Genesis Chapter 26

Isaac’s Challenges

This scripture continues to be important for our understanding of Isaac’s perseverance and obedience to God: 1 Corinthians 9:27 “But, I discipline my flesh, and bring it into subjection; lest when I preach the Gospel to others, I myself will become disqualified.” Once again we list the figures of speech to help you as you do this study. SIMILE: Resemblance; ALLEGORY: comparison by representation; METAPHOR: Representation; HYPOCATASTASIS: An implied resemblance or representation; TYPE: A figure or example of something future; ANALOGY: Resemblance in some particulars between things otherwise unlike.

26:1-2

Another famine means that various tribes of people would be once again struggling for survival for themselves and their flocks, just as had happened a hundred years earlier to Abraham and Sarah. The Lord God actually appears visibly to Isaac to warn him not to go into Egypt, but to remain in the land, trusting God for His provision for his family tribe. Remember, this appearance is referred to as a Theophany; a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord, Jesus Christ in human form.

26:3-6

God tells Isaac that if he obeys and remains in the land as instructed, that God will bless him and his lineage; giving all these countries to his posterity, just as He had promised Abraham. God repeats the same promises to Isaac regarding his posterity to be unnumerable as the stars of heaven. He assures Isaac that all the nations of the earth will be blessed as he obeys God, just as Abraham had obeyed God. This confirmation and assurance is all Isaac needs to hear, he immediately obeys God, and stays in Gerar instead of going to Egypt.

26:7

It’s amazing that as soon as we obey God and have a victory over a possible sin situation, that another trial appears. The men of Gerar begin to ask Isaac about the beautiful Rebekah. Isaac panics and repeats the same lie that his father Abraham had told, saying “She is my sister”. He feared that the men would kill him to obtain Rebekah, because of her beauty.

26:8-10

After a long time, the ruler, referred to as Abimelech, looks out a window and sees Isaac caressing Rebekah. He immediately calls for Isaac and confronts him regarding Rebekah being his wife, NOT his sister. Stating that one of the men of his country might have taken Rebekah and laid with her, committing adultery, which was a serious sin which would have brought guilt upon all of them in the land. In addition, adultery was a capital offense! Abimelech demands Isaac explain his lying. Isaac uses the same excuse Abraham had used, that he feared being killed so someone could take Rebekah.

26:11-12

Abimelech then immediately issues an edict that states that anyone who touches Isaac or his wife will be put to death. We remember this same command from the earlier ruler in the same situation with Abraham and Sarah. However, this time no gifts are given, nor is any promise made that Isaac and Rebekah may dwell where ever they wish. (12.) Isaac sowing seed . . .; this is the first mention of “sowing seed”. The sowing must have been at the direction of God and the results are blessed by God as he receives back a hundredfold in the same year as he sows. We are even told that God is blessing him. Matthew 13:23 refers to this sowing of “good seed” as referring to the Word of God.

26:13-15

Isaac continues to obey God and becomes very successful and rich in the land. He acquires flocks and herds as well as a great number of servants. His wealth increases so much and so quickly that the Philistines begin to envy him. They then filled his wells, the same one’s his father had dug, with dirt, to try to hinder his prosperity.

26:16

After these efforts fail, then Abimelech tells Isaac to move away from that area because he and his tribe have become more powerful than Abimelech’s people. This would mean that Isaac would lose all the lands he had cultivated.

26:17

Instead of arguing, or ‘demanding his rights’, Isaac, his family, and his entire tribe move away from that area as demanded by Abimelech; and moves to the valley of Gerar and sets up camp in the valley. This self-discipline and willingness to trust God, despite the unfair treatment, is an example of the discipline of the flesh we learned about in 1 Corinthians 9:27. Keep in mind that self-discipline takes on many different aspects.

26:18-19

The first thing they must do is obtain enough good clean water for themselves and their flocks and herds; so Isaac has his servants dig the dirt out of the old wells his father had dug many years before. Immediately God blesses them with an artesian well, one that acts as a spring, pouring water out to the surface of the land!

26:20

The herdsmen in the area immediately claim the well as their own, demanding they control the spring of water. Isaac has his men relinquish the well to the herdsman, calling the well Esek, meaning contention.

26:21

Isaac again has his servants dig out another old well his father had dug that was also stopped up with dirt by the Philistines. This well also proves to be a good well. The men of the area, the Gerarites claim that well also. Isaac names this well Sitnah, meaning enmity. He again relinquishes this well.

26:22

Isaac moves away from that area and has yet another of his father’s old wells dug out. This time no one tries to take it from his men. Isaac names this well Rehoboth, which means room, because now God has provided room for them to become fruitful in the land. God was encouraging Isaac to Never give up! To Persevere! The easiest thing to do is to QUIT!. We are often unsuccessful because we fight battles that are to be left to God, AND we give up too soon! We must all learn to discipline our flesh and NOT GIVE UP! No matter what battles we face, we need to trust God and persevere in doing what is good and right.

26:23-24

After Isaac goes up to Beersheba, the Lord appears to him again. God clearly identifies Himself as “The God of Abraham, your father.” God tells Isaac not to fear anything or anyone as He is with him and will bless him and multiply his posterity for the sake of Abraham. Notice that the promises are always tied to the original promises given to Abraham.

26:25

Now Isaac builds an altar to the Lord, and calls upon the name of the Lord. According to the Biblical records, this is the only Altar that Isaac builds. Then Isaac calls upon the name of the Lord as his Lord. He also establishes his home there; then has his servants dig another well. It appears that they dug out a well that had also belonged to Abraham as the people there acknowledged that the well had belonged to Abraham. Isaac now knows he is settled in the area chosen by God.

26:26

Abimelech has obviously been keeping tract of where Isaac and his tribe have been moving and what has been going on. So now he goes to see Isaac and brings along Ahuzzath, a close friend; and the chief captain of his army. We can be certain that there is a large contingent of soldiers with him, as the chief captain would NOT be going along with the ruler, Abimelech, without sufficient armed forces.

26:27

Isaac immediately confronts Abimelech and demands to know why he has come to him, since he hates him and sent him out of his land. Why would Isaac suddenly be confident enough to confront Abimelech? Remember, God has appeared to him and given him reassurance regarding His Eternal promises to Isaac.

26:28

Abimelech admits that they have been carefully observing how God has continually been with him, protecting and blessing him. Abimelech asks for a Covenant with Isaac to be sealed with an oath. The oath would have been binding upon all those who Abimelech ruled and all those under the rulership of Isaac.

26:29

Abimelech asks that the Covenant be a peace treaty to insure that none of Isaac’s people would hurt or harm him or his people and that he and his people would do nothing to hurt or harm Isaac’s people. Abimelech states that he and his people have done nothing to hurt or harm Isaac and his people. He claims they have done nothing but good to Isaac and his people and sent them away in peace. This was untrue as his people had demanded the wells Isaac servants had dug, and had generally made them move on several times, hardly making them feel at “peace.” His final statement however, is quite true: “You are now the blessed of the Lord.”

26:30

Isaac graciously has a generous dinner prepared for all the men; and they eat and drink and spend the night at Isaac’s camp. It would appear that a peace treaty would be reasonable and wise considering the situation for Isaac and his tribe.

26:31-33

The next day they all get up early in the morning and then swear an oath and make a Peace Covenant. Isaac then sends them on back to their land in peace. That very same day, no doubt after Abimelech and his army had left, his servants come and announce that the well they were digging is successful and has water. Isaac calls the well Shebah, meaning “Oath”. The name of the city remains to this day as Beersheba, meaning The well of the Oath. This is the same area Abraham also made a Covenant of peace. Remember that his wife and twin sons are with him and are certainly witnessing all that is happening to Isaac, and to them.

26:34-35

Just as it would seem that things were finally going well for Isaac and Rebekah, their son Esau, at the age of 40, takes two Hittite women as wives; Judith and Basemath. They were clearly to only have one wife; and even more important, the father was to select the wife, AND she was NOT to be of the people of the land, the Hittites. Esau clearly has learned nothing from his father’s experiences and does not have the same self-discipline of the flesh and spirit that Isaac and Rebekah possess. These wives brought grief to both Isaac and Rebekah.

Our successes in obeying the Lord will bring us His joy and blessings. Our failure to discipline ourselves in all areas of our lives will bring us heartache and failures. We can never rest on our past successes. We must daily seek to know and obey God’s Will. Consider memorizing 1 Corinthians 9:27 for yourself and your life. Applying that scripture diligently to your life will bring you His blessings. We pray for all God’s Blessings for all of us!