Read with Me
Genesis 26:1-6 (HCSB)
There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar. The LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land that I tell you about; stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My mandate, My commands, My statutes, and My instructions.” So Isaac settled in Gerar.
Listen with Me
Moses was very aware of the similarities between this historical episode and that of Abraham and Sarah’s sojourn near Gerar (Genesis 20). So, he is careful to note that despite the great similarities, it is not the same event. The similarities point out the world view that Abraham had passed down to Isaac, even though Isaac had not yet been conceived at the time of Abraham’s encounter with Abimelech.
It must be noted as well that Abimelech was not a name, but a title, kind of like “Pharaoh” for the king of Egypt. Abimelech literally means “my father is king”, and it was assumed by the hereditary king upon his accession to the throne.
It was common in times of famine for the people in Canaan to go to Egypt, just as Abraham had done, and as Jacob and his family would do in the future. But when the famine came, God specifically told Isaac not to take his family and large flocks and herds on the trek to Egypt, but to stay in the land. So, Isaac moved his camp to Gerar, near the coast, in the land inhabited by the Philistines.
At the same time, God took the opportunity to reaffirm to Isaac the promise he had made to his father, Abraham. God’s message contained four key elements:
- God promised to be with Isaac and to bless him as he stayed in the land.
- God confirmed the oath he made to Abraham, telling Isaac that he and his descendants would possess the land in which he was living.
- God promised to make Isaac’s descendants as numerous as the stars.
- All the nations of the Earth would ultimately be blessed by Isaac and his descendants.
God pointed out that Isaac was able to inherit these promises because of the faithfulness of his father, Abraham. That was brought to Isaac’s mind the time when God had commanded that he himself be sacrificed in the mountains of Moriah (Genesis 22). And it etched into his mind the understanding that the ability of his children and grandchildren to inherit the promise hinged on his own faithfulness and obedience, no matter what God demanded. For now, that meant staying in the land and not going to Egypt. So, Isaac and his family settled near Gerar. Line
Pray with Me
Father, someone once said that Christianity is always a single generation away from extinction. For the true faith to continue, each generation must be faithful and must pass on, not just the doctrines of the faith, but the relationship with Jesus. If we are not faithful, our kids have scant chance of being powerful in their own faith, and the promise will ultimately be lost. Help me, Lord, to not only know this truth, but to internalize it and to pass it on to my kids. Amen.
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