Isaac in Genesis Chp 26:
The Lessons that he learned
The Wells that he dug
The battles that he fought
The Lessons that he learned
First notice that the whole chapter takes me back to Abraham in Genesis chp 12 compare Genesis 26:1.
The Spirit of God is at pains to draw a parallel between the life of Abraham in Genesis 12 and of Isaac in Genesis 26.
Parallel with Abraham in Genesis 12:
Same conditions prevail – famine (v1)
Same covenant given (v3) – all of Abrahamic covenant promises now given to Isaac.
Same wells and the same names (v18)
Same lack of confidence (v7) – “she is my sister”
Some could make a whole meeting out of that but just take 1 simple point: here is a man who is retreading the path his father took.
During a visit sometime ago to South Africa I came across a 2nd hand shop and there amongst all the usual things you might expect to find was a coffin propped up against the wall! Some things are quite acceptable second hand but some things are no use at all: a second hand faith!
A second hand faith is no use to anybody, 2nd hand experience of God no use to anybody.
Doesn’y matter how great an experience our fathers had of Christ, not sufficient for me, I’ll need to get to know God for myself, me personally!
Isaac had a great teacher mind you: Abraham! The father of the faithful, the friend of God, he of the covenant, but that wasn’t enough!
I think today too much second hand faith!
We know the facts, know how to do things, but that vital inspiration for all true service is missing!
The reality of that relationship with Him is absent!
- Paul – “that I might know Him”
- Christ – “That they might know thee” (Jo17:2-3)
You know all about Christ! All about the promises of God! All about the prophets and the types, but what about that vital link?
When was the last time He spoke to you and when was the last time you spoke to Him?
2nd hand experiences of God are no good to anyone!
The lessons Isaac learned – no shortcuts, he had to learn them himself!
Abraham couldn’t say – just you take this in board!
I know there are many difficulties amongst us:
- evangelism
- declining numbers
- carnality
- materialism
- poor quality of ministry
The disease – disrupted communion with Christ!
How we need to relearn the lessons learned by Abraham:
Obedience (v2) – He obeys
Simple lesson, but a great lesson
Lord gives you a simple thing to do – you do it!
You’ll get nothing greater to do till you are obedient in the simple thing:
Saul: 1Sam15 – given to destroy Amalek and Agag, “hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord” (15:22).
Trust (v3) – To take God at His word (v3)
“I will bless thee” (v3) cf. v13 – He did bless Isaac
Recall such simple statements as: “Let us go over” (Lk8:22) and “They arrived” (Lk8:26)
Simple lesson!
Matt 14:29 – 1 word the Lord utters “come” – Peter has total trust in that 1 word, and he comes and he walks on the water!
Simple lesson but what power there is in it!
To Continue (v22)
Despite discouragement!
Greatness of Joshua and Caleb (Num14:24) “he hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land which he went and his seed shall possess it!”
Having learned these lessons the Lord will move him on.
God instructs him in the days of famine (v1) to “sojourn in this land” (v3)
He gets comfortable, only meant to be there to see the famine out, begins to feel at home there!
The Spirit comments “when he had been there a long time” (v8). He had been there too long! God moves him out of his comfort zone!
Are we in by-pass meadow, sheltering out of the road of the traffic? God has greater things for Isaac; for sowing and reaping, for digging and drinking. Not to be settled with the ungodly, all of a sudden God moves and takes him out of his comfort zone, God has better things than this for Isaac!
Consider too a Lot taken out of Sodom, the disciples casting their nets and mending their nets, called by Christ – Christ has better things than this for them!
Suddenly everything in life changes and he is thrust out, an experience undesired and unexpected but God has something better for Isaac.
The Wells that he dug
God has seed for him to sow (v12) and God has wells for Isaac to dig!
Its not being thrust out of the land that gets him digging wells, something else!
Necessity (v14) – Isaac had flocks, herds and servants - he needed to dig wells!
Isaac is burdened with a desire to dig deep because he now sees that the need is greater than anything he can provide in himself.
Do you ever feel your need for something deeper? A desire to dig deep? Are you overwhelmed by the demands placed upon you? That is not a bad place to be!
Perhaps the Lord has asked you to do a work, you’ve made the discovery that there is not enough in you, sufficient for that work, the Lord is drawing you to dig deep wells and drink deep of the person of Christ.
A crisis that promotes growth! Lord I can’t do this by myself, Lord I need help!
Crises has often been used in the life of the people of God to promote growth:
Samson: Judges 16 – The first time Samson's name is linked with the word 'pray'! Was it the first time he prayed? Surely a Nazarite would pray often? Maybe the first prayer the Lord heard?? What brings Samson to this point? A deep sense of his need: “Lord strengthen me only this once” – his eyes taken out and his hair shaved off, shekels of brass about his ankles, he knows his need, maybe for the very first time he feels his need, turning in faith and dependence to his God he draws deeper from that well than he has ever done before!
Isaac sees the need outstrips what he can supply!
Here is a poverty that brings power! “When I am weak then am I strong” (2Co12:10).
He turns to dig wells again.
Why does he have to dig them? Why does he not just take the flocks to them?
They have been stopped (v15), notice how, not with wood, not stone and not brick – “filled with earth”
Demas: Fellow labourer Philemon (v24); faithful with Paul in the prison (Col4:14); where is he in 2Tim4:10 – “loved this present world” – the well is stopped with earth!
Rich Young Ruler: Luke 18 ‘what shall I do to inherit eternal life’ – “sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor” – “he was very sorrowful for he was very rich” – the earth has just stopped the well, and that before it has even been opened!
Samson: So often stopped with earth? A woman in Timnath, harlot in Gaza and Delilah the Philistine?
The battles that he fought:
A word of encouragement, if you’re determined to go digging wells for God what will I encounter?
Floods and floods of blessing?
No – “strife” (v20)
If you decide to keep digging wells for God what will I find?
Loads and loads and loads of blessing?
No! More strife (v21) – in fact the situation got worse “hatred.”
Ah but listen, if you keep going (v22) ‘Rehoboth’ – that means ‘room’ – blessing!
One thing puzzled me – why did he keep going? You say he was a great man of God. He was, but great men of God can get discouraged too!
He kept going because of what he found: a well of “springing water” (v19) – that’s an interpretation of the Hebrew rather than a direct translation, the Heb. word “springing” is actually the word “living.”
He kept going because he found living water!
You see once you have a taste of that living water you have to keep going! There’s nothing else like it! So the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 having found the living water and goes back to the town, “come see a man that told me all things that ever I did.”
There was a time when there were those who left the Lord (Jo6:66) “will ye also go away?”, “to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”
So precious is this water that the place of the will becomes the place of the altar and the place of the tent (v25).
In 1Peter3 – we see the reality of the truth
But the same pilgrims seeking the same well, they’re wanting to take the caps off the well! This section is the conclusion to a theme begun in 2:1, chp 2 began with a quotation from Ps34:8 (1Peter2:3) and this section now finishes with the rest of Psalm 34:
3:10 – Ps34:12,13
3:11 – Ps34:14
3:12 – Ps34:15,16
Peter takes our minds back to how he begun this section (2:3) these believers want to taste and see that the Lord is Gracious, they want to go deeper into spiritual things, they want the cap off of the wells, what will they find?
Opposition (v10)
But if they persevere, they will find:
Peace (v11)
Blessing (v10)
Life (v10)
Place of the Altar (v12) – communion with heaven
Was that not just the same character as Isaacs well?
A Well of Blessing (v24)
A Well of Life (v19)
A Well of Communion (v25) – the place of the altar
The climax to Gen 26 and the climax to 1 Peter 3:8-15 is the same – the setting up of the altar, communion between heaven and earth.
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