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Men of the Old Testament: Isaac – Genesis 26  Only two pairs of fathers and sons have both received the United States military’s Medal of Honor. One set is Arthur and Douglas MacArthur, the other set is Theodore Roosevelt and his son, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Theodore Sr. received his medal of honor for his actions in 1898 leading an incredibly brave charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba. According to his citation he, “led a desperate and gallant charge up San Juan Hill, encouraging his troops to continue the assault through withering enemy fire over open countryside. Facing the enemy's heavy fire, he displayed extraordinary bravery throughout the charge, and was the first to reach the enemy trenches, where he quickly killed one of the enemy with his pistol, allowing his men to continue the assault. His leadership and valor turned the tide in the Battle for San Juan Hill.” Theodore Jr. received his medal for his actions during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France. According to his citation, “After 2 verbal requests to accompany the leading assault elements in the Normandy invasion had been denied, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt's written request for this mission was approved and he landed with the first wave of the forces assaulting the enemy-held beaches. He repeatedly led groups from the beach, over the seawall and established them inland. His valor, courage, and presence in the very front of the attack and his complete unconcern at being under heavy fire inspired the troops to heights of enthusiasm and self-sacrifice. Although the enemy had the beach under constant direct fire, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt moved from one locality to another, rallying men around him, directed and personally led them against the enemy. Under his seasoned, precise, calm, and unfaltering leadership, assault troops reduced beach strong points and rapidly moved inland with minimum casualties. He thus contributed substantially to the successful establishment of the beachhead in France.” Both father and son were bona fide military heroes each making brave maneuvers to rally the men under his command and to help to turn the tide of war in their favor. In this case, the phrase “like father, like son” was the ultimate complement. There is, however, a different type of father and son legacy, the kind where the sins of the fathers are passed along to the son. Despite his great legacy of faith, Isaac also learned another lesson from Abraham, one that is far less noble. On two separate occasions (Genesis 12 and 20) Abraham lied about his relationship with his wife, telling men that she was his sister because he was afraid that he would be killed over her. At least in these two circumstances, John Wayne he was not. Years later, after the death of Abraham and Sarah, Issac and his wife Rebekah traveled to the land of Philistines where Isaac told Abimilech, the King of the Philistines that his wife was really his sister. Decades apart Isaac’s actions were almost an exact replay of his father’s.1 It was not until the king saw Isaac and Rebekah caressing that he realized he had been lied to. Despite the King James Version’s humorous translation that the king saw Isaac and Rebekah “sporting” (were they playing croquet, chess, battleship?), there really was nothing funny about the situation that Isaac put himself and his wife in. He not only made their situation more dangerous, but he also incurred the discipline of God. As we go about life we must remain cognizant that we are susceptible to certain things because they are family problems. As the alcoholic character Leo McGarry in the television series the West Wing says about his own personal alcohol demons, “Ain’t nothing but a family thing.” We must also stay alert that if we allow sin to reside in our lives we could possibly pass them on to our children. Rather than giving our children the gift of faith, we can make their lives more difficult given them even more obstacles to overcome in their spiritual lives. Questions for Discussion/Reflection 1. The actions of Abraham and Isaac seem outrageous, can you understand why they made the decisions they made? 2. What sins are there that you struggle with that you can also see in your father’s life? 3. What can you do to prevent your struggles from becoming those of your children and family? Further Study on Isaac Bible Dictionary Entries on Isaac Mark Driscoll Sermon on Genesis 26 Isaac Walks in His Father’s Steps article on Bible.org Charles H. Spurgeon Sermon on Genesis 26:29 1The name Abimelech is not a personal name, but a title. Abimelech means "royal father." Thus this may have been another ruler other than the one Abraham dealt with. Staff Writer: Aaron Sharp |
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