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Genesis Chapter
Twenty-Six
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Generation of Isaac
A. He went to Gerar for the sake of famine
(v.1);
B. God appeared to him for the first time
(v.2-5);
C. He called his wife Rebekah sister (v.6-11);
D. He was envied by Philistines and moved to the
E. He was forced to move away from Gerar
(v.18-22);
F. God revealed to Isaac for the second time
and he built the altar in
G. Isaac and Abimelech did not encroach on one
another (v.26-31);
H. Isaac dug the well and received water in
I. Esau took wives, the daughters of the
Hittite, and they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah (v.34-35);
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Gen. 26:1 “There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine
that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the
Philistines, in Gerar.”
YLT:
“And
there is a famine in the land, besides the first famine which was in the days
of Abraham, and Isaac goeth unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar.”
Meaning
of Words: “Gerar”: the sojourning place, a rolling
country; “Philistines”: migratory, rolling; “Abimelech”: the king of my father;
Literal
Meaning: “the land”, it was
“Abimelech” was the title of the king of “the Philistines” (Ps. 34 the
title; 1Sam.21:10-15). This Abimelech was different from that in the times of
Abraham (see 20:2). Probably, he was the children of that Abimelech.
Spiritual
Meaning: the Philestines in
the Bible typify the flesh. And Garar typifies the wisdom and conscience of the
flesh (see the commentary of 21:1). In this chapter, the strife between Isaac
between the Philistines typifies the experiences of believers of the strife
between the Spirit and the flesh (Gal. 5:17).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Man’s real spiritual condition is difficult to
be revealed in peaceful environments. It pleases God that man loves Him in
spite of difficulties.
2)
Suffering is the best school for faith. God often trains His servants by
famines to establish their faith in Him.
3)
When believers have not been spiritually satisfied (“famine”), they often turn
to fleshly assistance (“went to … in Gerar”) and intend to resolve spiritual
problems by carnal means. This is the beginning of our decline.
Gen. 26:2 “Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down
to
YLT:
“And
Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith, `Go not down towards
The Background: Abraham went to
Literal
Meaning: “the land of which I
shall tell you”, it was the
Spiritual
Meaning:
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) When God appears to man, true faith starts. Man
shall never have true faith if he has not met God.
2) If
one has truly met God, he will obey utterly. Today, the worst imperfection of
the Christianity is to exhort man to obey God without leading him to meet God
directly.
3) As
long as believers keep the instruction of God, they will be satisfied no matter
where they are.
4)
Both Abraham and Isaac went to the way to
5) God
allowed Abraham to go to
6) It was not the original will of God
of allowing Isaac to live in Gerar, but an expediency to hinder him from going
to
Gen. 26:3 “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you;
for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the
oath which I swore to Abraham your father.”
YLT:
“sojourn in this land, and I am with thee, and bless thee, for to thee and to
thy seed I give all these lands, and I have established the oath which I have
sworn to Abraham thy father;”
Literal
Meaning: here it indicates
that all the blessings of God to Abraham are given to Isaac.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) That God is with us is the manifest token of
God’s blessings, for God is the greatest portion of us (Ps. 16:5).
2) It
is possible for a sojourner to be persecuted in a foreign land. However, as
long as God is with us, we will fear nothing (Ps. 23:4).
3)
Isaac dwelt in “this land” first and then possessed “this land”. Concerning the
knowledge of any aspect of the truth, believers shall firstly have personal
experiences of the truth and then truly possess the truth.
4) The
biggest reason for Isaac’s being favored is that he lived in the promised land
all his life.
5)
Believers can do nothing without the Lord. And we will be withered without the
Lord. We shall bear much fruit only when we abide in the Lord (John 15:5).
6) Our
faith in the promise of God will be tried and deepened in difficulties.
7) No
affliction can decrease the true value of God’s promise in the sight of one who
has confidence.
Gen. 26:4 “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of
heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands;
and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;”
YLT: “and
I have multiplied thy seed as stars of the heavens, and I have given to thy
seed all these lands; and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of
the earth;”
Literal
Meaning: “I
will give to your descendants all these lands”, “these lands” refer to the whole
Spiritual
Meaning: “seed”, the singular
form refers to Christ, who is a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and
dies and then bears much fruit (John 12:24) like “the innumerable stars of
heaven” and draws all to Him (John 12:32) so that all the nations are blessed
due to Him.
Gen. 26:5 “because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.””
YLT:
“because that Abraham hath hearkened to My voice, and keepeth My charge, My
commands, My statutes, and My laws.'”
Literal
Meaning: “statutes”: the
rules concerning the priests and sacrifices; “laws”: teachings and warnings for
men to keep the statutes;
Here
it means that obedience to the “voice” of God includes keeping His “charge and
commandments and statutes and laws”. These words indicate the utter obedience
of Abraham to the will of God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The blessings of God’s promise come upon us.
Though it is of the grace of God, it still needs our cooperation. Believers
will be blessed if they obey the voice of God.
2) Let
us not only obey the general will of God but also obey the special will of God.
3)
Only those who trust in God completely will hear all the word of God.
4) God
blessed Isaac for the sake of Abraham, so the condition of the previous
generation influences the next generation. Parents shall take heed of
themselves for the sake of children.
Gen. 26:6 “So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.”
YLT:
“And
Isaac dwelleth in Gerar;”
Literal
Meaning: “dwelt”, in the
original, this word means departing from one’s own house and staying in a new
place for a period (see 4:16; 13:18; 19:30)
Enlightenment
in the Word: the promises and
comfort of God encourage believers who are in weakness lest they should fall
into the world (“
Gen. 26:7 “And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said,
“She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because
he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah,
because she is beautiful to behold.””
YLT: “and
men of the place ask him of his wife, and he saith, `She my sister:' for he
hath been afraid to say, `My wife -- lest the men of the place kill me for
Rebekah, for she of good appearance.'”
Meaning
of Words: “Rebekah”: charming, attractive;
The Background: Abraham had twice called his wife sister
(see 12:11-13, 20:2).
Literal
Meaning: “was afraid to…
lest”, Isaac feared for the lack of faith, but it turned out to be unnecessary
of his fear, for he stayed there for a long time in peace (see v.8).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Isaac’s fear showed that he forgot the promise
of God that he would be with him. Though we have heard the word of God, if it
is not mixed with faith in us, the word of God does not profit us (Heb.
4:2).
2)
“Fear” opens the door to Satan. Let believer trust in God in fear (Ps. 56:3) so
that he will not fall and make mistakes.
3)
Isaac repeated his father Abraham’s mistake, which pointed us that everyman has
the tendency of imitating both the advantages and even disadvantages of those
whom we respect.
4)
Both Abraham and Isaac had great faith, but they still made mistakes and told
lies. Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1Cor. 10:12).
5) “To
be beautiful to behold” is a blessing that the common people earnestly
long for. However, it made Isaac fearful. People in the world fear affliction
because of blessing, and obtain blessing on account of affliction. They cannot
predict their destiny. No matter blessing or disaster,
both are vanities under the sun (Eccl. 2:1). Only spiritual blessings abide
forever.
Gen. 26:8 “Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time,
that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and
there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife.”
YLT: “And
it cometh to pass, when the days have been prolonged to him there, that
Abimelech king of the Philistines looketh through the window, and seeth, and
lo, Isaac is playing with Rebekah his wife.”
Meaning
of Words: “endearment”: laugh, play, laugh outright;
Literal
Meaning: “endearment”, its
meaning in the original is close to “Isaac”, so it is a pun upon the word
“Isaac”.
Enlightenment
in the Word: it is said that
“walls have ears”, here it is that “windows have eyes”. There is nothing
covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known (Matt.
10:26).
Gen. 26:9 “Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is
your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest
I die on account of her.’””
YLT:
“And
Abimelech calleth for Isaac, and saith, `Lo, she surely thy wife; and how hast
thou said, She my sister?' and Isaac saith unto him, `Because I said, Lest I
die for her.'”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Any lie will only receive temporary effect, but
will be exposed sooner or later.
2) It
is much ignominious for the children of God to be reproached by the world.
Gen. 26:10 “And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to
us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have
brought guilt on us.””
YLT: “And
Abimelech saith, `What this thou hast done to us? as a little thing one of the
people had lain with thy wife, and thou hadst brought upon us guilt;'”
Literal
Meaning: “have brought guilt
on us”, probably it was because the previous Abimelech was instructed by God,
so here this Abimelech knew it would sin against God if one touched another
one’s wife (see 20:6, 9).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) If we believers do not take heed of our word, we
may fall into sins.
2) An
insignificant sin may become the entrance of many sins.
Gen. 26:11 “So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who
touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.””
YLT: “and
Abimelech commandeth all the people, saying, `He who cometh against this man or
against his wife, dying doth die.'”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) He who rules in the world is the minister of God
(
2) He
who does not believe in the Lord also seeks righteousness and legality.
Believers are not chosen for they are more righteous than the world, but of the
utter grace of God.
Gen. 26:12 “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year
a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.”
YLT:
“And
Isaac soweth in that land, and findeth in that year a hundredfold, and Jehovah
blesseth him;”
Literal
Meaning: “the same year”: the
year in which the famine appeared. When people had no harvest, Isaac reaped a
great one.
“Hundredfold”, it is an approximate number, which indicates that Isaac
got the richest harvest (Matt. 13:8).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Isaac was greatly blessed due to his obedience
to God’s guidance. However, many people suffer a lot of losses and afflictions
on account of disobedience.
2) He
who confides in God completely will be fully supplied and be satisfied in the
days of famine (Ps. 37:19).
3) Man
sows, but God gives the harvest. He who does not sow will never expect harvest.
However, he who sows shall still look for the blessings of God.
Gen. 26:13 “The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he
became very prosperous;”
YLT:
“and
the man is great, and goeth on, going on and becoming great, till that he hath
been very great,”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is not sin of being rich. God is willing to
make us abundant and prosperous.
2) Our
prosperity is not of our own ability, but of God.
3)
God’s blessing is occasional, but continual (“continued prospering”) unto the
fulfillment of His purpose.
Gen. 26:14 “for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds
and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.”
YLT: “and
he hath possession of a flock, and possession of a herd, and an abundant
service; and the Philistines envy him,”
Literal
Meaning: it was not the
original will of God that Isaac dwelt in Gerar, but the expedient permission.
From this verse, God led him to
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The wealth of believers is both a blessing of
God as well as a trial, which may make believers suffer spiritual loss or be
envied.
2)
Sometimes, those who seek worldly wealth may be jealous of the testimony of believers’
being blessed, so they get hostile to them.
Gen. 26:15 “Now the Philistines had stopped up all the
wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his
father, and they had filled them with earth.”
YLT: “and
all the wells which his father's servants digged in the days of Abraham his
father, the Philistines have stopped them, and fill them with dust.”
The Background: wells in the south of
Literal
Meaning: here the well refers
to the common well, namely, the reservoir. If the channel was stopped up with
mud and dust, the well could not store water. “Stopped up all the wells” means
cutting off the source of men’s living and depriving of them all the rights of
living there. The Philistines even denied the covenant made with Abraham for
the sake of jealousy (see 21:22-32).
Spiritual
Meaning: “well” typifies
Christ. To dig the well means seeking Christ. “The wells which his
father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham”, it typifies all the servants who were used by
the Lord in the past generations ---- they sought the Lord Jesus and knew Him
and understood Him. In other words, all the spiritual riches of Christ that
saints had received in the past generations were wells of Abraham. The water
out of the wells of Abraham were for the cattle and sheep at that time to
drink, which indicated that the pursuit of Christ at that time was for the
purpose of the need of the people of God. However, the wells of Abraham were
stopped up, and Isaac had to dig the wells again.
Isaac
dug his father Abraham’s wells again, which also indicated that believers had
ever been filled with the Spirit and then were stopped up by sins and lusts.
Therefore to dig the wells again also means unclogging the wells.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God is not pleased to let us stay always in the
land with hundredfold harvest and enjoy the elementary blessings of God instead
of seeking deeper spiritual achievements. If we are unwilling to positively
seek God, He will raise the environmental elements to stir us up to pursue Him.
2)
Since the conscience of the world is limited, let us not expect them to keep
the promises permanently.
3)
That the Philistines stopped up all the wells profited them nothing. Jealousy
often drives man crazy and makes man hurt the other side at the cost of
sacrificing himself.
Gen. 26:16 “And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are
much mightier than we.””
YLT:
“And
Abimelech saith unto Isaac, `Go from us; for thou hast become much mightier
than we;'”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) When people in the world continue to lead an evil
and godless life, they will be hostile to the presence of the people of God.
2) The
arrogant one can only bear the weaker one instead of the stronger one.
3) It
is easy for men to go through tribulations rather than share prosperity.
Gen. 26:17 “Then Isaac departed from there and pitched
his tent in the
YLT: “and
Isaac goeth from thence, and encampeth in the
Literal
Meaning: the Canaanites were
mostly inhabited on the mountain areas, and valleys were for the purpose of
pasturage and planting. For this reason, all the wealthy families dwelt in the
fortresses on the mountain. And the lower one dwelt on the mountain slope, the
poorer he was and the lower his status was. Therefore, when Isaac moved from
Gerar to the
Spiritual
Meaning: “the
“Pitched his tent”, it typifies the life of a sojourner.
Concerning life experiences, we are sojourners in the world, and the world is
merely a place for sojourn. Therefore, we are not supposed to take root in the
world.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) There would be a great loss for Isaac of his
being forced to leave. However, he obeyed God and received all the arrangements
of God from His hands.
2)
Though the Philistines stopped up the wells, and Isaac still dwelt in the tents
---- sometimes even though we are seemingly withered, let us still abide in the
Lord by faith, not by feelings.
3) If
we want to seek Christ, we have to learn to be humble before the Lord, for
whenever we think we are rich and become self-content our spiritual increase
will be immediately suspended.
Gen. 26:18 “And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug
in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up
after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had
called them.”
YLT:
“and
Isaac turneth back, and diggeth the wells of water which they digged in the
days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines do stop after the death of
Abraham, and he calleth to them names according to the names which his father
called them.”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Even though many saints in the past generations
had passed down us a great deal of spiritual riches and truth, we shall still
have the “first-hand” spiritual pursuit and knowledge.
2)
Thanks the Lord! Compositions of saints in the past generations had passed down
us many ancient wells (spiritual possession of riches) to inherit. Today,
whether there is living water running out of the ancient wells depends upon
whether we dig the wells again.
3) Our
previous spiritual experiences and joy may be stopped up by the flesh (“the
Philistines”). Therefore, let us dig the wells all the time to seek new
experiences and joy every day.
Gen. 26:19 “Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well
of running water there.”
YLT:
“And
Isaac's servants dig in the valley, and find there a well of living water,”
Literal
Meaning: “found
a well of running water there”,
“a well of running water”, it refers to the well out of which there is running
water. Such kind of well was rather rare in the Palestinian land.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God gave Isaac a well of running water since he
did not contend with the enemy with tolerance and was willing to suffer loss.
2)
Wells that are stopped up by man will also become dry. Even though they were
not stopped up, they would still become deserted wells sooner or later.
However, the water runs out of wells gifted by God runs forever.
Gen. 26:20 “But the herdsmen of Gerar
quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is
ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because
they quarreled with him.”
YLT: “and
shepherds of Gerar strive with shepherds of Isaac, saying, `The water ours;'
and he calleth the name of the well `Strife,' because they have striven
habitually with him;”
Meaning
of Words: “Esek”: struggle, strife, argument;
Spiritual
Meaning: “the
herdsmen of Gerar”, the Philistines
typify our flesh and lusts.
“Isaac’s
herdsmen” typify our
spirits. The spirit and flesh of believers strive with one another (Gal. 5:17).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Let each believer be a man walking according to
the Spirit, not the flesh (
2) If
we walk according to the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh
(Gal. 5:16).
Gen. 26:21 “Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one
also. So he called its name Sitnah.”
YLT: “and
they dig another well, and they strive also for it, and he calleth its name
`Hatred.'”
Meaning
of Words: “Sitnah”: hostility, enmity;
Literal
Meaning: “enmity” is more
serious than “strife”, which showed that the Philistines persecuted more and
more serious.
Gen. 26:22 “And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did
not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because
he said, “For now the Lord
has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.””
YLT: “And
he removeth from thence, and diggeth another well, and they have not striven
for it, and he calleth its name Enlargements, and saith, `For -- now hath
Jehovah given enlargement to us, and we have been fruitful in the land.'”
Meaning
of Words: “Rehoboth”: width, largeness, liberty;
Literal
Meaning: there the scriptures
tell us the character of Isaac and the nature of his faith. On one hand, Isaac
was a gentle and calm person, who was unwilling to contend with those who took
his well. On the other hand, Isaac was a persevering person, who continued
digging his wells quietly until he dug a well which could not be taken by the
enemy. He called the well “Rehoboth”, which means largeness. Isaac was a man
with full rest, who earnestly kept his mission. It is just such kind of
persevering faith that made him fully blessed by God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The loss we suffer for the sake of obeying the
Lord is a trivial matter if it is in contrast to the blessings given by the
Lord for this sake.
2) If
we are hated by someone for no reason, it will be the best way for us to
“leave” him. Do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath (Rom.
12:19).
3) A
proverb goes like this, “back a step of boundless”. Persecutions led Isaac to a
large place. The external contention enlarges the inner capacity of Isaac. If
man is willing to not contend with others for the sake of the Lord, the Lord
will reward him with His infinite Himself.
Gen. 26:23 “Then he went up from there to
YLT:
“And
he goeth up from thence Beer-Sheba,”
Meaning
of Words: “
The Background: “
Gen. 26:24 “And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said,
“I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with
you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s
sake.””
YLT:
“and
Jehovah appeareth unto him during that night, and saith, `I the God of Abraham
thy father, fear not, for I with thee, and have blessed thee, and have
multiplied thy seed, because of Abraham My servant;'”
Literal
Meaning: “the LORD appeared to him the same night”, “the same
night”, the night during which Isaac went to
“My servant Abraham”, this
is the only verse in the Book of Genesis calling Abraham as “God’s servant”,
which indicated that Abraham obeyed God as a servant.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) That a man returns back to the right position
pleases God.
2)
Every time when God appears to man, there will be new blessings and grace.
Therefore, if a man desires to experience spiritual riches, he should receive
many times of revelations of God.
3) God
mentions His promise again, which indicates that He is a God who never changes.
All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen (2Cor. 1:20).
Gen. 26:25 “So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there
Isaac’s servants dug a well.”
YLT:
“and
he buildeth there an altar, and preacheth in the name of Jehovah, and
stretcheth out there his tent, and there Isaac's servants dig a well.”
Literal
Meaning: it is the response
of Isaac to God’s manifestation and promise to built the altar and called on
the name of the Lord (see 12:7-8).
Spiritual
Meaning: this verse speaks of
several elements of believers’ spiritual life:
1.
Build the altar: worship God and have fellowship with God;
2.
Call on the name of God: believe in God;
3.
Pitch the tent: keep the position of a sojourner on the earth;
4. Dig
the well: seek spiritual provisions;
Enlightenment
in the Word: it is first
building the altar and then pitching the tent. And man will have a normal life
after yielding himself to God.
Gen. 26:26 “Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of
his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army.”
YLT: “And
Abimelech hath gone unto him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phichol
head of his host;”
Meaning
of Words: “Ahuzzath”: seize closely, my possession;
“Phichol”: strong, eloquent, command, control;
Literal
Meaning: “one of his
friends”, probably he was the counselor of the nation who much obeyed him;
“Phichol”, it was said that “Phichol” was not a human name, but an address of a
military commander; even though it was a name, it was definitely not the
“Phichol” in the times of Abraham. Probably, they were the same person with the
same name (see 21:22). In a word, Abimelech brought his civil official and
military official of the highest level to meet Isaac. .
Gen. 26:27 “And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you
hate me and have sent me away from you?””
YLT: “and
Isaac saith unto them, `Wherefore have ye come unto me, and ye have hated me,
and ye send me away from you?'”
Gen. 26:28 “But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now
be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you,”
YLT: “And
they say, `We have certainly seen that Jehovah hath been with thee, and we say,
`Let there be, we pray thee, an oath between us, between us and thee, and let
us make a covenant with thee;”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The presence of God is visible to believers
themselves as well as to even the world.
2) If
Isaac stayed in Gerar, hatred and strife were unavoidable. However, when he got
to
Gen. 26:29 “that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you,
and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace.
You are now the blessed of the Lord.’””
YLT: “do
not evil with us, as we have not touched thee, and as we have only done good
with thee, and send thee away in peace; thou now blessed of Jehovah.'”
Literal
Meaning: “since we have not
touched you”, actually it was not right, for the herdsmen of
Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen (see v.19-21).
Gen. 26:30 “So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.”
YLT: “And
he maketh for them a banquet, and they eat and drink,”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The right attitude for us to deal with the world
is separation from them on one hand (2Cor. 6:17) and learning to treat them
well.
2)
Believers should often hold feasts for the sake of the gospel for the world to
provide the salvation of Christ to them.
Gen. 26:31 “Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with
one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.”
YLT:
“and
rise early in the morning, and swear one to another, and Isaac sendeth them
away, and they go from him in peace.”
Literal
Meaning: “Isaac sent them
away”, it meant that Isaac went with them and sent them away (see 18:16).
Gen. 26:32 “It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and
told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found
water.””
YLT: “And
it cometh to pass during that day that Isaac's servants come and declare to him
concerning the circumstances of the well which they have digged, and say to
him, `We have found water;'”
Literal
Meaning: it mentioned that
the servants of Isaac dug a well in
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Whenever the estrangement of believers with
others is removed, they will be filled with the Spirit again and shed abundant
living water.
2) We
deny ourselves and sacrifice and withdraw first, and then get life and grace
and blessings.
Gen. 26:33 “So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is
YLT: “and
he calleth it Shebah, therefore the name of the city Beer-Sheba, unto this
day.”
Meaning
of Words: “Shebah”: oath, rich; “
Literal
Meaning: Abraham also dug a
well in “
Gen. 26:34 “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.”
YLT: “And
Esau is a son of forty years, and he taketh a wife, Judith, daughter of Beeri
the Hittite, and Bashemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite,”
Meaning
of Words: “Beeri”: interpreter, owner of the spring;
“Judith”: of the Jews; “Elon”: strong, oak; “Hittite”: odor, pleasure;
Literal
Meaning: “when Esau was forty
years old”, Isaac was just one hundred years old at that time (see 25:26).
Gen. 26:35 “And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.”
YLT:
“and
they are a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”
Literal
Meaning: probably it was
because they were zealous of worshiping idolatry so that Isaac and Rebekah were
anxious about the faith of the descendants.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
Like Father, Like Son
A. Isaac had the same experiences with Abraham:
1. Move because of the famine (v.1; 12:10);
2. Receive the revelation of God (v.2, 24;
17:1; 18:1);
3. Obtain the promises of God (v.3-5; 12:2-3;
15:5-8; 22:17-18);
4. Quarrel with the local people for the sake
of digging the wells (v.20-21; 21:25);
5. Make a covenant with Abimelech in
B. Isaac had the same weaknesses with Abraham:
1. Call their wives sisters (v.7; 12:11-13;
20:2);
2. Be rebuked by Abimelech, king of Gerar
(v.9-10; 20:9-10);
C. Differences of the same experience of Isaac
and Abraham:
1. God did not allow Isaac go to
2. God was with Isaac apparently, and God kept
Abraham secretly (v.3; 20:3);
3. Rebekah was not taken by Abimelech, but
Sarah had ever been taken (v.8-9; 20:2);
4. Isaac sowed and received a great harvest,
and Abraham received many gifts (v.12-13; 12:16; 20:14-16);
5. Isaac was forced to leave Gerar, and Abraham
was allowed to sojourn there (v.20-23; 20:15; 21:34);
6. Isaac was grieved at the gentile
daughters-in-law when he was one hundred years old, and Abraham rejoiced for
the birth of his son when he was one hundred years old (v.34-35; 21:5-6);
Isaac Typifies the Lord Jesus
A. Isaac sought food for the sake of famine,
and the Lord Jesus sought water because of thirst (v.1; John 4:7);
B. Isaac remained in Gerar because of keeping
the will of God, and the Lord Jesus came to Samaria because of keeping the will
of the one who sent Him (v.2, 6; John 4:34, 5);
C. Isaac dug the well and obtained running
water, and the Lord Jesus revealed the living water through the water of the
well (v.18-19; John 4:6-10);
D. Isaac made a covenant with the Gentiles, and
the Lord brought salvation to the Samaritans (v.26-31; John 4:39-42);
E. Isaac met God in different places, and the
Lord Jesus revealed that the worship of God the Father was not restricted by
places (v.2, 24; John 4:21);
Reasons for Isaac’s Blessedness
A. For the sake of his father Abraham (v.5,
24);
B. For he kept the instruction of God and did
not leave the south land (v.2-3);
C. For God was with him (v.3, 24, 28);
Characteristics of the Whole Life of Isaac
A. He had never been away from the
B. He enjoyed the covering of his father
(v.3-5, 24);
C. He farmed and shepherded(v.12-14);
D. He stepped aside without strife (v.18-22,
27);
E. He dug many wells (v.18-25, 32);
Elements of Believers’ Spiritual Life (v.25)
A. Build an altar ---- worship God and have
fellowship with God;
B. Call on the name of the Lord ---- believe in
God;
C. Pitch the tent ---- sojourn on the earth;
D. Dig the well ---- seek the fountain of
running water ---- seek spiritual provision;
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou