The Book of Genesis Index: Genesis Chapter 26 - Like Father Like Son / Digging Wells Genesis Chapter 27 - Jacob steals Esau's Blessings Genesis Chapter 28 – Jacob’s Ladder Genesis Chapter 29 Genesis 29:1: Jacob Begins His Journey Genesis 29 - Jacob Meets Rachael / Laban Tricks Jacob Genesis Chapter 30 - Jacob and His Wives / Jacob and His Work Genesis Chapter 31 – Jacob Leaves Laban Genesis Chapter 32 – Jacob Broken / Wrestles with God Genesis Chapter 33 - Jacob Meets then Separates from Esau Genesis Chapter 34 - Defilement of Dinah Genesis Chapter 35 - Reaffirming the Covenant: The Person, the People, and the Place Genesis Chapter 36 – The Lineage of Esau Genesis Chapter 37 Genesis 37:1-4 – Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors Genesis 37:5-11 - Joseph the Dreamer Genesis 37:12-36 - Joseph sold into Slavery Genesis Chapter 38 – The Story of Judah and Tamar Genesis Chapter 39 - Joseph and Potiphar's Wife Genesis Chapter 40 - Joseph, the Butler, and the Baker Genesis Chapter 41 Genesis 41:1-32 - Joseph & Pharaoh's Dream Genesis 41:33-57 - Joseph made Second in the Land Genesis Chapter 42 Genesis 42: 1-9 - The Dream Comes to Pass (Part 1) Genesis 42:10-38 - The Dream Comes to Pass (Part 2) Genesis Chapter 43 – The Sons Return to Egypt Genesis Chapter 44 - The Old Money in the Sack Trick Again Genesis Chapter 45 – Joseph Revealed to his Brothers Genesis Chapter 46 - The Family moves to Egypt Genesis Chapter 47 Genesis 47:1-10 - The Lord Bless Thee Genesis 47:7-31 - Joseph gathers up the Money, Possessions, the Land, and the People Genesis Chapter 48 – The Blessings in Blessing (Joseph’s Double Portion) Genesis Chapter 49 - Jacob's Prophecy of the 12 Sons Genesis Chapter 50 Genesis 50:1-14 – The Death of Jacob Genesis 50:14-25 - The Death of Joseph Genesis Chapter 26 Like Father Like Son / Digging Wells Genesis more than history book / It is His-story It all begins here in Genesis. In chapter 3 we will see the first mention of the Messiah who would be bruised for our iniquities (sin), chapter 5 the gospel laid out before us in the meaning of each name. We will see genealogy after genealogy, but they will all drop off until we come to just one genealogy, the genealogy leading up to the Messiah. This Old Testament, starting with Genesis, is more than the history of the children of Israel and Jewish Nation, this is His-story. Theme of this Book – for this is why He had to come: From Paradise to Prison – back to Paradise: (Genesis 3:15 NKJV) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:15 noted) And I (God) will put enmity (hostility/hatred) Between you (satan) and the woman (mankind), And between your seed (demons) and her Seed (Jesus); He (Jesus) shall bruise your (satan) head, And you (satan) shall bruise His (Jesus) heel." Outline: Part 1 – The History of Major World Events (chapters 1-11) (spanning 2000+ years) • The Creation of the World and Man (1-2) • The Fall of Man (3-5) • The Flood of the World (6-9) • The Tower of Babel: the Dispersion of Man (10-11) Part 2 – The History of the Major Families (chapters 12-50) (spanning approximately 350 years) • The Life of Abraham (11-25) • The Life of Isaac (25-26) • The Life of Jacob (27-36) • The Life of Joseph (36-50) Last Study / Flesh & Spirit Last study we saw Jacob and Esau; Esau being a picture of the flesh, and Jacob a picture of the Spirit. But here in chapter 26 we are back to Isaac's story. (Genesis 26:1 NKJV) There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. (Genesis 26:2 NKJV) Then the LORD appeared to him and said: "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. (Genesis 26:3 NKJV) "Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. (Genesis 26:4 NKJV) "And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; (Genesis 26:5 NKJV) "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." Abimelech / Title / Genesis 20 Abimelech king of the Philistines is probably not the same Abimelech we saw in the story of Abraham and Sarah for he most likely would be dead by this time (about 100 yrs has passed). Abimelech is a title for the king of the Philistines so this is his son. You recall the story back in Genesis 20, Abraham goes down there to this exact location, he fears for his life, so he tells Sarah to say you are my wife so they don't kill me, so she does, but God intervened so no one touched her. Abimelech rebukes Abraham, but lets him leave. Don’t Go / Dry – Barren Times / Get Burned / Paradox So here we are, another famine in the land, and God says Isaac do not go down to Egypt, I'll take care of you. Egypt in the Scriptures are a picture/type of the world. The Lord says to us do not go into the world when you are hungry, when the soil of your life seems dry, when it seems like nothing is happening. We all go through dry times, times of famine, but God says stay here, stay where the blessings are promised. Resist the temptation to go down to Egypt, to check out for awhile, for if you are gone from where the blessings flow, then you obviously will miss the blessings when they come. Not only will you miss the blessings, you will get burned, for that is they way it turns out if you are truly a child of God. Isn’t that such a paradox, things get hard, things get hot, our lives seem scorched like the earth during a famine, and we thing we will go cool off for awhile in a place we know isn't of God, and what happens is we get burned where we thought we were going to get cooled off. Satan is the master at selling bobbles and trinkets. God says stay in the land, and look at what Isaac does: (Genesis 26:6 NKJV) So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. Bordertown / As Close as Can Get / Check the Boxes Gerar is on the border of Egypt; it is as close to Egypt as you can get without being in it. It is a border town. How many people do you know that do that, maybe how often have we done that? They stay, but they get as close to the world as they possibly can - the things we give ourselves to, the places we are entertained, especially during a time of famine. We won't go to Egypt, but we will get as close to it as possible. We go do our Christian thing, but immediately run to the border town to see what is going on. And in our minds as long as we check boxes one, two, and three off we feel we are still doing well. Bellyache / Your Compromise – Your Kids Last study we mentioned, if you want a bellyache, then feed both the flesh and the spirit, and the border town will do that. Eventually the border town will bring you down; Isaac will compromise as we will see, like father, like son. (Genesis 26:7 NKJV) And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, "She is my sister"; for he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," because he thought, "lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold." Ring Bell / Knows Father Story / Problem with Bordertown She is my sister, ring a bell? Isaac says the exact same thing his father said in the exact same location some years prior. Why? Why did he do it? Because he knew his dad's story. May every father be convicted and challenged here tonight in this study. Your son, your daughter too, will remember what you did. Here is the problem of going to the border town, your sons will do what you do, they will go where you go. I can Handle That You may say I can handle that, I can see that nudity on the screen, it is still a great movie, it won't effect me. You are deceived, for if you go to the border your son will follow. Sober Every Dad / Biblically – Experientially / What Want for Them? / This should sober every father in this room; I understand this Biblically and have watched it experientially. If you think yo are so strong and can handle it, think about your son, walk near Gerar and your son will too, walk uprightly and it will greatly impact your son towards the ways of the Lord. What do you want for your son? Where are you leading him? Church, when it fits the schedule. Who is spending the night at your house divorced dads? What's in your refrigerator? Is that girl you are dating a believer? When was the last time your son heard you quote a Scripture, read the word, pray for him? Fathers be sober, beware, your son will follow you to Gerar.