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TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 26 is like “deja vu all over again”.
First of all, in chapter 20, we learn that Abraham and Sarah relocated to Gerar in the land of the Philistines.
In that chapter, Abraham presents his wife Sarah as his sister for fear of his safety. (That’s not the way a true Texas would handle that situation, but I digress.)
God intervenes on their behalf and protects Sarah from harm.
Abraham prospered while in the land.
There was a dispute over water rights in regard to a well Abraham dug while there.
Abraham entered into a covenant with Abimelech at a place he named Beersheba.
In this chapter:
Isaac and his family travel to the land of the Philistines and settle in Gerar for a time.
When asked about his wife, Rebekah, Isaac says, “she is my sister”. (Is this a case of “Like father like son or what?)
This time, Abimelech discovers the truth about Rebekah’s relationship to Issac and he must have remembered the time when God warned him concerning Sarah in a dream and said, “you are a dead man because of this woman…”
Isaac prospered while in the land.
There was a dispute over water rights again as Issac dug again the wells Abraham had made while he was in the land. Isaac dug new wells also and was challenged by the local herdsmen over the water.
Isaac, at Beersheba, is visited by God where he is affirmed and God confirms the covenant He made with his father Abraham.
While in Beersheba Isaac entered into a covenant with Abimelech as well.
The chapter ends with almost a side note of what could be the reason Jacob was chosen by God rather than Esau.
Verse 34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.
What do we take away from this chapter?
You may be able to answer that for yourself. The beauty of the Bible is that it is “living” and the Holy Spirit speaks through it into our lives for the situation we are in at that moment.
But there are some points we can make that apply to all of us”
Although we are flawed human beings, often making the same mistakes we see in others, God’s grace provides us the opportunity to grow and learn and surrender our lives more fully to Him and become who He wants us to be.
Though we live in a “foreign” environment in this world, God is watching over us and prospering our lives with His blessings in spite of the opposition we have to face.
While we live our lives day by day we don’t always see the changes and growth that others can see.
Abimelech’s parting words to Isaac were, “You are now the blessed of the Lord”.
As we live our lives surrendered to Christ and devoted to His will, others will see Him and His blessing in our lives pointing them to the answers for their lives as well.
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