Abraham started something. Something that influenced people beyond his comprehension. There was a reason why God, in Exodus 3:6, identified Himself to Moses as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” That family, of whom Moses belonged, had a legacy of following the one true God. It was through that legacy that God would bless all of mankind. How did Abraham start this?
The name “Abraham” brings to mind a dusty Bedouin-type individual whose name means, “father of many nations.” Each one of us has the ability to be the father, or mother, of a legacy of faith. The choices we make, or don’t make, about our families right now WILL affect our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The choice you have today is what kind of affect you want to have on your family. There are some great examples of simple things in the life of Abraham that we can use to keep our family on the path of faith.
“He departed” (Gen. 12:4). God called Abraham for a specific purpose. God promised blessings on him and those that blessed him. He would be a blessing to others by simply following God’s call. In similar fashion, we have been called by the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14). We must to live a “departed” life. As Peter puts it in 1 Peter 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” We are to live as though we have already left—pilgrims. The book of Hebrews speaks of Abraham’s family as pilgrims (Heb. 11:13). The author says of them, “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (11:16). As an individual and as a family, live a departed life. Teach your children that we are not like “everyone else”—we are different because we seek a heavenly city.
“And Abraham said, my son, God will provide” (Gen. 22:8). He had to believe this to leave his home town and family. He also had to believe this to receive the blessing of Isaac, his son, in his old age. So when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his attitude was, “God will provide.” Concerning the thoughts of Abraham in that moment, the Bible says, “He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” (Heb. 11:19, ESV). Isaac’s question was, “Where is the ram for the sacrifice?” Abraham’s answer was that God would provide. Our children will ask about provisions and our response should always be, “God will provide.” We need to live a life of devoted faith that teaches our children dependence in God. “He is faithful that promised” (Heb. 10:23).
“And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac” (Gen. 25:5). The context of this verse is a physical inheritance. We need to think about a spiritual inheritance. Those who are faithful will receive an inheritance from God the Father (Col. 3:24). We need to do all we can, give all we have, put forth 100% effort on behalf of our children, so that they too can receive that inheritance. God gave the Israelites Deuteronomy chapter 6 as a guideline for teaching future generations. The basic premise is to use everyday opportunities to teach about God and our relationship with Him. If you are going to leave a spiritual legacy for your children, there can be nothing more important than Christ and His church. Give them everything, give them heaven.
God started something with Abraham that would last for generations. What has He started with you? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob is your God. Will you give your children and grandchildren every opportunity for Him to be their God?