In-Laws and Out Laws

In-Laws and Out Laws
Words of Faith 5-12-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL    
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 26
    [23] From there he went up to Beersheba. [24] That night the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."
    [25] Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.
    [26] Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. [27] Isaac asked them, "Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?"
    [28] They answered, "We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, 'There ought to be a sworn agreement between us'--between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you [29] that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the Lord."
    [30] Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. [31] Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.
    [32] That day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, "We've found water!" [33] He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.
    [34] When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. [35] They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

      Isaac moved up to Beersheba, indicating a higher elevation. Beersheba means "well of the oath." It was here that Isaac heard from the Lord, and the promise was renewed. Just as the Lord had spoken to Abraham after he had separated from Lot and renewed his promise of land and great prosperity, so now the Lord spoke with Isaac.
        For a third time, it is said that the Lord would bless Isaac. Like his father, Abraham, Isaac responded by building an altar and worshiping God.
        Just as Abimelech and his people came to Abraham and acknowledged to him, they came to say-- "God is with you." They sought to enter into a covenant with him just as they had with Abraham.  
         Like Abraham before him, Isaac was the source of blessing to those nations who sought him out. Isaac, like Abraham, trusted God and lived "in peace" with his neighbors. Of course, there is the discovery of a new well. Beersheba is known as the "well of the oath."
         Almost by surprise, we now have a wedding announcement. Esau's marriage to two Hittite women does not play a significant role in the story at this point. But it prepares us for the events that will come later. Just before we hear about the mischievous blessing of Jacob, we are told that Esau, from whom the blessing was stolen, had married two Hittite women and that they were a source of grief to both Isaac and Rebekah.
        These verses give us background as we enter into chapter 27, the blessing of Jacob. We gain some perspective on the cunning actions of Jacob and Rebekah. We begin to see that Esau was not fit to inherit the blessing.
         In the chapter ahead, we will begin to see the severe dysfunction of this generation in the patriarchal family. The competition between Jacob and Esau began before they were born. But the favoritism shown by each parent will plant the seeds that will tear these brothers apart for years to come. The backdrop for this was the rebellious marriage of Esau to these two Hittite wives who were "outside the faith" and from a pagan tribe. These daughters-in-law were never accepted by Rebekah. She rejected these daughters and grieved bitterly over this these marriages in the years to come.
         What can we learn from this? There are times when our grown children make decisions we disagree with. What do we do? It would be less than genuine not to say so. But having expressed our opinion, can we work to bless our children's marriages? Failing to do so can start a destructive cycle of rejection that will go on for years. Things can get tough and complicated these days. Sometimes our blessing is simply a promise to pray. But we can at least do that.

         Father God, show me the way that is right in response to the decisions made by those that I love. Show me how to love even when I disagree. Teach me how to bless even when it is difficult. Help me know the best way to follow You as I care for those You have given into my care. In Jesus' Name.    

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.