Covenant with Abimelech – Genesis 21:22-34

We don’t usually think of Abraham as a force to be reckoned with, but as this passage shows us, he had a profound effect on the region about him, because of his great wealth, his military success, and most importantly because of his relationship with Yahweh.

[22] At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. [23] Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” [24] And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

[25] When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized, [26] Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.” [27] So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. [28] Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. [29] And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” [30] He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” [31] Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath. [32] So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. [33] Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. [34] And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines. (Genesis 21:22–34, ESV)

In Genesis 12 God promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation and that through him all nations would be blessed.  Although Abraham has at one point lied to Abimelech and put Sarah in danger (chapter 20),  Yahweh’s relationship with Abraham and the way He has blessed him has garnered Abimelech’s attention, so he seeks an alliance with Abraham.  It is a covenant that particularly focuses on Abraham dealing truthfully, not falsely, with Abimelech and dealing with him kindly, as he has dealt kindly with Abraham.

The only fly in the ointment is a well that Abraham has dug and has used to water his flocks, but that someone from Abimelech’s people has seized.  Abimelech would have wanted Abraham to report this to him so he could take action.  So they make a covenant and Abraham gives some of his herd to Abimelech to seal this covenant, and in particular seven ewe lambs as a witness that the well belongs to Abraham.  This gives rise to naming the place Beersheba, which could either mean “well of oath” or “well of seven,” the word for oath and seven being similar in Hebrew.  Abimelech returns to the area of the Philistines.  Either this is an early group of people known as Philistines (the people known by this name in later days did not arrive until much later than Abraham) or the name of this area has been updated by the editor of Genesis so that current readers can identify where Abimelech was dwelling).

With this covenant made, Abraham worships Yahweh, planting a tamarisk tree there and calling on the name of Yahweh as the Everlasting God.  Walton notes:  “The tamarisk grows in sandy soil. It is deciduous and may reach over twenty feet in height, with small leaves that excrete salt. Its bark is used for tanning and its wood for building and making charcoal. Bedouin commonly plant this hearty tree for its shade and the branches, which provide grazing for animals. In third-millennium incantations, the tamarisk was a holy tree with purifying qualities. Images were made from its wood, and it was at times connected with cosmic stability. In this sense, planting a tree can have as much significance as building an altar.”

How has God blessed you?  How have you commemorated that?