Genesis 25:19-27
Verse 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
We once again fast forward in Isaac’s life and find him married to Rebekah. Like his mom and dad, he finds himself a part of a childless couple. But we get to see what Isaac had learned about God. We mentioned yesterday about what Isaac must have thought about being bound and tied up to be sacrificed. As he was on the altar, he may not have been able to see the same thing his dad saw caught up in the thicket. He may not have heard the angel of the Lord speak to know it was the Lord who had stopped the knife from plunging into him.
He may not have heard or seen those things but we know he trusted what his dad said and that was that the Lord would provide the needed lamb. He would have thought about that day many times over the years. After his mom had died, his dad’s servant had brought a wife for Isaac and he found her to be another way God had provided for him. But now came the time where he wanted God to provide for his wife and so he prays.
Notice it doesn’t say he was praying for them as a couple but that he was praying for his wife because of her barrenness. He had likely heard the stories from his mom about how hard it was to not have a child until she was so old and he didn’t want that for his wife. From our passage today we learn that he prayed for 20 years before they welcomed their boys into the world. Twenty years of trusting God for the promise his dad had received about having many descendants.
God hadn’t forgotten His promise and Isaac knew it wasn’t about his timing but waiting for what God had already willed. This is the first time we know of twins being born and it had to be an affirming sign for Isaac about his faith in God’s promise to Abraham. Though he was born when his parents were 90 and 100, Isaac knew there wasn’t much chance of having a larger family at his age. Upon seeing the twins, Isaac would have no questions about what God was going to do. God could multiply in ways beyond what they could comprehend because God was seeing the full picture from beginning to end.
Making It Personal
When have you trusted God enough to pray? How has He answered? What haven’t you prayed about for fear of not getting what you want?
Making It Personal Kids
What kinds of things do you pray for? Do you think God listens to your prayers? How has He answered your prayers?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for listening to our prayers and answering them as they align with Your will. Give us hearts which seek to pray what You want us to pray. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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