Review of Genesis 26

— by Victor Fawole

Welcome to Genesis 26, where we learnt that Isaac, like his father Abraham, faced the test of famine, had an encounter with Abimelech, had a conflict with Abimelech’s men over wells, made a treaty with Abimelech, and received God’s covenant blessings. For us to read these similar stories in the Bible, God is definitely making sure we learn some lessons through repeated learning. We have the opportunity to learn and pass life’s tests by studying the Bible. Let’s delve in:

1. THE DISPOSITION

Gen. 26:1-2 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

As Isaac journeyed, God warned him not to go to Egypt. He was meant to always live in the Promised Land. He trusted God and did not depend on his own instincts to move away from the Promised Land at the first sign of a famine. This is a lesson for us. We should trust God and not flee from His protection and guidance (Prov. 3:5, Prov. 28:26).

God repeated the three essential aspects of the covenant he made with Abraham in Gen. 12:2-3: a land, a nation, a blessing. Apostle Paul noted that the blessedness of Abraham extends to us in Christ (Gal. 3:7-9).

Verses 6-11 give an account of Isaac lying about his wife, just as Abraham did in Genesis 20. You might want to revisit the review here.

2. THE OPPOSITION

Gen. 26:13-15 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

Although Isaac probably inherited wealth from his father such that he may not have to work, he was still industrious and God blessed his work and made him very prosperous. His prosperity invited envy from his neighbours. To understand how envy runs in prosperity circles,I recommend that you listen to the sermon titled: “Proverbs About Envy”

The Philistines tried to frustrate Isaac out of their land by blocking his valuable wells. Rather than resisting or protesting, Isaac avoided trouble by leaving and digging three wells in new locations. He was confident that God would take care of him. As believers, we know that Jesus is the Living Water that quenches the thirst of men (John 7:37-39). Satan cannot block the living waters of Christ that are made available to us. So, whenever we feel under attack, we should turn to the abundant living water that only Jesus can offer.

Take note of the names of the three wells that Isaac dug:

• Esek: contention
• Sitnah: opposition
• Rehoboth: expansion

Rehoboth is the gracious blessing of God, not the result of his hard work. The blessing of grace keeps us in the posture of grace, whereby we avoid strife and stay at peace with others. The bible teaches this wisdom repeatedly.

Prov. 20:3 Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.
Prov. 17:14 Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out.
Rom. 12:18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

3. THE IMPOSITION

Gen. 26:34-35 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

Esau went against the pattern for marriage that was established by Abraham, that his descendants should not marry the women of Canaan (Gen. 24:3-4). Marriage with unbelievers can easily cause a follower of God to fall off their walk with Him (2Cor. 6:14), as in the case of King Solomon (1Kings 11:4). Even Isaac later instructed Jacob not to marry a wife from Canaan (Gen. 28:1). Apparently, this was an “imposition” that Esau violated.

The bible is clear on Esau’s character as a fornicator and profane person (Heb. 12:16), and his life choices and goings serve as testimonies to this. His marriage to ungodly idolatrous women caused grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah in different ways:

• These women were strangers to the blessing of Abraham, and carriers of the curse from Noah (Gen. 9:25).
• He most likely married without (or even ignoring) their advice and consent.
• These godless women most likely had detestable thoughts, tendencies, traits, and tempers.

Dear Gogolights, let us continue to live our lives in complete trust in God for He is our exceedingly great reward, and He will settle us sweetly.

Say after me: The Lord is my portion in the land of the living!

Grace to you, Church!