ISAAC SOJOURN AS A STRANGER IN GERAR As there was a famine in the land, Isaac did not go down to Egypt as his father Abraham did, but sojourned in Gerar, according to God’s command. And as his father did, Isaac claimed that Rebecca was his sister, and thus was rebuked by Abimelech, king of Gerar. As Isaac became very prosperous, the Philistines stopped up his wells, so he went to the valley of Gerar, and from there to Beersheba, where God appeared to him and blessed him, and renewed His covenant with his father Abraham; as well as giving him favor in the sight of the king and the commander of his army. 1- God’s promise to Isaac during the famine 1-6. 2- Isaac claims that Rebecca was his sister 7-11. 3- The Philistines envy Isaac 12-25. 4- Isaac makes a covenant with Abimelech 26-33. 5- Esau takes Hittite wives 34-35. 1- GOD’S PROMISE TO ISAAC DURING THE FAMINE Isaac had the same experience that his father Abraham went through: “There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham” (Gen. 26:1). There was a famine, yet it was “in the land,” and not in him, affecting his ‘land,’ namely his ‘body,’ without getting to his depths. And we previously said, the believer submits with his body ‘his land’ under the temptation, without touching his inner life; while when the unbeliever falls in his wholeness underneath affliction, he loses his inner peace, as well as his hope, and be utterly destroyed. When famine occurred in the days of Abraham, he went down to Egypt, without God’s counsel, to face a probable loss of his wife, if it was not for God’s intervention. Isaac, on the other hand, seems to have sought God’s counsel, who appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all this lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven. I will give to your descendants all these lands, and in your seeds all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 26:2-4). If Abraham did wrong by going down to Egypt during the famine, God commanded Isaac not to do the same, but to remain in the land of Canaan during a similar famine, as a sign of his acceptance of God’s promises to his father. He just moved from ‘Beer Lahai Roi’ to Gerar, 6 miles south-east of Gaza, where ‘Kherbet- Um-Gerar’ is located nowadays. Its name is derived from ‘Garah,’ meaning ‘a ceramic pot1.’ Obeying the voice of the Lord to remain in Gerar, and not to go down to Egypt, Isaac enjoyed the appearance of God, and the renewal of the divine covenant. If, in time of affliction, we listen to the voice of God, we shall, likewise, enjoy His appearance in us, and the renewal of His covenant with us! 2- ISAAC CLAIM THAT REBECCA WAS HIS SISTER Isaac harbored the same weakness as his father. Because of his fear lest the .١ : ٢٠ ¡ 1 راجع تفسير تك ١٩ :١٠ 4 men of the place should kill him for Rebecca, because she was beautiful to behold, he claimed that she was his sister. But this time, Abimalech, who was most probably another one than Abimalech of Abraham’s days-as we said, (Abimalech) was a title of the kings of Gerar, and not a name-looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac showing endearment to Rebecca his wife. So he called Isaac and nobly rebuked him, then charged all his people, saying, ‘He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death’ (Gen. 26:11). The Scripture in being keen on revealing the weaknesses of such righteous people, like Abraham and Isaac, means to warn us against every weakness or sin, and to persuade us not to judge anyone. Obviously every believer, whatever his spiritual status be, has his weaknesses. On the other side, it shows the good points, even in pagans, like Abimelech, who feared lest one of his people would fall into sin with Isaac’s wife, and would have brought guilt on the whole people (Gen. 26:10). That would teach us not to despise anyone, even if he is a pagan. 3- THE PHILISTINES ENVY ISAAC “Then Isaac sowed in that land (Barley, according to the Septuagint Version), and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him” (Gen. 26:12-14). If Isaac, in his weakness, did wrong, yet God sent to him a pagan king to rebuke him. But that did not keep God from blessing him, or realizing His covenants with him. Sowing Barley - according to the Septuagint Version - he reaped a hundredfold, beside possessions of flocks, herds, and a great number of servants, that caused the inhabitants of that region to envy and fear him. Origen comments on his sowing of ‘Barley,’ that this refers to the Law, or the easy commandments, that are presented to the spiritually poor, while ‘wheat,” on the other hand, refers to the Gospel presented to the spiritually mature, saying: [Why did Isaac sow ‘barley’? and why did the Lord bless him as he did? Why did he prosper greatly? ‘Barley’ is usually the food of animals and servants laboring on the fields. Isaac prepared ‘wheat’ for the spiritually perfect, and ‘Barley’ for the beginners; as it is written, “O Lord, You preserve man and beast” (Psalm 36:7)... Our Lord, the Perfect Isaac, presents perfection ‘wheat’ to the apostles and disciples, while presenting simple and easy teachings ‘Barley’ to the multitude.. Do you want a proof that He presents ‘Barley’ as food for the beginners? It came in the Gospel, that he fed the multitude twice; in the first time He presented to them the beginners, “Barley loaves” (John 6:9); then as they made progress, he fed them “Wheat loaves” (Matthew 15:34)1.] May we receive, as spiritually mature, ‘wheat’ loaves, or else, let us, as beginners, receive ‘barley’ loaves, from the hands of the true Isaac! Sowing ‘barley,’ Isaac reaped in that year a hundredfold, prospered, and continued prospering, until he became very prosperous. And as Origen says: [If ‘barley’ refers to the Law, the true Isaac has been small through the Law; then grew greater and greater through the prophecies. Through the Law, our knowledge of Christ has been as though through a mirror; but the prophets revealed Him, to be far greater. Now, as we remove the straw from the ‘barley,’ namely, remove its literality, the “spiritual Law” is revealed (Romans 7:14); to reveal the greatness of the true Isaac. In 1 In Gen. hom 12:5. 5 other word, through the ‘barley,’ Isaac grew greater and appeared richer, by our acquiring the Law, after removing its straw, namely, its literality, and entering into its spirit and depths1. Origen2 has another comment on the barley loaves that revealed the greatness and riches of Isaac; If the undivided loaves have not fulfilled anybody, yet, when he divided them and ordered them to be distributed among the multitude, thousands of them were fulfilled, and fragments remained. So, as we present the words of the Scripture to the whole world, after removing the letter from them, to let them enjoy their depths, all will be fulfilled, and much will remain to be gathered up, “so that nothing is lost” (John 6:12). Before that greatness and riches, that came from sowing the barley, the enemy grew envious, and stopped up all the wells dug in the days of Abraham, and filled them with dirt. “Abimelech said unto Isaac go away from us; for you are much mightier than we” (Gen. 26:16). Origen comments on how Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines have stopped them up after the death of Abraham (Gen. 26:18), saying: [While the Philistine despised the water and loved the land, we see Isaac, on the other hand, loving the water, digging again the old wells, and new ones as well. Let us contemplate in Isaac, who had “given Himself for us” (Ephesians 5:2). He (hidden in the Person of Christ) came to the valley of Gerar, meaning the ‘wall’ (Ephesians 2:14). Jesus Christ came to break down the wall of division, namely the sin that divides us from God; that separates us from spiritual virtues; to “make both one” (Ephesians 2:4); carrying the lost sheep on His shoulders over the mountains, to join them to the ninety-nine that were not lost (Luke 15:6; Matthew 28:12). This Isaac, our Savior, as He comes to the valley of Gerar, He wishes first to dig again the wells of water, that were dug in the time of His father; namely, to reveal the wells of the Law and the prophets, that were stopped up by the Philistines... Who are they, who fill the wells with dirt? They are actually those who present the Law with an earthly, carnal way of thinking, getting away from the mysterious spiritual riches. They did not drink, and hindered others from drinking. Hear what Isaac, our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ says in the Gospel: “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in, yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered” (Luke 11:52)3.] The Lord Christ dug, by His ministers the ancient wells, as he revealed the secrets of the law and the proclamations of the prophets, giving us deep spiritual concepts, that were corrupted by lovers of the killing letter. The Master did not stop at that, but dug for us, by His apostles and disciples, new wells, despite the opposition of the evil one, who tries to stop up every spiritual well. Origen says: [Isaac and his servants dug new wells. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, James, Jude, and the apostle Paul, dug the new wells of the New Testament, despite the opposition of those “who set their mind on earthly things” (Philippians 3: 19)4.] The Scripture tells us of the digging of three wells. The first one was called by Isaac’s servants “Esek,” because the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with them over it. The second well, they called “Sitneh,” for the same reason. And the third one they 1 In Gen. hom 12:5. 2 In Gen. hom 12:5. 3 In Gen. hom 13:2. 4 In Gen. hom 13:2. 6 dug, they called “Rehoboth,” namely ‘roomy and spacious,’ because they did not quarrel over it. It is in the region known today as ‘valley of Raheba,’ located 19 miles south-west of Beersheba. Origen sees in that third well a reference to faith in the secret of the Holy Trinity, in which the kingdom of heaven was proclaimed to embrace the whole world, saying: [After that, Isaac dug a third well he called “Rehoboth,” saying, ‘The Lord has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land” (Gen. 26:22). Indeed, Isaac’s name became great in the whole world, as he filled us with the knowledge of the Holy Trinity. Previously, God was only known in Judah, and in Israel (Psalm 76:1). But now “Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their word to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:4). The servants of Isaac covered all the world, and dug the wells, revealing the material of life to all; as is commanded by the Lord: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19); as “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness” (Psalm 24:1)1.] 4. ISAAC MAKES A COVENANT WITH ABIMELECH Abimelech had previously requested a covenant with Abraham, saying to him, “God is with you in all that you do” (Gen. 21:22); and now Abimelech - not necessarily the same king - makes a covenant with his son Isaac. He came to him accompanied by two of his officers: his friend ‘Ahuzzath,’ meaning ‘reign,’ and ‘Phicol,’ commander of his army, saying: “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you. That you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good, and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord” (Gen. 26:28-29). If the prosperity of Isaac had caused fear and envy among the inhabitants of the region, yet, as they saw in it the work of God, they became witnesses of the truth, so they called Isaac “the blessed of the Lord,” and requested a covenant with him. How marvelous, for the believer to have a testimonial from those outside, to realize that he is the man of the Lord, and to feel that the Lord’s dignity is surrounding him. If the success of the believer would cause envy at first, yet it would eventually turn to grace in the eyes of all! Isaac overcoming their fear with love; He made them a feast, and they ate and drank. Origen sees in Abimelech, who sometimes hates Isaac (Gen. 26:27), and another time seeks reconciliation with him, a symbol of the philosophy of this world; at some stage it contradicts faith, and at another stage responds to it: [If philosophy is not contradicting God’s Law all the way, it could not always be in accordance with it2.] Origen gives examples for that, saying that certain philosophers agree with the Law, and even with the Gospel, in proclaiming the presence of the One God, who created and ordained everything by His divine word; but they contradict us in faith, in their belief in the eternity of the world, counting matter as sharing God in His eternity. Abimelech and his two companions Ahuzzath his friend and Phichol, the commander of the army, the three of them - according to Origen, refer to the three branches of philosophy: the ‘Logic,’ namely the philosophy that is set upon the mind alone (Abimelech), the philosophy that is set upon the power of nature (Ahuzzath), 1 In Gen. hom 13:3. 2 In Gen. hom 14:3. 7 and the ethical and behaviorist philosophy (Phichol). These three branches, despite their drawbacks, yet, if sanctified, they would submit to faith, quoting: “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you... Let there now be an oath between us... and let us make a covenant with you.” Origen also sees in these three strangers, who came to make a covenant and reconciliation with Isaac, a symbol of the three wise men who came from the East to the newborn Jesus, saying: “We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). The feast that Isaac made for them, and the reconciliation he offered them, refer to the faith, wide enough to absorb every philosophy and every thought on Christ’s account; It likewise refers to Christ receiving the wise men, as a symbol of the Church of the Gentiles. His hospitality to the three men, probably refers to that of the Lord to all nations and peoples, descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, namely to all humanity. 5- ESAU TAKES HITTITE WIVES Esau took two Hittite wives, who were grief in mind, for Isaac and Rebecca (Gen. 26:34-35). He had been unwise in uniting with two pagan women, who corrupted his relationship with his parents, and deprived him and his descendants of peace.
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