26
1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 12:10
From the accounts of Genesis 25 Isaac dwelt in Beer-Lahairoi after the death of Abraham. Therefore I am concluding that the famine talked about here was in this area (Which is south of the land of Gerar). If we look at the Strong’s definition of Abimelech, one definition says that this name could just be a title that was giving to all the kings of the Philistines, because we see that there is another king Abimelech in the time of king David. we also see in verse 26 of this chapter a man named Phichol who is described as the commander of the army. Again back in chapter 21 Phichol is mentioned along with king Abimelech as also being the commander of the army for king Abimelech. So then Phichol could also be a title given to the commander of the army and not the person s name. Many years have passed since Genesis 21 and Genesis 26. if these were the same men described in both chapters that would make these men well over a hundred years old during the time of Isaac s life. This then makes it more plausible that king Abimelech and Phichol are two different people from Genesis chapter 21.
2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 12:1
Apparently Isaac was contemplating going to Egypt to escape the famine. The Lord appeared to him and stopped him in his tracks, and told him (I’m paraphrasing here), not to go the way of his father during the famine of his time, but to go where God will tell him.
3 “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 12:1-3; 13: 14, 15
◊4 “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;
God tells Isaac to dwell in the land of Gerar. Undoubtedly Isaac is aware of the covenant God made with his father Abraham. The Lord is now reaffirming this covenant to Isaac, as He swore He would do. To be clear here, the seed that is being talked about here is the seed passed down from generation to generation until we get to our Lord Jesus Christ. Thru Him all nations have been blessed by His sacrifice on the cross, which washed away all our sins and reconciled us to the Father above (for those who believe). Gen 17:20-21, 22:15-18.
5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” 22: 15-18
Most churches in today s world believe that God laws were done away with, as they say: “They were nailed at the cross” and these same people are usually talking about the laws given to Moses on mount Sinai which can be read in the book of Exodus. It is misunderstood that the law was first given by God during the exodus from Egypt number one, and secondly that they were meant for the Hebrew nation only. Nothing can be further from the truth in both regards, and this verse proves that God s laws and commandments were well established before there was even a Hebrew nation. But this isn’t the earliest recording of scriptures where we read that there were laws: moral laws, as well as sacrificial, sanitary and spiritual laws before the time of Abraham. We can go back to the time of Creation and the garden to find these laws already established, but before I do this I would like to emphasize what I previously said: there are different types of laws that have a very significant distinction when it comes to what laws we still keep, and what laws were “Nailed to the cross” you have the sacrificial laws, the moral laws, and the spiritual laws. The sacrificial laws are those of animal sacrifices, for different reasons or another. It is these sacrificial laws that are the only laws which were “Nailed to the cross” For Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, who died once for all sins, “Slain since the foundation of the world:
Rev.13:8 And all dwelling on the earth will worship it, those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain, from the foundation of the world.
You can read more about this in Hebrews 9-10, where Paul speaks of the sacrificial laws being done away with. Nowhere does Paul state that any other laws were done away with at the cross, such as the spiritual laws and the big ten: the Ten Commandments. Or even the moral laws which the civilized world still lives by to this day. When Cain murdered his brother Abel we see God punishing Cain for the act of murder, hence a moral law, and one of the Ten Commandments of God being established (Gen 4:11-14), then, after Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, we see a sacrifice had to be given (the shedding of blood) for sin (An animal sacrifice):
Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Then there is the spiritual laws where again we find these laws being established at the time of creation:
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Seasons: (H4150): מועדה / מעד / מועד: mô‛êd / mô‛êd / mô‛âdâh
BDB Definition:
1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting
1a) appointed time
1a1) appointed time (general)
1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season
1b) appointed meeting
1c) appointed place
1d) appointed sign or signal
1e) tent of meeting
Again when we look at the Hebrew definition of seasons and
we see that it is defined as an “appointed time, a set feast.”
What are these feast that God said the lights in the heavens
are for? You can read about these set feast in Leviticus 23.
They are God s (Not Man s nor Jewish) Holy days, and they
are also considered Sabbath s of the Lord as you can read in
the beginning of Leviticus 23. These are spiritual laws
Given by God Almighty who created the heavens above. All
These Feast point to Jesus Christ, and Gods plan for
salvation for all mankind, and are still in effect today,
excluding the animal sacrifices which were indeed “Nailed at
the cross” Also we see where one of the Ten Commandments
was established at the time of creation, and that is the
Sabbath itself (Compare Gen 2:3, 20:8-11), God sanctified the Sabbath day. If we look at the Strong’s definition for sanctified we see that it is set apart to be honored, to keep, to proclaim, to be holy, and to be preserved so this is a spiritual law given by God on the day that he rested from all His work He had done.
Sanctified: (H6942): קָדַשׁ: qâdash
kaw-dash’
A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally): – appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify (-ied one, self), X wholly.
6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
As I mentioned earlier I have concluded that Isaac dwelt in the area of Beer-Lahairoi during this famine period as God instructed him to.
7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”;for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” 12:11-13; 20:2
Like father like son, just as his father Abraham did while in Egypt, for fear of his life, he lies to the king of the land because he is afraid of being killed. However I believe Isaac’s lie to be greater than Abraham’s in the sense that Sarah was truly Abraham’s half sister, but Rebekah was not Isaac’s sister, albeit she is his Cousin. Either way Isaac like his father, and like all of us, is growing in his faith and has yet to come to truly believe in God as his father did eventually. One more thing to note here is that we are not sure of the timetable between this chapter and the previous chapter 25. During this chapter I find myself asking, was Esau and Jacob yet born? The reason I ponder this thought is because maybe it would help me in understanding the interactions between Isaac and the king and his men in regards to the disposition of Rebekah. If Esau and Jacob had not yet been born during this time then it is much easier to understand Isaac’s concern for his safety and his faith in the promise God made to him. And it would also be more easily acceptable that the king And the men of the land would believe that Rebekah was his sister and not his wife. However if Esau and Jacob had been born at this time, then this would make it more plausible that Isaac feared for his life had he said that Rebekah was his wife. If Esau and Jacob were alive at this time, then Isaac has already had his seed, and his descendants established by then, so he might think to himself that his part in the grand scheme of things as far as Gods promise is concerned has been completed, meaning his life could now be in jeopardy. Unlike Abraham who during his time in Egypt, Isaac has yet to be born. In this line of thought who is the one lacking less in their faith in God more? Is my way of thinking about this correlation between Isaac and Abraham of any relevance? I don’t know, I just write down my thoughts here on these verses as I see it, at this time in my spiritual growth. What I think is of importance here is the fact that Both Isaac and Abraham share in the same issues that all of us, even to this day share, and that’s learning to trust in God with all our heart and soul, (To have faith in God), These two men struggled with this in their lives; just as we do today. When we come to a point in our life where we find ourselves in a situation that looks bleak we should look at these verses for inspiration and guidance as to how we handle the struggles in our daily lives and grow in this knowledge, and learn to trust in the Lord, because He will provide for us all we need.
8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife.
Apparently Isaac was showing affection to Rebekah in a manner that one would show to a wife and not a sister.
9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, she is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” 12:18; 20: 5-13
Again we see the parallel in the life of Isaac and that of his father Abraham. Like I stated in the last verse; both have not yet learned to trust in the Lord fully, and find themselves relying on their own abilities rather than having faith in God. We all struggle with this from time to time, many of times I myself am reminded of what is written in the New Testament: Father I believe, help me with my unbelief (Mar 9:24), So as we read the Old Testament we must remind ourselves that it is not outdated, and is still relevant for us in today s world. I think most of us can relate to the lives of both Abraham and Jacob, and can look to these scriptures as a way of measuring our own faith, learn from their mistakes, become better stewards of the Bible, and become the kind of people that God desires.
10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” 12:19
11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” 12:20; 20:14-16
The Bible references a couple chapters and verses from the book of Genesis, but I would like to reference my own book and verses that I feel is very significant as well here, and that is Lev. 20:10, and Exo 20:13. When I first read this verse back to myself immediately I thought of the Laws of God and the ten Commandments. If we look at the Strong’s definition of the word “Touch” we can see that it has a different implication for the man than it does for the woman in this instance:
Touch: (H5060): נָגַע: nâga‛
naw-gah’
A primitive root; properly to touch, that is, lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication to reach (figuratively to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.): – beat, (X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.
If we go back to the time when Abraham was in Gerar and King Abimelech took Sarah to lay with, God came to him in a dream and told the king to return Sarah to Abraham lest he die (Gen 20:3-7), The difference between the two kings is that God spoke to king Abimelech once before during the days of Abraham,(Under these same circumstances), whereas with the Pharaoh we are only told that God cast a plague among the Egyptians, and the Egyptians took these plagues as a sign from God. As I have stated before I believe the bible to be God breathed (Spoken by the mouth of God Himself), In my opinion it is God who put this in the kings heart to decree this law to his people. It is in keeping with God’s ways, His laws, statutes, and commands. With this in mind it is more proof that Gods laws, and commandments are not only for the Israeli nation but for all nations, tribes, and tongues.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.
13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;
14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.
One thing we can always count on and rest assure is that God is true to His word. He told Isaac to stay in the land, that He would be with him and bless him. We see here this promise came to fruition in the first year of Isaac dwelling in the land where God told him. We can take home from this the assurance that if we put all our faith in God, and learn to trust in Him, and obey The Lord as Abraham and Isaac did, that God will provide for us all our needs. Isaac was in fact so prosperous that the Philistines were jealous of his riches. We are told in James 4:2 that wars and quarrels come from a jealous heart, people lust for what they do not have. We will see this very thing being played out in the next verses. Everywhere Isaac digs up a well the Philistines come along and claim it for themselves because of this jealousy.
15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 21: 25, 30
16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
It appears to me that after Abraham passed away the Philistines didn’t feel obligated to keep the oath that the king and Abraham made with each other. If we go back to the covenant Abraham made with the king, we will see there is no mention of King Abimelech promising to treat Abraham s descendants the same way he treated Abraham, or that he would treat the son of Abraham, or his son’s son the same way he treated Abraham. It is only Abraham who made the promise to treat the kings sons, and their sons fairly. There was no obligation on the part of the king to do anything in this covenant, other than to recognize the well that Abraham had dug (Gen 21:22-32). This is in keeping with Abraham’s nature, he was not one to make a big fuss over things. Just like when Lott’s people and Abraham s people were squabbling over the land; Abraham told Lott back then; “You chose which land to take as a possession and I will go the other way” I am paraphrasing here. Many of wars have been fought, and many people have senselessly died over disputes like this and even less. Abraham is such an inspiration and a great example of how we should treat one another. We will see that Isaac to bears the same resemblance of his father when it comes to matters like these.
17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
The valley of Gerar is located south of Gaza.
18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. 21:30, 31
19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there.
20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21:25
21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitna.
22 And he moved from there and he dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
As we see from this map above Isaac keeps getting pushed further and further south from the valley of Gerar, in the land of Gerar, by the Philistines because of their jealousy. In my opinion Isaac would have been well within his rights to claim all these wells his father Abraham dug because of the covenant made between Abraham and the king of Gerar during his lifetime. But as I explained earlier the Philistines felt that this covenant was no longer binding on them after Abraham’s death. We see the character of Isaac here as one of a very calm man; very easy going, not one to quarrel. Every time he digs up a well that his father dug in his time the Philistines come along and claim them for themselves, even though they had no part in digging these wells. And every time we see Isaac just moves on further and further south instead of arguing and potentially starting a war. Finally Isaac comes to Rehoboth, Digs another well and this time he has no problems with the Philistines over this particular well which is very close to Beersheba. This is where Abraham and the king of Gerar swore an oath with each other. Why the Philistines don’t try to claim this well as they have in the past? one can only ponder. As we see in the very next verse Isaac moves to Beersheba to settle. Maybe one reason Isaac may have settled in Beersheba is because Abraham dwelt there, so to Isaac this is home, this is where he lived his adult life; it is only proper that he live in the land of his father and raise his family there as well.
23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba
24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for my servant Abraham’s sakes.”
25 So he built an alter there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. 12:8
After finally finding a place for his people to settle Isaac decided to go a little further south and live in Beer-sheba. Beer-Sheba is the place where Abraham settled after God appeared to him on mount Moriah. Mount Moriah is where Abraham was tested by the Lord to sacrifice Isaac to the Him. As I stated previously this is where Isaac spent most of his adult life thus far. Beer-sheba is also where Abraham made the covenant with King Abimelech, and the king recognized that Abraham did in fact dig the well in Beer-sheba. Again as I stated earlier, this is why the Philistines didn’t try to lay claim to the well in Beer-sheba. After Abraham laid claim to this well he planted a tree, and we are told that he called on the Lord there:
Gen 21:33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
When we read that Abraham called on the Lord, it is saying to the reader that Abraham worshipped God there, and so did Isaac, and all the people that made up Abraham s tribe, if you will? Beer-sheba became a place of worship for Abraham, Isaac, and we will see also Jacob the son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham. Like I said the Lord appeared twice in Beer-sheba, once to Abraham, and now He appears to Isaac on the same night that he goes into Beer-sheba. When God appears to Isaac His first words are “Do not fear for I am with you” in my opinion the reason God is telling Isaac that He is with him is because of the lack of faith he displayed when he told the Philistines that Rebekah was his sister lest they kill him. God is reassuring Isaac that hey! “I got your back’ don’t worry every thing is going to be alright, I’ll take care of the Philistines. (Rom 8:31-32), So God reiterates to Isaac the covenant He made with his father Abraham, and the promise God made to him at the beginning of this chapter. God tells Isaac that He will bless him and his descendants. So following in his father footsteps Issac built an alter and worshiped the Lord also. This area of Beersheba, in my opinion in a sense is a prelude to the Temple built by king Solomon after the descendants of Abraham came out Egypt in the time of Moses. And settled in the promised land after King David conquered Canaan. God’s presence was there, in Beersheba. Twice the Lord appeared in Beer-sheba, up to this time, and we will see that Jacob/ Israel will also go into Beer-sheba, where he offers up sacrifices unto the Lord. So, to me it is easy to understand why Isaac settled in Beer-Sheba. This place, in my opinion is a very Holy place during the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, And Phichol the commander of his army.
27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” v 16; judg. 11:7
28 But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you,
29 “that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.”
Earlier in this chapter we read that the Philistines were envious of Isaac because of the wealth he had accumulated. The king of Gerar even went to Isaac and basically kicked him out of the land where he was living. And as we also read, this wasn’t the only time that Isaac was pushed out further and further away from the city of Gerar. And every time there is a dispute over the wells (Which his father Abraham dug), Isaac peaceably moves on, never do we see him fight over the wells. This is the character of Isaac; a peaceful man, and I would add a man of faith. Why should he quarrel over the wells? The Lord Himself spoke to Isaac and told him to stay in the land of Gerar, and that He would bless him. This isn’t the first encounter that Isaac had with the Lord, lest we forget he was willing to be offered up to Jehovah God on mount Moriah years ago. Isaac was there when the Angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham, in my opinion Isaac heard these blessings from the Angel who said to Abraham “By myself have I sworn, Thus saith the Lord” (Gen 22:15-19), verse nineteen says that Abraham returned to his young men who had been waiting at the foot of mount Moriah. To me this shows that Isaac was there, hearing the Angel of the Lord speaking these blessings to Abraham. It was at that moment on mount Moriah where Abraham s faith was tested, and Isaac was there to witness this faith his father had in God. Is it any wonder why Isaac is such an easy going man? Even though Isaac displays a lack in faith at the beginning of this chapter by telling the king that Rebekah was his sister, for fear they would kill him if they thought he was her husband, this second appearance of the Lord now strengthens Isaac’s faith. And we see that Isaac is not concerned that king Abimelech , and his commander have come to him, as a matter of fact he gets a little bold with them when he says to them, “Why have you come to me since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” Isaac is questioning their motives for their visit. The Lord is truly with Isaac, (As God told him he would be), and the Philistines acknowledge this. They come with an humbling attitude and a certain fear of not only Isaac, but of the Lord God almighty. The king wants assurances from Isaac that he will not harm them. Almost groveling at his feet. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31).
30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 21:22-24
31 Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
It appears that Isaac is holding all the cards here, but instead of making demands; for instance, asking that they give him back all the wells he and his father Abraham dug, he does just the opposite, he prepares a feast for them. Remember earlier what Issac told them when they arrived: He stated that they hated him, in his mind he felt that maybe they were enemies of his because of how they have treated him. Isaac is displaying characteristics that the bible tells us throughout on how to treat those that hate you, and those that are your enemies (Compare Pro 25:21-22, Matt 5:44, Luke 6:35), this chapter is a great example of how we Christians should live our lives and treat others in the process. The verses I quoted from the new testament are spoken from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself. Just a thought here, but I recall how so many things in Isaac s life are a reflection of Jesus Himself; from the miraculous birth of Isaac, to the incident on mount Moriah where Isaac was to be offered up to the Lord, to this chapter here the life of Isaac parallels that of Jesus Christ, how He lived and what He taught.
32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “we have found water.”
33 So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.
These two verses are proof of what I just commented on. As soon as this covenant is made and Isaac sends the king off in peace, God rewards him for his good deeds by supplying him with a source of water. Now I just want to say here that this place that Isaac names Shebah, and the city Beersheba, is the same Beersheba that Abraham named back in his day when he first dug this well. According to Adam Clarke s commentary on verse thirty three, it appears that when the Philistines covered over the well Abraham had dug they probably gave Beersheba a different name. Isaac was merely restoring the name of this city to it’s original name given by his father Abraham. We can also go back to verse 18 where it tells us that after Isaac dug the wells his father dug, that he gave these wells the name that his father called them.
34 When Esau was forty years old, he took wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
35 And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. 28:1
These last two verses are a prelude to what is about to happen
in the next chapter. There is a reason God ends this chapter with this statement about Esau. Maybe to a lot of people they would be wondering why this chapter ends with something that has nothing to do with what the whole chapter has been about, but let me give my explanation as to why I say it is a prelude, or if you will? a segue into the next chapter. Just like the Lord was telling us in chapter twenty five verse thirty four: “Esau despised his birthright” He is again filling in the details as to why Esau will not inherit the birthright and all the blessings that come with it. Esau has married outside the clan, or tribe, if you will? And therefore his seed has been defiled. In an earlier chapter I went over why it was so important for the bloodline all the way to our Lord Jesus Christ be pure and undefiled; I will refer you to my commentary in Genesis 24:24-28 for this explanation. So Esau has married outside the bloodline, and earlier we were told he despised his birthright, knowing this we can now move onto the next chapter where it all comes to a head as far as who will inherit the covenant and all the blessings God gave to Abraham.