26A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham's time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.H7458H776H905H7223H7458H3117H85H3327H3212H40H4428H6430H16422The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you.H3068H7200H559H3381H4714H7931H776H5593Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father.H1481H776H1288H2233H5414H411H776H6965H7621H7650H85H14I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.H7235H2233H7235H3556H8064H5414H2233H411H776H2233H1471H776H12885I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions."H6118H85H8085H6963H8104H4931H4687H2708H84516So Isaac stayed in Gerar.H3327H3427H16427When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful."H582H4725H7592H802H559H269H3372H559H802H582H4725H2026H7259H2896H47588But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.H748H3117H40H4428H6430H8259H1157H2474H7200H3327H6711H7259H8029Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, "She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" "Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me," Isaac replied.H40H7121H3327H559H389H802H559H269H3327H559H559H419110"How could you do this to us?" Abimelech exclaimed. "One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin."H40H559H6213H259H5971H4592H7901H802H935H81711Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: "Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!"H40H6680H5971H559H5060H376H802H4191H4191
Conflict over Water Rights
12When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him.H3327H2232H776H4672H8141H3967H8180H3068H128813He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow.H376H1431H3212H1980H1432H1431H3966H143114He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.H4735H6629H4735H1241H7227H5657H6430H706515So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac's wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.H875H1H5650H2658H3117H85H1H6430H5640H4390H608316Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. "Go somewhere else," he said, "for you have become too powerful for us."H40H559H3327H3212H3966H610517So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down.H3327H3212H2583H5158H1642H3427H803318He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham's death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.H3327H2658H7725H875H4325H2658H3117H85H1H6430H5640H310H4194H85H7121H8034H8034H834H1H712119Isaac's servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water.H3327H5650H2658H5158H4672H875H2416H432520But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. "This is our water," they said, and they argued over it with Isaac's herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means "argument").H7462H1642H7378H3327H7462H559H4325H7121H8034H875H6230H622921Isaac's men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means "hostility").H2658H312H875H7378H7121H8034H785622Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means "open space"), for he said, "At last the LORD has created enough space for us to prosper in this land."H6275H2658H312H875H7378H7121H8034H7344H559H6258H3068H7337H6509H77623From there Isaac moved to Beersheba,H5927H88424where the LORD appeared to him on the night of his arrival. "I am the God of your father, Abraham," he said. "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant."H3068H7200H3915H559H430H85H1H3372H854H1288H7235H2233H5650H8525Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the LORD. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.H1129H4196H7121H8034H3068H5186H168H3327H5650H3738H875
Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech
26One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander.H40H1980H1642H276H4828H6369H8269H663527"Why have you come here?" Isaac asked. "You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land."H3327H559H4069H935H8130H797128They replied, "We can plainly see that the LORD is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let's make a covenant.H559H7200H7200H3068H559H423H996H996H3772H128529Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the LORD has blessed you!"H6213H7451H5060H6213H7535H2896H7971H7965H6258H1288H306830So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together.H6213H4960H398H835431Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace.H7925H1242H7650H376H251H3327H7971H3212H796532That very day Isaac's servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. "We've found water!" they exclaimed.H3117H3327H5650H935H5046H182H875H2658H559H4672H432533So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means "oath"). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means "well of the oath").H7121H7656H8034H5892H884H311734At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon.H6215H705H8141H1121H3947H802H3067H1323H882H2850H1315H1323H356H285035But Esau's wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.H4786H7307H3327H7259
Ashburn, VA
, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father.H1481
