Genesis 26
Isaac Relocates Because of Famine
There was a famine throughout the region, so Isaac went to Gerar to talk to Abimelech (the Philistine’s king). On his way, the Existing One presented himself to Isaac and said,
“Don’t move to Egypt. Keep living as a foreigner in the place I told you to, and I will be with you and bless you. I’m gonna give you and your descendants the entire region, and I’ll fulfill the oath I swore to your dad. I’ll multiply your descendants to be like the stars in the sky and give these lands to them. I’ll bless every country in the entire world through your descendants because Abraham obeyed me when he heard my voice. He followed my instructions, my orders, and my rules.”
So Isaac stayed in Gerar. When the men there asked about his wife, he told them that Rebekah was his sister. Isaac was scared to tell them that they were married, because Rebekah was really beautiful and thought they might kill him to get her. One day after they had been there for a long time, King Abimelech looked out a window and caught them being affectionate with each other. Abimelech summoned Isaac and said,
“I knew it! Rebekah is your wife! Why did you tell us she was your sister?”
Isaac said,
“Because if people thought we were married I thought it might get me killed.”
Abimelech said,
“Why did you do that to us? One of my men could have tried to sleep with your wife and brought guilt upon us all!”
So King Abimelech gave an order to his entire country that said,
“If anyone lays a finger on Isaac or his wife, that person will be executed.”
God Makes Isaac Wealthy, but Locals Envy Him
When Isaac harvested his crops that year, he brought in 100 times as much as he planted. The Existing One blessed him, made him richer, and continued to do so until he was excessively wealthy.
He had so much livestock and so many workers that the Philistines got jealous. [They lived on the Mediterranean coast.] So the Philistines filled in all of Isaac’s wells that were established in Abraham’s lifetime. Eventually King Abimelech told Isaac,
“You should live somewhere else now because you are too powerful for us.”
So Isaac moved to Gerar [south of Gaza] and made that his home. He re-dug the wells and re-established their names which Abraham had given them.
One day when his workers were digging in the valley, they discovered a well that had access to living water. The local herdsmen argued with Isaac’s workers, saying that it belonged to them, so Isaac named that well “Esek” which means “contention.”
Isaac’s workers dug another well that caused them to argue, so he named that one “Sitna” which means “strife.”
With all the well drama, Isaac moved a little further away and dug another well that didn’t start any fights. He named that one “Rehoboth” which means “wide spaces.” He said,
“Finally! The Existing One made room for us. Now we can start being productive on this property.”
That night Isaac started going to Beersheba [the well of seven oaths], but while he was on his way, the Existing One presented himself and said,
“I’m your dad’s God. You don’t have to be afraid because I am with you. I’m gonna bless you and multiply your descendants on behalf of my servant, Abraham.”
So he built an altar there and proclaimed the Existing One’s magnificence. He pitched his tent there and had his workers dig a well there.
Locals Ask Isaac for Alliance
Some time after that, Abimelech came from Gerar to meet with Isaac, bringing Ahuzzath (his friend) and Phicol (his military commander). When they arrived, Isaac asked,
“What brings you all the way out here? I thought you hated me since you sent me away.”
They said,
“We can tell that the Existing One has been with you, so we wanted to swear an alliance with you. We want you to swear that you won’t harm us since we’ve only treated you well. Even when we sent you away, we did it in peace. The Existing One has blessed you.”
So Isaac prepared a feast for them and they ate and drank together. The next morning they woke up early, exchanged oaths, and Isaac sent them away in peace.
That same day, Isaac’s workers got back and told him about the water they found in the well they dug. So he named the well “Shibah.” To this day, the city there is called Beersheba which means “well of seven oaths.”
Esau Caused Problems for Isaac
When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith. Her dad was Beeri (a Hitite) and her mom was Basemath (the daughter of Elon, the Hitite). They brought Isaac and Rebekah a lot of grief.