Day 26 - Genesis 26

From: Chapter-A-Day: Volume 1 By: Norman W. Berry

• 2 min. read • grade level: 7

Isaac lived the longest of these four generations (Abraham to the sons of Jacob). See his age in Genesis 35:28²⁸And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. (Genesis 35:28). We don’t read of any outstanding acts in his life. He was the ordinary son of a famous father, Abraham, and the ordinary father of a famous son, Jacob.

V.1-6 God often had to tell Abraham and Isaac to stay in the land which God had sent them. But they had a pull toward Egypt (Gen. 12:10; 26:1-2¹⁰And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. (Genesis 12:10)
¹And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. ²And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: (Genesis 26:1‑2)). Remember that Egypt in scripture is a picture of this world in which we live. It attracts us if we let it.

V.7-16 Like his father, Isaac tells a lie about his life, and almost brings a great sin (v. 10) upon them all. Abimelech is an upright man, and has the courage to speak sharply to Isaac about the wrong he had done.

V.17-25 Isaac reopens the wells which had been filled in. He calls them by their old names. In our days many things are getting new names. It is always good for the believer to go back to the beginning to the apostles’ days, apostles’ doctrine and the apostles’ fellowship (Acts 2:42⁴²And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)).

V.23-24 So soon as Isaac returns to Beersheba, notice what happened “the same night.” It is only when we get back into the proper path, do we enjoy communion with God.