Isaac and the Wells of Gerar (P2): Isaac's Lie

Buongiorno  promise! Buenos días reward!

May GOD come to your aid in the day of distress. May GOD find you faithful in the day of trial. May GOD find you grateful in the day of reward. May GOD find you humble in the day of elevation. May GOD find you generous to others in the day of abundance. May your attitude and repentance preserve your home. May GOD remember your loved ones and those who have done you good. Like JESUS, may you grow. in wisdom and stature, and in favor with GOD and man. (Luke 2:52).

2. Isaac's Lie (Genesis 26:7-11)

❖ (Genesis 26:7-11, KJV): " 7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. 9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. 10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. 11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

Because he was afraid of being killed, Issac told the inhabitants that Rebecca was his sister. He must not be imitated. By his lie he exposed Rebecca to a great sin. Like a man who prostitutes his wife for gain or favor. How deplorable, selfish and foolish! Besides, Isaac was rich and had servants. Abraham his father was not poor. He had left him his possessions and, no doubt, a large number of his servants (Genesis 24:5-6). For people as wealthy as Abraham and Isaac, the number of servants could be counted in the dozens. Men were needed to look after the livestock. These men lived with their wives and children. In those days, servants were housed, fed and cared for by their masters, including their wives and children. This is still the custom in many Arab countries today.

Here we see an example of a blessed person who risks bringing a curse upon many . Praise be to GOD, the misfortune was avoided. King Abimelech noticed the complicity between Isaac and Rebecca. After confronting Isaac, he issued a decree forbidding any man from approaching Rebecca.

I open a parenthesis :

An unbeliever discerned that Isaac and Rebecca were a couple because of the complicity between them. Dear married people, you don't need to kiss each other every hour in public for people to know you're married. Keep your privacy to yourselves. Your attitude toward each other will show your children that you love each other. Dear singles and dear married people, what do you want people to think if you're in cahoots with everyone? I'll close the parenthesis.

Years before, GOD blessed Abimelech because of Abraham (Genesis 20:17-18). GOD strucked the first Abimelech's household because of Sarah, Isaac's mother. Then, he healed the household after Abraham's prayer (Genesis 20:14-18). He rightly said to Isaac , "What is this you have done to us? One of the people had almost slept with your wife, and you had brought guilt upon us" (Genesis 26:10). If someone had slept with Rebekah, a severe curse would have been activated on all the people of Gerar, including the king. Let's read a few verses of this story.

❖ (Genesis 20:1-7, KJV): 1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3 But GOD came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. 4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. 6 And GOD said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

❖ (Genesis 20:14-18, KJV): " 14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. 15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. 16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved. 17 So Abraham prayed unto GOD: and GOD healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. 18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

GOD had made Abimelech's household barren because of Sarah (Genesis 20:18). However, Abimelech didn't know that Sarah was Isaac's wife. Why? Because taking what didn't belong to you, or taking without permission, is wrong . GOD taught Abimelech a lesson. He didn't have sex with Sarah, but his house had already been struck. How much more so for people who indulge in sexual immorality? Dear singles, including engaged couples, having sex before marriage is committing curses on you.

JESUS said, " You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart ." (Matthew 5:27-28)

When people (men and women) through their clothing, their words, their music, their films, their cartoons, their photos, their attitudes, their nicknames, their paintings, dances and sculptures want to attract lust on the bodies. What is the objective? => To lead us to sin, to trivialize sin, to perpetuate sin and to promote sin. In other words => To push us to bring and maintain territorial and generational curses. This was one of the devil's objectives in Gerar.

Let us learn lessons from this story :

• It is not good to lie. Lies expose one to great sins that bring curses.

• GOD does not fulfill His promises through lies. He does not need to cheat/lie to win.

• That's why it's good to get informed and check before acting. Rushing is a trap.

• Happy / preserved is the country whose king has discernment.

• In light of this story, what do Ecclesiastes 10:17 and 1 Timothy 2:2 inspire in you?

• What other lessons can we learn from this story?

The prayer : 🙂

FATHER, thank you for your protection and faithfulness. May your faithfulness intervene in our lives to preserve us from our errors. We pray that you will give discernment and wisdom to our kings/leaders. Help us to walk in truth, whatever the circumstances.

** Buongiorno  = Good morning in Italian

** Buenos días = Good morning in Spanish