Overview
Freedom from fear does not always mean standing your ground and fighting. In Genesis 26 Isaac meets a famine, a king, envy and three disputed wells, and God’s word to him is fear not, for I am with thee. Rev. Rico Magnelli walks the chapter to show that Isaac never contends for the wells: he digs, the herdmen of Gerar strive, and he moves on, until at Rehoboth the Lord makes room for him. The men who sent him away come back asking for a covenant, and he makes them a feast. Wisdom, the teaching concludes, is not only what you do, it’s what you don’t do, and God’s companionship is why you do not have to be afraid to move.
Transcript
Isaac, a Famine, and God’s Word Not to Be Afraid
Let’s look at Genesis 26 for a little bit. Genesis 26, we’re just going to take a few minutes and consider freedom from fear, Isaac, Isaac the son of Abraham. And Isaac follows in the steps of his father Abraham, and God communicates to him that he should not be afraid either.
But in a different situation, we’re going to see how this develops. Isaac encounters another famine, like during the time of Abraham, and the Lord intervenes so he doesn’t go to Egypt, and he continues to prosper him. And he tells him not to be afraid, even though there’s contention, there’s opposition, and God continues to prosper him.
What’s so interesting here in this record is that Isaac doesn’t fight. He just, sometimes there’s a time to fight, sometimes there’s a time just to move on. And God’s working in this situation for him to move on, and it brings peace and prosperity all the way around.
Genesis 26:1-2: Go Not Down Into Egypt
Really tremendous record. In verse 1 of chapter 26, it says, And there was a famine in the land beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. That’s in Genesis 12. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the Lord Jehovah appeared unto him, Isaac, and said, Go not down into Egypt. Dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of.
So it’s interesting, God intervenes here, he tells him don’t follow the mistake to go down to Egypt, like Abraham did. But what’s so interesting is later on, there’s another famine. And Jacob and his family do go to Egypt during this famine, and they get taken care of and they prosper abundantly. The difference is, is Joseph is there to care for them. And that’s another record. But it’s tremendous.
The Oath Sworn to Abraham Renewed to Isaac
Keep reading. And it says, Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and will bless thee. For unto thee and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father. And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give unto thy seed all these countries. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because that Abraham obeyed my voice.
Because during the time of Abraham, even in the time of Isaac, there was no written word. There was no scripture. Written in the stars, yes, the plan of redemption, and then what God would communicate to these individuals.
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge and my commandments and my statutes and my laws. Everything that God told him, he observed. And all the instruction he gave him, he did.
She Is My Sister: Isaac Repeats His Father’s Fear
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar. And the men of the place asked him of his wife, that’s Rebekah. And he said, She is my sister. For he feared to say, She is my wife. Lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was fair to look upon. That’s the same thing that happened to Abraham. It’s the same exact thing. So he’s afraid. He’s concerned.
But remember, God’s going to prosper him. And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech, the king of the [a dropout in the recording swallows the middle of Genesis 26:8, which reads: Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac] was sporting with Rebekah, his wife. That word sporting means there’s an intimacy and a caressing going on there that only would happen between a man and a wife.
And Abimelech called Isaac and said, Behold, of a surety, she is thy wife. And how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. And Abimelech said, What is this that thou hast done unto us? One of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man, or his wife, shall surely be put to death. Wow. So he pretends that Rebekah’s his sister. It becomes known that she’s his wife. Yet God works in this situation so no one would touch them. God said he’s going to protect them. And he’s doing it. He’s doing it. Watch this.
A Hundredfold in One Year, and the Philistines Envied Him
God continues to prosper Isaac. Then Isaac sowed in that land and received in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great and went forward and grew until he became very great. For he had possession of flocks and possession of herds and great store of servants. And the Philistines envied him.
You know, sometimes this is what’s going to happen when we’re in situations. God’s going to prosper our way. And sometimes people get a little bit jealous. They get a little bit envious of this. But to their credit, they’re going to turn things around. If we do not always take the stance that we’ve got to fight with people.
In other words, there’s a time to take a stand and fight. You know, there is. But it’s not all the time. And in this situation, God is going to work with Isaac. And he is just going to move on. And we’re going to see this.
The Philistines Stop Up the Wells Abraham Dug
And God’s going to take care of him. For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham, his father, the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with earth. In other words, Abraham had dug wells. And the Philistine says, well, Abraham’s dead. Let’s fill in the wells because Abraham’s dead. And he doesn’t fight over it.
And Abimelech said unto Isaac, go from us, for thou art much mightier than we. And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tents in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham, his father, for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. And he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
Esek, Sitnah and Rehoboth: Contention, Opposition and Room
And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley and found there a well of springing water. And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, the water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, which means contention. They named it contention because they strove with him.
So what does he do? And they digged another well, verse 21, and strove for that also. And he called the name of it Sitnah, which means hostility or opposition. So he keeps moving on digging these wells and there’s hostility, there’s opposition, there is contention.
And he moved from thence, now he’s digging the third well, and digged another well. And for that they strove not. And he called the name of it Rehoboth, which means roominess or room. In other words, God is giving them space, giving Isaac space. For he said, now, for now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
See, sometimes, you know, you put a lot of work into stuff, and it just is producing contention. It’s producing a hostility, it’s producing opposition.
Fear Not, For I Am With Thee: God in Companionship With Isaac
And sometimes, yeah, you got to work through that. And then there are times, just move on, just move on, and God prospers you. Look, and he went up from thence to Beersheba. And Beersheba means the well of the oath. Oath, the well of the oath. And the Lord appeared unto him the same night and said, I am the God, the Elohim of Abraham thy father. Fear not, don’t be afraid, for I am with thee, and will bless thee and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.
The word with here is very interesting, because the word with here means in association, denoting companionship. God’s partnering with him. If God wanted him to fight for those wells, he would have done it. But he was sensitive enough to God at work in his life that he knew that wasn’t what he needed to do. He needed to keep moving.
And then God establishes that when he goes to that third well. Now that hasn’t produced any water yet, but God is going to prosper him. You can’t be afraid to move on if that’s the right thing to do.
Abimelech Comes Back to Make a Covenant
And he built an altar there and called upon the name of Jehovah and pitched his tent there, Lord is Jehovah. And there Isaac’s servants digged a well. Then, watch this, then Abimelech went to him from Gerar and Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol, the chief captain of his army.
And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me and have sent me away from you? And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee. And we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee. Now they want to be friends.
See, it wasn’t working in the arrangement that they had. Now it’s working in this arrangement. That’s part of not being afraid to develop something different because you don’t always have to fight. Sometimes it’s best just to move on. But see, you know, because we’re more than conquerors, we know that we can take a fight, but sometimes it’s really not what God wants. And then you win the people that you didn’t fight with.
Wisdom Is Not Only What You Do, It Is What You Don’t Do
You just move on. Wisdom sometimes is what, not just what you do, it’s what you don’t do. And sometimes in a situation, it’s not worth it to contend and battle with people because the end is not going to benefit you. It’s really not going to benefit them either. So wisdom for sure is not only what you do, it’s what you don’t do.
A Witness Is Who We Are, Not What We Do
And it says, verse 29, thou wilt do us no hurt as we have not touched thee and as we have done unto thee nothing but good and have sent thee away in peace. Thou art now the blessed of the Lord. They recognize the benefits and blessings of God in his life. That truly is what a witness is, really. It’s who we are. It’s not what we do.
People recognize there’s something different about our walk, our lifestyle, the words we speak, the way we carry ourselves, the way that we don’t join in on the conveyor belt of negativity and just join in with the crowd and say every negative thing that comes out. We just don’t, we don’t do it. We’re different. And we don’t have to fight over everything.
Proverbs 16:7 and the Well They Found at Beersheba
And here’s a great record to show that. Watch, look what he does. Verse 30, and he made them a feast and they did eat and drink. Wow. You know what this reminds me of? Proverbs 16:7. Proverbs 16:7 says, When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7.
And it came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him concerning the well, which they had digged and said unto him, We have found water. Look at all the blessings that came because Isaac knew enough to move on in this situation. He knew it wasn’t worth it to have hostility. He knew it wasn’t worth it to have contention. He just moved on.
And he called it Sheba. Sheba means an oath. Therefore, the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day. And Beersheba means the well of the oath. What a record.
Sometimes It Is Best Just to Move On
So we don’t have to be afraid at times. It doesn’t mean you have to fight every situation. Sometimes it’s best just to move on. And God is at work in those situations because He has something better in store. He’s got a wide berth for you practically and in every other way. And there are times to take a stand, no doubt about it.
But it’s not always to fight with people. Sometimes it’s better just to move on because God is going to prosper and take care of us. And we don’t have to be afraid that He’s not going to do it because He’s with us. He is in companionship with us. He partners with us. So fear not.
Key Takeaways
- Isaac faces a famine like his father’s, but God tells him to go not down into Egypt and promises to be with him, bless him and confirm the oath sworn to Abraham.
- Isaac repeats Abraham’s fear and calls Rebekah his sister, yet God still protects the couple: Abimelech charges his people that whoever touches them shall surely be put to death.
- God prospers Isaac to a hundredfold harvest in one year, and the Philistines envy him and stop up the wells his father had dug.
- Esek means contention, Sitnah means hostility or opposition, and Rehoboth means roominess or room, the third well nobody strove over, where the Lord hath made room for us.
- At Beersheba God says fear not, for I am with thee, and the word with means in association, denoting companionship, God partnering with him.
- The men who drove Isaac out return to make a covenant, and he makes them a feast, which the teaching links to Proverbs 16:7: when a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Genesis 26 teach about freedom from fear?
It teaches that freedom from fear does not always mean fighting. Isaac meets famine, envy and three disputed wells, and instead of contending he moves on each time, and God prospers him. At Beersheba the Lord says fear not, for I am with thee, and Rev. Rico Magnelli points out that the word with means in association, denoting companionship. God partnering with him is the reason Isaac does not have to be afraid.
Why didn’t Isaac fight the Philistines over the wells?
Because he was sensitive enough to God at work in his life that he knew that wasn’t what he needed to do. He needed to keep moving. There is a time to take a stand and fight, but it’s not all the time, and in this situation God was working for Isaac to move on. If God had wanted him to fight for those wells, he would have done it. Moving on brought peace and prosperity all the way around.
What do the names Esek, Sitnah and Rehoboth mean?
They are the three wells Isaac’s servants dug in the valley of Gerar. Esek means contention, and it was named that because the herdmen of Gerar strove with him. Sitnah means hostility or opposition, the second well they also strove for. Rehoboth means roominess or room, the well nobody strove over, where Isaac said, for now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
Scripture References
Genesis 26; Genesis 26:1; Genesis 12; Genesis 26:2; Genesis 26:3; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 26:5; Genesis 26:6; Genesis 26:7; Genesis 26:8; Genesis 26:9; Genesis 26:10; Genesis 26:11; Genesis 26:12; Genesis 26:13; Genesis 26:14; Genesis 26:15; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 26:17; Genesis 26:18; Genesis 26:19; Genesis 26:20; Genesis 26:21; Genesis 26:22; Genesis 26:23; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 26:25; Genesis 26:26; Genesis 26:27; Genesis 26:28; Genesis 26:29; Genesis 26:30; Proverbs 16:7; Genesis 26:32; Genesis 26:33
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
