Genesis 27:42-44 Rebekah … sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran.”… Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”
This story is typical of the sins of the parents being visited upon their children. Abraham had set this pattern of deceit in small ways when he pretended that Sarah was his sister, not his wife (Gen. 12:13; 20:2). Now we see this deception imitated by Isaac and Rebekah (Gen. 26:7). It has become a common way of life for them and their sons. Jacob was raised in a family of scheming and conniving parents. It seems that Esau was Isaac’s favorite child, while Jacob was Rebekah’s. It is no wonder then that Jacob grew up learning directly from her how to lie, manipulate, deceive and cheat. Having learned them early, it would take much more effort to unlearn them. We will see that years in the wilderness would pass before Jacob would change. Those years were needed so that he would be ready for his place in God’s unfolding plan for His people.
What sins are we passing on to our children? Are we allowing “white lies” to be acceptable? Do we favor one child or parent over the other in our relationships? Often times we are blind to our own shortcomings and sinfulness. Sometimes we see them after our children have grown older and magnify what we know in our hearts have been our shortcomings.
Change begins with your relationship to God. Acknowledging the need to him is a good first step. Then as you study Scripture, pray and exercise faith, improvement will come. Remember, nothing is impossible with God.
