God Blesses Isaac (Genesis 26)

The patriarchs had all the normal family problems that most of us experience. It seems there is always trouble in the human sphere, someone we don’t get along with, someone who brings trouble of some kind. Yet, in the midst of troubles there is faith. Is there also faith in us? Let’s look at Genesis 26.

Did God now begin to deal directly with Isaac? Did God want to bless him?

Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. Live for a time in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. (Genesis 26:1-3 NASB)

What were God’s promises to Isaac? Was his seed or offspring (singular) to bless all nations?

I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring (seed, singular) all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.” So Isaac stayed in Gerar. (Genesis 26:4-6 NIV)

Did Isaac repeat the same sin of deception as Abraham? Do particular weaknesses run in families?

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.” 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. 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.’ ” (Genesis 26:7-9 NKJV)

What did Abimelech proclaim? Does it seem like they had greater morality than many people of our times?

“How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.” Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!” (Genesis 26:10-11 NLT)

Was Abimelech afraid of Isaac’s might? What did they do to Abraham’s wells?

Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. Yahweh blessed him. The man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great. He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him. Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth. Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” (Genesis 26:12-16 WEB)

Were there further disputes over well water? Did Isaac finally find a solution?

So Isaac moved away from there, camped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there. Isaac dug out again the wells that were dug during the lifetime of his father Abraham. The Philistines had closed them up after Abraham’s death. Isaac gave them the same names his father had given them. Isaac’s servants dug wells in the valley and found a well there with fresh water. Isaac’s shepherds argued with Gerar’s shepherds, each claiming, “This is our water.” So Isaac named the well Esek because they quarreled with him. They dug another well and argued about it too, so he named it Sitnah. He left there and dug another well, but they didn’t argue about it, so he named it Rehoboth and said, “Now the Lord has made an open space for us and has made us fertile in the land.” (Genesis 26:17-22 CEB)

Was God beginning to develop a relationship with Isaac as He had with Abraham?

Isaac went on to Beersheba, where the Lord appeared to him that night and told him, “Don't be afraid! I am the God who was worshiped by your father Abraham, my servant. I will be with you and bless you, and because of Abraham I will give you many descendants.” Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. Then he set up camp, and his servants started digging a well. (Genesis 26:23-25 CEV)