Problems In The Promise Land

Introduction: In our text tonight we focus on the life Isaac. He was son of Abraham. Isaac’s name means laughter, given to him by both his parents because they laughed at the idea of having a child in old age. I’m glad tonight that the God we serve has a sense of humor! And one that can do the impossible.

The Bible teaches us that after Isaac was given in marriage that he settled in a placed called Gerar. The city of Gerar was located in the land of the Philistines. It was the land that God had promised to give to Abraham and all his descendents. While Isaac was there the Bible says that there was a famine and Isaac wanted to leave but God told him to stay.

Three things I want you to understand before we move on:

1. Sometimes we will have to face problems in the promise land.

2. Sometimes our blessings will be in the enemies camp.

3. Sometimes God will tell you to stay and deal with the enemy instead of running.

Well Isaac listened and obeyed, but his faith was weak in God because he lied to King Abimilech and said Rebekah who was his wife was his sister. We’ve got to be careful in this age not to “start in the spirit and end up in the flesh.” To many of us started walking with God, now we’re walking in the flesh expecting to be blessed and favored by God.

I find it ironic that Isaac doubted the Lord in the same area his father Abraham did. Theirs a lesson here: Parents, learn to leave a valuable inheritance to your kinds and not an invaluable one. Learn to leave faith instead of false pretenses.

Well the scriptures says in verses 12-17 that Isaac “sowed in the land and the Lord prospered Him.” Isaac did the sowing and God did the blessing. But then King Abimilech said you’ve been blessed to much and its time for you to go! God knows how to “prepare a table in the presence of your enemies.” But despite the fact that he was blessed, he still had to deal with problems in the promise land because people shunned as a result of his blessings. Don’t expect every body to be happy cause you happy.

Verse eighteen says that “Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug by his father Abraham.”

Listen carefully, if we going to handle our problems in the promise land:

1. We must understand that it will be hard work

A. The Bible tells us that Isaac “dug up the old wells.” (18)

i. If he hadn’t worked hard, he would have never found the water.

ii. When we recognize that life is hard, things will be easier.

B. Notice that Isaac knew where to dig. He dug up the wells that his father had dug.

i. Some of us are digging in the wrong places and we can’t understand why our wells are running dry. We just keep finding dirt!

ii. Jeremiah 2:13, My people have committed two evils: “They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves broken cisterns, Broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Are you able to hold peace? Joy? Longsuffering?

iii. Jesus said that if we believe in him, from our innermost being shall flow living waters” but with too many of us, bitter waters flow from our hearts. And its because our wells are stopped up or either the water is dirty, mixed with impurities of life.

iv. But I found out that when you dig, even though life is hard, and you dig through the hurt, the pain, the betrayal, the indignities and tragedies, you’ll find yourself standing on a rock! “On Christ the solid rock I Stand”

Now for a moment things were fine in the life of Isaac until his servants in verses 19-20 dug another well in the valley; The Bible says that the other herdsmen of Gerar quarreled against Isaac’s herdsmen and said the water belonged to them.

2. Understand that sometimes you will suffer lost in the Promise Land

A. He had a right to the blessings because His Father had possessed it;

i. Sometimes the Father will gives us something only to allow the enemy to take it away at a later time. Job said the Lord gives and the Lord takes it away but blessed be the name of the Lord.

ii. The Bible says that Isaac called the place Esek, meaning strife. And as we back look over our lives, we can see where what we thought was a promise ended us a problem. But oh I’m a witness that God can take the sting out of the memory.

B. v22 says Isaac lost another well, and he name that place Sitnah, meaning opposition.