Genesis 26 Devotional Bible Study

 

Genesis 26 Chapter Summary

When a famine occurred, God told Isaac not to go down to Egypt to live but to stay in Canaan. God confirmed the promises He had made to Abraham. So, Isaac went to the Philistine city of Gerar to seek aid from King Abimelek.

While in Gerar, Isaac lied and said Rebekah was his sister, fearing that the men of that place would kill him and take her if they knew she was his wife. But Abimelek saw Isaac caressing Rebekah and summoned him to ask him why he had put the men of his city in danger; if one of them had taken Rebekah, they would have been guilty without knowing it. So, Abimelek ordered his people not to harm Isaac or Rebekah.

 

Isaac's crops and flocks increased so much that the Philistines began to envy him. To sabotage him, they stopped up the wells Abraham had planted. King Abimelek even asked Isaac to move some distance away from the city.

 

In the Valley of Gerar, Isaac had to move three times and his servants had to dig three wells before the herders of Gerar stopped fighting with him over land and resources.

 

"Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land."

- Genesis 26:22

 

God again confirmed His promises to Isaac, and Isaac built an altar to worship Him.

 

Abimelek and his army commander came to make a treaty with Isaac.

 

Meanwhile, Esau married two Canaanite women, which grieved Isaac and Rebekah.

 

Principles of Trust

As I read this chapter, I’m impressed with Isaac’s character in two ways: his trust in the Lord, and his lack of trust in the Lord.

When the Lord tells him where to live, he lives there. He’s obedient, no questions asked. Do we seek the Lord and ask Him such things as where we should live? Do we bring the details of our life to Him and expect Him to answer? The Lord gave Isaac very clear instructions, and I believe He will direct us if we open our hearts and minds to listen.

But… as Isaac is living the land where the Lord tells him to live, he becomes afraid and falls into the same sin his father Abraham committed. Like Abraham, Isaac lied, saying his wife was his sister so that if any men of the country wanted to take his wife, they could do so without having to kill him first! In fact, this is even worse than the lie Abraham told about Sarah. When Abraham said Sarah was his sister, it was at least a half-truth because Sarah was his half-sister, besides being his bride.

So, the question is, Can we trust the Lord to guide us toward a decision and then also trust Him as we live out that decision? If, for example, the Lord led us to marry a certain person or perform a certain job, or engage in a certain ministry, can we trust Him to help us carry through with that decision even when it gets tough?

Being afraid wasn’t the only difficulty Isaac faced in Gerar. There was also the matter of the wells. Yet the Lord eventually gave him success. Isaac had to persevere; he had to be patient; he had to keep trying and endure – but peace came.

Let’s trust the Lord to direct us and see us through the decisions He leads us to as we persevere in Him.