|
Family Patterns
by ETURUVIE EREBOR The negative family pattern in any family must not be overlooked or taken lightly as many Christians have lost their glorious destinies because of their failure to deal with the negative patterns in their families. It is important to note that the negative patterns seen in many families today did not begin with those families. Negative family patterns go as far back as the creation of man. A look into the Bible reveals that the first family on earth was a victim of negative patterns. Adam and his wife Eve were cursed by God in Genesis 3:16-19. The Bible records, Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply, Thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow thou shall bring forth children: and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring fort to thee and thou shalt eat of herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return. Adams and Eve sinned against God and God cursed them both but it didn't end there, as we see that Cain their first son also sinned against God and in Genesis 4:11-12, like his parents, Cain was also cursed by God. The Bible records: And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength a fugitive and a vagabond shall thou be in the earth. Negative family patterns are not only seen in the above family but as we journey through the scriptures we also see a pattern of negative events in the family of Abraham. For example, Abraham experienced famine and so did his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. The Bible records: And Abram journeyed going on still toward the South and there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there: For the famine was grievous in the land. Genesis12:9-10 And there was a famine in the land, beside the First famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. Genesis26:1 And the famine was over all the face of the earth and Joseph opened all the storehouse, and sold unto the Egyptians, and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn because that the famine was so sore in all lands. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt Jacob said unto his sons, why do ye look one upon another? Genesis41:56-57, Genesis 42:1 From the scriptures above we see a negative pattern of events in the same family running through three generations. This however was not the only negative pattern in that family for as we look through the scriptures we find that the wife of Abraham was barren until God intervened, the wife of Isaac was also barren until God intervened and the wives of Jacob, Leah and Rachel, were barren until God intervened. The womb of Leah was opened first when God saw that she hated and later the womb of Rachel was opened. The Bible records: But Sarah was barren she had no child. Genesis11:30 And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in His old age, at that set time of which God had Spoken to him. Genesis21:1-2 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Genesis25:21 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. Genesis29:31 And God remember Rachel, and God Hearkened to her, and opened her womb. Genesis30:22 When we look at the scriptures above there is a confirmation that the wives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all experienced barrenness until God stepped in. the evil pattern of barrenness transcended one generation to another. In this same family we see a pattern of the first sons losing their inheritance to the younger sons. Ishmael, Abraham's first son, lost his inheritance to Isaac, the second son. Esau lost his inheritance to Jacob, the second son. Reuben the first son lost his inheritance to Joseph. The Bible records: And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his sons. And God said unto Abraham, let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the Lad, and because of thy bondwoman, in all that Sarah Hath said unto thee hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Genesis21:11-12 And Isaac his father said unto him, who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy first- born Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, who? Where is he that hath taken venison and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest and have blessed him? Yea and he shall be blessed. And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, bless me even me also, o my father. And he said, thy brother came with subtility, and hath taken away thy blessing. Genesis 27:32-33 Reuben, thou art my first born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the Excellency of dignity, and the Excellency of power. Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel: because thou wentest up to thy father's bed: then defiledst thou it, he went up to my couch. Genesis49:3-4 A look at the above scriptures reveals that the first born sons in this family lost their inheritances. In one family we see a pattern of famine, a pattern of barrenness and a pattern of loss of inheritance. Many families today are known for one negative pattern or the other. For some it is a pattern of late marriages, for some it is a pattern of poverty, for some it is a pattern of sickness and for some it is a pattern of untimely death. And like the family of Abraham in the Bible, the negative patterns in some of these families move from one generation to another. At this point, one may wonder what is responsible for these negative patterns in families. They are often the result of sin. Abraham was called out of an idolatrous home and this could be the reason for the negative patterns we see in his family. Eturuvie Erebor (AKA Gabriella) is a writer, speaker, trainer and coach with a strong passion to transform the lives of women and youth not only in her native country, Nigeria and the United Kingdom, where she was born, but all across the world. She has spoken to women and youth groups in churches, Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |