It’s a while since we’ve blogged, but I (Mark) wanted to start again – and so I thought I’d put up my sermon on Genesis 26 from July. It’s a slightly odd passage – which is reflected in my introduction. So it may be worth just looking up the passage alongside reading this post. This was the first of 3 sermons I preached within about 4 weeks. Each from a different type of genre of Scripture – and each with its own set of challenges. This one was especially hard to structure and get a grip on. But I think an important passage to tackle because it is in a part of Genesis so often neglected. Here it is:
“Thanks be to God” we just said.
I suspect this is one of those bible readings where we say those words with some degree of puzzlement. So let’s pray
So what was that passage all about? What difference does it make to me? By the end of the sermon we’re going to see that ultimately it makes all the difference in the world. We’re going to see that God’s promise in the passage we just read gives us vital reassurance in a world of danger, conflict and lack of resources that God gives perfect provision for our needs, protection from danger and peace in the midst of conflict.
But I’m guessing that may not be obvious. We read about Isaac, we read words of promise, we read of Isaac’s lies. We read about wells, and some kind of fighting over wells, and then peace and God’s promise once more. But last week weren’t we hearing about Jacob and Esau? What happened to them? Why back to Isaac? And how does this fit with Abraham’s life? And what possible difference can it make to me?
So, before diving into this passage let’s remind ourselves of who is involved in these stories in Genesis. Here is Abraham’s family tree. Genesis is structured around these stories. Notice the names in bold. Remember back in Genesis 12 we heard God’s promise to Abraham, that through his descendants the whole earth would be blessed.
Remember how we heard of the promise of the birth of Isaac – the one who would inherit the promise to Abraham and his barren wife, Sarah. We’ve seen how Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, to whom the promises had been made.
Then we saw how a wife was found for Isaac, and then how he prayed for his wife, who had no children and they had twins. We’ve seen how Esau traded away the birthright for a bowl of lentil stew – and we’ll see more of how that story plays out next week.
The other thing that is worth doing before we dive into the passage itself is to look at where they come from. This reminds us of the journey’s involved. Abraham – Ur-Haran-Canaan-Egypt-Canaan Isaac – Canaan Jacob – Canaan-Haran-Canaan-Egypt
Notice that Isaac is the one who basically stays where he is – he moves around southern Canaan – but not really very far. In the passage today he goes from Gerar to Beersheba – which is only around 17 miles (compared to 200 miles down the coast to Egypt or 400 to Haran, or 1000 to Ur).
Think also about the stories Isaac features in – he’s nearly sacrificed, a wife is found for him – and in the next chapter he’s manipulated into blessing Jacob – he’s not very active.
This chapter today, chapter 26, is the only chapter where Isaac is the main focus. But, as we remembered before it comes sandwiched in between two stories about Jacob and Esau. This “sandwich” idea is that one that comes up in Genesis elsewhere. It is a way of drawing our attention to something that we might otherwise miss.
The clue to explain why this story is here is the end of the last chapter. “And Esau despised his birthright” I think this chapter, chapter 26 makes clear exactly what Esau despised. It explains what he missed out on. And what he missed out on is what it means to live under God’s promise.
Today we will focus on exactly this – we’ll look at God’s growing promise, at the fear that stops us enjoying the promise, and the benefits of provisions, protection and peace that the promise brings.
First: God’s Growing Promise
Notice how the chapter begins reminding us of the previous story that involved Abraham and Abimelech – we don’t really know whether this is the same king (tribal chief), or whether Abimelech is a kind of title (it means “my father is king” – so could easily be a common name in a royal household. The story teller wants to tell us that this is a similar sort of story – but it is unique – it is ‘besides’ the other one.
God gives Isaac the same promise that he gave Abraham – descendents who would live in the land, descendants who would bring blessing to the nations. But what does that have to do with us? Look at these verses on the screen. I’ve put “descendents” and “offspring” in bold because they translate the same Hebrew word which literally means “seed.” It’s used of crops, but its also used of people’s children and descendants – and can be used collectively of a group, or of a single individual.
Paul in Galatians highlights the singular nature of the “seed” to say that the ultimate fulfilment of these passages in Genesis is Christ.
Christ is the seed of Abraham – and any who have faith in God become “seed” of Abraham and heirs of the promise too.
It is Christ who inherits the land – and the land that Christ is to receive is the whole earth renewed and restored to what it should be. The land was only ever a picture of a restored creation – so we look forward to that reality to come. A quick way to summarise the way the Bible works from Genesis 12 onwards is this diagram – next slide.
At the top we see God calling Abraham, then Isaac then Jacob – that’s Genesis 12-50 – this family is the kingdom of God in miniature.
Then God’s kingdom grows – Exodus – God’s people grow numerous. God keeps his promise, and God brings them to the land – David and Solomon. God’s people at peace in the land. Then it all goes wrong and the people end up in exile. Then Jesus comes, and lives out all that Israel should be, and calls Gentiles to join a renewed and rebuilt Israel that will fill the whole earth, and one day be part of a renewed world.
That is the promise that Isaac receives. And in the rest of the chapter we’ll see what it looks like to live out life under that promise. We’ll start with a threat to the promise, and then move on to look at God’s provision for people who live under his promise.
The Threat to the Promise
This is where we see the fear that stops us enjoying the promise. In this part of the story we see Isaac beginning to obey God by staying in the land, but quickly going wrong when he is asked about Rebekah. If you remember the story of Abraham and Sarah in a similar situation you will remember that Abraham pre-plans his strategy of claiming that his wife is actually his sister. Isaac on the other hand is caught in the moment. Suddenly fearing what the men around him might do, he claims Rebekah is his sister. Somehow this was obviously a way for him to be in less danger.
Isaac gives way to fear. All that God has promised him becomes as nothing compared to the fear of what may happen to him in that moment. So often that is true for us. So often we choose sin because we are afraid.
Here the deception goes on for a while – and Isaac and Rebekah are able to snatch moments alone – but this time they are spotted by Abimelek from a window – “caressing” – or it could indeed be “laughing” – the word is the same one that Isaac’s name comes from. Isaac is living out of his nature.
Abimelek confronts Isaac, and Isaac explains his reasoning – and Abimelek’s reaction demonstrates that Isaac’s fear was entirely unnecessary. It’s striking that Abimelek doesn’t punish Isaac, but instead protects him, and Rebekah.
We wonder if Isaac would have been better off just being open from the start – and I’m sure many of us can think of situations where we’ve maybe not been completely straightforward at the start but where our fear proves to have been unnecessary.
And yet we may also wonder about Isaac getting away with it. He lies for self protection, like his father before him. Yet he gets away with it – or seems to. But if we read on in the story we see Rebekah and Jacob combining to deceive Isaac to get the blessing. Then we see Jacob in turn deceived by his children over the fate of Joseph. The family pattern continues. Isaac’s sin comes back on him
Yet none of this causes God to give up on the family. God starts with the mess of where we are right now. He doesn’t wait for us to be perfect, but he calls us to change – which is why he says to Isaac later in this chapter “Do not be afraid”.
The first thing we should note about living under God’s promise is that it means we don’t need to be afraid. And as we look at the rest of this passage we’ll see that work out in three distinct ways:
The first reason we don’t need to be afraid is that people who live under God’s promise see God’s provision
Look at v12-14 – Isaac plants crops and reaps a huge harvest. Isaac becomes rich and his wealth grows. He has so many flocks and herds that he is envied by the Philistines.
So does that mean that I’m going to see my salary double, a new car on the drive and all my financial worries over? Are people going to walk down Scotland Road, see the car on the drive and wonder where that wealth all came from – or will we be set up with a 6 bedroom house in the country?
Well, maybe – but that’s not what the Bible encourages us to expect. We need to remember what I said a few minutes ago about the big picture of the story of the Bible. In this story today Isaac lives out a life that is a picture of what Israel are meant to enjoy in the land, and what we can enjoy in Christ now, and in the life to come.
And then we come to the NT – and we see that God’s people are now scattered all over the world, looking forward to a time when that world is made new. The full fulfillment of these riches will be seen when Jesus returns – but for now we are already – Paul says in Ephesians – blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Fundamentally that is the blessing of having God living among us by his Spirit and sharing that blessing with others. That blessing does have material impacts – but on Christians as a worldwide community – think of Acts and the way the Christians shared all their possessions.
Think of Paul collecting money from the Gentile Christians for the Jewish Christians in Rome. Both locally and globally Christians are to share their wealth. We are to remember that we serve a God who is generous and who does not lack resources
While I may not get that new car, and all my financial issues may not dissolve away. I am still to remember that God is generous and gives in many and different ways –
often through Christian brothers and sisters. When we make decisions as a church we need to trust the God who is generous beyond our imagining – and come to him to ask for our needs. There is no problem for God in financing our re-ordering – he isn’t short of money.
We always need to be responsible with what we have – but we also need to remember that we don’t live in a world where there is a lack of resources or serve a God who is unwilling to give. We live in a world of abundance, serving a generous God – and so we need to be ready to trust our God. Isaac’s story reminds us of the generosity of our God.
As we go on in the story we see that Isaac meets with envy, and as the story plays out we see that
People who live under God’s promise receive God’s protection from danger
Now we move on to the wells. The Philistines envy him – so they fill in the wells his father had dug before. That’s like turning off the water supply to your house. And in a climate where water really matters. So Isaac goes to the valley of gerar and settles, and reopens the wells.
He then moves on for his servants to dig new wells – but the first two still meet with opposition – notice the names of the wells mean “dispute” and “opposition” – then finally the well is called “room” because no-one objects and God has now given them the space they need to flourish in the land.
These names matter – they tell the story of opposition in the land, and then of God’s provision of space, of protection in the land. It’s a reality that is reinforced by God’s promise to him at Beersheba where God speaks the promise again.
Then Isaac worships God, and pitches his tent – and his servants dig a well. As we go on in the passage we see that this well is called Shibah – “oath” or “promise” – and the town is called “well of the promise”.
God’s promise means that God’s people are protected. Isaac is given room to be fruitful in the land. God gives us room to work with him in sharing his good news. Room to be fruitful. As a church sometimes it can feel a bit like we are just re-digging wells. Doing the same thing – showing up in the same way – and just not seeing any results.
Yet, we should keep doing what we know we should – praying together, listening to God’s word, worshipping because we know that God is at work. It might feel like we are just getting rid of rubbish – but at any moment we might strike water. At any moment God’s living water may come, and the work will have been worth it.
Or maybe prayer is like that – praying for those people who just don’t seem to respond. Don’t stop. Who knows – maybe this is the week that we’ll see the water come.
God’s protection of his people is so that we dig the wells now. It isn’t complete physical safety now – but it is the promise of complete security to come – and enough security now to play our part in God’s mission.
Because ultimately Living under God’s promise means enjoying God’s peace in the midst of conflict
Finally this story resolves – from the conflict around the wells, and the envy and the sending Isaac away we now come to Abimelech and his commander coming to make peace with Isaac. As they (or their predecessors) did with Abraham, so they now do with Isaac. They make a treaty and they go in peace.
Peace is always a blessing for God’s people. In the days of Solomon the book of kings describes how the people enjoy peace. Jesus brings peace when he comes. Not simply a truce in hostilities, but peace between God, and peace between people.
As people who enjoy God’s blessing we look to share that peace with others – in so far as we can. Within our church community we should be at peace with others.
If we hold grudges or harbour resentment we need to let go of these things – and where they have led us to words or actions that have done someone else down we need to say sorry to them, and allow God to bring his peace into our lives.
Of course even for Isaac this wasn’t a perfect peace in this life – notice the end of the chapter how Esau’s wives are a source of grief to him and Rebekah. This side of eternity there will always be things that marr the peace we should have.
But the blessings Isaac has in this chapter foreshadow the blessings that we enjoy with God now in part – and one day will enjoy with him forever.
Right now we need to trust God’s promise, hear his reassurance not to be afraid
because he is the God who provides, the God who protects and the God who gives peace.
Joshua's Tree Rooted 