Genesis 26

A famine hit the land where Isaac lived. He decided to go to Gerar. God appeared to him there instructing him not to go down to Egypt. If Isaac obeys God, he will be blessed as God promised to Abraham, his father. Thus, Isaac stayed in Gerar (V 1-6).

However, his faith in God was not totally mature. He tried to practice deceit about his beautiful wife for his personal survival just like his father Abraham did in the past. God revealed the scheme to the king Abimelech like He did in Abraham’s case too (Gen 12 & 20). God miraculously spared the life of His chosen ones-Isaac & Rebekah (V 7-11)

As promised, God blessed Isaac and prospered him and his family. His neighbors, the Philistines envied him and quarreled with him over the wells which Isaac dug (V 12-17). Instead of fighting back, Isaac kept his peace and dug again other wells. The Philistines quarreled again over the water. This happened again and again until finally after Isaac had moved away and dug another well, only then they did not quarrel over it (V 18-22).

Isaac decided to move up to Beersheba. There the Lord God appeared to him again reminding Isaac of His blessing over him and his descendants. So, Isaac was so touched that he built an altar and worshiped and adored God (V 23-25).

The king Abimelech, hearing about the divine blessing and prosperity of Isaac and his family, became afraid of the latter. He and his team decided to come and see Isaac to settle a peace treaty (V 26-33).

Is it not amazing how the unbelieving world can notice and recognize someone who is blessed and favored by God? God is in sovereign control over His children’s lives and security and safety. He can even cause Isaac’s enemies to seek for peace with him. Only God can turn our enemies into friends! We must have faith in Him and obey Him faithfully though.

The last verse, verse 34 of this chapter 26 lets us know that Esau did not follow God’s ways seriously. He married Hittite women, which displeased also his God-fearing parents Isaac and Rebekah. When we seek marriage-partners, may we avoid unbelievers. Marry genuine Christians according to God’s plan! And God will bless the marriage, like Abraham and Sarah, like Isaac and Rebekah…

Genesis 25

After the death of Sarah, Abraham would take another wife, Keturah, who would bear him six sons. Abraham would be careful to give all he had to Isaac, the promised son (V 1-6).

Abraham lived up to one hundred and seventy-five years before he died and was buried next to Sarah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael (V 7-10).

Isaac was blessed by God as His chosen one (V 11). Ishmael got twelve sons and died at one hundred and thirty-seven years old (V 12-18).

Rebekah could not have children until Isaac interceded on her behalf. She finally bore Isaac two twin sons, Esau and Jacob, when Isaac was sixty years old, twenty years after their marriage (V 19-26). What a tremendous miracle of God again! How He answered the prayer of his children!

As time passed by, Esau who was the first-born of the two twins lost his birthright through a foolish deal with his tricky younger brother Jacob! (V 27-34).

The lessons for us in this chapter are that God keeps His promise. He answers prayers of His people. And we must be wise and discerning in life. We must not despise what God has given us like Esau sadly did concerning his birthright.

A good motto to live by.

"Work all you can, 
Save all you can, and 
Give all you can 
for His Kingdom"

John Wesley