0 - Bible Commentary | Karuna Sadan

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. (Genesis 26:1)

The ruler of Gerar was called Abimelech as a title, not as a personal name. This is why both Abraham and Isaac dealt with Abimelech (Genesis 20, Genesis 26)

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. (Genesis 26:12)

Isaac was a sower

Isaac had a revelation. Even though rational thinking indicated that no seed would give fruit, given the drought that was upon that place. But Isaac sowed in obedience, without doubting. He decided to obey God, instead of being paralyzed before the circumstances that surrounded him.

Isaac also recognized that the seed that God had placed in his hands was to sow, not to eat!

As 2 Corinthians 9:10 declares, “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”

God is a supplier. God is a provider

1.Supplies seed to the sower

2.Supplies bread to the eater

The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. (Genesis 26:13-14)

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

Confession: I will prosper & continue to prosper for the glory of God in Jesus Name... •

The principle of 30, 60 & 100 fold:

1. Prosper 30

2. Continued prospering 60

3. 100 - became very prosperous.

Isaac had been blessed by God. His prosperity got the attention of his neighbours and made them jealous.

For no apparent reason, the Philistines began to act strangely toward Isaac. Once they had been open and friendly, but now, all of a sudden, their attitudes changed. They became jealous and felt threatened by the blessing of God upon Isaac’s life.

The First Well

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. (Genesis 26:15)

Many relationship problems stem from jealousy. When you are blessed, you seem to be growing while others are diminishing. The Philistines decided to just “sling mud” into Isaac’s wells.

They philistines knew that if Issac had to sustain and maintain his prosperity then they would need a well to prosper. Even the samaritan woman needed a well. She came to Jacob's well but she met a deeper well named Jesus.

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. (Genesis 26:18)

What do you do when Jealousy comes against you?

As Isaac had to dig wells of water to sustain him in the land God planted him in, so must we dig wells of prayer to be sustained by God's presence, in the place God calls us to in life.

Digging the wells refers to labouring in prayer until a breakthrough is affected and God's Spirit is flowing in communion with us.

The Second Well

Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 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. (Genesis 26:19)

Jealousy can turn into opposition and even into open arguments. Esek, the word used in the original text, can even mean a “lawsuit.”

Envy brings strife, and strife brings contention. A person you never quarreled with before will suddenly begin to act like your enemy, openly challenging you for no apparent reason.

The Third Well

Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. (Genesis 26:21)

Isaac had to dig another well, and again, it was contested. He named it Sitnah, which means “satan,” or “accuser.”

This is the third level of relationship problems. At this point, the problem has gone from jealousy to opposition to accusation. The person involved in the test has now begun to actually spread things against your character and is slandering you to others for no reason.

The Fourth Well

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.” (Genesis 26:22)

Notice the phrase, “And he moved from there”

Never stay at the place of jealousy, quarrel and accusation - move on. Hit the reset button.

At last, a breakthrough came because Isaac “acted” and didn’t “react,” the enemy finally had to leave him alone. He outlasted all his critics, opponents, and accusers.

The fourth well was uncontested. Isaac named it Rehoboth, which means “wide open spaces,” or “room enough.” No longer was everything he did controversial and contested. Now it was prosperous and abundant.

The Fifth Well - Restoration

So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. (Genesis 26:25)

This was a sacrificial well. It's not just any kind of prayer but its sacrificial prayer. He built an altar. Fasting, giving, forgiveness. Its sacrificial. Sacrificial prayer.

Now came a strange turn of events. Out of nowhere, his enemies appeared and asked for his forgiveness and blessing. Isaac made them a feast, and their relationship was permanently restored with a covenant.

When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. (Genesis 26: 34-35)

Esau, the son of Isaac and twin brother of Jacob, went against the pattern established by Abraham, that his descendants should not marry the women of Canaan (Genesis 24:3-4).

Chapter 26