1Now there was a famine in the land [of Canaan], besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to This is not the Abimelech of ch 20. Abimelech may actually be a dynastic title, like Caesar or Pharaoh, instead of a proper name. The events recounted in chapters 20 and 26 are separated by almost a hundred years. Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I will tell you. 3Live temporarily [as a resident] in this land and I will be with you and will bless and favor you, for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, and I will establish and carry out the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of the heavens, and will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, 5because Abraham listened to and obeyed My voice and [consistently] kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Genesis 26:1-5 AMP
“6Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
Exodus 3:6 AMP
The verses above are familiar if you’ve read the story of Moses where God introduces himself to Moses and reminds him of his covenant with the children of Israel/Hebrews. I use that verse in exodus to start this because Isaac is included in the patriarchs of Israel, but often overlooked or forgotten altogether. Isaac is very important in the history of Israel for several reasons; he is the son of promise that God gave to Abraham and Sarah, he was the father of Jacob/Israel who fathered the 12 sons/tribes of Israel, but most importantly he was obedient to God’s instructions. Isaac had a very interesting beginning, he was born to old parents (Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90), he had a jealous older brother (Ishmael), and his own father attempted to sacrifice him on altar (at God’s direction) before God intervened and stopped him from doing so. Just this quick snapshot would be enough to show that Isaac had experienced great trauma in his life, but what’s important to realize is that at least on the surface it didn’t impact his ability to trust God. Lets dissect the above verses to see what God told Isaac, and see what’s special about his life.
- The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I will tell you. This may not seem important but this command by God was very important as a test of faith for Isaac in his new relationship with God. Abraham had commanded Isaac and his servant that Isaac must not return to Haran (Abraham’s homeland) for any reason. Isaac’s life begins in the land of Canaan, the land that God had promised Abraham that his descendants would occupy after they spent 400 years in Egypt as foreigners (Genesis 12). What’s unique about this moment in Genesis is that Isaac shows true faith and obedience, he follows God’s command in the face of famine and stays in Canaan instead of going to Egypt as his father Abraham had done over 100 years earlier. God’s command for Isaac to remain in Canaan was for two purpose; he had to establish a relationship with Isaac because God’s relationships are built on trust/faith, and second he did not want Isaac to potentially be compromised by the beliefs and culture of Egypt. Do you trust God to keep, protect, and provide for you according to his promises, even when another option may look better at the moment?
- I will establish and carry out the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. This is important to understand because sometimes we are the recipients of blessings that we did not ask for, pray for, or deserve. Sometimes we receive the blessings of parents and other ancestors who believed and remained steadfast to God’s promises even when it didn’t come to pass in their lifetime. God made an oath with Abraham that his descendants will possess and dwell in a land that already occupied, and at the time of the promise, Abram had no children. Isaac was the manifestation of the oath that God had made with Abram, so therefore, Isaac should understand and believe the power of God’s promises. God reminded Isaac of the oath that he had swore to Isaac’s father, because I believe it was a story that he knew well, and therefore validate from previous learning.
- And by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. God goes big with this promise in that he informs Isaac that the entire Earth, and all people therein will be blessed by the descendants of the children that Isaac gives birth to. How would you feel if God told you that your obedience and faith had the ability to bless everyone on Earth? Isaac grappled with this very reality, and to our knowledge he handled it well. He chose to follow and obey God which led to the birth of Jacob (Israel) and Esau, and the subsequent birth of Jesus many generations later.
Reflection Time
Do you know why you’re blessed? Do you spend time praying for the well-being of your descendants, or do you feel as though you’re the recipient of blessings you didn’t even ask for? Do you trust God enough to walk confidently solely off his word, and the testimony of others? Take a moment and evaluate your walk with God; is your faith and relationship with God built on personal experiences with God, or the words of others? What can or should be changed about your relationship with God?
