GENESIS LESSON 37
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 severly. 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 digged 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.
Questions 37
1. What problem was in the land?
2. To whom did Isaac go?
3. Where?
4. God told Isaac not to go where?
5. What land had God promised Abraham?
6. What were these verses telling Isaac, that we could take heed of
today?
7. What was his seed compared to for number?
8. What was a promise to the earth through Isaac? Why?
9. Name 5 reasons God would bless him.
10. What was the first thing God told Abraham to do?
11. Where did Isaac dwell?
12. When the men of the city asked, what did he say about Rebekah?
13. Why did he not tell the truth?
14. What realation was Rebekah to Isaac, besides his wife?
15. What did Abemelech see to make him know Rebekah was Isaac's wife?
16. What would have brought guiltiness on the Philistines unknowingly?
17. What threat did Abemelich make to anyone who touched Rebekah or
Isaac?
18. What did Isaac do to reap a hundred fold?
19. What three things did Isaac have that made him great in the sight
of the Philistines?
20. What attitude did the Philistines have?
21. What happened to the wells Isaac's father's servants dug?
22. Why did Abimelech ask him to leave?
23. Where did he go?
24. What happened there twice?
25. What was as valuable as gold?
26. What was the name of the first two wells he dug?
27. What was the name of the third well?
28. What does it mean?
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