Genesis 26

        Another famine befalls the land where Isaac and Rebekah dwell. They journey from there back to Gerar where Abraham had first dwelt almost a century earlier. (Genesis 21.) For obvious reasons, the King Abimelech that is named here in chapter 26 is not the same king mentioned in chapter 21. This time, God warns Isaac not to go down into Egypt. Instead, the Lord commands him to remain there in Gerar and He would bless Isaac and his seed. God reminds Isaac of His covenant promise with Abraham and then reaffirms that same oath with Isaac. (v.3-4) So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
 
         Verses 7-11: But, like his father, Isaac succumbs to his fear instead of trusting in the Lord. Just as Abraham did when he and Sarah first arrived in this land, Isaac tells the Philistine men that Rebekah is his sister, not his wife. After some time passes and they have been in Gerar for awhile, Abimelech spies Isaac and Rebekah from his palace window being affectionate with one another in a way that only a husband and wife would be. He immediately summons Isaac and demands an explanation. (v.9) Isaac confesses the truth: he was afraid he would be killed because of Rebekah’s beauty and the desire of the Philistine men to have her. After another rebuke to Isaac (v.10), Abimelech issues a decree to his men that no one may touch Isaac or Rebekah as long as they are in the land. (v.11)
 
           Verses 12-14: Because Isaac obeyed God, God kept His promise and blessed Isaac, just as He blessed Abraham. Isaac’s household grew quite wealthy in both crops, livestock, servants and land. Naturally, the Philistine men became jealous of Isaac, and they began to make trouble for him.
 
       Verses 15-17: All the wells that Abraham had dug for his household when he had first arrived in this land had been stopped up and filled with earth by the Philistines. Now, Abimelech tells Isaac to leave that region, “…for thou art much mightier than we.” (v.16) Even the king had become afraid of the size and power of Isaac’s household and wealth. Isaac willingly complies, moving all his tents and livestock and servants to a different valley. (v.17)
 
           Verses 18-22: Isaac’s men uncover and reopen the wells that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham’s death. Isaac also renames them according to what his father had called them. (v.18) In the process, however, Isaac’s servants discover a new, vibrant wellspring and claim the site, but the Philistine herdsman try to claim it as well, and this leads to even more conflict between them and Isaac’s household. So Isaac relocates once again, digs a new well, and this time the Philistines don’t bother him about it. So he names that new site Rehoboth, which means “plenty of room”. (v.22)
 
          Verses 23-25: Isaac returns to the land of his father, Beer-sheba (Genesis 21:14, 31-33, 22:19), where God appears to him once more, and, once again, reaffirms His promise that Isaac’s seed will be multiplied in the earth for his father Abraham’s sake. Perhaps Isaac needed this reassurance because, at this point in his life, neither of his sons were married. Verse 34 tells us that Esau was forty years old when he finally took for himself two wives of the Hittites. And since there’s no mention of Jacob at all in this chapter, we can safely conclude that Isaac was suffering from doubt and fear that God’s promise to his father – and now him – was not going to come true. Add to that all the stress of his dealings with the Philistines, and we can see that Isaac was a man with many burdens. He needed reassurance from the Lord that he was still in the right place and that God would still hold true to all that He had promised Abraham and Isaac.
 
           Verses 26-31: Abimelech journeys from Gerar to pay a personal visit to Isaac. Isaac is baffled as to why the king would now travel to see him when he banished Isaac from Gerar in the first place. (v.27) Abimelech replies that he and his men have watched Isaac and his household grow wealthy and powerful because of the Lord, and now he wants to formalize a new pact with Isaac. There will be no more skirmishes and squabbling over land and wells, and there will be permanent peace between Isaac and Abimelech. (v.28-29) Isaac agrees to this, and he throws a great feast for Abimelech and the men of both houses. In the morning, Abimelech and Isaac swear once more to the new oath of peace, and then Abimelech departs.
 
          Verses 32-35: That same morning, Isaac’s servants inform him of a new well they discovered there in Beer-sheba, which Isaac names “Shebah”, meaning “oath” or “seven”. At the same time, amidst all of this conflict with the Philistines and the burden of daily life, Isaac and Rebekah are also troubled greatly by Esau’s choice of Hittite wives.
 
            This chapter is another good reminder and example of how God is with us not only in the great trials of life, but also the seemingly mundane, day to day minutia of just making a living and providing for our families. All the little conflicts that arise from our daily interactions in life – coworkers, family, friends, etc – as well as the burden of just meeting our daily needs as we provide for ourselves and our families can sometimes leave us feeling despondent, tired, weary and careworn. For Christian parents, the added burden of seeing their children stray from the Lord and what they know is right can also be an especially heavy load on their hearts.
        But amongst all of that, God is always present, always reminding us through the Holy Spirit and His word that He is with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us, and whatever promises He has made to each of us individually He will bring to pass. It might not be when we expect them, and the lessons of patience and walking by faith are never easy to learn and practice, but, if we are faithful and obedient, God will provide and take care of us! It’s a guarantee that we find in passages such as this one and many others throughout the Bible.
          Just as He cared and provided for Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob and all their seed, God will do the same today for you and me! It’s His eternal promise to all his children who have accepted Him as Lord and savior and trust in Him with all their hearts!