Family History is very interesting. Where we came from personally is part of our story. I can go back to my great grandparents on both sides. I've been to their graves, been to Ellis Island, with my family, and saw Grandpa Albert Mancini's name engraved on the wall that surrounds it. He turned 8 on the boat from Italy to New York.
A Godly Heritage in a family is a blessing. A father on earth who is part of God's family, whose name is written down in heaven, is a blessing to his family, blessings that even go well beyond the years of his life on earth.
A loving faithful father has children that are blessed.
There is a focus here on Jacob, a confession of faith that as they gave their tithe to the LORD their father was a wandering Aramean.
Let's look closer at this family history, this godly heritage, this influence of faith over hundreds of years that brought about God's Promises in the nation of Israel.
1. The LORD is Faithful to All His Promises. -v.3
the land the LORD swore to our forefathers to give us...
This act of God was not on the basis of their performance or even their obedience. It was based upon His Word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is sad how Ishmael and Esau are left out of these promises of the land. God promised it to Abraham and then to his son, Isaac, and then to Isaac's son, Jacob, who had a name change by the LORD to Israel. The generation that went in were receiving God's Promises and Blessings of 100's of year before.
I look at our nation today, how God's Word is being ignored or discarded and the very foundations of family and faith in our society are being eroded. I realize that the blessings from the past, the Promises God made to our forefathers are still intact. We need to heed II Chronicles 7.14 today.
Yesterday as I was going into Southside Hospital to pray with Bob Pawson I saw a mother and daughter of about 7 outside in front of the huge American Flag there. She was trying to count the stars. So I helped her, explained why when Betsy Ross, made the first flag it had white stars on a blue background. I could see the mother was new to our country, the little girl understood and we talked about how the stars are in heaven and how this nation was formed by God.
God's faithfulness to His promises in Israel is the godly influence of Abraham. Isaac and Jacob (none of them perfect but all of them men of faith).
A father's faith influences generations way beyond his time.
Romans 4.13-25
God is saying Abraham's faith was so strong it even has influence today under the New and Eternal Covenant!
v.17 He (Abraham) is our father in the sight of God in Whom he believed.
The legacy of a father going on for over 4,000 years now.
A father's influence goes on for a long time and on into eternity.
One reason is...
2. God Works Through Families. - v.5
President Ronald Reagan said, "As goes the family so goes the nation." He was right. No nation has held together if the family structure caved in. It is self destructive.
Look at the creation of man, the founding of Israel, the New Covenant and all of them came through families!
These statements, confession of faith, took the father worshiping with the first fruits, the tithe, back over 400 years in the nation/family history.
Go back 400 years in our nation to 1612. Our nation was just getting started and there were families here. The total population in 1610 was 3,800! Yes that right, a population in this land of America was smaller than the population of the Village of Brightwaters! 300 years later there were 76 million and 100 years after that we tripled in size!
We call our founders- the founding fathers. We call our first President, George Washington, the Father of our Nation- this is in the current publications put out by Immigration Services for Citizenship exams!
Finally on this journey of faith... this forming of a Father's legacy...
3. God Brings us to the Place He Wants us in. vs.6-11
A literal place like with this wandering Aramean Genesis 28.10-22
It is also a spiritual position. Where does God wants us to be?
He wants us in:
* A Place of Brokenness Genesis 32.6-7, 22-32, Hosea 12.3-5
* A Place of Being Receptive to His Spirit-v.7 Genesis 35.1-7
* A Place of Seeing Him work wonders.-v.8, Genesis 33.4-5
* A Place of a Servant vs.9-11, Genesis 47.1-10
We can be a blessing when we become a servant of God.
This family was far from perfect. It experiences great stress and sometimes this was a result of their own sins and poor decisions but God was faithful and is to this day to Israel.
Isaiah wrote (27.6) Israel will bud and blossom and fill the world with fruit.
When plants bloom they undergo stress. If our stress is given to God, if we trust in Him when things seem out of control, if against all hope we hope and stand upon His Promises, we can be used by Him to be a great blessing to others. That is the story of the hymns, many works of art, many missionary stories and the list goes on.
A Father's Legacy is faith in God and His Promises, Obedience to His Will and Joyful loving Service to the LORD Jesus.
That is the legacy that lasts eternally!
No comments:
Post a Comment