Genesis Chapter 26: GOD keeps his promises

Chapter 26 focuses on Isaac, his family, and most importantly illustrates how GOD works with him and blesses him.  GOD told Isaac that he would be “with him” and “bless him”.

Genesis 26:4 “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statues and My laws.”

At this time there was another famine in the land, from what I read it appeared that Isaac was on the move.  The LORD came to Isaac and told him not to go to Egypt, instead Isaac was to stay in the land that the LORD told him to stay in.  Isaac was obedient to GOD, (like father, like son) and stayed in a land called Gerar.

In previous chapters, I spoke about Abraham lying about his wife being his sister so that he was not killed on account of his wife’s beauty.  In verse 7, Isaac for fear of his life lied as well on account of Rebekah being beautiful.  In both instances, GOD protected both the husbands and wives from harm from the outsiders.

Genesis 26:12 “Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold.  And the LORD blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.”

To me, this is an example of the type of blessing that GOD gives his children.  The scripture did not specify that Isaac did something special, used special seeds, or techniques to get rich.  He was obedient to GOD’s will, and GOD brought him abundance.  It does not say that Isaac even asked for these great riches!  This is so encouraging to me because it is an example of how GOD can do so much more than we imagine or anticipate.  It is an example to me of how Abraham, now Isaac made getting rich look easy!  It appears that the way to be truly wealthy back then was to be obedient to GOD.  I believe that holds true today and forevermore.

Isaac’s wealth and resources grew so much that the local people asked him to leave on account of Isaac becoming “too powerful”.  Even after Isaac left and settled somewhere else those same people came (Abimelech and his advisor Ahuzzath, and Phicol, commander of his army) and said the following:

Genesis 26:28 “They said, We see plainly that the LORD has been with you; so we said, “Let there now be an oath between us, even between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace.  You are now the blessed of the LORD.”

I pray that each and every one of you will seek GOD first in all that you do, fear GOD because He is HOLY, and be obedient to HIS word.