A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

day of hunting in the fields. But the poor day in the fields may not have been the first or even an
isolated event. “There was a famine in the land” (26:1) which no doubt affected the size of wild
herds long before affecting the state of the domesticated herds. While it is still doubtful Esau was
at the point of physical death, the severity of this famine was such that Isaac had given thought to
going to Egypt. He had already begun to move his camp from Beer Lahai Roi to Gerar when
God intervened.
On this occasion, the Lord confirmed His covenant with Isaac. Though Isaac probably
heard the voice of the Lord to his father Abraham on Mount Moriah, this is the first recorded
appearance of Jehovah to Isaac in Scripture. Isaac was specifically commanded not to go to
Egypt but rather to remain a sojourner in the land of promise. Also, Isaac was promised the
unique presence of God and the blessings that were part of the covenant. The oath God had
sworn to Abraham could now be claimed by Isaac. His descendants would be multiplied and
include the source of blessing to all nations.
Like his father before him, Isaac obeyed the call of God on life, but only in part. A
comparison of the verb describing Isaac “dwelling” at Gerar (v. 6) and that commanding him to
“sojourn” in the land (v. 3) reveals the limits of Isaac’s obedience. The Hebrew verb qur
translated “sojourn” is a qal imperative meaning “to dwell as a stranger.” But the Hebrew verb
yashav translated “he dwelt” is a qal imperfect based on the idea of sitting down or settling into a
community. Some might argue God had permitted Isaac to “dwell” in the land, but the Hebrew
verb shachan translated “dwell” in verse 2 is another verb expressing the idea of laying down
and possessing. God commanded Isaac to possess the land by faith but live as a stranger, but
Isaac was beginning to get comfortable enough with the world around him to sit down and
become a part of their system.
It is not surprising, therefore, that like his father his faithless attitude was soon expressed
in a faithless action. What is remarkable is the similarity of their sin. The weakness of the father
became evident in the son. Both men lied about the identity of their wives so as to protect
themselves from perceived danger. Both men were willing to allow their wives to be taken by a
foreign ruler to preserve their lives. And in both cases, it would appear the men would not repent
of their acts without the intervention of the Gentile they had wronged in the process. Only when
confronted by Abimelech, the Philistine leader, after he had seen Isaac caressing his wife did
Isaac admit his relation to his wife.
This Abimelech should not be confused with the Abimelech who had been involved in
the similar sin of Abraham. Abimelech was a dynastic title carried on from generation to
generation. The name means “my father the king” and may have been a form of addressing the
supreme ruler of a Philistine city-state.
Despite the failure of Isaac, God honored His covenant. Isaac, sowed and received a rich
harvest of grain the very year his sin was exposed. The Lord also blessed him beyond the
hundredfold harvest. His flocks and herds also grew abundantly and before long he was
described as “great” and then “very great.” He soon became the envy of the Philistines, who tried
to provoke him by filling in his father’s wells. Perhaps fearing for Isaac’s security, should the
anger of the Philistines erupt in a more violent attack, or that Isaac himself should respond with
violence, Abimelech asked him to leave. “Go away from us; for you are much mightier than we”
(26:16).
A SOJOURNER OF FAITH (Gen. 26:17-35)