Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?  II Corinthians 6:14

I recently asked a group of teens what a yoke was? Their answer was not surprising. They thought it was the yellow of an egg. Scriptures uses a lot of agricultural allusions which our society is fast moving away from. This week we want to see how a yoke in marriage works for the benefit or dysfunction of our families. Remember each day we read an entire chapter but listen for God to point out something specifically for us and our families. My babblings may not fit your situation at all. That’s why I encourage you to share your experiences in our comments section.

 

Observations:

Genesis 24: 12,63 Abraham, his servant, and Isaac had strong prayer relationships with God. Abraham had received the promises of the land and the family that would bless the world. He built alters and worshipped. He was concerned with the marriage of his son. His servant prayed about how to conduct the mission his master had sent him on. Isaac was in the fields meditating, probably praying about the servants return and the wife he would bring. Yoked with God and passing the faith along.

Genesis 25:21,22 Isaac prayed for his wife and children. Rebekah prayed for her children. God answered their prayers. They were couple yoked together with God.  God seemed not to be moving until He had their attention, but life gets busy and our prayer life seems to be the thing that suffers first as we see in the next chapter.

Genesis 26:34,35 Abraham had sent for a wife for Isaac. Esau has waited forty years. When no one has sent for him a wife, he decided on two of his own choosing, two heathen women from the tribes living near them. It was a grief to Isaac and Rebekah but …. They were still yoked in their thinking put little action had come from that yoke.

Genesis 27:33,46 God will bring His plan to pass in spite of us. Isaac was ignoring God’s will to pass the blessing on to the younger son. Isaac wanted to follow the custom of blessing the elder son. The plan Rebekah came up with was deceitful and would cause a lot of harm in their family. We see how far the praying couple at the beginning of their marriage has strayed from the path of raising a godly seed. The yoke is broken. She wants to appear to turn the whole thing around to looking for a godly wife for Jacob in her efforts to save his life.  Now Jacob is on the run without truly knowing how to turn to God for help. He fears man but has not yet found the fear of God in his life.

Application:

To raise that godly seed that we as Christians all want is going to take a continual effort. Prayer for a godly spouse. Prayer for children. Prayer to direct our children. Meditation on God’s Word. A willingness to follow the Word regardless of the pressures of the culture around us. Truthfulness between spouses and children. A true yoke together in marriage that is one with each other and with God.

Malachi 2:15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none of you deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

Prayer:

Father, help us not lose sight of the goal, to raise up godly children for the sake of their eternal salvation and the salvation of our family for generations to come. In Jesus holy name we pray. Amen.

Blessings,

Gail