Like Father, Like Son
Notes
Transcript
Text: Genesis 26:1-33
1 Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.
3 Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.
4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,
5 because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
7 But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.
9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
10 “What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
12 Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him,
13 and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy.
14 He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
15 So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham.
16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.”
17 So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.
18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. And he gave these wells the same names his father had given them.
19 Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water there.
20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.
21 Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.
22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth and said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
23 From there Isaac went up to Beersheba,
24 and that night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham.”
25 So Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there. His servants also dug a well there.
26 Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.
27 “Why have you come to me?” Isaac asked them. “You hated me and sent me away.”
28 “We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
29 that you will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have done only good to you, sending you on your way in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD.”
30 So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
31 And they got up early the next morning and swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.
32 On that same day, Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We have found water!” they told him.
33 So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba.
PRAY
Déjà Vu All Over Again
"Déjà vu all over again" is a humorous phrase popularized by Yogi Berra, a famous baseball player and manager. It means that a situation feels very familiar, like it has happened before, but in a repetitive or redundant way. While "déjà vu" refers to the feeling of having experienced something previously, "déjà vu all over again" emphasizes the repetitive nature of the experience. Here's a more detailed explanation:
Déjà vu: This French term translates to "already seen." It describes the feeling that you've already experienced a current situation, even though you logically know you haven't.
"Déjà vu all over again": Yogi Berra, known for his quirky sayings, used this phrase to describe situations that felt like a repeated déjà vu. It highlights the sense of experiencing the same thing multiple times, often in a comical way.
The same patterns begun in Abraham’s life are continued in his son’s life. We can see many of these same patterns in our own lives.
Repeated Circumstances (v. 1)
Repeated Circumstances (v. 1)
— our struggles and problems are not unique
1 Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
Genesis 12:10 — a famine in the land; Genesis 20:1-2 — Abraham went to dwell in Gerar (sojourntown)
1 Corinthians 10:13 “13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.”
You may feel alone in your struggles, temptations, and trials, but others have faced the same situations, and if you’ll turn to God, you’ll have His help.
Repeated Promises (v. 2-6)
Repeated Promises (v. 2-6)
— official transfer to Isaac
2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.
Similar to God’s command to Abraham, “Go to the land where I will show you.” (Gen 12:2)
3 Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.
New Promise: I will be with you (one of the central promises of Scripture—God’s presence with His people)
I will bless you:
Gen 12:2, “I will bless you”
Land promise:
Gen 12:7 “To your offspring I will give this land”
Gen 13:14-15 “To you and your offspring I give this land”
Gen 13:17 “I will give it [the land] to you”
Gen 15:18 “To your descendants I have given this land”
Genesis 17:8 “To you and your descendants I will give the land”
The oath
Genesis 22:16–18 “16 saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. 18 And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.””
4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,
Gen 13:16 Descendants like dust of the earth
Gen 15:5 Count the stars if you can, so shall your seed be
Gen 22:17 I will multiply your seed like the dust of the earth and the stars of the sky
__
Gen 12:3 in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed
Gen 18:18 all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him
Gen 22:18 through your seed all nations of the earth will be blessed
5 because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
Gen 15:6 Abraham believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness.
Gen 22:18 because you have obeyed my voice
Gen 18:19 For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
Isaac obeyed God’s command
Repeated Deception (v. 7)
Repeated Deception (v. 7)
7 But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
Gen 12:11 “I know that you are a beautiful woman”
Gen 12:12 when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me
Gen 12:13 Please say you are my sister…
Gen 20:2 While in Gerar, Abraham said of Sarah, “She is my sister”
Abraham feared for his life and so he lied about Sarah; Isaac feared for his life so he lied about Rebekah.
This says something about the evil nature of the Canaanites and other people in the land (see Gen 34).
Fear is the opposite of faith. Instead of trusting God’s promises, Isaac lies out of fear.
25 The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
— we may struggle with the same things as our parents (David-Solomon)
Timing: Just as Abraham lied about Sarah right after receiving God’s promises, so does Isaac.
Repeated Protection (v. 8-11)
Repeated Protection (v. 8-11)
8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.
No one had tried to take Rebekah
The deception was discovered accidentally by Abimelech rather than revealed directly by God.
Isaac was “Isaacing” his wife Rebekah — some kind of activity that clearly indicated she was not his sister but his wife.
9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
Gen 12:18-19 (Pharoah) Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife?
Gen 20:11 (Abraham to Abimelech) I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’
10 “What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
Gen 12:18 (Pharoah) “What have you done to me?
Gen 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us?
Gen 20:9 How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.
This pagan king is more concerned about righteous behavior than the chosen people are.
11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
Gen 20:7 (God to Abimelech) if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”
Gen 2:16-17 On the day you eat (the forbidden fruit) you will surely die.
— God is faithful when we’re unfaithful (He often protects us even when we make foolish choices - like driving my ‘95 Camry 125 mph in GA)
Repeated Provision (v. 12-14)
Repeated Provision (v. 12-14)
12 Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him,
Fulfillment of God’s promise, “I will bless you”
God’s blessing is not the result of Isaac’s obedience, but in spite of his lack of faith and obedience. (Grace)
100 Fold — maximum blessing (Jesus’s parable — some produced 30, some 60, some 100 times what was planted — Matt 13:8)
35 “The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.
22 The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.
13 and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy.
Abraham also received great wealth following his lies about Sarah to Pharoah and Abimelech (Gen 13:1-2; 20:14-16)
14 He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
— God faithfully keeps His promises and blesses His people (having wealth is not evil; envying other’s wealth is)
If God blesses you with wealth,
Acknowledge that it came from God (James 1:17, Every good and perfect gift is from above)
Use it for God’s glory (Proverbs 3:9, Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.
Don’t let it become the center of your life (Psalm 62:10, “And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life.”
If God doesn’t bless you with wealth
Don’t envy (covet) the wealth of others around you
Be thankful for what you have, since everything you have is a gift from God
Repeated Conflict (v. 15-22)
Repeated Conflict (v. 15-22)
15 So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham.
— there is always conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent
16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.”
Like Pharoah’s attitude in Gen 12:19-20 — take your wife and go, they sent Abraham away
A later Pharoah’s fear of this led him to enslave Israel (Exodus 1:9)
17 So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.
18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. And he gave these wells the same names his father had given them.
19 Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water there.
20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.
Esek = contention
He named it Esek because they were Esek-ing with him.
Greek version of OT (Septuagint) says he named it injustice because they treated him unjustly.
21 Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.
Sitnah means enmity, and comes from the same root as the word Satan, which means adversary.
These guys have to be getting tired of digging after losing these 2 wells.
Finally,
22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth and said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
Rehoboth = Open space / rooms
He named the place Open Spaces and said, “Because now Yahweh has opened a space for us”
Gen 1:28, 9:1, 9:7 — God had commanded Adam and Noah to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (land)
God had promised Abraham in Gen 17:6, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful”
And the LORD now makes provision for that promise to be fulfilled through Isaac.
Repeated Worship (v. 23-25)
Repeated Worship (v. 23-25)
23 From there Isaac went up to Beersheba,
24 and that night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham.”
25 So Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there. His servants also dug a well there.
Gen 12:7-8 (God’s promise to Abraham and his response of worship):Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. [Then after moving farther south], he built an[other] altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD.
— God’s faithfulness and love (protection and provision) and promises demand a response of worship
Repeated Covenant (v. 26-33)
Repeated Covenant (v. 26-33)
26 Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.
27 “Why have you come to me?” Isaac asked them. “You hated me and sent me away.”
28 “We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
Genesis 21:22-23 — Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army approach Abraham to make a covenant with them, and they also say, “God is with you in all that you do.”
29 that you will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have done only good to you, sending you on your way in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD.”
30 So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
31 And they got up early the next morning and swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.
Pursue peace with everyone as much as you can (of course, not at the expense of truth)
18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.
19 So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
14 Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
Abraham was a peacemaker (Genesis 13), and now Isaac is seeking peace as well.
32 On that same day, Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We have found water!” they told him.
33 So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba.
Genesis 21:31 — That place where Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech was named Beersheba — well of the oath, to commemorate their covenant; now Isaac renames the well to commemorate a similar situation.
Application
Live by faith, not by fear
Live by faith, not by fear
Trust God for protection and provision
Trust God for protection and provision
Pursue Peace with everyone
Pursue Peace with everyone
God is faithful and keeps His promises.
God is faithful and keeps His promises.
