We will begin in Genesis 26:1 “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.” Genesis 26:2 “And the LORD
appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which
I shall tell thee of:” Genesis 26:3 “Sojourn in this land, and I will be
with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will
give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto
Abraham thy father;”
You see, God wants all of us to depend on Him in a crisis, and Isaac
was no exception. These few verses above were just saying do not compromise
with the world (Egypt); to stay away from the famine. God was telling him,
just depend on me; I will see you through it, if you will just trust me. God
told Isaac, I have sworn to give you all of this land for your ancestors.
Genesis 26:4 “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of
heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”
Here was God’s promise, all over again, to Isaac that he had promised
Abraham. This was an eternal promise to physical Israel and spiritual
Israel.
Genesis 26:5 “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge,
my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
You see, when Abraham first became acquainted with God, he was not
already a believer. God charged him to get up and leave Ur of the Chaldees,
and go where He sent him. Abraham did it. God commanded Abraham in the way
he should live. Abraham obeyed. He followed God’s statutes to the letter on
circumcision, and kept God’s laws. Abraham pleased God.
Genesis 26:6 “And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:” Genesis 26:7 “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 just a repeat of the same thing his father had said. The only
difference was that Sarah was Abraham’s half sister. Rebekah was actually a
second cousin to Isaac. Fear is not of God. Isaac should not have reacted
this way. Rebekah had to be pretty old when this happened, because she did
not have a baby until twenty years after she married. We ladies need to find
their secret to old age beauty. Maybe it was their special relationship to
God. Same land, same king, same results.
Genesis 26:8 “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.”
Be sure your sins will find you out. This type thing can not be
covered, and sure enough, Abimelech caught them and found out that they were
husband and wife.
Genesis 26:9 “And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety
she [is] thy wife: and how saidst thou, She [is] my sister? And Isaac said
unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.” Genesis 26:10 “And Abimelech
said, What [is] this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly
have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon
us.” Genesis 26:11 “And Abimelech charged all [his] people, saying, He that
toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”
Abimelech recognized quickly that this was Isaac’s wife. Abimelech was
angry with Isaac, because had anyone slept with Rebekah, it would have
caused serious trouble in the land. God would have punished them severely.
Abimelech was afraid of God, and warned his people not to harm these two who
were in God’s protection.
Genesis 26:12 “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same
year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.”
This was a bountiful crop from God. This was an over-abundant blessing
in this crop. Hundredfold is a tremendous return. Isaac had to plant the
seed, before God could bless the harvest.
Genesis 26:13 “And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew
until he became very great:” Genesis 26:14 “For he had possession of flocks,
and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines
envied him.”
God blessed Isaac abundantly, and not once, but God continued blessing
him, until he was extremely wealthy. He had large flocks, and herds, and
many servants. He was so wealthy that his Philistine neighbors were jealous
of his wealth. This was not a healthy situation.
Genesis 26:15 “For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged
in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and
filled them with earth.”
Jealousy causes men to do strange things. The wells could have helped
everyone. Filling a well was destruction without a purpose. It could do no
one any good. Even today in Israel, they are redigging some of the old
wells.
Genesis 26:16 “And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art
much mightier than we.”
Isaac was not mightier in number. He just had God on his side. He was
mightier in wealth and blessings of God.
Genesis 26:17 “And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the
valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.” Genesis 26:18 “And Isaac digged again the
wells of water, which they had digged 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.”
Genesis 26:19 “And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a
well of springing water.”
Isaac left to keep from having trouble with these jealous-hearted
people. He did not go far, just to the valley. Years before, his father’s
servants had dug wells and got abundant water here. In this area, a good
well of water was as valuable as gold nuggets. The land was fertile, only
very dry. Water made it like a Garden of Eden. For spite, these wells had
been plugged. How foolish, because they could have used the much needed
water. Isaac knew right where the good wells were, and had them dug anew.
Not only did they find water in the well, but a flowing spring. With water,
they would produce profusely.
Genesis 26:20 “And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s
herdmen, saying, The water [is] ours: and he called the name of the well
Esek; because they strove with him.” Genesis 26:21 “And they digged another
well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.”
You see these herdsmen of Gerar had this place all to themselves before
Isaac came. They could have dug for water, but they did not. They waited
until after Isaac’s herdsmen dug the wells, and then claimed them. Had they
been able to take them from Isaac’s herdsmen, they would have, probably,
dried up. Isaac was a man of God. He voluntarily moves to another spot, as
we will see in the next verse. This reminds us of the Lord’s teaching “And
if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have
thy cloak also.” Matthew chapter 5:40.
Genesis 26:22 “And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and
for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he
said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in
the land.”
Isaac’s patience paid off. God blessed him with another well. These
other herdsmen had water now, so they left Isaac alone. The word “Rehoboth”
means broad places. Isaac gave God credit for finding the well. He realized
wherever he went, God would bless him.
The next lesson starts with chapter 26 verse 23 of Genesis