Abraham married another woman, Keturah, and had more children. He left his entire inheritance to Isaac, but gave gifts to his other sons while he was still alive. Abraham died at age 175, and Isaac and Ishmael buried him with Sarah in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre.
11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived new Beer Lahai Roi.
Ishmael had many children and died at age 137.
20-21 Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah. He prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.”
I love these verses because they show that God is able to provide medical miracles and even medical counsel. He answered a prayer for infertility, and then He gave her wisdom about her babies in utero. God is the great physician and the same yesterday, today, and forever.
26-28 Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth to Esau and Jacob. Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
One day, Esau came in as Jacob was cooking some stew. He was very hungry and asked for some food. Jacob responded that he would give him some food, but only in exchange for Esau’s birthright, or inheritance. And so, Esau ate, and Jacob was given his older twin brother’s birthright.
Chapter 26 begins by telling of a famine.
2-6 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your seed all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees, and my laws. So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
“through your seed all nations on earth will be blessed…” As a random aside, there are many places in Genesis that reference Abraham and his “offspring”, having a footnote that says this word also means “seed.” I’m not sure why Bible translators have put the word offspring instead of seed, because in Galatians, Paul teaches on the purpose of the Old Testament Law, saying that it was to act as a guardian until the seed, which is Christ, came into the world. Paul teaches that the promise was made to Abraham and his seed, singular, meaning Christ, so that through Christ we would have the promises. It is because of Paul’s clarification of the Old Testament that I think it is important to use the correct word, rather than “offspring” which translators have chosen here.
I think it’s also important to note that God’s blessing to Abraham was conditional. “because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees, and my laws.” Many times, we want to use the scriptural promises of God’s blessing without looking at the entire verse which outlines the requirement for that blessing. God’s Word is living and active, and I believe we can hold Him to it if we do our part as well. The Lord made a distinction here between laws, requirements, commands, and decrees. It’s a good reminder and conviction that sometimes I follow a law, but not a command. Sometimes I excuse my resistance to a “decree” because it’s specific to a situation, like Lot’s wife looking back, rather than something in writing that is concrete. This verse is a reminder that obedience is multi-faceted, but I am thankful that God desires to reward us “in every way” for that obedience.
Chapter 26 continues with Isaac following in his father’s footsteps.
7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”
Again? Seriously? I wonder if this was one of those things Abraham did and never mentioned to Isaac since he wasn’t born yet. We are our parents’ children, for better or worse, but we do have the power to break natural tendencies through the power of the Holy Spirit.
History repeated itself a little less severely. The king saw them kissing one day and questioned Isaac, upset that he endangered them all by keeping them at risk of taking Rebekah for themselves.
10 “One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
Abimelech, the king, gave orders that anyone who touched Isaac or Rebekah in this way would be put to death.
Lord, thank you for answering prayer. Thank you for being exactly what we need, whether with a barren womb or in a famine. You provide in every situation. I know that my righteousness now comes from faith in Christ instead of the law, but I also know you still reward obedience. Help me to hear your voice and obey you. Strengthen us this day and please bless all those who are reading this word.
A Walk Through The Bible 