Like Father, Like Son: A Tale of Two “Brothers”

The account of Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis 26:7-11 so closely parallels the account of Abraham passing himself off as Sarah’s “brother” in Genesis 12:10-20 and (again!!!) in Genesis 20:1-18 that some scholars cry “foul!”  They see the Isaac and Rebekah story as a reenactment as resulting from a purely literary creation (the situational and verbal parallels are indeed striking!), rather than as actual history.  But nothing in these passages compels us to doubt the historicity of the accounts.  Furthermore, to accept the idea that Isaac actually replicated his father’s (two-time!) scam hardly requires an enormous stretch of the imagination.  Both faced very similar situations; both shared similar fears; and both sought refuge according to the same cultural conventions.

Isaac’s misstep illustrates once again the truth of the proverb about that nasty apple that refuses to fall far from the tree; children surely are influenced by the attitudes and behaviors of their parents.  But before we throw our hands up in complete despair, we should note that this syndrome can, and often does, work in the positive direction.  But there is a catch:  although bad parental examples seem to be repeated “naturally,” good parental examples typically require respect and admiration for the parent—a sobering thought indeed!  Jesus, through the power of your Holy Spirit, help me to live in way worthy of my family’s respect, if for no other reason than to inculcate a love for You and a respect for You as our Lord and Savior!