Confirmation

Introduction

Life is filled with times of uncertainty. Many decisions are made with a sense of uneasiness, with a sense of wondering if a right decision is being made. There is a sense of uncertainty as one contemplates many “what ifs” as the decision is being made. There is at times a sense of uncertainty as you await the future to unfold. Last Sunday night we honored 11 of our graduates. While there is relief about the end of the high school career, there is uncertainty about college and how life will be different as college life unfolds.

No one escapes times of uncertainty. All of us have had experiences in which we wonder about the future or a decision as we try to understand what is happening in our lives. In fact, there may even be uncertainty about our relationship with God. We believe that God wants a personal relationship with us. We believe that God calls us his child. We believe that it is possible to be a friend to God. We also know the depth of our own sin. And we begin to question how a perfect and just God would want us as a child or friend. We may even become uncertain about our relationship with our Creator.

We are going to look at Genesis 26 this morning. We are going to look at a particular series of incidences in Isaac’s life. And we are going to notice some similarities with events in Abraham’s life. And we are going to notice that God wants to remove uncertainty from Isaac’s life and thinking. We are going to be encouraged to rethink the basis of our relationship with God and what it really means to be certain.

One More Time

Like his father before him, Isaac finds himself in a challenging situation. A famine causes Isaac to relocate to the Philistine country for more fertile pasture land. And like his father before him, Isaac is concerned that the men of the Philistine land will kill him if they believe that Rebekah is his wife. Thus, he tells the people that Rebekah is his sister. But the men did not want Rebekah. There is nothing in the text that seems to suggest that the men were interested in marrying her or taking her by force. For after some passage of time, the king of the Philistines sees Isaac and Rebekah in some obvious married behavior. Brothers and sisters do not act this way toward each other, but a married couple will. And so Isaac’s deception is revealed.

Isaac remains in the land and prospers. He becomes so wealthy that the Philistines become jealous of him. Some try to sabotage his wealth by filling up the wells. By filling up the wells, Isaac would either be forced to move or his animals would begin to die. Thus, Isaac begins moving. It takes three moves before he is able to call a place his own. Finally, a place to settle. A place to continue to prosper.

Application

We read of these events and miss some of the more understated points. It is obvious that entering the land of the Philistines produces more than a little uncertainty in Isaac’s mind. And this uncertainty translates into a deception. He stays for awhile in the land of the Philistines and he prospers. Then he is forced to move. The land he is on is fed by a well. Put earth in the well and you may get the message that you are not wanted. So he moves. Just when he gets established in a new location with wells dug, someone argues about water rights. He is the foreigner so he moves again. Establishes a place; digs new wells; water rights issues surfaces again and so he moves.

Can’t you imagine the uncertainty when he moves for the third time? He digs wells; water is found; and he waits to see who will oppose him. Each day he looks toward the horizon to see who might be coming into his camp to evict him. And after a passage of time, he begins to relax thinking that this is the place where God will allow him to stay. And with that relaxed thinking, God appears to Isaac to reassure him that he will bless him and increase him because of the promises he made to his father, Abraham. Two lessons I want us to see.

First, reassurance from God does not keep us from being afraid. This is the very human flaw and frailty that we have. Look back at Genesis 26:2-5. Before Isaac enters the land of the Philistines, God speaks to him. God reassures him that he is present; that he will be blessed; that he is going to have so many descendants that they cannot be counted. In many ways this is the same promise as was made to his father, Abraham. Immediately following this reassurance, Isaac deceives his hosts because he is afraid that he will lose his life. God has already assured him; but Isaac doesn’t seem convinced. Don’t we all share in this same kind of frailty? We have learned not to be too trusting. We take assurances from others with a hefty dose of doubt. Despite assurances, we doubt that the car salesman has been completely honest with us. We doubt that the politician will keep his or her promises. We doubt that our spouse will carry through. We are wisely admonished to read the fine print; to know our rights; to plan for the unexpected.

And add God’s words to that. There is a catch even with God. All of his reassurances do not bring us complete confidence. God promises to never leave us, but we wonder at times where God is. God promises to give us an eternal home with him, but we wonder if we can live well enough. God promises to forgive our sin, but does he really know how sinful I have been? God promises to complete the work that he has started in us, but maybe he needs some help.

As a result we live with fear. We lack confidence. We are certain that there is some fine print; some hidden catch. It is too good to be true. But this is our frailty rather than God’s lack of assurance. Which leads to the second point.

God refuses to quit reassuring us. In Genesis 26:2-5 God reassures Isaac but Isaac acts counter to the promise. But God doesn’t quit. In Genesis 26:23-24, God assures Isaac once again that he can be trusted. God makes his promises again. God does the same thing for us through his word—the Bible. This is why it is so important to stay in the word. God doesn’t just promise once to never leave us, but he says it numerous times in numerous places. He doesn’t make the promise of an eternal home with him only once but over and over. He promises to forgive countless times; he promises to see us through to the end. It would be difficult to spend much time in Bible study without hearing the voice of God trying to reassure us.

It is a constant battle to not allow our emotions and frail thoughts to overwhelm the word of God. But it is a battle worth fighting. If you listen so very closely you can once again hear the promises of God. Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Nothing can separate you from my love. I have given you a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. I will finish the work I began in you. I will be with you always, to the very end of the age. Can you hear the promises? Allow them to reassure you. Fight the battle in your mind to listen to God rather than your doubts. Jesus died for many reasons but none more important than to assure us that we can have a relationship with our Creator.

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