Isaac and Abimelech 1 – Genesis 26:1-16

Isaac is now on his own, raising herds of animals, moving about in the land to find pasture, and carrying on the legacy of the promise God made to Abraham.

[1] Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. [2] And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. [3] Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. [4] I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, [5] because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

[6] So Isaac settled in Gerar. [7] When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance. [8] When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife. [9] So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” [10] Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” [11] So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

[12] And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, [13] and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. [14] He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. [15] (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) [16] And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”  (Genesis 26:1-16, ESV)

We are not told the reason for Isaac going to Gerar and to Abimelech.  Perhaps the famine is an opportunity for Isaac to find foodstuffs that he cannot find where he was, and/or it is an opportunity for him to sell food from his herds to the people of Abimelech.  When Abraham was faced with famine, he went to Egypt for food, rather than trust Yahweh to provide for him.  Yahweh appears and tells Isaac not to go to Egypt, and repeats for Isaac the promise He made to his father Abraham, a promise of blessing, the gift of these lands, and fulfillment of the oath He made to Abraham of a multiplied offspring.  Yahweh says He made this oath because Abraham obeyed His commandments, statutes and laws.

Walton gives a good summary of what these terms mean:  “What are the obligations, regulations, and instructions that the patriarchs live by? An example of “command/obligation” is when Lot was told to flee Sodom or when Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac. An example of “decree/regulation” is the ordinance of circumcision. An example of “law/ instruction” is that circumcision should be done on the eighth day.”

Isaac obeys Yahweh and settles in Gerar, demonstrating his faith, but then in fear, like his father Abraham, demonstrates unbelief when he lies and tells people that Rebekah is his sister (at least Abraham’s lie was only half a lie).  When Abimelech sees Isaac caressing his wife, the truth comes out.  He confronts Isaac and seems to show more moral fortitude than Isaac.  He warns all his people to leave Isaac and Rebekah alone.

Whether the famine has ended or God simply overcomes the famine conditions, when Isaac sows seed it miraculously produces a hundred fold crop.  His wealth becomes a cause for envy, and the people of the land are not happy with his success.  Some resort to filling up the wells he is using for water, the wells his father had dug.  Abimelech asks him to leave, acknowledging that Isaac is too powerful for him.  As the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary notes:  “The term “king” is not as lofty a title as may be assumed since even the rulers of small cities in a city-state system (as this is) are referred to in that way.”  Nevertheless, this nomad herdsman Isaac has become very powerful and is viewed as a threat by Abimelech.

It is likely that persecution may come to us because of the success God gives us.  And God sometimes gives us success even when we are a contradictory mash of belief and unbelief.