Old Testament Reading: Genesis 26

“Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.’ So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, ‘She is my sister,’ for he feared to say, ‘My wife,’ thinking, ‘lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,’ because she was attractive in appearance. When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife. So Abimelech called Isaac and said, ‘Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?’ Isaac said to him, ‘Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’’ Abimelech said, ‘What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.’ So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, ‘Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.’ And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) And Abimelech said to Isaac, ‘Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.’ So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, ‘The water is ours.’ So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, ‘For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.’ From there he went up to Beersheba. And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, ‘I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.’ So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well. When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, Isaac said to them, ‘Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?’ They said, ‘We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.’ So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, ‘We have found water.’ He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” (Genesis 26, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Acts 3:11–26

“While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: ‘Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.’” (Acts 3:11–26, ESV)

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Introduction

If you are paying very careful attention in our study of the book of Genesis you may have thought to yourself, this story seems to be a bit out of place. But it would only seem out of place if your expectation is for the narrative of Genesis to proceed chronologically. In the previous chapter we were told of the birth of the twins, Esau and Jacob, to Isaac and Rebekah. But here in this passage we encounter a story which seems to have happened in the days prior to the birth of the boys. Notice that the twins are not mentioned in this story. And even more significantly, it is difficult to immagine all of this happening if Isaac and Rebekah were sojourning with twins in tow. Certainly, it would have been impossible for Isaac to say that Rebekah was his sister, and not his wife, if children were in the picture. They are married but without children in this story. 

A question we should as is, why this non-chronological organization to the book of Genesis? The answer is that Genesis is sometimes organized thematically. In other words, it is structured,  not so that you might have chronological understanding of historical events, but so that you might get the point that is being made in the passage.

This non-chronological organization of Genesis forces us to  compare and contrast the story of Issac with the story of his father, Abraham, for the two cycles, or stories, mirror one another in their thematic organization. In other words, if you were to set the story of Abraham alongside the story of Issac (which we are now considering) you would see that they follow a similar pattern. The pattern is easy to see even in the first two scenes of each of the cycles. 

If you were set the first scene of the Abraham story (11:27 – 12:9) alongside the first scene of the Isaac story (25:19-28) you would notice that they mirror one another thematically. In those introductory passages promises are made concerning the offspring of Abraham and the offspring of Isaac. And do you remember the way that the second scene of the Abraham story began? Genesis 12:10 reads, “Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife… Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake’ (Genesis 12:10–13, ESV). Does that sound very familiar to you? It should, for it is very much like the story that we have just read concerning Isaac. In the second scene of the Isaac story  we learn that there was also a famine in his day. And he behaved like his father did when he sojourned, saying that Rebekah was his sister, when she was really his wife.  

The point is this: The story of Abraham and the story of Isaac are meant to be set side by side so that they might be compared and contrasted. They are structured in the same way so that we might do this.  And as we are faithful to consider this text in this way three things become clear. One, the promises that were made to Abraham were also made to Isaac. Two, the fear that plagued Abraham also infected Isaac. And three, the blessings that fell upon Abraham were also showered upon Isaac. 

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The Promises Made To Abraham Were Also Made To Isaac

First,  let us consider that the promises made to Abraham were also made to Isaac.

In verses 1 we read,  “Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines” (Genesis 26:1, ESV). Here we are clued in to the fact that we are supposed to compare Abraham’s famine story with Isaac’s famine story. “There was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham”, the text says. 

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, we should remember that “famines” do sometimes threaten and plague the people of God as they sojourn in this world. Belonging to God does not mean that we are immune from the famine experience. Life will have it’s ups and down. There will times of plenty, and times want, times of sickness and health . May we be like Paul who  said, “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11–13, ESV) 

Our spiritual parents, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecka, endured famine. But when we compare the account of the famine in Abraham’s day (12:10-20) with the account of the famine in Isaac’s day (26:1-11) we see a difference. Whereas Abraham left the land of promise to go down into Egypt, Isaac was told to remain. Verse 2: “And the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt [as Abraham did]; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands…” (Genesis 26:2–3, ESV). Isaac was to stay. 

This would have required great faith. Egypt was not as vulnerable to famine as Canaan was, for the crops of Egypt were watered by the ever consistent flow of the Nile. The crops of Canaan depended upon rain from heaven. Droughts were not uncommon. But Isaac was warned not to run off to Egypt. He was to remain in Canaan, trusting ever in the LORD. The lure of Egypt was undoubtably very strong. Quite literally, the grass looked much greener on the other side. 

[APPLICATION: And I would bet that you also have felt the alure of Egypt. Obviously I do not mean that a literal famine has prompted you to consider a litteral move to that place. But perhaps a “famine” of another kind has prompted you to consider a move to Egypt, spiritually speaking. Following Christ in this world is sometimes difficult, friends. And sometimes the grass does look greener on the other side. But what does the LORD say to you and me? He says, remain in the land and trust in me. Indeed the scriptures say, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12, ESV).

Now, remember that the LORD did not explicitly tell Abraham to go to Egypt. He decided to do that on his own. But the LORD commanded Isaac, saying, do not leave Canaan because of the famine — stay in this land, for it is this land that I will give to your offspring. More than that, the LORD also promised Isaac, saying in verse 3, “I will be with you and will bless you…”  

[APPLICATION: Friends, there is no greater comfort in life than for God to say to you, “I will be with you and bless you.” If God is with us, who can be against us? If God is for us, then what can man do to us. If God is with us, then even the most difficult and trying circumstances will be laced with his grace. His love will comfort us in our affliction. His presence will uphold and sustain us through the trial. Brothers and sisters, be reminded that if we are in Christ Jesus the God has promised to be with us always. This is why James exhorts those who have faith in Christ saying,   

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV). The one who has faith in Christ is not to find his or her security in material possessions. The Christ follower is to be content with what they have, no matter if it is little or much. And we are take courage and comfort in the fact that God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us in Christ Jesus. 

When the LORD called Isaac to remain in the land of promise that was at that time plagued by famine, he reassured  him with these words —  “I will be with you and will bless you…” After this the LORD reminded Isaac of the promises made to his father Abraham and made them to Isaac also, saying, “for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…” (Genesis 26:3–4, ESV). Isaac was to remain in the land knowing that the LORD would be with him to bless him. And he was to remain being mindful of the promises made to his father, and also to him. This land — the land of Canaan — would belong to his offspring. His offspring would be as the stars of heaven (though Rachael was at this time barren). And through his offspring all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. And then the LORD added these words to move Isaac to obey (verse 5): “because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Genesis 26:5, ESV). God would surely accomplish his purposes and fulfill his promises, but it would come about through the obedience of Isaac and his descendents. 

Why does this matter? Why does it matter that the promises made to Abraham were made to Isaac also?

[APPLICATION: It matters because it advances the story of redemption that is told in the pages of Holy Scripture. Promises were made to Abraham concerning land, offspring, and their being blessed of God, and the blessings of the nations through them. And here we those promises being inherited by the next generation. Later in Genesis the promises will be passed along again, and then again, until they are fulfilled in the Exodus event, and after that in the conquest of Canaan, and finally in the life, death, and resurrection of the Christ, the Son of Abraham, the Son of God. Here we are witnessing the unfolding of God’s plan for the salvation of the world. 

These promises made to Isaac also matter because they are yours in Christ Jesus. And how are they yours in Christ Jesus? Well, clearly they do not apply to you in the same way that they applied to Isaac. God has not said to you “to your offspring I will give all these lands”, or “I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven” or I will give to your offspring all these lands [meaning Canaan]”, or “in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” Those promises were for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Those promises were fulfilled in the arrival of the Christ! But these promises do belong to you if you are in Christ Jesus, for in him you will partake of the fulness of the rewards that he has earned as the faithful Son of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. 

In Christ we are not waiting to inherit a small sliver of land called Canaan, but, as Peter says, “according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV). For this is what Jesus the Christ has earned — not Canaan only, but a new heavens and new earth. And this he has earned, not for one people group only, but for all the nations of the earth — for all peoples who have faith in his name.] 

The promises made to Abraham were also made to Isaac, advancing God’s work of redemption. 

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The Fear That Plagued Abraham Also Plagued Isaac

But notice that though Isaac remained in the land in obedience to the word of the LORD, he still struggled in the faith. In this story we learn that the fear that plagued had plagued his father Abraham also plagued Isaac.

This part of the story should also sound familiar to you. Verse 6: “So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, ‘She is my sister,’ for he feared to say, ‘My wife,’ thinking, ‘lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,’ because she was attractive in appearance” (Genesis 26:6–7, ESV). Isaac lied about his wife just as his father Abraham lied about his, saying only that she was his sister. Both men were driven by fear to do this unholy thing. Both men lacked faith when they took the road of self protection rather than trusting in the LORD.   

Do not forget that the LORD had promised to be with Isaac and to bless him, but here he  seems to have forgotten those promises. Here he seems to have forgot that the LORD had set his love upon him. Had he remembered the lovingkindness of the LORD he would not have allowed fear to drive him, for “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18, ESV).

It is important to notice that in both the story of Abraham’s deception and the story of Isaac’s deception, the pagan nations are portrayed as having more integrity that the patriarchs. Think about that for moment. When Abraham lied in Egypt and then again in Gerar, those kings were appalled by his actions. They were astonished that Abraham would lie, and they were furious that he would put them in a position where they might sin by taking Sarah as wife. And the same is true here. Verse 8: “When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing [being flirtatious] with Rebekah his wife. So Abimelech called Isaac and said, ‘Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?’ Isaac said to him, ‘Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’’ Abimelech said, ‘What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.’ So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, ‘Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death’” (Genesis 26:8–11, ESV). 

Isaac thought that the men of Gerar were thoroughly wicked. Instead he was humbled to discover that in this instance they were more righteous than he. This is an  important theme. Abraham and Isaac were the fathers of the Israelite nation. The message being communicated to them through this history of their people is that they were chosen by God from amongst the nations, not because they were better than the rest, but by the grace of God alone.    In other words, with the election of Abraham and Isaac a particular people were set apart in the world from the rest. The Israelites would belong uniquely to the LORD for a time,  whereas the nations would remain in darkness. But the beginning of the history of the Israelites makes it plain — it was by grace that they were set apart, and not the result of works, lest anyone amongst them should boast.  

[APPLICATION: This too is our heritage, brothers and sisters. Abraham and Isaac are our forefathers spiritually speaking. And by considering  their imperfections  we are reminded that that our election in Christ is by the  free grace of God alone, and not because of something deserving within us. I have said it before, and I will say it again, there is nothing more humbling than the doctrine of unconditional election when it is properly understood. Remember and never forget that  God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” (2 Timothy 1:9, ESV). 

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The Blessings That Fell Upon Abraham Were Also Showered Upon Isaac

Lastly, let us see that the blessings that fell upon Abraham were also showered upon Isaac. 

No sooner do the scriptures finish describing Isaac’s sin of deception and the righteous actions of Abimelech king of  Gerar, do we read in verse 12,  “And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him” (Genesis 26:12–14, ESV). Indeed,  the LORD was faithful to be with him and to bless him despite his shortcomings. 

The Philistines envied his wealth and so  they began to drive him away. Isaac would dig a well and the Philistines would quarrel over it and claim that it was theirs. This happened repeatedly. It should be noted that this section which runs from 26:18-22 mirrors the story of Abraham’s separating from Lot. Remember that Abraham’s wealth was so great that the land could not support the two of them, so Lot  and Abraham went their separate ways after their herdsmen began to quarrel (Genesis 13). But in the story of the separation of Lot from Abraham, Abraham was blessed of the LORD. And similarly  in the story of Isaac being driven from Gerar, it was Isaac who was blessed of the LORD. 

Verse 23: “From there he went up to Beersheba. And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, ‘I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.’ So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.” (Genesis 26:23–25, ESV)

Why all the talk of well digging? It should be remembered that there was a famine in the land of Cannan, most likely due to a lack of rain. Having a source of water in the Canaan was essential to survival in the land. Here is a clear  sign  of the LORD’s blessing upon Isaac — he provided  water for him in a dry and thirsty land. Isaac was blessed of the LORD, and the provision of water was a clear sign of this blessing.  

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, our sojourning is not physical, but spiritual. And so too our thirst is not physical, but spiritual. Those blessed in the LORD are those who have faith in Christ. And what does Christ say? “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35, ESV). And, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37–38, ESV).]

In verses 26-33 we learn that even the Philistines, as they are called in this passage, recognized that Isaac was blessed. Abimelech,  Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army came to Isaac and said, “We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you…” (Genesis 26:28, ESV).

[APPLICATION: Friends,  I ask you, when the world looks in upon your life can they tell that you are blessed in Christ? Can they see something distinguishing about you — love, joy, peace? Do they see someone who’s hunger and thirst has been satiated? Do they see one who is thankful and content? Oh that we would walk with Christ in such way that the world around us would take notice and come to us to ask “for a reason for the hope that is in [us] (1 Peter 3:15, ESV). When the world looks in upon your life do they see someone who I shape  and blessed in the Lord? They should! And if they don’t, then something needs to change. 

Friends, if you are in Christ then you are  truly blessed. Isaac was blessed with earthly things, and the kings of Gerar took note of it.  But if you are in Christ you are blessed in the spiritual realm. God has blessed us “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:3–12, ESV).]

Perhaps you noticed that this passage ends rather abruptly and strangely in verses 34 and 35 with this little remark about Esau, Isaac and Rebekahs oldest son — “When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah” (Genesis 26:34–35, ESV). And with that we are prepared to consider the lives of Esau and Jacob again in chapter 27. Clearly, the LORD favored Jacob the younger over Esau the elder. Esau married from amongst the Hittites. And bad marriages can make a real mess of things. 

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Conclusion 

As we move to a conclusion, let us remember that the LORD is faithful to keep his promises. He was faithful to Abraham and to Isaac, and he will be faithful to us. It is “impossible for God to lie”  and that is why it is right for us to flee to him “for refuge” and to take “strong encouragement” in him. Indeed, “we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:18–19, ESV).

Let us put away all  fear, therefore.  “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18, ESV).  Are you convinced that God loves you in Christ Jesus? Then there is no room for fear. Let us walk  by faith and not by fear as Isaac did when he lied about his wife.

And let us see clearly how very blessed  we are in  Christ Jesus. Do you rejoice in this, brothers and sisters? Are you thankful and content? Are joyful and at peace? It is only right for us to be if we are indeed blessed in Christ Jesus.