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Genesis 21b:

Abraham and the well

Now the subject changes and the Spirit records an encounter between Abraham and his host.  WHY?

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Genesis 21: 

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me [again], nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land wherein you have sojourned.” 24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

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The two groups therefore lived in harmony for many years while Isaac was growing up.  But over a period of time a problem arose.  Tensions developed between the believers and non-believers.

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Genesis 21:

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away [from their use some time before]. 26 And Abimelech said, “I wot not [I don’t know] who has done this thing: neither did you tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today.”

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Abraham was a man of peace, but he did not shirk from standing up for his men who were just doing their job.  Abimelech dealt with the problem the day it came to his attention, even while he was visiting with Abraham.  Thus these two great men showed their characters.

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Genesis 21:

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant [a renewed agreement of peace].

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves [away from the other animals]. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What mean these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?” 30   And he said, “For these seven ewe lambs shall you take of my hand, that they may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well [they were not to be eaten but kept as a reminder].” 31 Wherefore he called that place “Beersheba” [“the well of the oath”]; because there they swore [an oath], both of them.

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The seven ewe lambs represent the fullness of Jesus and were designed to draw the heathen man’s attention to Him from time to time.  This agreement was so solemn because it was made in the name of the Son of God that Abraham gave a special name to the place.  However, up until recently most of us would have just shaken hands to seal a deal, for a man’s word was his bond in past generations.  But now we frequently have to have exhaustive legal documents because humanity is often seeking a way to break a contract.  Abraham’s way is still the best.

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Genesis 21:

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

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In this little interlude we are taught that Christians should always be at peace with non-believers.  It is one of the signs of a true connection with God that unbelievers can see and understand.  If a problem does arise  (and it should always be from the unbelievers side) then we should deal with it quickly.

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Proverbs 16:7:

7  When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

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This means that we must allow others to believe and act as they wish, even to worshipping idols without criticism from us.  It is our job to educate them without pressure when they want to hear.  (However, we may use subtle “reminders” such as seven ewe lambs as the Spirit guides us.) 

Like Jesus, we may be sent primarily to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” who are scattered everywhere, but that does not mean that we cannot work for others also.  In a significant set of verses the Spirit tells us of this.

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Jeremiah 50:

6  My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace [or God’s rest, Hebrews 4:1-5].  All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said [as an excuse for their behaviour], “We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.” [It has always been a tenet of accusers and persecutors that their victims are outside of God’s protection.]

Matthew 15:

24  But He answered [the heathen woman] and said, “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” But He answered and said, “It is not meet [right] to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs.” And she said, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.”  

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith: be it to you even as you will.”  And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

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The persecution of the heathen (and even differing Christians) by professed Christian persons is inspired by Satan through “false shepherds” who lead people astray. 

One quote from my library should be enough to show the principle at work here:

“John Cotton, of Massachusetts Bay Colony [one of the early Pilgrim fathers I believe, c 1600], declared that ‘toleration made the world anti-Christian’ and that if a man is shown the path to truth but ‘shall still persist in the error of his way and be punished [by the church or state], he is not persecuted for cause of conscience, but for sinning against his own conscience.’  He insisted that ‘persecution is not wrong in itself; it is wicked for falsehood to persecute truth, but it is the sacred duty of truth to persecute falsehood’.”  

Quoted in “Dateline Sunday, U.S.A.” page 2, written by U. S. Attorney Warren L. Johns, published 1967.

This attitude led to the Puritan persecutions in early America and is still widespread today in places.

In passing, we should take note that General Phichol was present at this exchange of promises.  He is mentioned twice in this story to draw our attention to him, for this exchange of peace vows depended on the co-operation of the leader of the army as chief of police.

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Genesis 21:

33 And Abraham planted a grove [of trees] in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting [Son of] God.  [He used it as a church assembly place.]

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Here Abraham made his second mistake regarding the church he had established.  In this planting of trees He gave the church people a man-made permanent location where they could find God.  Satan was quick to pick up on the mistake and soon instituted similar locations and buildings in his counterfeit religions.  He taught the people that they could now keep the Son of God out of their personal lives and that they could go to Him physically when they felt like it instead of Him coming to them spiritually at an inconvenient moment. 

Jesus spoke of that mistake one day.

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John 4:

19 The [Samaritan] woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and you [Jews] say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews [through the promises of God which they kept in the Book].”

23 “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. 24 God is a Spirit[ual Being]: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit [wherever they are] and in truth [being particular].” 

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Jesus was saying that Christians should no longer choose their time and space with God in direct opposition to His plan.  Paul told us:

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Acts 17:

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands; 25 neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He gives to all life, and breath, and all things. 26  And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation 27 that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us. 28 For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, “For we are also His offspring.”

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like to gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent: 31 because He has appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He has ordained; whereof He has given assurance to all men, in that He has raised Him from the dead. 

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And so Abraham lived at peace with the idolaters for many years in his “time and space”.

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Genesis 21:

34 And Abraham sojourned [lived] in the Philistines' land many days. 

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Till next week,

Ron

Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library.  No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.

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