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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 29 November 2024:
Genesis 26:1 — Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham.
The promised land wasn’t without its hardships and challenges. As there was a famine in the days of Abram (Genesis 12:10), so there was a famine in Isaac’s day. All blessings bring new challenges, which is part of the blessing as God fulfills His promise and plan for your life to create in you Christlike character.
Genesis 26:6-7 — So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance.
The reader should not miss the obvious parallels between Isaac’s life and that of his father Abraham. Both Abraham and Isaac trusted God enough to go where God said to go and stay where God said to stay, but both also were prepared to sell out their loved ones (wives) to save their own skins – “Like father like son…. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” It would appear that Abraham didn’t ensure Isaac learned from his mistakes. This chapter further demonstrates the cycle of sin we all see too often as well as the predictable sinful behavior of people in general, but more importantly, what is further revealed in this chapter is God’s faithfulness despite our infidelity. God’s grace and patience with those He loves. While Isaac is deceiving out of fear, God is keeping His promises out of perfect love. Thank God our salvation rests upon His love and faithfulness and not ours.
Genesis 26:14 – He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him.
Your blessings will make others envy.
Genesis 26:15-33 – (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father). And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” So Isaac departed…. And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham…. But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours”…. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also…. And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” From there he went up to Beersheba. 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 offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well. When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.” So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.” He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.
Water is vital to the life of a desert herdsman. After Abraham had died, the Philistines filled the wells he had dug to prevent Isaac from settling there. They wanted to keep Isaac far away. Their motivation is confirmed when Abimelech (not the person’s actual name but rather his title, meaning king, used by several people in the Bible) asks Isaac to leave, likely intending to avoid a major conflict with Isaac. When Isaac dug new wells too close to the herdsman in Gerar, those herdsman claimed rights to the water there too. So, Issac moved on until he found a place where there was no quarrel. Then, Abimelech sought peace with Isaac, seeing that he was blessed by God.
Isaac’s life mirrored Abraham’s in bad ways (spinelessly and deceitfully claiming his wife as his sister), and in good ways (humbling and sacrificially surrendering rights to keep the peace). Similarly to how Abraham gave Lot his choice of land in order to keep the peace, Isaac was willing to surrender his rights to land his father had clearly settled (through great effort) and move out to distant land no one wanted in order to avoid a conflict with the Philistines, despite the fact that Isaac had both the right and might to defend himself against those who were merely envious and fearful of him. Isaac was being mistreated by those who resented him, but he didn’t respond negatively, despite the great expense to his family – his livelihood and security was being threatened. Just as God did with Abraham, God told Lot, “Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring.” Issac could trust God to keep His promises of blessing and to richly provide regardless of what others tried to do to him. No one could hinder God’s blessings for Isaac, and there was no need for Isaac to fight for what God was going to give him no matter what. The same holds true for you. No one can take from you what God intends for you, and you don’t have to sin (lie, cheat, steal, deceive, quarrel, hoard, etc.) to provide for yourself. You can trust God with your obedience; you can trust God with your humility, meekness, vulnerability, and submissiveness; you can trust God to love your enemies, to radically forgive and give, and to endure persecution for the sake of God’s glory. God will bless you perfectly and grow you in Christlike character as you remain faithful through conflicts with others. We only add curses to God’s intended blessings when we seek to take for ourselves what God has not yet provided. Unfortunately we will see this play out in Jacob’s life.
Notice that as Isaac continues to endure maltreatment but also continues to be obviously and richly blessed by God, Abimelech comes to him to make peace, though defensively (bringing his advisor (think lawyer) army commander). Abimelech is merely seeking to defend his own self-interests, not to establish a friendship. Yet, Isaac holds a feast for Abimelech and establishes a treaty with him. That same day, Isaac’s servants find water at a place which would one day become an important city.
Trust God enough to love those who don’t deserve it and probably won’t reciprocate. One of the greatest examples given by Jesus of this is when He washed Judas’ feet before the Passover meal, though He knew Judas had decided to betray Him. They Bible explains Jesus’ motivation – “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, [washed Judas’ feet].” (John 13:3) Jesus had no need to be angry, to defend Himself, or protect Himself, nor did He have a heart to – He was living in the Father’s perfect providence and perfect will. His desire was to demonstrate the love of His Father at all costs, for His glory and for the benefit of everyone watching and learning. He was ready to trust His Father all the way to the Cross. Was it hard for Jesus to wash Judas’ feet? It would have been unbearable to Jesus not to wash Judas’ feet – this was His heart’s desire! Pray that God will give you the same heart as you continue to practice this sort of love.
Genesis 26:34, 35 – When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.
Esau was motivated by his passions rather than a heart of obedience. The same character he displayed when he sold his birthright was reflected in his relationships.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 29 November 2024: Today, practice showing patience, graciousness, gentleness, and forgiveness rather than defensiveness and assertiveness. Surrender your rights for the sake of maintaining and building relationships. Be the bigger person for God’s glory, and trust God to take care of you on the other side of your sacrifices. Through it all, proclaim the Gospel.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 