Genesis 26:1-35
Q.1. Under what circumstances did God renew His Covenant with Isaac? What conditions were placed on receiving God’s blessing? (Gen.26:1-5)
When famine came (like the one in Abraham’s days), Isaac was most likely dwelling in the Negev, between Beersheba and the Gulf of Aqaba, but then moved to the coastal plains of Gerar (Gen.24:62). God specifically warned him – 2 … “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed (Gen.26:2-4). Here God reiterated to Isaac the Covenant that He had made with Abraham. With this, He reminded Isaac that he must stay in the land of promise (Gen.26:5).
Q.2. How did history repeat itself with Isaac and his wife? How did God protect him, and keep him separate? (Gen.26:6-17)
As sometimes happens, Isaac was like his father in negative ways as well. He also pretended that his wife was his sister, lest the Philistines kill him on account of her (Gen.26:7). However, after some time King Abimelech looked out his window, and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah. (Gen.26:7-8). He challenged Isaac, who then admitted that she was his wife. We observe the high morals among the Philistines at that time. Abimelech reacted to the fact that Rebekah might easily have been violated. He warned his people not to violate her (Gen.26:11). God prospered Isaac – 12 Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household (Gen.26:12-14). At the same time God used Isaac’s blessings to drive a wedge between himself and the Philistines, thus keeping them from intermingling – the Philistines envied him … Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us (Gen.26:14 & 16). This effectually kept him separate.
Q.3 What was behind the conflict that Isaac experienced at Gerar? What happened at Beersheba? How did Isaac respond? (Gen.26:18-25)
The Philistines had already stopped up Abraham’s wells. Wherever God blessed Isaac with new water wells, this caused further animosity, until he moved up north to the plain of Rehoboth – He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land (Gen.26:22). God continued to use strife to keep Isaac separate from the Philistines. Since Isaac had extensive flocks and herds, he turned south back to Beersheba (Gen.26:14). This was the well of seven. It was the place where Abraham and Abimelech had made an oath and called on the name of the Everlasting God (Gen.26:23 c.f. Gen.21:27-33). Here Isaac was in the right place for – The Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, for the sake of My servant Abraham (Gen.26:24). As did his father Abraham, Isaac – built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord (Gen.26:25). This encounter, with its promise, was to be remembered. Isaac continued to grow in faith on his life journey.
Q.4. What was the reason for the covenant between Isaac and Abimelech? What further blessing came to Isaac? In what way did Esau cause grief to his parents? (Gen.26:26-35)
Isaac was somewhat surprised to see Abimelech with his adviser and army chief. They feared Isaac, so sought an alliance with him – 28 … We see plainly that the Lord has been with you; so we said, `Let there now be an oath between us, even between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 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 (Gen.26:28-29). That very day, the well they had dug turned into a plentiful supply of water (Gen.26:32-33). However, not everything was favourable. Esau was now an adult and had married two Hittite women who caused Isaac and Rebekah much grief. He caused his parents much grief, with his immorality and godlessness (Gen.26:34-35 c.f. Gen.28:8-9; Heb.12:16).