Issac

 If t)here are any examples of godly men in the bible (and of course there are), one of them is Isaac. Most of us know the story of how when his parents, Abraham and Sara were very old, God gave them a baby which they named Isaac. 

What kind of a man and father did he grow up to be?

I think one of the most astounding things about him, was that as a youth, when God had told Abraham to take him to a mountain and sacrifice him to God. What must have Abraham and Sara gone through during this time of being asked of God, to kill the son that they had waited so long for?

We know though that as Abraham had raised his knife to kill Isaac, God stopped him and told him not to do it. It had been a test of his faith and he had passed it.

No doubt there was relief from both father and son, when Abraham had not had to carry it through. But Genesis 22 tells us that Abraham bound Isaac  and laid him on alter that he had built.

Perhaps the two had not been sure at first just why God was asking them to do what he had. But God was pleased that Abraham had not disobeyed him, or put Isaac before God.

As for God, it he did not struggle or get mad but willingly let his dad put him there.

And as I said, after he was allowed to live.....

 he went on to obey and serve God in many areas of his life.

But as a father, he had his own weakness there. He had favored Esau over Jacob which caused some serious problems.

But his life shows us  that as parents today we too  are human. We make mistakes. And sometimes those mistakes cause us our own serious problems. 

For both mothers and fathers, parenting is not an easy job. But our children are gifts from God and as we go throughout our lives, we do our best to keep them and our parenting of them in prayer and in God's hands. 

Thanks for coming today, Friends. I hope you have had a wonderful Father's day within your own family! 

God bless!