Pastor Melinda Song
27 September 2020
YHWH is often referred to as God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Of the three, Isaac is often overlooked as he is the son of a famous father and the father of a famous son, who are major characters in the Bible.
We know a lot about them. But it seems that we know much less about Isaac. In fact, the two stories that we normally associate with Isaac aren’t really focused on Isaac. The sacrifice of Isaac is primarily about Abraham, and the story of the switched blessings is really focused on Jacob and Esau.
There are 13 chapters on the life of Abraham and 10 chapters on the life of Jacob – there’s only one chapter where the focus is solely on Isaac and only one story in the Bible that features Isaac as the main character.
Do you know what was remarkable about his story in the Bible? Well, he dug wells, he opened wells that had been sealed by the Philistines, and he dug wells and gave names to the wells. He seems obsessed with wells and kept on digging! And so the title of my message today is: “Keep On Digging!”
Our passage is taken from Genesis 26:12-33 but first let me quickly take you through the first 11 verses of the chapter to set the context. And I would like to draw your attention to the parallels between what Isaac went through and what Abraham went through.
Abraham and Isaac encountered the same 2 challenges: A famine and the danger of having a beautiful wife.
- Abraham went to Egypt but when Isaac also tried to do the same thing “the Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.”
- Both resorted to lying in order to avoid being harmed by others who may covet their wives.
Isaac had settled in Gerar and we pick up the story from…
Genesis 26:12–13 (NLT)
12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow
I. ISAAC WAS BLESSED
Isaac remained in the Promised Land even though it does not make sense from an earthly point of view. Why? Because God promised to be with him and bless him if he didn’t go down to Egypt.
Genesis 26:2–6 (NLT)
2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live 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. 4 I 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. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
God gave Isaac an offer he could not refuse and it requires faith. The deeper purpose in God’s instruction to Isaac to stay in spite of the famine was to test his faith and the results of living by faith were amazing.
Isaac sowed seed that year, and he harvested 100 times what he had planted! This was a miracle because:
• The normal yield for crops at that time was maybe 25 or so; that is, if you planted one kernel of corn, you would get 25 or maybe 50 back
• It was a famine most likely caused by a severe drought so to be able to harvest is in itself a miracle
• Isaac was a nomad, not a farmer, yet the yield of his first crop is 100 times what is planted
YOUR TAKE AWAY
It must have taken a lot of faith to plant seed in a dusty field, but Isaac obeyed, and God took care of the rest. The point is: God wants to bless us, even in difficult circumstances.
We must have faith that God can and will take care of His people, even in a bad economy, even in a drought, even in a challenging home situation. God has the ability to bless us even in adversity. Running away seems easier but sometimes the answer may involve digging in and trusting God to help us right where we are.
God has the power to provide for us. He is YHWH-Yireh and Isaac knew that from his own experience, when he was tied up and nearly sacrificed by his own father, who was then stopped by an angel at the very last second.
Isaac was blessed but even in blessing…
II. ISAAC WAS OPPOSED
Genesis 26:13–15 (NLT)
13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So 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.
These were the wells that Abraham had dug in that area many years earlier. Instead of collaborating with Isaac or getting help from him, the Philistines tried to pull him down. Isn’t that the way of the world?
As long as we are in the world we shall face jealousy, envy and opposition but that should not be so for us in a community of faith. We bear one another’s burdens, rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep.
Genesis 26:16 (NLT)
16 Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.”
The opposition was so bad that the king asked him to leave, quite forcefully as the Hebrew word implies.
Genesis 26:17–18 (NLT)
17 So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. 18 He 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.
After being expelled, Isaac settled in the valley, reopening the wells his father had dug and calling them by the same names. Have you ever wondered why Isaac is so obsessed with wells?
For the most part, we are not very concerned about our water supply. But for Isaac, this was a matter of life and death in a dry, hot and parched land. Wells in the Negev provided the sustenance to grow crops, water herds and build communities.
Filling in someone’s well was an act of vandalism sending the message, “We do not want you people around here. Go home!” And it was often considered an act of war.
By re-opening/re-digging his father’s wells, Isaac was reclaiming the land that his father once settled. And his people were digging new wells.
Genesis 26:19–21 (NLT)
19 Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. 20 But 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”). 21 Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”).
Why the hostility? We must understand that in Jewish law, one of the ways in which one shows ownership of land is by changing something in the land itself. Only an owner has the freedom to do what he wants with his land.
Thus the wells were a symbolic claim of ownership of land. We might even compare it to planting a flag and staking a claim on the land.
No wonder the locals object and every time the locals protest, Isaac moves on. This happens several times, so Isaac give the wells names that reflect each situation.
• Esek (which means “argument”)
• Sitnah (which means “hostility”)
By the way, “Sitnah” has the same root as the word “Satan.” Literally, Satan is our “adversary.” Satan stands in “opposition” to us; that is what his name really means, and this was also the name given to this particular well.
The opposition was escalating and Isaac kept moving.
Genesis 26:22 (NLT)
22 Abandoning 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.”
At last a breakthrough came! Why is there no opposition here? What is different. That’s a message for another day.
Isaac named the third well REHOBOTH which means “wide open spaces” or “room enough”. The Philistines finally gave up and let Isaac have his space.
YOUR TAKE AWAY
We cannot avoid hindrances and opposition even when we are where God wants us to be. There will be challenges even in the midst of our blessings. How can we have a victory or be an overcomer without a battle?
What impresses me here is that Isaac does not fight back or get discouraged when provoked. As far as we can tell, he does not whine and complain. He moves on, picks up a shovel, and starts digging a new well whenever there was opposition. He does this over and over again.
What an amazing example! Even when resources are scarce, even when the critics oppose, even when the enemy tries to shut you down, by faith just keep on doing what you are called to do. Keep on digging!
Because Isaac “acted” and didn’t “react”, the enemy eventually had to leave him alone. He outlasted all his critics, opponents and accusers.
How about you? Are you feeling the sting of criticism and rejection? By faith, just dig another well. By faith, just keep going on until God makes room for you! When opposition comes, by faith, just persevere.
But somebody says, “Pastor, I don’t want to persevere. I’m too tired of fighting. Instead of going on, I want to give up. How can I persevere when I don’t have the strength or energy to take even one more step?” That is when we need to …
REMEMBER GOD’S PROMISES
Recall what God has said and rely on His commitment to us. That was what Isaac did. He relied on God’s commitment to him (Gen. 26:2-5).
Genesis 26:23–24 (NLT)
23 From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, 24 where 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.”
A Difference in the Promise
Notice the slight difference in the promise God gave to Isaac at the beginning of this chapter as opposed to the end. Up in verse 3, before all of this started, God said, “I will be with you,” but please notice what God says in verse 24, “Do not be afraid, for I AM with you.” In other words, what was once a promise, is now a reality. Isaac has passed the test!
David Livingstone
“In the beginning of the year of 1856, David Livingstone, the first missionary to the interior of Africa, found himself surrounded by hostile, angry Africans. In his 16 years in that continent, he had never faced such hostility. He was in danger of losing his life and he contemplated running away. Then something happened that changed his mind and gave him peace. He recorded the incident in his diary on January 14, 1856.
“Felt much turmoil of spirit in prospect of having all my plans for the welfare of this great region and this teeming population knocked on the head by savages tomorrow. But I read that Jesus said, ‘All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ It is the word of a gentleman of the most strict and sacred honor, so there’s an end to it! I will not cross furtively tonight as I intended. Should such a man as I flee? Nay, verily, I shall take observations for latitude and longitude tonight, though they may be the last, I feel quite calm now, thank God!”
In his worst moment, Livingston remembered the words of Christ and he remembered that it was the word of a Gentleman, who never goes back on His word. That’s what kept him going. That’s what gave him peace and helped him persevere, and that’s what will keep us going, as well.
So, when opposition comes, don’t quit. Dig into the word of God, remember his promises and persevere.
Isaac was able to remind himself of the promises of God because he was in constant communion with God, the Promise Keeper. This is only possible because…
III. ISAAC WAS A WORSHIPPER
Genesis 26:25 (NLT)
25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the LORD. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.
It was at Beersheba that God reminded Isaac of the promise he made to him when it all started and Isaac responded by building an altar and digging another well! Through adversity, Isaac’s relationship with God is now much deeper than it was before. His father’s faith is now his own.
Every time he drank from that well or passed by it, Isaac would remember God’s promise to him. He would remember God commitment to him that would help him in his commitment to God.
YOUR TAKE AWAY
It is in our worship that our faith is renewed. Do you have an altar or are you worshipping at the altars others have built?
Genesis 26:26–29 (NLT)
26 One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander. 27 “Why have you come here?” Isaac asked. “You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.”
28 They 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. 29 Swear 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!”
After everything that has happened King Abimelech and the Philistines come to Isaac and claimed he had never troubled Isaac and had always treated Isaac well. They were deceiving themselves just like many times our enemies thought they were right and weren’t that bad and cruel to us and had been treating us very well.
Why the sudden change? They realised that Isaac had been blessed by the Lord (v. 29). They could not stop God from blessing this man no matter how hard they try. No matter what they did, Isaac kept getting stronger. There was something special about this man.
Proverbs 16:7 (NIV84)
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,
he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
This indeed was a strange turn of events where out of nowhere the enemies of Isaac appeared and asked for his forgiveness and their relationship was permanently restored with a covenant. How would you have responded?
Look at Isaac’s response.
Genesis 26:30-33 (NLT)
30 So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together. 31 Early 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.
32 That very day Isaac’s servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. “We’ve found water!” they exclaimed. 33 So 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”).
IV. ISAAC WAS A MAN OF PEACE
Isaac responded with grace preparing a covenant feast and making an oath of peace with his enemies. We certainly remember Paul’s words in…
Romans 12:18 (NIV84)
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
YOUR TAKE AWAY
Many times, we face the criticism of others in the way we do things. When faced with opposition, let’s not waste our time wallowing in self-pity, arguing about it or trying to prove ourselves. Instead, let’s keep on doing what we know God wants us to do and eventually God will vindicate us.
Isaac’s opponents recognized God’s blessing on his life so they made a treaty with him. They realized that they were not fighting Isaac; they were fighting God. So, they stopped fighting and left him in peace. And that kind of thing can happen to us, if we don’t quit, if we keep trusting God and don’t give up.
OUR GREATER ISAAC
Isaac exemplifies a right attitude towards our enemies. But there is one greater Isaac – Jesus.
Throughout his three and half years of ministry, Jesus faced opposition from the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Yet it was he who taught his disciples in
Matthew 10:23 (NIV84)
23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Jesus never advocated to his disciples a frontal confrontation with opposition or persecution. If that town persecuted you, go to another town and dig another well for the gospel. This non-confrontative attitude was so consistent in Jesus’ life even up to his death on the cross.
Isaiah 53:7 (NLT)
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
When trouble comes, just remember the promises of God and persevere.
Keep on doing what you know what God wants you to do until the presence of God becomes so evident in your life that even your enemies recognize it. Or to put it simply: When somebody throws dirt in your well, just trust God and dig another well.
As we close, one thing I really appreciate about Isaac is that he is like most of us here this morning. He didn’t perform some kind of huge heroic act, but it was more a matter of just doing what needed to be done and doing it consistently over a long period of time. God needs people like Isaac, and that is our challenge this morning, to be like Isaac, not necessarily perfect, but trusting God in difficult circumstances, patient when wronged, a blessing to our others, and faithful in our worship of God.
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