Big idea: God will keep His covenant promises in-spite of human failings.
Launch:
Many of the international students we engage with on Campus at UTS are here for only 6-12 months. Many of them are on exchange, so time is of the essence. For us that means we hit reset every semester. Every semester we start with O’week. On Tuesday and Wednesday we have a stall on campus and we do surveys, give away balloons, lollies, Bibles and other things to attract as many people as we can. Our goal is to build relationships. Each semester we engage with 150-200 new students. And if we make a connection, they might come to our welcome lunch on Thursday or our walking tour of Sydney on Friday. Over the course of the semester these 150-200 students are the people we spend time following up. We have coffees, lunches, Bubble Teas and Bible studies in order to get to know them and to help them know more about Jesus. By the end of the semester, 3 months later, they have either disappeared (not interested), are involved in our regular Chopstix events and groups, or they are leaving to go home. After the break a new semester rolls around. We hit reset and it feels like history is repeating itself all over again.
Today as we look together at Genesis, you may get the feeling that history is repeating itself! But we will see that God will keep His covenant promises in-spite of human failings.
But before we jump in let’s PRAY together.
Intro:
Throughout the book of Genesis so far the most outstanding theme has been the faithfulness of God. From chapter 12, we saw God make a covenant with Abram that he would bless him, that he would make him a great nation, that would give him land and that he would be with him.
Since chapter 12, Genesis has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Of obedience and faithfulness, of foolish decisions and self-reliance, with twists and turns on every page. All the while we have been left wondering how God’s promises will ever come to fulfillment. And yet God keeps protecting Abraham, even from himself and his lack of faith in God.
In chapter 21, we are finally introduced to Isaac, the son of promise! But then God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to show his trust and faith in Him, only to be stopped at the last moment. Again we wondered what was happening to the promises of God!
After the death of Sarah, Abraham sent his servant on a journey that would have taken weeks or months, to find a wife for Isaac, and again we are reminded that God was in control all along. But then Abraham dies and we are left to wonder if the promises died with him.
Dejavu:
By the end of chapter 25 Isaac is living in the land that God has promised to Abraham’s descendants. Isaac was the promised son. So he must have been feeling pretty good, everything was right in the world.
But have a look with me at verse 1 of chapter 26. “There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.”
Faced with famine and uncertainty Isaac must have been filled with doubts. Was the promise really going to pass on from Abraham? After all, the LORD had appeared to Abraham, but Isaac had never seen or heard from him. So doubting God’s promises and out of concern for his family, Isaac goes on the move.
The writer mentions that this is a different famine to the one in Abraham's time. Which makes us recall the famine Abraham had faced. In chapter 12 Abraham too had been living in the promised land and had not long ago received God’s covenant promises. Yet faced with a severe famine and wrestling with his own doubts, Abraham took his family, left the promised land and went to Egypt in search of food. He trusted in his own wisdom, made foolish mistakes which almost cost him his wife and it didn’t go well! What will Isaac do?
Well we don’t know for sure, but Isaac might have been thinking about going to Egypt too. That's why in v2, when God speaks to Isaac, the first thing he says is, “Do not go down to Egypt”. Firstly, he went down from the hill country, where he was settled, to the coast of Canaan. He went down to Gerar, where the King of the Philistines lived and from there it was a straight road south to Egypt.
So this is where we begin to get Dejavu! Isaac began to move away from the land, doubting God’s promises, and has gone in search of worldly help in the same way that Abraham did.
So what is going on here?
Both Abraham and now Isaac were just like us! They knew the promises of God but they doubted and in their doubt they left God’s promised land.
Have you ever received something that you didn’t deserve?
A while ago I was at the shops buying something. I paid with a $20 note! And the cashier then presented me with $28 ‘change’! I certainly got what I didn’t deserve!
Assurance & protection
Now you would imagine that if someone is moving away from God because of doubts, the result is probably not going to be good. But in our story today we see Isaac getting what he didn’t deserve.
In fact in verse 1 when Isaac, doubting God’s promises, leaves his home in search of human help, God comes, in verse 2, and meets him where he is at. Let's have a look at verse 2-6 together.
“2 The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land that I tell you about; 3 stay in this land as an alien, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, 5 because Abraham listened to me and kept my mandate, my commands, my statutes, and my instructions.” 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.”
Here the Lord appears to Isaac and the first thing God says to him is ‘Do not go down to Egypt’, Isaac is probably thinking! “If it was good enough for Dad…” But rather than scolding and rebuking Isaac for his lack of faith, God offers him comfort and assurance. In verse 3 God tells Isaac, ‘stay in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you’. Rather than discipline for his doubt he is offered blessing!
Now if you go back and compare God’s promises to Abraham in 12:1-3 to verses 3-4 here you will find that they cover exactly the same promises. God promises to bless Isaac, to be with him, to give the land to his offspring, even that his offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the sky! And finally in v4, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring.”
Isaac’s doubts are met with God’s assurance. The promise of his presence and his blessing. Now Isaac knows without a doubt that the promises of God to his father Abraham have been passed on to him. Verse 6, “So Isaac settled in Gerar.” With the assurance of God’s presence and promises Isaac’s doubt disappears and he obeys.
Have you ever had an experience of God that left you on a high? Feeling amazing? A mountain top experience? Maybe it was a great church camp or a quiet time where you felt especially close to God. But no sooner than you arrive home or head to work or to the shops, and you find yourself falling into an old sin that still has a grip on you. And very quickly the closeness with God that you had felt feels like a distant memory…
Isaac was no different. After God had appeared to him and promised him blessings he must have been on a real high! But very quickly after settling in Gerar he begins to notice the philistines around him. And he thinks, ‘my wife Rebekah is way too beautiful! And he begins to fear that the philistines will kill him so they can take Rebekah for themselves. But rather than ask God for help, he comes up with a great plan! Have a look with me at verse 7. “When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.”” Does this story sound familiar to anyone?
It should! In chapter 12, Abraham lied about Sarah while he was in Egypt and said she was his sister. His reason was also out of fear because Sarah was so beautiful and he feared that people would kill him to take her! Even more amazing is that Abraham didn’t learn his lesson the first time, and when he was in Gerar, the same city that Isaac is currently in, he did the same thing again! Even worse, both times the Pharaoh and then the King of the Philistines, took Sarah as their own wife! As if Abraham’s sin of self-reliance and lying wasn’t bad enough, Isaac follows his lead almost exactly! It really is a case of the apple not falling far from the tree!
But in the same way God dealt with Isaac’s doubts, he now deals with his fears. Again Isaac gets what he doesn’t deserve. Have a look with me at verse 8-11,
“8 When Isaac had been there for some time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.
9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
10 Then Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly be put to death.””
Wow! Isaac in fear for his own life had been lying to everyone about Rebekah and then he gets found out! The truth always comes out. Now we don’t know exactly what the king saw Isaac doing with Rebekah because we don’t really know the meaning of the word translated here as ‘caressing’, other versions say ‘laughing’. But from the context we know the King saw Isaac doing something with Rebekah that you would definitely not do with your sister! Abimelech knew immediately that Rebekah was his wife! But rather than some kind of punishment, God causes the Philistines to be so afraid that Isaac and Rebekah end up being protected by order of the king!
So despite Isaac leaving and going to a foreign city, lying and scheming to make his way, God actually assures him of His presence and promises and gives him protection! Even more than that look with me at verses 12-14,
“12 Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped a hundred times what was sown. The Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy. 14 He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him.”
This really is a story of grace, Isaac gets none of what he really deserves, rather he gets an abundance of what he doesn’t deserve. Not only does God allay his doubts and fears by giving assurance and protection, but God goes on to bless Isaac abundantly with material things. So much so that the Philistines are envious of him and grow to fear him, in the end in v16 Abimelech tells Isaac to leave!
It certainly does seem that God will keep his covenant promises in-spite of human failings!
So far in chapter 26, each time Isaac has been tested by his circumstances he failed. Firstly, faced with famine he left in doubt and sought help from a foreign city, then faced with the Philistine men he acted in fear and lied about Rebekah being his wife in order to protect himself, what will Isaac do next?
The Isaac that leaves Gerar seems like a very different man than the one who entered just a few years before. V17 simply says that Isaac departed from there and settled in the Valley of Gerar. Of course when the Philistines hear that he found water they claim it and Isaac decides to move on. In fact this happens a number of times which might make us wonder if Isaac is a bit soft, not willing to stand up for himself and he is getting pushed around? Or maybe it's a sign that he has matured, that he is no longer living by the ways of the world but is instead trusting in God. In v22, Isaac digs another well in a new location and “calls it Rehoboth, saying, ‘for now the lord has made space for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” It certainly seems that Isaac is now, more than ever, living in dependence on God. Then in v23 we read that Isaac went up to Beersheba which is the place where Abraham had worshipped God at the end of Chapter 21. And verse 24 says,
“24 and the Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.” 25 So he built an altar there, called on the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. Isaac’s servants also dug a well there.”
Again God appears to Isaac and reaffirms his promises to him and Isaac’s response is to worship. He built an altar and called on the name of the Lord.
Back at the beginning of chapter 26 Isaac knew about God, but his actions were dictated by doubt and fear. Then God appears to Isaac and assures him that the promises were for him too, God blessed him and even gave him protection from his ‘enemies’. From the middle of chapter 26 onwards we see certainty in Isaac not doubt and we see trust not fear. It seems that once Isaac ‘knew’ God relationally, his actions flowed out of his trust and obedience to God.
So what can we learn and what can we take away from Genesis 26?
Covenant faithfulness
This is really a story of covenant faithfulness.
Of course we are talking about God’s faithfulness to the covenant that he had made.
God is on a mission. He has a plan for salvation. He has been working out his plan of salvation since Genesis 3. Covenant is God’s chosen vehicle to bring about salvation or blessing for all the nations on earth. In Genesis 12 God invited Abram to join him as he worked out His plan of salvation, and now he has invited Isaac to join him too.
God made the covenant with Abram, but his purpose was through the covenant to bring about a knowledge of himself and His kingdom’s rule on earth. God’s covenant faithfulness is the thread that we see throughout Genesis and even the Bible.
Today we have seen that Isaac’s sole focus was self preservation. He isn’t even worried about his wife! God, however, has a much bigger agenda in mind. A kingdom agenda. God intends to keep his covenant promises. Because God’s concern is for ‘all the nations of the earth’.
I read about Abraham and Isaac and I think, “what was God thinking?!” And then I look around, no offense!, but we are no different!
The genius in all of this is that when God gave the covenant promises to Abram in chapter 12 and then formalized the covenant in chapter 15, God actually makes the covenant with himself! Abram is just the beneficiary! There is no party who will not hold up their end of the bargain because it is wholly dependent on God! God’s covenant is not dependent on unreliable men.
And so we see God continuing to keep his covenant promises, first to Abraham and now to Isaac, in-spite of their failures. God was intent on preserving this family and fulfilling his promises to them and through them. It had nothing to do with Isaac’s worthiness or faithfulness. God’s provision to Isaac and his family is so obvious that even their enemies acknowledge it. And by the end of the chapter King Abimelech and his leaders come to Isaac asking for a peace treaty because even they can see “you are the blessed of the Lord”!
Conclusion
Despite Isaac’s doubt, fear and lying, God’s promises were never under threat. BUT it is impossible for us to read this chapter and think that we can live in doubt and fear, lying and relying on worldly ways and we will be blessed. We won’t!!
Isaac knew about God but was living independent from him, full of fear and doubt. By the second half of the chapter we see a man who personally knows God and chooses to live a life dependent on him, in obedience and worship. From Isaac’s story we learn that the blessed man lives in dependence on God, relying on his provision and trusting in his word.
Isaac learned that when we join with God in His kingdom agenda, by taking on His covenant, our doubts & fears are overwhelmed by His assurance and presence, and His priorities become our priorities.
So the question for us this morning is, “Do we know about God? Or do we know him personally? Are you living your life independent from God? Or are you living your life dependent on him?
In and through Jesus God has made a new covenant. And Jesus has done all the work. He invites us to come and be beneficiaries by coming into relationship with him and becoming recipients of his grace and blessings.
Jesus invites us to trust him, as Isaac learned to trust God and his word. Jesus asks us to stop living independent from him and to be dependent on him. In fact, in Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you”. We don’t need to worry about the necessities for life like Isaac did. Because Jesus has promised to provide what we need.
If we join with God in His kingdom agenda, by taking on His covenant, our doubts & fears will be overwhelmed by his assurance and presence, and His priorities will become our priorities.
Just over a month ago two of my students shared with me that they only know about God, but don’t experience intimacy or relationship with God. Maybe that’s you this morning. That was Isaac’s experience too.
So how do we develop a closer relationship with God? I think it begins with being dissatisfied just knowing about God and asking God for a deeper relationship with him.
1. talk to God and take time to read his word and hear from him.
2. live according to his word.
3. trust God‘s provision, don’t rely on your own wisdom and ways.
4. share in community and encourage each other.