City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. 14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

17 So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Genesis 26:12-25

 [Jesus said], I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

John 16:29

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but … against the rulers of the darkness of this age.

Ephesians 6:12

Reflection

We begin with Isaac and his family thriving due to Yahweh’s blessing. The wells are full of water and his crops are growing like weeds. Soon, though, this prosperity becomes the catalyst for conflict which pushes Isaac to find a new homestead.  Isaac doesn’t want a fight, so he keeps moving from one well (Esek means contention) to another (Sitnah means enmity) until they leave him alone.

During all this tension, Isaac relies on his intuition, not the Lord’s guidance. No prayers, no altars, no acknowledgement of Yahweh; only a lot of digging. When the fighting stops and he feels he can finally relax, (Rehoboam means plenty of room), he finally mentions Yawheh’s name.

Then, Yahweh speaks a word to Isaac. He reinforces Isaac’s blessing, and establishes his family at Beersheba through the next generation, ending the time of constantly moving, quarreling, and digging wells.

Application

The story, of course, is multi-faceted in the lessons it teaches. It shows God’s sovereignty in guiding Isaac from prosperity, through worldly conflict, and into a generation of peace, in order to carry on the family line of blessing. It reminds us that when we are blessed, we have an opportunity to bless the world around us. Isaac seems willing to share the water with his neighbors, but they will not associate with him on these terms, insisting on exclusivity. Our desire to bless others in Jesus’ name will be met with contention and enmity, as the world wants to drag you into a fight on its terms. We will do well to follow Isaac’s intuition – don’t fight back, just move along; recognizing our inherent blessing and the veiled spiritual war behind the conflict.

Finally, when we acknowledge God’s loving faithfulness at work despite our circumstances, we open ourselves to His voice. For Isaac, when he heard the Word of Yahweh, his new worshipful perspective initiated a time of stability and peace for an entire generation.

Prayer

Thank You, Father, for the prosperous blessing of eternal life in Jesus. Help me to recognize Your provision and protection over me in the circumstances of this world, to not lose perspective of Your faithful love for me. May Your worship be my focus through every plan, objective, and task; with Your Word guiding me to stability and peace. Amen.