Genesis 26:17-23 - Jacob and dirty wells
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Of the three very little is actually devoted to the life of Isaac. Chapter 26 is entirely devoted to a story about Isaac and if you have time to read the whole chapter you will see that Isaac parallels the life of his father, Abraham, in many ways. For example like his father, Isaac passes off his wife, Rebekah, as his sister and is found out. In verse 10 Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, reprimands Isaac for this - read verse 10.
A Great Drought
We read at the beginning of this chapter that there is a famine in the land and Isaac starts to make tracks, again like his father, towards Egypt but at Gerar God appears to him and tells him not to go down to Egypt but to remain in the land of the Philistines. If you look at verse 12 you will see that God richly blessed Isaac in this land. A yield of hundredfold in harvest is beyond anyone’s expectations. In fact it is a miracle. The result of this blessing is that the people of Philistia become jealous of Isaac and in verse 16 Abimelech instructs him to leave because in their eyes Isaac has become much more powerful than they are.
Verse 17, where we picked up the story this morning, tells us that Isaac camped in the valley of Gerar. Everyone knows and realised the need for water at a time of famine brought on by drought. Each day without water would bring the death of animals and people a step closer. Water was at a premium in such a dry land.
A Great Decision
When he settled there Isaac remembered that his father had passed that way on his journey to Egypt and had dug wells. He remembered that his father had found water in that area so he knows there is water in this land. He searches out the old wells of his father. He finds them but he also finds that the Philistines had filled them in with rubbish and with earth. They had deliberately stopped them up. The enemy had been busy over the years piling debris and dirt in to the clean wells to prevent their use.
Verse 19 Isaac sets his servant about the task of clearing the wells so that they once again can be used for the purpose for which they had been dug in the first place.
Verse 20 - when the herdsmen of Gerar see the well in operation again they claim ownership of it and contend with the servants of Isaac for its use. Isaac names the well Esek - meaning they contended with him. Isaac up camps and moves on and verse 21 his servants reopen another well but once again the herdsmen of Gerar claim ownership and so Isaac names the well Sitnah meaning enmity. It seems the herdsmen of Gerar are following the servants of Isaac and every well they reopen in this dry land they claim ownership over. They had done none of the hard labour of clearing the wells so that the fresh water could be used again but they were going to claim the benefits of that hard labour. Isaac is so gracious and moves each time.
Verse 22 we read that he dug another well and this time there was no argument and so he named it Rehoboth which means broad places or room. Read verse 22.
Then in verses 23-25 Isaac moves on to Beersheba and has an encounter with the living God. God appears to him and renews the Covenant promises to Isaac. God tells Isaac that He is the God of his father, Abraham, and that just as He had promised to bless Abraham so he will bless Isaac and be with Isaac as he journeys through life. Isaac’s response is to build and altar and to worship God. Then at the end of verse 25 we read this line - And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.
Verses 26-33 we have another encounter with Abimelech, the king of the Philistines. No doubt as he and his entourage arrive with Isaac his heart sinks. Are we going to be moved on again? After finding water that no one is contending over are we going to have to up camp and move? However, this time it is Abimelech who is suing for peace.
In verse 27 Isaac sees only hatred from the Philistines whereas in verses 28-9 Abimelech sees only good. They are reconciled and a peace accord is signed. Abimlech is very clear that they have seen that God is with Isaac and they want to live in peace with Isaac and the people of God.
The next morning as Abimelech and his entourage depart, having sworn an oath of peace, the servants of Isaac arrive to say that water has been found at Beersheba and Isaac names the well Shibah - which means oath. Water is still a major concern, despite the peace agreement, and this is welcome news indeed. Isaac and the people can settle down because they have a steady and secure source of water.
A Great Declaration
You might be sitting there this morning and thinking to yourself its a nice story, one I didn’t know, but really what relevance does it have for me in the 21st Century. Bear with me for a few minutes more and I pray I am not stretching the application too far but you can make a judgment on that. You are intelligent people and you know the Scriptures as well as I do.
Let me ask you a question as we draw to a close: What are the wells of our fathers that have been stopped up? What wells have been filled with debris and dirt that is now blocking the life giving water flowing in our hearts and lives? Let me suggest a couple to you:
The Wells of the Word of God and Prayer. Just on Wednesday night past we were discussing and praying how we could grow the prayer meeting and bible study. I was wondering in my heart and mind why the well of the Word of God and Prayer had been stopped up in so many of your lives. Debris and earth of life have been piled high and blocked up the streams of life giving water in those wells. Be honest when I announce that we are meeting for prayer and bible study almost all of you think its not for me. In fact I would go as far as to say you do not even hear the announcement any more. I am going to be very straight here this morning - your soul is dry and you are living in an arid landscape spiritually and the wells of the Word of God and Prayer are stopped up by things of this world, by apathy, indifference and your souls is parched and crying out for living water this morning.
The Well of Worship. You know our fathers made it a priority to be in the house of God on the Lord’s Day, not once but twice. The worship of almighty God took precedence over everything else in this world and in their lives but today, even amongst those who claim to be followers of Christ, it is almost deemed an optional extra. It is not an optional extra, it is a non-negotiable and it is divinely decreed that we should not neglect to meet together on the Lord’s Day.
The Well of Holiness of Life. Abimelech and his advisors came to Isaac and said to him that it was obvious, they had observed, that God was with him. How was it obvious? Through the hundredfold yield of the grain, through the attitude of Isaac when the herdsmen contended for the wells and though he had been mistreated by the Philistines he still made peace with them. Do people see your life and know that God is with you? Do they say we see God working in your life by the way you live, by your attitude to difficulties in life and to how you are treated. You do not retaliate but respond with grace and love. Or is that well stopped up in your life? Have you allowed the debris and dirt of this world to block up that well of holiness until the life giving water of Christ no longer flows from it in your life and in to the lives of others?
You see Isaac remembered the wells of his father Abraham. Isaac knew there was water in the land despite the wells having been stopped up. Others saw stopped up wells, filled with debris and dirt but Isaac knew underneath it all was the refreshing spring water that they so needed. He was wise enough to dig down, to remove the debris and dirt and once again allow the fresh spring water to flow. You and I, if we are wise, will follow his example and dig down (repentance) and remove the debris and dirt, allowing the Holy Spirit to cleanse us by the blood of Christ and to mould our lives each day.
The water of life is free to all who would come. The springs of. Pardon and Peace are open to all who would come to Christ. Barren hearts refreshed. Thirsty souls satisfied by the flowing water of the Holy Spirit. Yet, here is the thing - Isaac and his servants had to dig down and remove the dirt. It took eyes to see the wells, it took memory to remember the wells once flowed with clean water and it took faith to see beyond the debris and the dirt to what lay underneath.
You and I need to remember the wells of our fathers. You and I need to dig down deep in repentance and faith and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, through us and indeed despite us to release the water of life that God in His Son Christ has promised us. Won’t you come to the wells of our fathers? Won’t you come to Christ and receive this water of life that will overflow in abundance in your life? Why would you not come? Why would you continue to live a life of thirst when refreshing water is freely on offer? Come to the water of life and drink deeply this morning.
Amen.
