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Genesis 26:

Reading #117   Repeating history

What can we learn from this next story?  A great deal I believe.

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Genesis 26:

1 And there was a famine [caused by a drought] in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac [and the church] went to Abimelech king of the Philistines to [in the city of] Gerar [as Abraham had done so many years before].

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This is probably not the same man that Abraham had compromised nearly 100 years before.  The name “Abimelech” could be a title, or, like the English kings, this man might have had the same name as one of his ancestors, e.g George VI.  But, the patriarchs lived long lives, so maybe the natural humans did also!  It doesn’t really matter for it does not alter the story.

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Genesis 26:

2 And the LORD appeared to him [Isaac], and said, “Go not down into Egypt [i.e. into the world for help]; dwell in the land which I shall tell you of: 3  sojourn [stay] in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you.  For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father; 4 and I will make your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give to your seed all these countries. 

And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

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Here the Son of God repeated a principle of Christianity.  We should look only to God for help in times of emergency and stay at our post of duty until told to leave.  Jesus waited six weeks in the wilderness without food or water straight after His baptism as an example to us.  Matthew 4:1-11.  We will not have to remain so long in our troubles, but we must learn to rely on God just as implicitly.  So Isaac stayed on in his temporary country, but moved into the city.  Here he fell into the same trap as his father while he stayed there.

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Genesis 26:

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: 7 and the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, “She is my sister”: for he feared to say, “She is my wife”; lest, said he, “The men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.” [This was obviously an acceptable thing to do in that society!  I think of it as being similar to the law of the old American west where a gunfight, for whatever reason, was legal.]

8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. 9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, of a surety she is your wife: and how said you, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die for her’.”

10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might lightly have laid with your wife, and you should have brought guiltiness upon us.” 11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

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What can we say about this?  How about the words of the wise man who said, “If we will not learn from history, then we are doomed to repeat it”, or words to that effect!   Unlike his father, Isaac resorted to an outright lie, but in the end was found out.  Obviously the man of the Philistines was also as morally good as his ancestor and because of this warned his people.  But what a false picture of a Christian Isaac had given!  Fortunately for Jesus, Isaac was willingly to learn and repent, and then he “rested” in the character of his LORD. And so may we all.

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James 1:

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him [or her] ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids [growls] not; and it shall be given him.

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Once we are converted the Spirit of God spends all His energies in trying to teach us to rely on Him, and Him alone, for our daily conduct.  Then when we draw apart from His guidance and get into trouble, He leads us to Jesus to repent and allow Him to bless us with forgiveness.  Never once does Jesus blame us or take us to task, but concentrates on getting us out of the mess and providing the true example to the heathen.  And that is what He did for Isaac.

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Genesis 26:

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold [his “cup” ran over]: and the LORD blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 for he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants [the church had many members]: and the Philistines envied him. 15 For all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth [in retaliation for his conduct towards them].

16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go from us; for you are much mightier than we.” 17 And Isaac departed from there, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac [and his men] dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

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So Isaac prospered by listening to his LORD, but this caused much jealousy.  In a land with little rainfall these oases were their only means of existence so rivalry between big groups was common.  Their differences in religion and his prosperity only made the jealousy and antagonism worse.  His converting of their people didn’t help either!

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Genesis 26:

19 And Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive [fought] with Isaac's herdmen, saying, “The water is ours”: and he called the name of the well “Esek” [“strife”]; because they strove with him [religious wars].

21 And they dug another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it “Sitnah” [“enmity”]. 22 And he removed from there, and dug another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it “Rehoboth” [“open spaces”]; and he said, For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

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By moving on, Isaac and his extended family (the church) eventually found a place where they could worship and live in peace.  He had learned the all-important Christian lesson of not fighting for his rights.  Not that we as Christians really have any rights on earth, for we are citizens of heaven, just operating a mission here.  2 Corinthians 5:20.

As Christians we may be accused of cowardice for refusing to stand up and fight; but our answer should be, “It is written, ‘The fear of [listening to] the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil [and evil men] is understanding’." Job 28:28.  See also Mark 6:11.

When we are pronounced narrow and strait-laced we should answer, “It is written, ‘Wherewithal [in what way] shall a young man [or woman] cleanse his [her] way?  By taking heed thereto according to Your word." …  "Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:9 and 11.

When asked, “Why are you determined on being so singular, so different from us all?” we can reply, “It is written, He said, ‘Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways’." Psalm 119:1-3.

We should not even contend for what we may think are our “rights”.  Often our work may be made unnecessarily severe because we are willing and uncomplaining, yet we need not fail nor become discouraged.  See Isaiah 42:4. We can live above these difficulties, as if in the light of God's smile.  [Consider Hebrews 11:27].  Isaac did not retaliate when roughly used, but bore insult patiently and so may we. 

Again and again he was asked, “Why do you submit to such despiteful usage?

His answer? 

Well he didn’t have a Bible as we have, but if it had been available he would have replied, “It is written, He said, ‘My son, forget not My law; but let your heart keep My commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you: bind them about your neck [so you can bow to others]; write them upon the table of your heart [make them part of your life]: so shall you find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man’." Proverbs 3:1-4.

Not necessarily with those who are fighting you, but with those who are looking on. To the people of the world the Christian’s course of action will ever be a mystery (HOW do we do it?), but it can be sensible to their eyes.  We, as Christians, will not enter into controversy or “lose our cool”, and our example will be a constant lesson. If we do it right, we will seem as ones set apart and some will choose to join the LORD through us.

Then it was that the Jesus reminded Isaac of his purpose for living.

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Genesis 26:

23 And he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father: fear not, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for My servant Abraham's sake.” 25 And he built an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants dug [yet another] well.

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So much was done for “Abraham’s sake”!  We do not normally know how much influence our actions and beliefs will have on our descendants, but in this case we can see that God’s promise of blessing to many generations certainly does take place when they become “men of peace”.  See Isaiah 9:6.

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Genesis 26:

26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. 27 And Isaac said to them, “Why do you come to me, seeing you hate [dislike] me, and have sent me away from you?” 28 And they said, “We saw certainly that the LORD was with you: and we said, Let there be now an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you; 29 that you will do us no hurt, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace: you are now the blessed of the LORD [maybe he was frightened of retaliation from Isaac’s God?].”

30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. 31 And they rose up betimes [early] in the morning, and swore one to another [promising to live in peace]: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the [new] well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 And he called it “Shebah”: therefore the name of the city is “Beersheba” [“well of the oath”] to this day.

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: 35 which were a grief of mind to Isaac and to Rebekah.

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So Isaac reconfirmed the name of the area given earlier by Abraham by promising to live in peace with his neighbours. (Genesis 21:31.)

“Great peace have they which love Your law: and NOTHING shall offend them.”  Psalm 119:165.     What a promise!

Till next week,

Ron

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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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