Exploring Perseverance - Genesis 26 - April 20, 2008

Sunday School Lesson – Exploring Perseverance – April 20, 2008

This is lesson three (3) in our series. This lesson should be titled, “Who or what is filling the wells you have dug?”

Our scripture is Genesis 26: 1-3, 6, 12-33.

We fast forward from Isaac as a teen in last Sunday’s lesson to Isaac being married with a family in this Sunday’s lesson. Isaac did not marry Rebekah until he was forty (40) years old. GOD blessed them with twin boys, Jacob and Esau, when Isaac was sixty (60) years old.

Our study is on perseverance. Isaac was a man of character in spite of a misstep along the way. He waited upon the LORD to provide him a wife. He had only one wife. When we read some of the history about Isaac, we see that the apple does not fall far from the tree. When Abraham feared for his life he told Pharaoh in Egypt and King of Gerar (GHEE rah), Abimelech (uh BIM eh leck) that his wife Sarah was his sister. Sarah was a beautiful woman and both kings thought she was up for grabs. But in both cases GOD intervened and prevented anything from happening to her. In both cases these pagan kings scolded Abraham for deceiving them.

Genesis 12:10-20: (Abram’s encounter with Pharaoh.)
10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine in the land was severe. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live. 13 Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels. 17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here’s your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave [his]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. men orders about him, and they sent him away, with his wife and all he had.

Genesis 20:1-10 (Abraham’s encounter with Abimelech.)
1 From there Abraham traveled to the region of the • Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived in Gerar, 2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.”[1] Gn 12:13; 26:7 So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”[2] Lit is possessed by a husband 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5 Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience[3] Lit with integrity of my heart and clean[4] Lit cleanness of my hands.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience.[5] Lit with integrity of your heart I have also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.” 8 Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally[6] Lit in their ears told them all these things; and the men were terrified. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”[7] Gn 12:19; 26:9 10 Abimelech also said to Abraham, “What did you intend when you did this thing?”

We fast forward to Isaac and his beautiful wife Rebekah. Isaac finds himself in the same situation as his father. He tells the King, who happens to also have the name of Abimelech, that Rebekah was his sister. Most bible scholars believe the name “Abimelech” was the throne name for the king and not the real name. Therefore, this Abimelech is different from the king Abraham encountered.

Genesis 26:7-11: (Isaac’s encounter with another king named Abimelech.)
7 When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,”[4] Gn 12:13; 20:5 for he was afraid to say “my wife,” [thinking]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. , “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.” 8 When Isaac had been there for some time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see[5] Or and he looked and behold— Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She’s my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” 10 Then Abimelech said, “What is this you’ve done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”[6] Gn 20:8–10 11 So Abimelech warned all the people with these words: “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly die.”

This is a character flaw in Isaac but it also shows Isaac is like many of us when confronted with a tense situation. It also shows that the patriarchs of the faith were not perfect and GOD uses believers, warts and all. This is why all people need JESUS as his or her SAVIOR - First, for forgiveness and cleansing from all past, present and future sins - Second, to receive HIS righteousness and grace to live each moment of our lives as believers, acceptable before GOD at all times. When we have CHRIST in us, we have HIS righteousness and we have been saved by grace from that moment throughout all eternity. Being acceptable before GOD at all times is one thing but being obedient to GOD is another. Obedience requires an act of the will and a decision. Seek the relationship with HIM and let HIM help you develop into an obedient son or daughter serving HIM without question.

Let’s read Genesis 26:1-3:
1 There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar. 2 The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land that I tell you about; 3 stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your • offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.
6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

In Genesis 12 we read about the famine Abram encountered. Abram went to Egypt to escape the famine. In our lesson today, Isaac encounters a famine but GOD told Isaac NOT to go to Egypt. I wonder if the issue with Abram and Sarai had anything to do with GOD telling Isaac not to go to Egypt. We do not know but the important thing is Isaac was obedient and did not go to Egypt. GOD used Isaac’s obedience to reveal to him a character flaw that worked to help him grow and trust the LORD. The same thing that had happened to Abram and Sarai happened to Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac tried to pass Rebekah off as his sister. GOD knows all and HE knew what Isaac would do. Did GOD allow this encounter with Abimelech and Isaac to happen to humble Isaac and let him see that GOD can and will take care of him and his family? It had to be a learning experience for Isaac.

Isaac was obedient to GOD and like his father went to the land GOD would show him. GOD reconfirmed HIS promises to Isaac.

Let’s read Genesis 26:12-16:
12 Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped[7] Lit found a hundred times [what was sown]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. . The Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy. 14 He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him. 15 The Philistines stopped up all the wells that his father’s slaves had dug in the days of his father Abraham, filling them with dirt. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us, for you are much too powerful for us.”[8] Or are more numerous than we are

Isaac was obedient and GOD blessed him with great wealth. We need to keep in mind there was a famine in the area and Isaac was very prosperous. It was the old supply and demand situation. Isaac had and there was a need for what he had. This is a formula that can produce great wealth.

Jealousy and envy can raise their heads when it seems that everything a person touches turns into something of value. Isaac was a foreigner in this land and the struggling locals were very jealous. We are no different today. We see people come in from other areas or countries and seem to prosper while we struggle. We tend to question why GOD does not allow us to prosper. Of course in this case Isaac was worshipping GOD and the locals were not. Just because believers are obedient to GOD DOES NOT mean automatic prosperity. Let’s look deeper and Isaac’s character.
The locals began to cause Isaac some trouble. They began to fill up the wells that were vital to Isaac and his enterprise. The people doing this mischief are called Philistines. The area was referred to as Philistia.

What made matters worse was that Isaac’s father had had the wells dug. So Isaac had to deal with tradition and whether or not to defend this tradition.
Isaac had a good case to defend the wells.

The king came to Isaac and asked him and his family to leave. The king knew this could be an explosive situation and he may have not fully trusted Isaac because Isaac had lied to him about his wife.

Let’s read Genesis 26:17-22:
17 So Isaac left there, camped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there. 18 Isaac reopened the water wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. He gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 Moreover, Isaac’s slaves dug in the valley and found a well of spring[9] Lit living water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Quarrel[10] Hb Esek because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also, so he named it Hostility.[11] Hb Sitnah 22 He moved from there and dug another, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Open Spaces[12] Hb Rehoboth and said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

Isaac had a decision to make. The king of Gerar had asked him to leave. Should he defend himself and save face with his family and servants or do as the king requested? Isaac did as the king requested and packed up and left. He went to the Valley of Gerar. We are not sure how far away the Valley of Gerar was from where he had been living. But he relocated far enough to satisfy the king.

Water is a vital resource for farming and raising livestock. So Isaac began to reopen the wells his father had had dug and named them the same as his father had named them. These wells were the very same wells that his father had had dug but the Philistines had filled them up after Abraham had died.

Isaac had his servants to continue to dig wells in the valley. They dug one that turned out to be a spring. This is a great find because most of the wells depended on the rainfall to have water but when you find a spring that is special. The herdsmen of Gerar protested that the water belonged to them. Again, Isaac had a decision to make, stand his ground, after all his people found the water, or let them have it and move on. Since there was a protest over who the well belonged to, Isaac named the well “Quarrel” and moved on to dig another well.

They dug another well and found water. Again, there was a dispute and again a moment for a decision, stand your ground or move on. So Isaac named the well “hostility” and moved on. Had Isaac learned this from his father when he allowed Lot to choose the direction he would go when their herdsmen had a quarrel? We do not know. Many of our good and bad attributes are learned at our father’s feet.

Isaac moved on and had yet another well dug. They find water and the area herdsman do not protest so Isaac named the well “Open Spaces.” Isaac interpreted the fact that there was no controversy that this marked the area GOD wanted them to settle.

Let’s read Genesis 26:26-33:
26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army. 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me? You hated me and sent me away from you.” 28 They replied, “We have clearly seen how the Lord has been with you. We think there should be an oath between two parties—between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you: 29 You will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have only done what was good to you, sending you away in peace. You are now blessed by the Lord.” 30 So he prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank. 31 They got up early in the morning and swore an oath to each other.[15] Lit swore, each man to his brother Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace. 32 On that same day Isaac’s slaves came to tell him about the well they had dug, saying to him, “We have found water!”[16] Gn 26:19 33 He called it Oath.[17] Hb Shibah Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba[18] = Well of the Oath [19] Gn 21:30–31 to this day.

Isaac settled and after a time, the king and his advisors pay him a visit. When Isaac saw them coming, did he think well here we go again, looks like we will have to move again? We do not know but our human nature would lead us to think that.

Isaac went to the very heart of their visit. You kicked me out of your area, now what?
Notice the words of the king. The king had likely been told of the way Isaac handled himself when the herdsmen claimed the wells after he had them dug. The king may have seen that his actions matched his faith in GOD. Isaac in essence redeemed himself in the eyes of the king. The king may have even put the herdsmen up to giving Isaac a hard time just to see what he would do. Isaac redeemed himself from the lie he had told the king regarding his wife Rebekah. The king saw Isaac as a person he could trust and offered to make a covenant with him. The king saw Isaac as an ally.

Because of the way Isaac handled himself during times of potential trouble, in the king’s mind, Isaac went from someone he did not trust to one he could trust. Isaac was a witness to the king though his actions.

Isaac agreed to the covenant and had a banquet prepared for them to fellowship with each other. Early the next morning they sealed the covenant. The king left and Isaac’s servants came to give the good news about the well they were digging. They found water and Isaac named the well “oath.” Beer-Sheba means well of the oath.
Who or what is filling the wells you have dug? When that seems to be happening to us, how do we respond? GOD is in all things working to bring about the best for HIS children. We need to ask ourselves, “What is GOD trying to tell us or show us about ourselves?” What do we have in our heart that needs to be revealed?

There are times we need to escape to a safe place in life but there are times we need to persevere to learn from our situation and to grow and mature spiritually.

Let’s think for a moment, when someone fills your wells that you have dug and asked you to leave, how do you respond? My first thoughts are to stand my ground on principle. My response reveals my heart and an area that needs to be worked on by the HOLY SPIRIT. My response would compromise my witness, yet GOD allows believers to be exposed to these challenges to reveal our heart. Does this mean to roll over and play dead? NO! GOD exposes believers to life’s circumstances to help us to grow spiritually and to allow us to see HIS power in these circumstances. Most often when GOD challenges believers and we respond in obedience to HIM, we grow spiritually and in our relationship with HIM. HE is interested in building faith and trust in us so we can serve HIM without question.