Isaac Blessed by the Lord

For your reference, turn to Genesis 12 and 26

As in Abraham's day, there was a famine in the land. Isaac travelled to Gerar where Abimelech was king of the Philistines (Genesis 26:1).

The Lord appeared unto Isaac and told him not to go down into Egypt, but to dwell in the land where the Lord will tell him (Genesis 26:2).

The Lord said, "Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and I will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father" (Genesis 26:3);

"And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 26:4);

"Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" (Genesis 26:5).

"And Isaac dwelt in Gerar" (Genesis 26:6)[.]

Isaac claimed that his wife, Rebekah, was his sister for fear that the Philistines would kill him for her (Genesis 26:7).

Abimelech discovered that Rebekah was Isaac's wife and confronted Isaac to find out why he made the claim that she was his sister. Isaac's claim could have brought guiltiness upon Abimelech's people from God had one of them slept with Rebekah (Genesis 26:10). In Abraham's day, there was a plague brought upon the Pharoah because of Sarai (Genesis 12:17). Isaac's explanation to Abimelech was his fear for his life (Genesis 26:9). "And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death" (Genesis 26:11).

Isaac was blessed by the Lord the same year (Genesis 26:12). He prospered with flocks, herds and servants to become the envy of the Philistines (Genesis 26:14). The Philistines were so envious they stopped the wells, that were dug by Abraham's servants, by filling them with earth (Genesis 26:15).

Because he had grown mightier than the Philistines, Isaac was sent away by Abimelech (Genesis 26:16). Isaac moved and lived in the Valley of Gerar where he dug more water wells and kept the same names for them as Abraham's wells (Genesis 26:17,18).

Conflict developed between Isaac's herdmen and the herdmen of Gerar because each group claimed the water as theirs of two of the wells (Genesis 26:28). Because of the conflict the wells were named Esek and Sitnah (Genesis 26:20,21). Rehoboth was the name given to the well dug which caused no conflict (Genesis 26:22).

From the Valley of Gerar, Isaac went to Beersheba (Genesis 26:23). "And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake" (Genesis 26:24).

Isaac built an altar there and "...called upon the name of the Lord..." (Genesis 26:25). He pitched his tent in the same place and his servants dug a well (Genesis 26:25).

Abimelech went to visit Isaac in Beersheba with his friend, Ahuzzath and his chief army captain, Phicol (Genesis 26:26). Isaac asked them why they came to him since they hate him and sent him away (Genesis26:27). They had seen how the Lord was with Isaac and came to make a covenant with him--"That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord" (Genesis 26:28,29).

"And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink" (Genesis 26:30).

"And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace" (Genesis 26:31).

"And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water (Genesis 26:32).

"And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day" (Genesis 26:33).

"And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite" (Genesis 26:34):

"Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah" (Genesis 26:35).