The Legacy
“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”—Exodus 20:5-6
We all leave a legacy, whether good or bad, intentional or unintentional. In the book of Exodus we see that those who do not follow God leave a legacy of hate toward God and will be affected to the third and fourth generation. But for those who love God and follow Him, God will show His steadfast love to thousands of their descendents.
Biblically we see this played out in the life of Abraham, both good and bad. He is known as the father of the three monotheistic religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He is in the hall of fame for faith (Hebrews 11:6-10; 17-19), leaving a legacy of godliness, but he also transmitted a legacy of a different sort, one that was not as impressive.
In Genesis 12 we read the account of Abraham, at that time called Abram, going into Egypt with his wife, Sarai. Abraham was fearful that the Egyptians would see her beauty and then attempt to kill him. So he told Sarai to lie and say that they were brother and sister. In fact they were indeed half-brother and sister, which was more common and acceptable back then, but they were also, more importantly, husband and wife. Abram lied and it became known when the Lord brought a plague upon Pharaoh’s house because Pharaoh had taken Sarai to be his wife, although the union was not consummated. After God brought the plague upon them, Pharaoh released her.
If that weren’t enough, that he lied about his wife once, we see Abraham lie once again in Genesis 20 when Abraham and Sarah are in the town of Gerar. Although about 90 years old, Sarah is still beautiful, and when asked about her, Abraham says, “She is my sister” (Genesis 20:2). This time, Abimelech, king of Gerar, took her into his harem, but before that union could be consummated, God appeared to him in a dream and told him that Sarah was Abraham’s wife and needed to be returned to him, and she was. Yet the lie didn’t stop with just Abraham.
Fast-forward to Abraham’s son of promise—Isaac, in Genesis 26. Isaac grows up and is about 40 when he marries Rebecca. They journey to Gerar, the same place Abraham had been with Sarah when he lied to King Abimelech about their marital status. Well, it’s the same king and the next generation, and what does Isaac do when he shows up with Rebecca—also a beautiful woman? He tells her, “Say you are my sister.” Which she does. They settle there for a time when one night Abimelech looks out his window and sees Isaac laughing with his wife. The wording here indicates that they were laughing as they were caressing affectionately. Abimelech had seen this ruse before, and he confronts Isaac about the situation. Isaac confesses and Abimelech issues a “hands off” policy for Rebecca.
Fast-forward one more time to the next generation — the time of Isaac and Rebecca’s twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob was the great patriarch whose name means “one who grasps the heel,” and “deceiver.” And he lived up to his name. He steals his brother’s birthright, that is, the right of the firstborn son to inherit property and the leadership of the clan. And he deceives his own father, Isaac, who is almost completely blind. His brother, Esau, also called Edom, which means “red” or “hairy,” was a nature-loving kind of guy, while Jacob was perhaps more of the momma’s boy. Esau apparently was like, as Mark Driscoll phrases it, a large Elmo-like figure. But Jacob puts on some animal skin, tries to disguise his voice and steal his brother’s blessing. What did he do? He lied.
It continued into the next generation. In a fit of jealousy, Jacob’s sons sold their brother Joseph into slavery, and then lied about it by pretending that beasts had killed him. What did they do? They were carrying on the family tradition by lying (see Genesis 37:31-32).
What’s the point of this? One liar helped bring about several generations of liars. We all, whether we realize it or not, are establishing a legacy, whether good or bad. And while the aforementioned men also left godly legacies, as Hebrews 11 explains, we must be aware of the legacy we are leaving behind. We must be on guard against secret sins that can be transferred from one generation to the next.
I work with a guy who is an 18th generation pastor. His family has left a very godly legacy. And we can too. It doesn’t matter if we have been the recipient of a godly legacy or a bad one; we have the opportunity to intentionally leave our own legacy. If we order our life to passionately pursue God, making our walk with God the highest priority, and loving our family the way God intends us to, then we will leave a godly legacy. But if we nourish secret sins, allowing God to be on the periphery of our life, then we will leave a bad and evil legacy.
May God give us the faith, courage, strength, discipline, and perseverance necessary to leave the godly legacy that will affect thousands of those yet unborn, so that God may receive praise and glory both now and forevermore. Amen.
We all leave a legacy, whether good or bad, intentional or unintentional. In the book of Exodus we see that those who do not follow God leave a legacy of hate toward God and will be affected to the third and fourth generation. But for those who love God and follow Him, God will show His steadfast love to thousands of their descendents.
Biblically we see this played out in the life of Abraham, both good and bad. He is known as the father of the three monotheistic religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He is in the hall of fame for faith (Hebrews 11:6-10; 17-19), leaving a legacy of godliness, but he also transmitted a legacy of a different sort, one that was not as impressive.
In Genesis 12 we read the account of Abraham, at that time called Abram, going into Egypt with his wife, Sarai. Abraham was fearful that the Egyptians would see her beauty and then attempt to kill him. So he told Sarai to lie and say that they were brother and sister. In fact they were indeed half-brother and sister, which was more common and acceptable back then, but they were also, more importantly, husband and wife. Abram lied and it became known when the Lord brought a plague upon Pharaoh’s house because Pharaoh had taken Sarai to be his wife, although the union was not consummated. After God brought the plague upon them, Pharaoh released her.
If that weren’t enough, that he lied about his wife once, we see Abraham lie once again in Genesis 20 when Abraham and Sarah are in the town of Gerar. Although about 90 years old, Sarah is still beautiful, and when asked about her, Abraham says, “She is my sister” (Genesis 20:2). This time, Abimelech, king of Gerar, took her into his harem, but before that union could be consummated, God appeared to him in a dream and told him that Sarah was Abraham’s wife and needed to be returned to him, and she was. Yet the lie didn’t stop with just Abraham.
Fast-forward to Abraham’s son of promise—Isaac, in Genesis 26. Isaac grows up and is about 40 when he marries Rebecca. They journey to Gerar, the same place Abraham had been with Sarah when he lied to King Abimelech about their marital status. Well, it’s the same king and the next generation, and what does Isaac do when he shows up with Rebecca—also a beautiful woman? He tells her, “Say you are my sister.” Which she does. They settle there for a time when one night Abimelech looks out his window and sees Isaac laughing with his wife. The wording here indicates that they were laughing as they were caressing affectionately. Abimelech had seen this ruse before, and he confronts Isaac about the situation. Isaac confesses and Abimelech issues a “hands off” policy for Rebecca.
Fast-forward one more time to the next generation — the time of Isaac and Rebecca’s twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob was the great patriarch whose name means “one who grasps the heel,” and “deceiver.” And he lived up to his name. He steals his brother’s birthright, that is, the right of the firstborn son to inherit property and the leadership of the clan. And he deceives his own father, Isaac, who is almost completely blind. His brother, Esau, also called Edom, which means “red” or “hairy,” was a nature-loving kind of guy, while Jacob was perhaps more of the momma’s boy. Esau apparently was like, as Mark Driscoll phrases it, a large Elmo-like figure. But Jacob puts on some animal skin, tries to disguise his voice and steal his brother’s blessing. What did he do? He lied.
It continued into the next generation. In a fit of jealousy, Jacob’s sons sold their brother Joseph into slavery, and then lied about it by pretending that beasts had killed him. What did they do? They were carrying on the family tradition by lying (see Genesis 37:31-32).
What’s the point of this? One liar helped bring about several generations of liars. We all, whether we realize it or not, are establishing a legacy, whether good or bad. And while the aforementioned men also left godly legacies, as Hebrews 11 explains, we must be aware of the legacy we are leaving behind. We must be on guard against secret sins that can be transferred from one generation to the next.
I work with a guy who is an 18th generation pastor. His family has left a very godly legacy. And we can too. It doesn’t matter if we have been the recipient of a godly legacy or a bad one; we have the opportunity to intentionally leave our own legacy. If we order our life to passionately pursue God, making our walk with God the highest priority, and loving our family the way God intends us to, then we will leave a godly legacy. But if we nourish secret sins, allowing God to be on the periphery of our life, then we will leave a bad and evil legacy.
May God give us the faith, courage, strength, discipline, and perseverance necessary to leave the godly legacy that will affect thousands of those yet unborn, so that God may receive praise and glory both now and forevermore. Amen.
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