Spot the difference

Reading through the lives of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 11-35), it's really interesting to see how they lived very similar lives.
Basically, they wandered around the desert, grew rich, and told kings that their wife was in fact their sister, and the kings in question nearly have sex with her. Now the last time Abraham does this, Sarah was 99, so kings must've been pretty desperate in those days...

But more important than the similarities are the differences. What I've really come to understand through this reading is that closeness to God is really important.
Abraham sees God, talks to God, argues with God, and OBEYS God.
Isaac does speak to God - pleading on behalf of his infertile wife (maybe they should stop marrying their cousins...) and asking God to bless his sons, but I kind of get the feeling Isaac's faith is lukewarm compared to Abraham's, despite his many blessings - and it shows up in those sons.
Does Isaac ever share his faith, and teach his sons in the ways of God? It seems not - read Genesis 27 to find Jacob talking about 'Your' God to Isaac - he's not made God his own god. More to the point, he only brings God into things when he's deceiving Isaac!

Further on down the line, I'm looking forward to the story of Joseph, and worrying that Jessica will break into song...but there too, we see the fruit of this distance from God and deceitful nature in Joseph's brothers, and indeed in Jacob. And further still, we see the in-fighting between Jacob's sons when Israel divides in Kings & Chronicles - the sons of Leah get into conflict with the sons of Rachel.

So the moral of the story?
Stay close to God. Talk with him, get to know him, make him yours!