Re-Dig Your Stopped-Up Wells

SCRIPTURE

Genesis 26:17–18 NKJV

17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 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.

MESSAGE

Isaac

The firstborn son of Abraham and Sarah.

The son of promise.

The son that Abraham took to Mt. Moriah to offer to God.

The one that God passed on the promises given to Abraham.

But now Abraham has died, and Isaac is on his own.

There Was a Famine

Genesis 26:1 NKJV

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.

God warns Isaac not to go down to Egypt like his father Abraham did.

But Isaac ends up committing the same sin as his father by lying to Abimelech and telling him that Rebekah was his sister, not his wife.

God’s Favor During the Famine

Genesis 26:12 NKJV

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.

Notice that Isaac reaped a harvest in the middle of a famine.

God’s favor was upon Issac.

You need to understand that God’s favor is on you.

Isaac Prospered

Genesis 26:13 NKJV

13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;

There is a whole lot of prospering going on in this verse.

He began to prosper, he kept on prospering, until he became very prosperous.

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

3 John 2 NKJV

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

The prosperity gospel has given the word prosperity a bad name.

But the truth is that God will send prosperity to those that faithfully serve Him.

Prosperity comes in many different flavors other than financial.

The Philistines Became Envious

Genesis 26:14–15 NKJV

14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. 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.

The Philistines became jealous of Isaac’s prosperity and stopped up all the wells that Abraham had dug.

Anytime God’s favor is upon you, it is going to make someone jealous.

Water wells in this area and during this time were not just a convenience, they were a necessity.

Without water, Isaac could not water his flocks and herds.

Without water, Isaac and his family would die.

It is important that we have spiritual wells with access to living water.

There are several ways that our wells can get filled up with dirt.

Enemies

Neglect

Abandonment

Isaac Separated Himself

Genesis 26:16–17 NKJV

16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” 17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

Isaac didn’t fight against the Philistines, he simply moved on and separated himself from the problem.

Isaac knew that God’s favor would go with him.

Isaac Re-Dug the Stopped-Up Wells

Genesis 26:18 NKJV

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.

Instead of giving up, Isaac went back to the old wells, the wells that his father Abraham had dug.

Isaac re-dug these wells and called them by the same names that his father Abraham had called them.

There are some old wells that we need to re-dig:

True Worship

Whole-Hearted Dedication

Pentecostal Fire

Re-digging those wells takes:

Faith

Hard Work

Commitment

Living Water

Genesis 26:19 NKJV

19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there.

Isaac had to dig some new wells in addition to the ones his father Abraham had dug.

Notice God’s continued favor on Isaac. Even though he had to dig new wells because of his enemies, God gave him a better water source.

This well was not just any water, it was running water. It was living water.

The water that Jesus offers today is living water.

If you take a drink, you’ll never thirst again!

Three Wells

Genesis 26:20–22 NKJV

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. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. 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.”

Three Wells:

Esek = contention

Sitnah = enmity

Rehoboth = roominess

God’s favor continued to follow Isaac.

If you will hang in there and keep digging, God is going to make room for you!

And you are going to be fruitful in the land!

CLOSING

The Philistines became envious of the favor of God on Isaac’s life and they stopped up all the wells with dirt that his father Abraham had dug. However, Isaac remained faithful to God and decided to go back and re-dig those wells and to call them by the same names that his father Abraham had given them. There are some spiritual wells that we need to go back and re-dig! We need to re-dig the well of true worship. We need to re-dig the well of whole-hearted dedication! We need to re-dig the well of Pentecostal fire! If it seems like the enemy keeps filling up your wells dirt, don’t give up! Keep digging! Re-dig Your Stopped-up Wells!