Blessings for Ishmael and Isaac or A Blessing for Ishmael and Isaac
Genesis 21:12-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12, 13 or Genesis 21:13-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12-13
International Sunday School Lesson
October 20, 2013
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
Some of us reading the titles given to the scripture for today might say, “I’ll take Isaac’s blessing over Ishmael’s any day.” I think the thought is one that many have in their daily lives as well.
Have you ever wanted to trade lives with someone you know or have heard about? I think it better, probably, if we could try and do some walking in their moccasins, as they say, before we made that determination. But I’d also say most have wanted to escape a certain job, living environment or stress. I think the majority though, come to realize how it is all relative to your situation; I’m sure after all that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have their stress too. And who hasn’t heard of the lottery winners who end up having to move, divorced or penniless?
Why do you think God allows some to amass so much and some so little including Christians?
In today’s scripture were the blessings that Isaac received all because of His father’s faith and because of the promise made to Abraham that would come through Isaac? It might well be that given God’s plan and its timetable that growth in numbers from people to resources was a necessary thing.
God knows that some can handle wealth but for most as Jesus said, “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” This remarkable analogy was of course in reference to the seemingly otherwise righteous but wealthy young man who wanted to have eternal life but was unwillingly to sell his possessions and follow Jesus and so bring it about. Matthew 19
I believe that in most cases God provides for us as Christians just what we need. I have often been amazed at the ways that God has provided for me and mine. I’d like you to stop for a moment and consider some of the remarkable ways that God has blessed you sometimes unexpectedly.
A recent example in my life concerned one of my boys. We recently took our son to college and of course we were concerned as most parents are at this event.
You, I am sure, are well aware of all the pitfalls there are in store for college freshmen as were my wife and I so we had much advice to offer him. The first thing that I did was visit the local sister church to ours in that town and talk with the pastor about what they had in place. Fortunately it was an extremely strong college program between Sunday morning and Sunday night events.
My next step was to tell my son to get involved. Sure with that church and with Campus Crusade for Christ but with good people and right away.
Well, the blessings from God were like abundant rain showers on my son with the students that he brought into his life, from the guy across the hall who did the same card tricks, to the small core of four who eat at the same time, that make sure the others are doing their work before fun begins, to the fact that almost everyone on his floor attends that same church and a Bible Study in the dorm. He was blessed with early success and excitement in all his classes and the list goes on. It is hard to impress upon you with these words how God guided my son’s life in what isn’t a Christian college but he and his mother and I can see it and like Isaac we feel blessed a hundredfold.
I think my son may have been blessed at the Christian college he and we wanted him to attend but quite frankly we would have been forcing the issue. God directed him through his final year in High School and this college was amazingly the only one that had the perfect program.
With this then I see how when we force our own way. When we aren’t in step with the path God would have us walk on we probably aren’t feeling too blessed. Would Abraham have been so blessed if He had not had his faith? Would Isaac? I think we all know the answer.
For Discussion:
1. Discuss Abraham sending Hagar and Ishmael off into the desert with some food and water
2. Discuss Hagar getting a wife for Ishmael from Egypt
3. Discuss verse 5 in light of the benefits to Abraham’s descendants
4. Discuss Isaac’s wealth
5. Discuss the issue of wealth
6. Discuss Christians who are wealthy in a monetary sense
7. Discuss what you think God could be protecting you from by His not giving you more than you can handle
Upcoming Lessons
10-20-13 Blessings for Ishmael and Isaac or A Blessing for Ishmael and Isaac Genesis 21:12-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12, 13 or 21:13-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12-13
10-27-13 The Blessing Passes to Jacob Genesis 28:1a, 10-22
11-3-13 God Prepares for Deliverance Exodus 3:7-17
11-10-13 Beginning of Passover Exodus 12:1-14
11-17-13 Beginning of Freedom Exodus 14:13, 14, 21-30 or 14:21-30
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
