 12:7). The building of the altar by Isaac represented where he encountered God, as well as his entering into God’s covenant relationship.
God is making that same declaration over us, His children, today. Are our lives that altar? Is His covenant evident in our lives? Have we put our faith in Jesus Christ? Are we placing ourselves before Him daily? All these questions are answered by our faith in Him. There is no calamity that He cannot bring us through - we just have to have faith. Can we stand in the face of adversity, whether natural or humane, and have faith in God to believe that He is working everything out for our good? It might not be what we or others think should happen, but we must completely believe that He is bringing His plan for our lives to fulfillment. Our faith in God should be a testament before those around us who do not know Him.
Isaac's faith and God's blessing did not go unnoticed by Abimelech, Phichol, and Ahuzzath. They confessed that the Lord was with Isaac and that he was blessed by God. They sought Isaac to come into a peace agreement with them. They sought peace with one man because of God's presence with him. He was not a king with an army, he was one man. But he was God's man. Do we recognize the power of God as He works in and through others? He can cause our enemies to be at peace with us when we trust in Him. We do not need to fight the battles we encounter; we have a God who will fight our battles. Isaac knew the God of his father; he knew that God's Word was true, that God was with him, that he would be blessed, that God would multiply his seed. Everything God promised, would come to pass. So, he lived in that truth.
Faith of Our Fathers
Looking back over our lives, we may have had godly parents who have shown us the example of living by faith. Their exemplary godly lifestyles not only impacted our lives, but others as well. They taught us that faith in God surpasses everything this world has to offer. They believed that He was their provider, their healer, their sustainer, and their all in all. We witnessed their faith when they called upon God and saw that their prayers were answered, just like what Isaac saw in his father, Abraham.
Are we living by that faith today? The lives that we live out before our children are so important to their spiritual well-being. The proverb says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV). What are we passing on to our children? The chorus of Frederick William Faber's well-known hymn, "Faith of Our Fathers," proclaims, "Faith of our fathers! Holy faith! We will be true to thee till death." May our walk of faith be a true and glorious example of our faith in God.
Hints for Teaching:
Lesson Goals:
- Examine the importance of Isaac's godly heritage.
- Appreciate the privilege and responsibility of being included in the family of faith.
- Express gratitude to God for those who have passed faith along to us.
Teaching Activity:
Encourage participants to and commemorate significant moments in their faith journey by creating a "spiritual milestone wall." Read today's passage, emphasizing Isaac's altar. Ask: What are some spiritual milestones in your life (times when God reassured, guided, or blessed you)? Have participants write or draw a representation of a significant moment in their faith journey. Invite them to share a testimony of their experience and add their drawing to the wall. Encourage participants to continue mark- ing important faith moments through prayer, journaling, or other meaningful acts.
Looking Back:
From Isaac's altar to commemorate God's covenant, we learned to celebrate faith that is passed down. Next, Jacob's story will further emphasize the importance of marking important encounters with God in our lives.
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