Children Can Learn from Bible Examples (Cont'd.)

Ishmael (Genesis 21).

Ishmael had a different mother than his brother Isaac He was 14 when his brother was born. His mother, Hagar, had despised Sarah, Isaac's mother and wife of Abraham. When his young brother was about five years old, Ishmael (now about 19 or so) was seen mocking him. His attitude and actions caused a lot of trouble in the family and resulted in he and his mother being sent away. He grew up like a wild man in the wilderness. Before he was born, the angel of the Lord told his mother, "He will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." (Genesis 16:12). Today the descendants of Ishmael, the Palestinians, live among the Jews in the same land of Israel.

Today and through the past centuries, his descendants, the Palestinians and other Arabs, have been the enemies of Israel who descended from Isaac.

Some children pick up the bad attitudes of one or the other of their parents. They become bitter and antagonistic toward others and suffer and pass the suffering on to their descendants. They even do this in spite of being taught about the one true God.

Samson (Judges 13-16).

1. At the time of Samson's birth his people, Israel, were tormented by and in servitude to the Philistines.
2. Before Samson was born, an angel of the Lord appeared to his mother, informing her of his coming birth and informed her that "He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines" (Judges 13:3-5). She told her husband of this. He asked the Lord to send the angel back to "teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field." She went quickly and got her husband. The angel repeated the instructions. Samson was born, grew up, and was separated unto God by her vow.

In spite of all this good background to his birth and the supernatural strength God gave him by the Holy Spirit coming upon him, and in spite of his great victories, Samson did not keep his separation, made bad choices and committed sins. These resulted in his God given strength leaving him, his eyes being gouged out and being made to do heavy work grinding at the mill. He regained his strength from God, pulled down the pillars of a building where his enemies were making sport of him, causing the death of 3,000 Philistines, but died with them at his own request.

In our times there have been young people from a godly background, who knew God, experienced His Holy Spirit's power in their lives, won many victories, but fell to the enticements of sin and ended up in misery and disgrace.