“Tracing His Father’s Path” Genesis 26 02/07/2010 Dr. Dane Boyles

“Tracing His Father’s Path” How does the faith of the father get passed down to the son? Privileges come with being an heir to greatness, but it can be wrought with difficulty too.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Genesis 26 shows God’s commitment to bless the second generation not only with the blessings of the fathers, but also with the faith of their fathers.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Isaac in Gerar (26:1-16). Isaac’s journey to Gerar (26:1). 1 Now there was a famine in the land—besides the earlier famine of Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. (Gen. 26:1)

“Tracing His Father’s Path” In the kingdom of God there is no such thing as second-hand faith. God’s Oracle to Isaac. 2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. (Gen. 26:2)

Genesis 26:3 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.

Genesis 26:4 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,

Genesis 26:5-6 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” To help Isaac conform to the faith of his father, God not only tests him, he speaks to him. Isaac must learn to walk by faith by putting down roots in the place of famine!

“Tracing His Father’s Path” “The temptation to abandon the provision of the invisible God for the things that can be seen.” Just like his dad, he will compromise his wife’s honor to preserve his own life.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Isaac’s deception of Abimelech (26:7-11). 7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.” (Gen. 26:7)

Genesis 26:8 8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” As was the case with his dad, Isaac fears men more than God. 9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” (Gen. 26:9)

Genesis 26:10-11 10 Then Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

“Tracing His Father’s Path” “What is this you have done to us?” is a clear echo of God’s question to Eve in the garden (3:13). 17 “Anyone who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death!” (Gen. 2:17; 3:3). What follows though is a tribute to Isaac’s faith.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Isaac sows in the land, becomes wealthy (26:12-16). 12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. (Gen. 26:12-13)

Genesis 26:14-15 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 15 So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” 16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.” (Gen. 26:16) By faith Isaac obeys God and sows in the land, during a famine.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Once again we are taught that this world doesn’t function according to nature, but the reality of God. In Gerar Isaac exhibits the faith of his father.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Isaac at the Wadi of Gerar (26:17-22). 17 So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. (Gen. 26:17)

Genesis 26:18 18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.

Genesis 26:19-20 19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered 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 disputed with him.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Here’s the point: when they walk away from conflict, God opens springs of deeper blessings (Ps 84:6). 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. (Gen. 26:21)

Genesis 26:22 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Isaac in Beersheba (26:23-33) The Lord appears to Isaac in Beersheba (26:23-25) 23 From there he went up to Beersheba. (Gen. 26:23)

Genesis 26:24 24 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 will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

Genesis 26:25 25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” After Isaac has by faith completed his journey through this famine, God recommits himself to him, identifying himself as the God of his father. The chapter closes where it began.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Abimelech goes to Isaac, pursues peace (26:26-33) 26 Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. (Gen. 26:26)

Genesis 26:27 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?”

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Their response is one of the most surprising turns in biblical narrative. 28 They answered, “We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’-between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you (Gen. 26:28)

Genesis 26:29-30 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD.” 30 Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

Genesis 26:31 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” A story that began with a famine and fleeting fears culminates with a feast, secure in peace. 32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “we’ve found water!”

Genesis 26:33 33 He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Lessons at Beersheba: A famine for our faith. The first thing we learn from Isaac’s story is that we cannot have the blessings of the fathers without having the faith of the fathers.

Hebrews 13:7 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. (Heb 13:7).

“Tracing His Father’s Path” There is to be no secondhand faith in the kingdom of God. Once we are in the famine we are given three simple instructions for our faith. Faith in the famine.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Do not go outside the land of promise to find security. Faithfully “sow” in the midst of famine.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Christians are told to be faithful to sow two things: God’s word (Mark 4:14-20; 2 Tim. 4:2), and good deeds (Gal. 6:8-9; Psa. 126:5). In the famine walk away from conflict.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Motivation in the Famine. The whole story moves from famine, through fear, to faith, and culminates in a feast.

“Tracing His Father’s Path” 22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. (Prov. 10:22) 24 The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him. (Prov. 23:24)

“Tracing His Father’s Path” Genesis 26 02/07/2010 Dr. Dane Boyles