THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may go to the archive at the bottom of the main page and find it.
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
GENESIS
CHAPTER 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. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 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; 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; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Sometimes God allows tests in order to strengthen our character.
Abraham was left to his own discretion when there was a famine in the land.
But Isaac is told NOT to go down to Egypt. We do not always
understand why God allows certain things to happen; but we can
be assured that He always has a PLAN.
Later, Jacob would face this same "test." And God would specifically
tell him to go down to Egypt. From these three men facing the same
"tests," we Christians should learn a Biblical principle: Whatever the "test," search for God's direction.
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. 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 thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. 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. 11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
Even though Isaac received a reassuring "word" from God personally, he was
perhaps weak in his faith. He committed a sin much like that of
his father Abraham. Abimelech strongly reproved Isaac (vs 10), and then
gave all his people charge to keep them protected (vs 11).
Sometimes our sins are reproved by the Lord. And we shouldn't
be surprised if He chooses to us worldly people to reprove us.
You will note here though, that God kept His people protected
for HIS glory, even though they were sinning.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: 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: and the Philistines envied him. 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. 16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. 17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 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.
After "reproof," God poured out blessing. Isaac received
"an hundredfold" on his crops. This caused envy, even anger on the
part of the Philistines. And Abimelech asked Isaac to leave.
Truly, "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich..."
(Prov. 10:22)
Notice that Isaac didn't move far away. Just from the capitol city
to the valley. And here he "..digged again the wells of water."
We would do well to "dig the wells" our forefathers dug in faith!
19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 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. 21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. 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.
We can learn a lesson from the names of the wells here:
(vs 20) "Esek" -- meaning contention,
(vs 21) "Sitnah"-- meaning enmity,
(vs 22) "Rehoboth" -- meaning plenty of room
After we have lived in the land of contention
and enmity for a while, we will be given plenty of
room in heaven!
We might also take note that Isaac moved quietly away from
contention and hatred, trying to find a place of quietness.
So should we, today, if we can. However, we should never
turn our backs on the work to be done, if it requires that
we FACE contention and even hatred. For we, as Christians,
follow the example of our Jesus. He left contention and
hatred for a time, seeking the quiet peace of prayer. But,
when it was necessary He stood firm against the same, even
though it meant the cross. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every
purpose under the heaven..."(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
The only way to know which is which, is to seek God's Divine
direction.
23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. 25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
Isaac returned to a most important place: Beersheba. This is
"the well of the oath." It is where Abraham and Abimelech
covenanted together for peace. It was also the place
where Abraham had built a place of worship and called
on God - the God of eternity (El Olam) (see Ch. 21:33).
When we need Divine direction we must return to prayer
and study of God's Word.
Here, in the place of worship, God gave Isaac the same
promise He had made to Abraham.
Isaac, like his father, built a place of worship and thanked God.
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 unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? 28 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; 29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD. 30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. 31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
Now, Abimelech may be "worldly" and without God, but he recognizes
blessings when he sees them. He became fearful.
Friends, if we will walk with God, He will show His Divine favour
toward us and the world will tremble!!
Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh
even his enemies to be at peace with him."
Notice that Abimelech came to Isaac and wanted to mak an
agreement. He was so afraid that he wanted to make sure
that Isaac didn't wage war against him.
32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. 33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.
The same day that Abimelech left, Isaac's servants reported finding
water. Isaac named the well "Shebah," meaning "well of the oath."
Here is a principle truth: When we covenant to do good, and not harm, God provides protection and plenty.
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 unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
This is a sad note on which to end the chapter, but it is a great
lesson. Sometimes at the highest spiritual times of our lives
we must bear the most difficult agony. The news of Essau taking
not one but TWO wifes of unlike faith and heritage
"..were a grief of mind unto Isaac and Rebekah."
Note one thing of great importance here: the story of Isaac
does not END, it goes on. So often today, when
Christians reach a pinnacle of faith, and then receive grief
they cease to "go on." This is not the example of our
faith heroes. For a lesson on heroes of the faith
see Hebrews 11.
Continue in trust and obedience to God. We may not always
understand His plan, but we can hold to His Hand.
Please continue to follow along in Bible study with us.