QT 10/17/2025 Gen 26:23–35, The bitterness of raising children

Genesis 26:23–35 (ESV) —

23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

26 When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” 28 They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.” 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. 32 That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

34 When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, 35 and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

 

NOTE: Children have a way of making life difficult. It is not just the birth that brings pain, it is their raising up, and even their adult decisions (as evidenced by Esau's decisions when he was 40). His two wives would have lived at Isaac's parent's home in their own section or in a nearby tent if they did not have fixed homes. Those who think that upbringing is a guarantee of good behavior neither know the bible or have adult children yet. I used to be naïve thinking that a good parent will produce children who make good decisions and a poor parent will produce children who make poor life decisions. My children proved me wrong, although in the end, they both returned to the Lord with a fervor to do right. Additionally, I am the result of poor parenting, and God transformed me. So, all we can is what God calls us to do. I do believe that in the end, the proverb will turn out correct, but we can't blame ourselves nor can we be prideful when our children turn out wonderful. Those whom God called his children never made the right decision (making God a poor father under the previous logic). Children, will grow up to be adults, and they have free will. You can only pray for them, and realize it may be some time before your prayers are answered.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I blame myself for the life decisions of my children?
2. Do I do the best I can, I will not be perfect, and trust God that he will rescue them in time?

 

PRAYER: Father, it is hard to see children make the choices that they do, despite their upbringing. It can make life very bitter to see a child who completely turns away. Give us mercy and grace to do the right thing, and to trust you, that you love our children even more than we can or do.