Bible Study Online Article
Now we have arrived at a point during this account, where the relationship between Isaac and king Abimelech had started to turn sour. The king and the rest of the Philistines, had grown very jealous of Isaac and his newly awarded wealth. For the king would tell Isaac: "Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us." Being the man that he was, Isaac would not resist and challenge the king. There was no doubt that Isaac could have done just that, but instead -- he would move away from the Philistine town. Isaac would eventually settle in an area which was known as -- The Valley of Gerar. Isaac would continue to be industrious, for he was very skilled when it came to taking care of his flocks and the cultivating of the land. Next we would find, that Isaac would begin to unearth the water-wells that his father had once dug. Come to find out, that after Abraham had died; for whatever reason, the Philistines had filled the water-wells up with dirt. So now, we find that Isaac would honor and bring remembrance to his father; buy unearthing the water-wells, and he named them the same names that his father had originally given them. But Isaac would not stop there, for he would have his servants to continue to dig within the valley; and because of this, they had discovered a fresh water resource. Now this would bring about immediate opposition from the herdsmen of Gerar. Now keep in mind, that this was during the time in which a great famine was wrecking havoc upon the land -- so therefore, water was a very rare and valuable commodity. The herdsmen of Gerar, would lay claim to the water-well through some type of force; or intimidation tactic. Now it was this dispute, that caused Isaac to name that water well "Esek" which meant -- contention. Once again, being the man that he was; Isaac did not challenge the herdsmen of Gerar. He went about his business, and had his servants dig another water-well. And just like before, the herdsmen of Gerar; would find out, and immediately lay claim to that water-well as well. This particular quarrel, would lead Isaac to name that water-well "Sitnah" which meant -- hatred. Once again, Isaac being a man of great means and power, did not fight; instead, he moved on and had his servants dig another water-well. Once Isaac had saw that the herdsmen of Gerar did not come and quarrel over it, Isaac would name this water-well "Rehoboth" which meant -- enlargements: "Now the Lord has given us room, and we will flourish in the land." Isaac had vowed. A short while later, we are now told that Isaac would venture back up to Beer-sheba; the place that he had resided, when the famine had first struck. That night, the Lord would appear and visit Isaac: "I am the God of your father Abraham, do not be afraid for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham." the Lord would proclaim. After Isaac had been reminded of the Lord's covenant that He had bestowed on Abraham and his seed, Isaac would build an altar unto the Lord in that place. Isaac would have his servants dig a water-well nearby, for he had decided to settle in Beer-sheba for awhile. Now a little time had gone by, and we are now told that Isaac would receive another visit. But this time, it wasn't from the Lord; the visit would come from king Abimelech and his personal advisor Ahuzzath, along with Phicol; the commander of his forces. Now keep in mind, that this is not the same Phicol that had visit along with Abimelech back in the days of Abraham. So it's for this reason, we are assuming that the name Phicol is a title of some sorts; for the name means -- the mouth of all. Now what's even more interesting, is that Abimelech; just like his father, or grandfather before him -- seems to come to his senses. Now Abimelech's father, or grandfather; had been placed under a judgment by the Lord, and only the intercessory prayers from Abraham could remove that judgment; and keep it from being executed. "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman." the Lord would tell the king. But being that Abimelech had not yet touch her, and did not know that she was Abraham's wife; he would plea his case before God: "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands." After hearing this, the Lord would say: "Yes I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I didn't let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die." (Genesis 20:3-7) We assume, that it would be this visitation from the Lord; that would cause the previous Abimelech household, to recognize; that it would be best for them to be a friend towards Abraham -- instead of an enemy. Now here we are, around one-hundred years later; and we find that the current royal family, would find it in their best interest to do the same with Isaac. And here we find, that Isaac had become miffed at the king; and rightfully so, being that it was Abimelech -- that had order Isaac, to leave from their town: "Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away." Isaac would tell the king. Abimelech responded by saying: "We saw clearly that the Lord was with you, so we said: 'There ought to be a sworn agreement between us' -- between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you, that you will do us no harm; just as we did not molest you, but always treated you well; and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the Lord." Abimelech would tell the man of God. So just like his father had done before him, Isaac has a feast made for the king; and his officials, in which they did eat and drink. The men would retire for that night, and when morning would arrive -- Isaac and Abimelech would swear on an oath with each other. Isaac would then send Abimelech, and his officials; on their way back to Gerar. Soon after, Isaac's servants had came, and informed their master about the water-well that they had just dug: "We found water!" they would exclaim. After Isaac had heard the good news about the new water-well, he would name it "Shibah" or, "Shebah." This is the same name, that his father had given to the water-well; that he had acquired right after he made his oath with the previous king Abimelech. So therefore, we now have Isaac doing the same for this particular water-well, that he had acquired right after his oath with the current royal family. For the name "Shibah" or, "Shebah" is the same as Beer-sheba which means -- The well of the oath.
**YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE** Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty 28) The Twelve Rulers of Ishmael 30) Esau & Jacob - The Birthright 31) Isaac and the Canaan Famine 33) The Envious King Abimelech 34) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 39) Jacob - Loyalty or Deception 40) Deceitful Hearts 43) Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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