22_Pandering to the flesh Gen 26: 1-5 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” President Abraham Lincoln once remarked, “True discipline is choosing between what we want now and what we need most.” These words resonate through the life of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Isaac was a man who lived in the shadow of an extraordinary father, and had an extraordinary son, Jacob. His life teaches us the cost of indulging the desires of the flesh even while living in the light of God’s covenant. Isaac’s life began in fulfilment of a miraculous promise. He was the son born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. He was a child of laughter and fulfillment after 25 years of waiting on God’s promise. As the beloved son of a man who walked with God, Isaac grew up hearing stories of God’s grace, and of faith, obedience, and the divine covenant. His father’s life experiences became Isaac’s treasury. He could never have forgotten the day when he was at Mount Moriah. It was a time of both terror and trust. Isaac was no longer a baby or a young child. He must have willingly allowed himself to be bound and placed on the altar. He, as well as Abraham, demonstrated his faith in God through his obedient submission to his father. This deep reverence for God led Jacob, Isaac’s son, to later refer to Him as “the fear of Isaac.” As Isaac matured, he demonstrated a heart inclined toward God. After his mother Sarah passed away, we see him walking in the fields, meditating. When Rebekah was brought to him as a bride, it marked the end of his mourning and the beginning of a new chapter. He prayed earnestly for Rebekah through 20 years of barrenness, showing faith in the same God who had miraculously given Sarah a son in her old age. His prayer was answered with the birth of twins, Esau and Jacob. Isaac was also a peacemaker. When in Philistine country, the inhabitants disputed his right to the well that his servants had dug. He chose not to quarrel and instead, he moved away and dug another well. He did this four times, until finally they let him be. He named this well Rehoboth, declaring, “For now the Lord