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! 

Abraham got married again. His new wife’s name was Keturah.

Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. Remember, Isaac is the Son of Promise. He also gave gifts to the sons of the concubines that he had.  However, he sent them eastward, away from Isaac.  Abraham lived to the ripe old age of 175, full of years and he was buried with his family. Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham next to Sarah in the cave of Machpelah which he purchased in Genesis 23. A lot of times, death can cause dissension in families.  Here, we see Isaac and Ishmael working together to bury their father.  Remember, Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, were sent away when Sarah saw Ishmael teasing Isaac in Genesis 21. After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac.  Isaac lived in Beer Lahai Roi. This is where he went on a trip in Genesis 24.  Maybe Isaac was looking to relocate when he took that trip.

Isaac was 60 years old when Esau and Jacob were born. That’s 20 years after Isaac and Rebekah got married.  As Esau and Jacob grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he ate his game from hunting and Rebekah loved Jacob.  Parents having a favorite child among their children are only asking for trouble and family dysfunction. For those parents reading this with more than one child, do you have a favorite child among your children? If so, why? Has that caused any family problems?

Jacob had cooked a stew and Esau came in from the field very hungry. He told Jacob to give him some of his red stew because he was starving. Therefore, his name was called Edom. Edom means red. Esau was born red and red stew is about to lead him to a bad decision.  Jacob told Esau to sell him his birthright. The birthright is the privileged right of inheritance that belongs to the firstborn son.  Esau said that he was about to die so what was a birthright to him.  A bad decision and an over exaggeration, I’m sure.  Jacob made Esau swear to him and Esau swore, thus selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and some stew of lentils. Esau ate and drank and went on his way not giving a second thought to his birthright. He despised it.  Lesson to learn – Never make a permanent bad decision for a temporary problem or situation.

The next stop is Genesis 26.

To God Be The Glory!

Sarah lived to be 127 years old. When looking up information for Isaac’s age at the time he was almost sacrificed in Genesis 22, I found information that said he was 37 years old. (Yes, I googled.) I wrote that he was almost 40. If indeed he was 37 years old, then Sarah didn’t live too much longer after “the almost sacrificed” incident. Sarah was 90 years old when she had Isaac and died at 127 years old; that’s 37 years later. Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Of course, Abraham mourned deeply for his wife. Eventually, Abraham stopped mourning long enough to realize that he needed a burial place for Sarah and approached the sons of Heth for a place. In my research, Heth was the great grandson of Noah. His descendants are the Hittites. The Message Bible refers to the sons of Heth as the town council of Hittites. Abraham said that he was a foreigner and a visitor among them and told them to “give” him property so he could bury Sarah. They responded to Abraham by stating that he was a mighty prince among them. (So, they didn’t see Abraham as just a mere foreigner/visitor in their land.) They offered Abraham the best of their burial places. Abraham in respect bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth and asked for their help to intercede in approaching Ephron, the son of Zohar for a piece of his land – the cave of Machpelah at the end of his field. Abraham wanted to pay full price for the property. Ephron, the Hittite, in front of the sons of Heth offered to give Abraham the property free of charge. Abraham again insisted, telling Ephron in front of all the people that he will pay for the land. In Genesis 12:3, God told Abram (Abraham) that He will bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him. So, did Abraham rob Ephron of a blessing by insisting on buying the property rather than accepting it as a gift? Have you ever robbed someone of a blessing by refusing something they wanted to give you and you insisted on paying for it or you wouldn’t take it at all? So, Ephron finally said a price – four hundred shekels of silver and asked “What is that between you and me?” Picture a situation like wanting to pay someone for something they did or bought for you. They refuse to tell you the cost. Then finally after going back and forth, they say something like, “It only cost $20.” In finally stating the cost, the person could be “giving in” to resolve the matter or they could secretly want reimbursement and was really just putting on a show in front of everybody. So, I wonder which was the case for Ephron. Upon hearing the price quoted by Ephron, Abraham paid him four hundred shekels of silver (at the current market rate) in front of the sons of Heth. So, deeded to Abraham in the field of Ephron were the cave and all the trees surrounding all of the borders. This transaction was completed in the presence of the sons of Heth.

After this, Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So, in conclusion, the field and cave were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as burial property.

Our next stop is Genesis 24.

To God Be The Glory!

God tested Abraham. He said, “Abraham!” Abraham answered, “Here I am.” Notice that this scripture does not say that God tempted Abraham, but that He tested Abraham. James 1:13 says that God does not tempt anyone. Has God ever tested you? Did you pass the test? Do you answer God as quickly as Abraham did? God told Abraham to take his only son Isaac, whom he loved, to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on the mountain that He chose. Why is Isaac referred to as Abraham’s only son, when we know Ishmael is the older son? Well, Isaac is the Son of Promise (Sarah’s son) and Ishmael is the son of “helping God out” (Genesis 16) (Hagar’s son).

Abraham gets up early the next morning, saddles his donkey and takes Isaac and two young male servants with him. He also split the wood for the burnt offering. What? No questions asked! Just complete obedience! Are you willing to make the sacrifice like Abraham did? On the third day of the journey, Abraham saw the place in the distance. He told the young men to stay there with the donkey. He and Isaac will go worship and come back. This is truly an example of walking by faith. Abraham knew that the plan was to sacrifice Isaac. Yet he told the servants, “we will come back to you.”

Abraham had Isaac carry the wood for the burnt offering. Isaac carried the wood up the mountain to be used in the sacrifice of his life, similar to Jesus being forced to carry the wood (cross) up the mountain on which He would be sacrificed. Abraham took the flint to start the fire and the knife in his hand. Then off they went. Isaac noticed that they had everything but the lamb to sacrifice. He questioned Abraham and Abraham’s response was that God would provide the lamb. I’ve heard that Isaac wasn’t a little boy, but was actually close to 40 years old when this happened. Whatever his age, Isaac knew a very important item was missing for the burnt offering, namely the sacrificial lamb. Obviously, Abraham didn’t tell Isaac about God’s plan before time. I wonder if Abraham told Sarah that he was going to sacrifice their son born to them in their old age. When they arrived at the place where God told Abraham, he built an altar and placed the wood in order. He bound Isaac and laid him on the altar upon the wood. I wonder how this scene played out since the Bible doesn’t say anything about Abraham having to knock Isaac out to bind him. Did Isaac respect his father so much, that he willingly allowed Abraham to bind him? Was Isaac’s faith that strong in his earthly father as well as in his Heavenly Father that he believed that God would provide a sacrificial lamb? Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay Isaac. I wonder what they both are thinking now? Again, are you willing to make the sacrifice? When you’ve waited so long for the promises of God to be manifested in your life and now God is saying give it back to Him or walk away from it, would you willingly do so?

An Angel of the Lord called Abraham’s name from heaven and he answered, “Here I am.” Abraham was told not to kill Isaac. Abraham passed the test since he feared God (that is to reverence Him) and was willing to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham looked and behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. He took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of Isaac. He named the place The-Lord-Will-Provide (meaning God sees to it beforehand). Thereafter, the saying “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided” was established.

The Angel of the Lord called out of heaven again to Abraham and swore by Himself (meaning He was under complete obligation), that He will bless him mightily, and the promise of many descendants was restated. Abraham’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15) and the sand on the seashore (similar to to the dust of the earth in Genesis 13). His descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. In Abraham’s seed, all the nations of the earth will be blessed because of his obedience. Will your descendants be blessed because of your obedience to God?

Abraham (and Isaac) returned to the servants and they journeyed to Beersheba where he lived.

Abraham was informed that his brother, Nahor, had children by Milcah. His firstborn was Huz. They also had Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram) Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel. Bethuel is Rebekah’s father. We will see this significance as we continue our Biblical journey. Milcah bore these eight to Nahor. Nahor’s concubine, Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash and Maachah to him.

Our next stop is Genesis 23.

To God Be The Glory!

God visited Sarah just as He promised and He held true to His word. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time God said it would happen. (They obviously experienced that time of pleasure as Sarah remembered it in Genesis 18.) Abraham named his son, Isaac. He circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old as the Lord commanded (Genesis 17.) When Isaac was born, Abraham was 100 years old. Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” Has God ever made you laugh? She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” Isaac grew up and was weaned. On the day that Isaac was weaned, Abraham had a great feast.

Sarah saw Ishmael ridiculing Isaac. Of course, Sarah would have an issue with this. What good mom wouldn’t? She told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. She said that Ishmael will not be an heir with Isaac. Remember, it was Sarah (Sarai) who told Abraham (Abram) to have a child with Hagar (trying to help God out in Genesis 16). Of course, Abraham wasn’t pleased with this situation because, after all, Ishmael is his son also. God told Abraham not to let the situation displease him and to do what Sarah said. Abraham’s seed will be in Isaac and in Ishmael as well.

Abraham got up early the next morning and gave Hagar a skin of water and bread, putting it on her shoulder, he sent them away. Hagar and Ishmael left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. When the water was gone, Hagar left Ishmael under a shrub and she went and sat about a bow shot’s distance from him. She didn’t want to see her son die. Since I don’t have any biological children nor have I raised a child, I can only try to imagine how Hagar must have felt, thinking that she will watch her son die. I can only try to imagine a mother’s pain when she sees her child suffering or has to bury a child regardless of age. My prayers are with moms who have buried children under any circumstance, especially those due to accidents and violence. Hagar sat opposite of Ishmael and cried. God heard Ishmael’s cries too. An angel of the Lord called out to Hagar from heaven and asked her what was the matter. The angel told her not to fear because God heard Ishmael’s cries as well. He will also be a great nation. So he told Hagar to rise up and take Ishmael by the hand. Then God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well of water and gave some to Ishmael to drink. God was with Ishmael as he grew and became an archer dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran. Hagar got a wife for Ishmael from Egypt.

Abimelech and the commander of his army, Phichol, spoke to Abraham because they recognized that God was with him in all that he did. Notice that Abimelech didn’t go to Abraham alone. He took the commander of his army with him. When others see the favor of God on your life, it can put fear into them. Abraham was asked to swear by God that he would not deal falsely with Abimelech, his children and future generations. He asked Abraham to show him and the land the same kindness he was extended. Abraham swore to do so.

Apparently, there was an issue over a well that Abimelech’s servants seized and Abraham complained to him about it. Abimelech was not aware of this issue until Abraham mentioned it. Abraham gave Abimelech sheep and oxen and the two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set aside seven ewe lambs from the flock. Abimelech questioned this move. Abraham told Abimelech to take the ewe lambs and that they will be his (Abraham’s) witness that he dug the well in dispute. They named the place where they swore the oath, Beersheba. Afterwards Abimelech and Phichol left and returned to the land of the Philistines.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.

Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for many days.

The journey will continue to Genesis 22.

To God Be The Glory!

Abraham journeys to the South. He dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. Abraham said that Sarah was his sister (just like he did in Genesis 12). Abimelech, king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. Even in her older age, Sarah still must have been “drop dead gorgeous.” Just my opinion, but it seems as if Abraham is more concerned with “saving” his own life (again) than Sarah’s well-being.  

God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and told him that he was a dead man because the woman he took is a man’s wife. However, Abimelech had not gone near Sarah. Abimelech asked the Lord if He would slay a righteous nation also. He claimed his innocence because Abraham said, “She is my sister” and Sarah said, “He is my brother.” Abimelech said, “In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart…” God told him that He kept him for sinning against Him and therefore, He did not allow Abimelech to touch Sarah.  How many times have you really wanted to do something that you knew was wrong and God kept you from sinning? God gave you the way of escape (I Corinthians 10:13). God told Abimelech to give Sarah back to Abraham because he is a prophet. God said that Abraham will pray for him and he shall live. However, if Abimelech didn’t give her back, he would die and all those who belong to him would die also. 

Abimelech rose early the next morning and called all of his servants and told them all that God said. The men were very afraid. He called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us?” He asked Abraham how did he offend him that he brought such a great sin on him and his kingdom. Abimelech accused Abraham of doing deeds to him that should not have been done. He basically asked him what was he thinking when he did this.

Abraham said that he thought the fear of God was not in Gerar and that he would be killed on account of his wife. Then Abraham explains that Sarah is his sister because she is his father’s daughter, but not his mother’s daughter and she became his wife.  So, does having the same mother make you a closer sibling than having the same father? Maybe not biologically, but it could because of the closeness of the relationship. In today’s world, most of the time, if you have the same mother and different fathers, you probably will grow up together. But if you have the same father and different mothers, chances are you may not be as close. The above is not always the case, but more often than not. So, maybe it was the same in Abraham’s day and therefore, it was acceptable for him and Sarah to marry. So, Abraham said when God told him to leave his father’s house, he told Sarah that she should, out of kindness to him, say that he is her brother everywhere they went.

Abimelech gave Abraham sheep, oxen and servants (male and female) and he gave Sarah back to him as well. Abimelech told Abraham that he could dwell anywhere he wanted to in the land. He told Sarah that he had given her brother a 1,000 pieces of silver and that vindicated her in the eyes of everybody. Therefore she was rebuked (reprimanded for her role in the situation). I noticed also that Abimelech didn’t refer to Abraham as her husband, but as her brother. My Study Bible suggests that this was being sarcastic.

Abraham prayed to God and He healed Abimelech, his wife, and the female servants. They could have children, again. God had closed up all the wombs of Abimelech’s house. So Abraham and Sarah had to be in Gerar for several months for them to realize that nobody was having babies after Abimelech took Sarah. Also, it’s ironic that their punishment was not having children (no new pregnancies) as Sarah was still barren at this time also. 

The next stop – Genesis 21

To God Be The Glory!