The Family: Ideal and Reality

Hebrews 11.17-22

The Bible doesn't flatter its heroes. It gives us vivid details of their lives, both their faithfulness and their failures. We see that many of God's men and women had their dark side.

In our scripture reading this morning Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his sons had their their struggles with sin.

In Genesis 2.15-25, 3.8a we see the Innocent Family- Adam and Eve before sin came into the world... naked and not ashamed- complete openness- nothing to hide. In Genesis 3 through sin this innocence is removed and the are covered and hiding.

In Ephesians 5.22-6.4 we see the Ideal Family.

When we read the remainder of Genesis we see the realities of family life under the curse of sin. There are no more innocent families and there certainly no ideal families. Every family has its problems! Even Jesus' family when He was here on earth would verify that! John 7.5

Let's look this morning at the beginnings of this nation of Israel. We read this week in Deuteronomy 10.22 Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD, Your God, has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

1. Abraham, the Father of the Faith, shows us what can happen with blended families. vs.17-19

Isaac, his one and only son
Genesis 16.1-5, 21.1-21

Abraham had sons by 2 different women.
Abraham had to make a very tough decision. 21.8-14
v.18 Ishmael, father of the Arab people, in the Koran he is the focus.
The Arab-Israeli conflict is  family feud.

We see another problem that often occurs inside of families...

2. Playing Favorites -v.20
Genesis 25.19-34, 27.1-45

Isaac loved Esau
Rebekah loved Jacob- both were deceitful- Rebekah deceived her husband and son! Jacob, his father and brother.

When a parent plays a favorite with one child, jealousy and resentment are put in the hearts of the other child/children. This sin went on into the next generation. What Jacob learned from is mother he then put into practice with his own children and Joseph.

Genesis 37.3 Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age. There is never a good reason for this! What problems it caused for Jacob, Joseph and the whole family! The pain it brought to them was incredible!

Favoritism needs to be cut out of family relationships.

And yet God worked through this mess! His Sovereignty is amazing! He rode His Purposes out through this family, fractured as it was.

3. Jacob, Who was Married Twice- v.21

This of course was in a time of ignorance of God's law. In this case however Jacob began to reap what he sowed with his father, Isaac- deceit. It continued through his sons. This sin got into the family way back when Abraham deceived Pharaoh about Sarah.

Finally,

4. Children, Adult Children, who fall short of God's Best/ His Promises vs.21-22

Genesis 48.3-19/ Numbers 32.33

Families are neither innocent anymore nor ideal, including the family of God!
Learn the lessons of the past.
Forgiveness is a key.
Remember  there is a Sarah in the Old Testament and an Elizabeth in the New because the LORD is faithful to all His Promises even down to old age!!!