Genesis 26-29
The Sins of the Father...

In chapter 26, we have detailed the sin of Isaac regarding his lie about his wife to King Abimelech of the Philistines. If the reading of it sounds familiar in any way, it is with good reason-he commits the same sin his father Abraham did on two occasions. Fortunately, the king took no active interest in her, and once the truth was known, he warned all his people not to lay a hand on Rebekah.

One must ask, how is it that Isaac committed the exact same sin as his father? I would suggest it is no mistake, but rather an example of something seen every day: children following in the footsteps of their parents. This is not unusual in the Bible, either. One of the common refrains applied to various kings throughout the history of the nation of Israel during the divided kingdom is found in 1 Kings 15:26, "And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin." Also, God promised in the giving of the Ten Commandments, "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations..." (Exodus 20:5). God is not saying he will punish innocent children for the sins of their forefathers; rather it is assumed that the children will follow in the sins of their ancestors and will therefore continue to reap God's wrath.

The Pulpit Commentary on 1 Samuel 2:11-19 notes, "Children learn more of religion from what they observe in parents than by any other means. The life they see lived is their daily book of lessons. If it is selfish, hard, formal, worldly, no amount of verbal teaching or professed interest will avail." Such observations are not absolute, of course. Samuel seemed to have done a good job raising his children, yet they failed to serve God (1 Samuel 8:3). But on the whole, such observations are very true.

And, while the above statement may be harsh in regard to Abraham, it is almost certain that Abraham's sin likely had some bearing on the actions of his son. Why has the old saying, "Like father, like son" has lingered around for years? Because children watch their parents. And while as teenagers they protest they will never be like their parents, odds are they will be much like their parents. Everyday, fathers and mothers, you set an example and communicate to your children what is important and how to act. Your weakness may become their weaknesses; your strengths, their strengths.

So, parents, do a little inventory assessment. What sins in your life are you passing on to your children through example? Anger? Foul language? Sexual addictions? Alcohol? General lack of commitment to the Lord? How have those sins hurt your life? Brought you misery? Are you prepared to see your children wrestle with the same things? Do you love your children enough to, by God's grace, face your weaknesses head-on and overcome them-if not for your sake, then for theirs?

Certainly Abraham could have been a worse example to Isaac. But, this story does illustrate the great need for parents to deal with their sins so their children will be less likely to do so.