Repeating the Sins of the Father (Gen. 26:1-16)

One of the greatest joys is to see your children copy you or your spouse, whether its a funny quirk, or a facial expression or something even more beautiful when you see a Christlike action in your kids, copying something you do. 

But there’s another side to this.
A painful side.

Like when I see one of my kids react with anger and frustration at one of their siblings and I thought, “that looks a lot like me…” Ouch!

There have been a number of occasions over the last few years where my kids have fallen into screen addiction, secretly using iPads because they wanted to watch more YouTube. You know who that sounds like? 

Me. 

I have abused youtube. I have abused my phone. I must learn how not to be used by technology, but use it in healthy ways so that I can help my kids. 

Similar to this, how many of us have ever found ourselves repeating the worst traits of our parents, the very traits that wounded us so much and we swore we would never do?

How many of you have ever felt like you're repeating the mistakes of your parents or your family?

 Like there's this pattern, this cycle, that you saw in your family and to your horror have discovered it in you as well?

Maybe it's a tendency to manipulate, to avoid conflict, be impulsive, or self-destruct when things get tough. 

We see it all around us. 

One study indicated that if a woman's parents divorced, her odds of divorce increased by 69%, and if both a husband and wife's parents divorced, the risk increased by 189%.

Children in homes with parental substance abuse are almost 3 times more likely to be abused and 4 times more likely to be neglected.

On and on, we see these cycles of brokenness repeat over and over throughout generations. 

PAUSE

› God’s word this morning has a way out of these cycles of brokenness through a cautionary tail, seeing a son repeat the sins of his father and seeing God show amazing grace!

This morning, we are back in Genesis.  

So far, we’ve seen this incredible story of God’s plan to redeem all of creation and part of that redemption is not just how God will transform individuals, but families. 

This is our main point today: 

God is gracious to the failing and fearful – not because of us, but because of Jesus.

We’re going to see this truth unpacked in the life of Isaac today.

› Today, we are setting up camp in Genesis 26, picking up with Isaac, Abraham’s son.

The Sins of the Father 

Before we dive headfirst into Isaac’s story, let’s remember his dad, Abraham. Remember, Abraham had a real problem with fear, it drove him to make some cowardly choices. Not once, but twice, fearing for his own life around powerful and wicked rulers, Abraham decided to pass off his wife, Sarah, as his sister.

• The first time down in Egypt. Pharaoh was drawn to Sarah and took her into his household. 

• The second time on, in Gerar, Abraham pulled the exact same stunt with King Abimelech. Again, Sarah was taken, and again, God Himself had to step in and protect her (Genesis 20:1-18).

Both times, Abraham put Sarah right in the line of fire to save his own skin. His fear was understandable, but his actions were still cowardly, putting God’s global rescue plan at risk. Despite all of this though, God still protected Sarah and God still blessed him.

Keep those stories tucked away in the back of your mind as we look at Isaac. 

› Because, unfortunately, these family patterns have a way of repeating themselves… 

 The Setting: Facing Famine (Last Sermon vv. 1-5)

Facing famine, Isaac went to Gerar, but God intercepted him there, commanding him not to go to Egypt and powerfully reaffirming the incredible promises made to Abraham – promises of blessing, land, and global blessing through his offspring. 

Genesis 26:6 ESV

6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

Though just one sentence, this is actually a huge sign that Isaac is trusting God here by obeying Him. Our trust isn’t just a feeling; it’s demonstrated in our obedience.

What is the heart of this whole section that we’ll see over and over again?

Trust. Trust that God would do what he says and will take care of his family. 

Even when there’s a famine threatening the well-being of your whole family and all his promises feel impossible. We can trust God. 

› But Isaac is going to end up in the same land with a king with the same name and face the same test as his dad. Let’s see how he does. 

Isaac's Deception: Repeating the Sin’s of the Father (Genesis 26:7-11)

Genesis 26:7 ESV

7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance.

They are asking about his wife, cause they are interested and he literally puts her on the market.
“Yeah, she’s available, she just my sister.”

Isaac pulls the exact same cowardly stunt his father Abraham did! He flat-out lies about Rebekah being his sister because he’s full of fear. 

One commentator put it this way,

“Isaac is following his father and father of deceit.” 

It’s super easy for us to sit back and judge Isaac. "What an coward!" But let’s be brutally honest with ourselves: fear is a beast. 

It will drive us to do some absolutely crazy, self-protective things. We can twist ourselves into knots trying to justify our sin, right? 

"Oh, I’m just trying to take care of my family," 

Listen, You never have to sin to uphold a godly value. God doesn’t need our lies, our little schemes, our manipulation to make His plans happen. 

Do you have any fears in the driver’s seat today?

› This leads us to a really important, practical point: 

Breaking Sinful Family Patterns

Family patterns or curses repeat. We inherit ways of thinking, coping, relating, sometimes destructive patterns.

Like Pete Scazzaro says, 

"Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones." 

We see these patterns of fear, deception, self-preservation passing down 

Dr. Andrew Steinmann says, 

“While Abraham was the first in this family to practise deception, this incident from Isaac’s life begins to show that trickery is on its way to becoming a family trait. Later, Rebekah and Jacob will dupe Isaac (27:1–40)… Jacob’s uncle Laban will hoodwink him (29:13–30). Jacob will be tricked by his sons (37:31–35). Simeon and Levi will deal deceitfully (34:1–31). Judah’s daughter-in-law will trap him (38:1–30).” 

It's a family history of deception!

In light of the baby dedications today, parents, you must take this to heart.
Singles, who aspire to families, take this to heart.
Go to war with your sin. 

The sins of the Father is not that you are punished for your father’s sin directly, but you are punished in an indirect way by often having to fight the same battle and deal with the sad consequences if your parents did not do the work. 

Go to war against Destructive patterns from your family. All of us have inherited mess and baggage from our family. 

What is not transformed will be transmitted. 

Why don’t we do the work to set up our children and their children’s children to not have to fight as hard?

This fallen world and our flesh will give them plenty to war against, let’s not make it easier for the forces of darkness to prey upon them.  

› There’s another side to this. 

Many of us have been devastated by the sins of our parents. Instead of setting us up to thrive, many of them wounded us and set us up to fail. 

For those who resonate with that, I am deeply sorry. 

But please have compassion for your parents. They likely inherited the same junk their parents had because their parents didn’t do the work either. 

It doesn’t absolve them, they’re still responsible, but it does help us understand them better. 

The good news is that regardless if you had the best family or the worst, God has all that we need to be healed and redeemed. 

But what do we do with the negative baggage of our families that has shaped us?

I like the framework of the the Three R's because it acknowledges how complicated our families are. 

Receive:  Appreciate and keep the healthy, loving, and godly traditions and values from your family culture. For example: Your family is very hospitable or are generous. Keep doing that, in Jesus name. 

Redeem: Work to transform neutral or even unhealthy family patterns, and values into biblical ones. For example: They value hard work but often find their identity in what they do. You must let the gospel redefine your identity that you are not what you do, and yet, still work with your whole heart to the glory of God. 

Reject: Reject family values, traditions, beliefs, or patterns that clearly contradict God's Word and His character. For example: Your family is quick to cut people off who wrong them. 

Remember, this is rejecting the sin and worldly values, not the family members themselves, (though some extreme situations may require some healthy boundaries for a season). 

You can honor them without becoming them. 

There’s much more to do this well, press into community to work through these complicated matters together. 

› At the end of the gathering, there will be a team of people up here at the front, who would love to pray with you about these matters. If you feel stuck, or something like that, we would love to help you. 

Then Isaacs deception is exposed. (vv. 8–11)

Genesis 26:8–11 ESV

8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife. 9 So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’ ” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

This phrase laughing is actually just his name repeated in Hebrew.
Isaac was “isaacing” with his wife. 

So whatever he is doing with his wife, its not any kind of action you would do with a sister or anyone who is not your wife. 

Note what the king reveals about his kingdom, which gives us more compassion towards Isaac’s situation.  

One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” That statement throws a harsh light on the kind of messed-up society they’re living in. A culture where randomly raping a woman was normal. 

Unlike the dramatic dream or the plagues that exposed his father Abraham, Isaac’s sister act lie gets exposed in the most ordinary way. They simply were bad at hiding it and the king looks out of the window and see him Isaacing his wife. 

And yet, God is 100% in control, absolutely sovereign, using even the most ordinary, everyday stuff to protect Rebekah and to safeguard His rescue plan. 

This passage, like others in Genesis, shines a spotlight on God’s protection of women, and those who are most vulnerable. When Abraham and Isaac drop the ball, God guards Sarah and Rebekah. Take heart that God cares about those among us who are in the most vulnerable situations. 

Consider, if the king never caught Isaac, Rebekah could have been wed to someone else and the whole promised line could have been compromised.
Remember,  the fait of the world is banking on this promised line!

This pagan king echoes God’s own words to Adam and Eve after their sin, 

“What is this that you have done?” (Genesis 3:13). 

Dr. Steinmann says this,

“This shows that Abimelech believed more firmly that God was with Isaac than Isaac himself believed (cf. v. 3).” Oof. The pagan king had more faith in God’s protection over Isaac than Isaac himself did.”

Isaacs actions are worse than it looks. 

Instead of being the blessing to the nations as his family is supposed to be, he is endangering all the philistines and reflecting God’s character as if he is deceitful. 

So, Isaac fails to trust and falls into the ways of the serpent, and yet, God's blessing and protection flow to the failing and fearful, not because of Isaac’s goodness, but because of God’s character and purposes.

The Blessing Despite the Failure: God's Absurd Grace (Genesis 26:12-16)

Now what would you expect God to do to Isaac after such a fall? After demonstrating such little trust in God?

Genesis 26:12–13 ESV

12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.

Even after Isaac’s blatant deception, God blesses him. In a devastating famine, Isaac pulls in a hundredfold harvest! 

Now, why in the world is he blessed like this? 

Is it because Isaac is so faithful?

NOPE! 

In vv.3-5 it says that God will bless Isaac because of the faithfulness of his father. 

He’s blessed not because of his own faithfulness but because the faithfulness of another. 

Does that sound familiar?? We will get back to this again later. 

And Isaac’s family being blessed is part of the global plan to bring redemption to the whole world!

They are blessed to be a blessing. 

So its not even just about Isaac. 

God regularly blesses, despite our faithlessness. 

If you don’t let this sink deep down into your bones, you’ll either get puffed up with pride (thinking you deserve God’s blessings) 

or 

crushed by despair (thinking you can never be good enough). 

This confronts us all on how little we actually believe in grace. 

If grace is lavishly getting what we don’t deserve, then honestly, most Christians, in their gut, don’t believe that God has been far better to them than they deserve. 

Let me illustrate. 

Imagine someone in church that you just don’t get along super well. They just rub you wrong, but they are a Christian. And imagine you hear that they performed a very cowardly and shameful act, but they are now repentant. 

And now imagine that same week they get a promotion at work and double their salary. 

And they win a tropical vacation by calling in a radio station. 

How would that land on you? 

Probably not well. 

The reality is, Most of us still operate out of law, not grace – a transaction mindset. 

I do bad, God will now punish me. 

I do good, God is now in my debt to bless me. 

Isaac’s story helps blows that mindset up as well does the rest of the Bible. 

Of course, Proverbs has wisdom on consequences to our actions, but none of our lives are as bad as they could be in light of how much our sins deserve. We are all treated better than we deserve.

Do you believe that in your gut? 

God owes you nothing, and yet, He delights to lavish grace upon grace on you!

God is good and gracious down to His absolute core. It pours out of who He is, it’s what is most natural to Him.

 Ephesians says He is RICH in mercy. Dane Ortlund says, “He is a billionaire in mercy.” 

Because of Jesus, God is gracious to the failing and fearful – not because of us, but because of Him.

› But, as is often the case, the blessing leads to problems:

Genesis 26:14–16 ESV

14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

Isaac keeps getting blessed and due to their envy, keeps having conflict with the Philistines. He successfully digs 3 total wells and finally, the third one you can see in v. 22 is acceptable and he experiences a season of peace.  

Jesus, the True and Better Isaac

So, we’ve walked through this story of Isaac – his fear, his failures, God’s unbelievable grace, the ongoing promise, the conflict, the provision. 

What does that have to do with me? 

All of us have been Isaac. 

Have you ever made a terrible decision while you were controlled by fear? 

All of us have.
Some of the worst decisions of our lives, impulsive ones that had massive consequences were made while fear was in the driver’s seat. 

Isaac was fearful so he deceived. 

We too can do the same. 

We too can follow our parent’s footsteps, reflecting the image of Adam, instead of Christ. 

All of us are in the same boat. 

But there is one who is not like us. 

Jesus never succumbed to fear in a way that led to disobedience.

Make sure you heard that right, Jesus felt fear! He just feared the right things. 

That’s why he can be a faithful and empathetic high priest for us. 

He knows deeply what fear feels like. 

That’s why when we feel fear, he can relate with us. 

Jesus never lied. 

That’s wild, imagine literally never ever deceiving anyone, ever!?

And Jesus didn’t sacrifice his bride to save his own skin. 

He did the opposite.
Being full of love for us, He lay down his life for us to save our skin!
Jesus is not like Isaac. 

Isaac received blessings he absolutely did not deserve – a hundredfold harvest in a famine! 

He received it because of Abraham’s faithfulness!

We, too, receive blessings we could never earn, could never deserve but only because of Jesus’ faithfulness!

The greatest blessing is salvation itself – forgiveness of sins, a right relationship with God, adopted into his family,  an eternal inheritance – all made possible, not by our goodness  but by Jesus’ perfect life and atoning sacrifice standing in our place. 

Call to Christ

Perhaps you see yourself in Isaac today. 

You know the fear that drives you, the patterns – from your family or your past – you can't break. You feel stuck in that brokenness.

The good news, is that Jesus offers a way out of those cycles. 

He offers you not just forgiveness for your failures, but freedom from the patterns that have held you captive. 

He invites you into a new family, a family defined not by brokenness, but by His lavish grace.

If you're tired of repeating the past, if you long for a way to be truly free, if you're ready to stop trying to earn God's favor and instead receive the grace Jesus has already provided – would you surrender your life to him today? 

Will you trust in his kingship, let him forgive you, cleanse you, and put all your hope in what Christ has already done for you? 

Would you let him be the faithful one, standing in your place for you? 

He offers you a new beginning, a new identity in His family.

› If that’s you, come pray with one of us in the front afterwards. 

Conclusion

We

Isaac's story is a cautionary one, but you don't have to repeat his- or your family's- brokenness. 

Just as Abram was called out of his old way of life, we are called out of our old family patterns. Grace empowers us to take on the image of our adopted Father.

Jesus doesn’t just forgive us but transforms us. 

We are blessed not for ourselves, but to flow through us as we take on the family business of bringing life, light, and love to the world.

What does this mean for us as a church family?

Remember Isaac's family was blessed to be a blessing? That hundredfold harvest showed God's faithfulness flowing through them for His global plan.

That’s our story now, too. Because of Jesus, we've been called into a new family – God's family. He's blessed us together, as a community held by His absurd grace.

Why? 

So these blessings flow through this family right here.

If we're serious about warring against destructive patterns and processing our family baggage through the "Three R's" (Receive, Redeem, Reject), we do it together. We need each other. 

It is a profound paradox: the source of our greatest wounds is often people, yet God's design for healing is that it comes through people.

This church is where we practice living out grace, confessing fears and failures knowing we're met with grace, not judgment. It’s where we spur each other on and take on the family business – bringing Jesus to a world caught in brokenness.

Imagine how this will effect our families and our communities if we all press in to our fears and failures together. And that by the power of the Spirit, God transforms our families to be a blessing to our communities. 

Praise God, God is gracious to the failing and fearful – not because of us, but because of Jesus.