There was a famine in the land just like the famine during Abraham’s days (Genesis 12:10). Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines in Gerar. Is this the same Abimelech that Abraham dealt with in Genesis 20? When I googled, I found that Abimelech is a generic name given to all the Philistine kings in the Hebrew Bible.  The Lord appeared to Isaac and told him not to go to Egypt, but to live in the land where God told him to dwell. By living in this land, God promised to be with Isaac and bless him. God will give all of the land to Isaac and his descendants. He promised to keep the oath He swore to Abraham. Like Father, Like Son.  God promised to make Isaac’s descendants multiply like the stars in heaven. Like Father, Like Son (Genesis 15:5). In Isaac’s seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Like Father, Like Son (Genesis 22:18). Isaac will get all of these blessings because his father, Abraham obeyed God’s voice, kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes and His laws.  Will your (future) generations be blessed because you obeyed God’s voice, kept His charge, commandments, statutes and laws?  So, Isaac stayed in Gerar.

The men of Gerar asked about Rebekah. Isaac said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid that the men would kill him because of Rebekah’s beauty (similar to Sarai in Genesis 12:11-14) and Like Father, Like Son (Genesis 20:2). 

After being in Gerar for a long time, Abimelech looked through a window and saw Isaac being affectionate towards Rebekah. Abimelech called Isaac and said that this is obviously your wife. He asked him how could he say that she was his sister. Isaac explained that he thought he would die because of Rebekah. Abimelech was concerned that someone could have lain with Rebekah and caused serious trouble for them. Abimelech threatened that if anyone harmed Isaac and Rebekah, they would be put to death.

Isaac sowed and reaped bountifully in Gerar and the Lord blessed him. Isaac became extremely prosperous with possessions of flocks, herds and servants. The Philistines envied him. They stopped up all the wells that Abraham’s servants dug by filling them up with earth. God’s blessings in your life will cause the haters to become very jealous – true “hateration”. They will do all they can to block or destroy your blessings.  Abimelech told Isaac to go away from them, because he was mightier than they were.  At least Abimelech recognized the power of having The Lord on your side.

Moving and Digging – Isaac left and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar and lived there. He dug again the wells of water that were dug in the days of Abraham, his father. The Philistines stopped them up after Abraham’s death. He called the wells by the same name Abraham called them. Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of running water there. The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac’s herdsmen saying the water belonged to them. So, Isaac named the well Esek because they quarreled with them. So, I googled and Esek means “strife”. Isaac’s herdsmen dug another well and they quarreled over that one too. So, he named that well Sitnah. Yes, I googled again and Sitnah means “hatred” or “hostility”. It’s amazing that to spite Abraham and Isaac, the Philistines stopped up the wells, but when Isaac’s servants dug them again, they wanted them. This is typical of haters. They may not want something or someone, but as soon as you show interest in it or truly appreciate the person they didn’t value, then the haters want it/them back just to keep you from benefiting. Isaac moved again and dug another well. This one they did not quarrel over, so he named it Rehoboth, because the Lord made room for them and they will be fruitful in the land. Googled, of course, and Rehoboth means “open spaces”.  Isaac left there and went to Beersheba. The Lord appeared to Isaac that 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 My servant Abraham’s sake.” Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord (Like Father, Like Son – Genesis 12:7-8, 13:18). He pitched his tent there and his servants dug a well.  

Abimelech came from Gerar to Isaac with his friend, Ahuzzath, and Phichol, the commander of his army. This is why I believe this is the same Abimelech who went to Abraham, because he had Phichol with him then (Genesis 21:22). Abimelech obviously felt he had to have backup since he didn’t approach Abraham or Isaac alone. Isaac asked him why did he come to him considering that he hates him and sent him away from them. They recognized that God is with Isaac, so they wanted to establish an oath with him. They wanted to make a covenant that he wouldn’t harm them since they only did good to Isaac and sent him away in peace. They said that Isaac was now the blessed of the Lord. What! After Isaac had to move a few times after the herdsmen of Gerar kept following him and fussing over wells with his herdsmen! It’s amazing how haters can conveniently forget what they’ve done to you when they see the favor of God in your life! Also, what happened to the charge that if anyone did anything to Isaac, that they would be put to death? Isaac was blessed by the Lord long before Abimelech pronounced it.  They had a feast of eating and drinking. Early the next morning they arose and swore an oath. Isaac sent them away in peace. Like Father, Like Son (Genesis 21:32).  On that same day, Isaac’s servants told him about a well they had dug and found water. Isaac called the well Shebah, meaning “oath” – Yes, Google.  The name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

At the age of 40, Esau married Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath, the daughter of Elon, also a Hittite. These two wives became thorns in the sides of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau is messing up again causing family dysfunction and (daughter) in-law woes. Maybe this is why Abraham didn’t want a wife for Isaac to be taken from the land in which they lived. 

The next stop on the journey is Genesis 27.

To God Be The Glory!