Genesis 26
The story starts off with another famine. Hmm, kind of reminds me of another story we just read last week...about Abraham. And then here we are, same situation, but this time it is Isaac.
Isaac is thinking of heading out to some place with food. But God stops him. He reminds Isaac about his plans to give him and his descendants the land. He asks Isaac to stay put. So Isaac does.
Much like in his father's day, Isaac was scared. Here is his beautiful wife Rebekah. And Isaac is worried that he will be killed so that the people in the area will kill him in order to have her. So what does he do? Tells everyone she is his sister. Hmmm, sounds very familiar.
Like Father, Like Son.
And just like in his father's day, the king is looking out one day and sees Isaac holding his wife in a non-sisterly way. So he questions Isaac who admits (reluctantly) that yes, Rebekah is really his wife. Poor King Abimelech. He is flabbergasted, reminding Isaac that sin could have happened due to this little white lie.
Oh, these men and their lies...
The next part of the story involves the blessings bestowed upon Isaac. He becomes a wealthy man. The Philistines began to envy him and started filling up Isaac's well with dirt.
I would think it would have been a natural instinct to get a little mad about this. I would have I think.
But Isaac just left and dug more wells.
I love the names.
Argue. Because the people argued over it.
Fight. Because, well, the people fought over it.
And finally Room Enough. Because no one argued about that one, so they had made enough room for Isaac to live there.
Meanwhile, God appears to Isaac again to remind him of the promises He had made. It is almost comical that He keeps reminding him of that, but then again, the Bible is filled with stories of people who forgot God's faithfulness. So it makes perfect sense. Still a little comical though.
The other thing I noticed about these reminders God is giving is that He keeps saying, "I am the God of your father Abraham." I do think I would have been tempted to say, "Aren't you the God of me too?" :)
The end of this passage involves that King Abimelech who drops by Isaac's place. He wants to make a deal with Isaac.
I love how he says, "We were good to you and sent you away in peace."
Um, I am pretty sure his people were the one who kept filling Isaac's wells with dirt. And Isaac left in peace but by his own free will of peace.
Details, details.
Tomorrow's passage:
Genesis 27:1-28:9
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