20260111 Genesis 26:1-33 God’s Faithfulness through Unfaithful Servants

In Genesis 25, God’s promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the world passed down to Isaac and then to Jacob. Now, Genesis 26 sheds light on Jacob’s backstory with the story of his father, Isaac. Genesis 26 shows that Jacob’s deceit is deeply rooted in his family’s way of relating.

Abraham was a deceiver. Isaac walks in his father’s deceit. Now, Jacob is at least a third-generation deceiver. Later in the Jacob narrative, in Genesis 33-34, Jacob’s sons are a fourth generation of deceivers. These are the people God has chosen to bring his blessing for all the nations of the world. They were not morally superior. God just chose them to bring about the blessing.

Genesis 26 places Jacob in the context of a family of deceivers, now even more importantly, it offers a marvelous summary of all of God’s redemptive history.

Genesis 26 shows that God uses a sinful people with a shaky faith to bless all the families of the world. Genesis 26 revisited the cycles of Gen 1-9 to offer a paradigm to understand all of history.

The text reveals four movements that were part of Gen 1-9, summarize the whole Biblical story, and each Christian's story. We begin with the offer of blessings. Then we turn to sin. Sin is followed by the outworking of sin in conflict and hostility. The chapter ends with foreigners gathering with God’s chosen one in peace at a banquet to feast and enjoy God’s blessings. God does choose a family of deceivers, but his ends are sure blessings for the nations.

In Movement 1, we see God's Blessing in Genesis 26:1-6.

These verses reveal the blessed life of enjoying God's blessings, while trusting him and obeying him.

Genesis 26:1-6

Gen 26 begins like Gen 12:10, Gen 1 and Gen 2, with a famine in the land. Whereas Abraham went down to Egypt, God tells Isaac to trust him and stay in the Promised Land.

In Gen 26:2-5, God promises the same blessings to Isaac as he promised to Abraham in Gen 12:1-3, which include his presence, blessing, offspring, and land. God promises that, in Isaac's children, all of the nations of the earth will be blessed.

Gen 26:5 adds a detail to the picture of living under God’s blessing. Gen 26:5 reads, “Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Though God’s law was only given through Moses hundreds of years later, Genesis teaches the Israelites in the Land with the Law, what an ideal Israelite looked like. It was one who enjoyed God’s blessings and one who trusted God and obeyed his law.

Application

Gen 26:1-6 presents an ideal picture. Though there is a famine, God promises blessing so we must trust God. The Biblical pattern when there is no food is that God provides in abundance. This was true in Gen 1 and 2, then again for Abraham in Gen 12, it will be true for Isaac, and it is true for us as well. This is not to say that Christians can’t die in a famine. For the Christian, a feast and blessing always awaits even if it is on the other side of death.

God has blessed us with the blessing of Abraham that passed to Isaac, which will pass down his descendants. The promise of Land corresponds to a New Eden, and even a New Creation. The promise of offspring is the promise of one who will bring a blessing to all the nations of the world, this is Jesus. The promise of blessing corresponds to the forgiveness of sins or righteousness by faith. The promises to Abraham are a promise of the reversal of Genesis 3 for our enjoyment of peace with God, peace with others, and inner peace as well. The Promises to Abraham and Isaac are fulfilled in Christ. Today, God is blessing all the nations of the world. As the church announces God's message of salvation, we make disciples of all nations, spreading God's blessing. There is a direct connection between the ministries of the church today and the blessings God promises Isaac in Genesis 26.

The original plan for mankind was to enjoy God’s blessing and trust him and obey him. Adam failed. Abraham offers us a flawed example but still an example of being a man of faith. Now, Isaac must do the same, as do we. We must trust and treasure God and listen to his voice.

This is the first movement. God offers his blessing. We must respond with trust and obedience.

In Movement 2, we see Deceit in Genesis 26:7-11.

Gen 26:7-11

Genesis 26:7-11 is about Isaac’s sin. Isaac lacks faith and harms those he is called to bless. This is a repeat of Genesis 12 and Gen 20 with Abraham. In these three accounts, at first God blesses abundantly and Abraham and Isaac believe and obey. They appear to be great examples until they stop trusting God and sin.

The author’s choice of words invites us to see Isaac’s sin as a replay of the first sin in the garden. In Genesis 3, there was a forbidden fruit. In Gen 26, Rebekah is the forbidden fruit. In Gen 3, the fruit was "good for food, and a delight to the eyes." According to Gen 26:7, Rebekah was “good in appearance.” In Gen 3, there was a deceiving snake who lied about the forbidden fruit so that it would be taken. In Gen 26, Isaac lies about his wife so that she would be taken.

Abimelech uses Genesis 3 language. First, when he says, in Gen 26:10, “What is this you have done?" Which were God’s words in Gen 3:13 after the first sin. Then, in Gen 26:11, when he says, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” Which echoes back Gen 3:3.

Application

Gen 26:7-11 offers such a contrast to Gen 26:1-6. We can ask, what kind of person would go from such a blessed state to causing harm to those around them? Like Adam, like Abraham, Isaac is a human like you and me. It is absolutely tragic. The use of Gen 3 language shows us that Isaac's sin, is every human's sin. We seem incapable of believing that God is as good as he is. We cannot blame Adam for bringing sin into the world because we are all like him and sin willingly. We do not trust in God’s goodness, we scheme to access goodness by our own wisdom. When it is done our way, our false Eden is temporary, it deepens our shame, our hostility with others, and separates us from God.

We hear stories of people who seemed to have had it all and then ruined it. I’m thinking of two well-loved Presbyterian pastors. These two pastors had it all. They had big churches. They wrote books that inspired many. The tone of their writing was so gracious. They both encouraged radical love towards those we find hard to love. While they were beloved publicly, they were not so privately. They were both fired from their church for emotional abuse of their fellow church staff. They were controlling, verbally abusive, impatient, and they regularly displayed anger. Their popularity got to their head.

These are people who believe the gospel. They believe in all the spiritual blessings that are found in Christ. They enjoyed them and preached them. We scheme and try to control things when we no longer truly believe in God’s goodness. We become angry and impatient when we rely on our own strength rather than God.

Did these two believe the gospel? Yes. Did they believe the gospel? No. This was true of Isaac. This is true of Abraham. This is true of all of us as well. We believe and we do not believe. When we do not trust God, we see, we desire, we take what God does not want for us. This was the second movement, we sin.

In Movement 3, we see Interpersonal Conflict in Genesis 26:12-22.

Genesis 26, so far, rehearsed Genesis 1-2 with blessing, then Genesis 3 with deceit and sin. Next, Gen 26 rehearses the theme of Genesis 4 which is human conflict that follows sin.

Gen 26:12-22

In Gen 26:12, Isaac sows seed. God blesses him, and he becomes wealthy. According to Gen 26:14, the Philistines become jealous. This reminds us of Cain and Abel, the tension with Noah’s sons, and Abraham and Lot in Genesis 13. Conflict, hostility, and alienation follow sin.

In Gen 26:16, King Abimelech sends Isaac away. Cain was sent away, Lot was sent away, now it is Isaac. The pattern repeats.

The conflict continues. Isaac’s servants dig a well, but the herdsmen of Gerar quarrel over the water.

The chapter began with Genesis 26:2-5 presenting Isaac as the one who will bring a blessing to all the nations of the world. In Gen 26:7-11, Isaac responds by being a deceiving snake. Then, the nations are hostile to Isaac. Yet, God remains faithful to his promises. He will use the deceitful Isaac to bless the nations.

Amid the conflict, there are hints of blessing. In Gen 26:19, Isaac’s servants found a well of spring water. In Hebrew, the words, “spring water,” are “water of life,” which reminds us of Eden. The wells are they dig are called “Esek” which means opposition, then Sitnah, which also means opposition. The third well is called “Rehoboth.”  This means a broad place. Isaac gives glory to God in Gen 26:22, when he says, “For now the Lord has made room for us.” We see hints of blessing amid the conflict.

Application

Following deception, Isaac’s conflict both echoes Cain and Abel, the quarrelling between Lot and Abraham’s herdsmen, that each appear one chapter after deceit. Isaac’s conflict also prefigures all of the conflicts Israel will have throughout her history. They were to be the source of blessing, but they fight with the nations throughout the Old Testament.

Church History is also unfortunately a history that is filled with blood. We could argue whether it was true Christianity or not. Some conflict is to be expected. According to 2 Tim 3:12, “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” By from the way we behave, sometimes, it is hard to tell the Christians from the non-Christians.

Today, some Christians engage in culture wars in ways that hinder our Christian witness. Culture wars often prioritize political victories over personal relationships. Christians involved in culture wars, not always, but often use harsh, mocking, and dehumanizing language that abandons the biblical call to gentleness, respect, and love for one’s neighbor.

Selective moral outrage also reflects badly on the church. It misrepresents God to the world, as if he was only grieved by particular sins but not others. Culture war that is tied to politics can also reveals a false allegiance between political power and the gospel. In contrast to participating in a culture war, Paul wrote in Gal 6:1, “If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

When culture war engagement overshadows the primary Christian mission to love God and neighbor, it hinders the witness by presenting a distorted picture of Christianity. It is a Christianity that appears more focused on power, judgment, and fear than on the grace, hope, and sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.

Christians will all fail in some ways. We may be guilty in starting a conflict with our non-Christian family members. We may have accidentally spread inflammatory lies on a cultural issue that upset people. We have been overly harsh towards others. This will all happen.

What we can’t miss is that despite our faithlessness, God remains faithful to us, so we can repent.

Isaac found water of life and we have Jesus, the water of life. God blesses us, and that, despite our deceit and hostility. God still chooses us, his people, to be a blessing for the world.

In Movement 4, we see Blessing for the World, in Genesis 26:24-33.

Genesis 26:23-33

Genesis 26 summarizes all of redemptive history. The Bible begins with blessing, followed by sin and then conflict. In Gen 26:24, God said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.” Following sin and conflict, God's promise to bless remains.

In Gen 26:25, Isaac builds an altar, pitches a tent, and digs a well. In this picture, there is a mountain, an altar to call on God’s name, a tent/tabernacle, and water. This is a picture of Eden. Isaac is enjoying God’s presence in a New Eden-like mountain. Then, there is a picture of what God promises on a cosmic scale. Abimelech comes to Isaac and says, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you.” Let us make a covenant with you and live in peace. According to Gen 26:30, “Isaac made them a feast, and they ate and drank.”

Application

The Old Testament foresees this feast on a cosmic scale. This is one, Zechariah 8:20-22, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.”

Isa 25:6 reads, “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”

Jesus said in Matt 8:11, “ many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven”

We see that Isaac is starting to fulfill his destiny as one blessed by God to be the agent of blessing to others. Ultimately, the blessing will come through his offspring, Jesus Christ. He came to be the true Adam to lead humanity into blessing. He also came to be the true Israel, God’s chosen agent of Blessing and redemption. The feast between Isaac and Abimelech and the Philistines anticipates the marriage supper of the Lamb, the banquet for those of all nations who find refuge in Christ to escape God’s judgment against sin.

God’s words to Isaac are true of us: “Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you.” For all of us who are Gentiles, we are more descendants of Abimelech who joined Isaac, than Isaac. When we became Christians, we joined Isaac and Israel. We fulfilling this text, when we gather for worship, and join God’s people at the Lord’s Supper to feast on Jesus and enjoy communion with all of God’s people.

This vision of the nations feasting together at the end time messianic banquet leads us to live differently today.

We must have a general posture of loving kindness towards those who are not yet Christians. We must be evangelists at heart. Evangelism begins with letting people know you are a Christian. It continues by humbly confessing wrongs, and being gracious towards other people’s shortcomings, and we wait for opportunities to share the hope of the gospel to those who do not have hope. We live this way in great anticipation of the worldwide feast that is to come.

Another application is to feast together. If you can, host and have meals. You can do this with people from within the church to anticipate the great banquet. When we feast with those who do not know Jesus yet, we offer them a taste of the feast they could be a part of. The goodness of the food with gospel informed welcome and conversation are testimonies to God’s goodness and anticipates goodness to come.

Conclusion

Genesis 26 is an overview of the Bible’s story but also our own story. We have a God who blesses. He blesses with the purpose of humans spreading his blessing. We have all known blessing. God carefully put us together in our mother’s womb. We were born in a world that he created, which he called good. Our world provides everything humans need to thrive.

Yet, humans lack faith in God’s goodness. We pursue goodness apart from him. We scheme, we deceive, and we bring about harm rather than blessing around us. We sin and start conflicts. Our sin makes us liable to God’s judgment. And yet, God continues to bless so that we will ultimately see his worldwide blessing come to pass.

The themes of Genesis 26 are all fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, who fulfills Isaac’s blessing. Jesus died for sins, that forgiveness and blessing could spread across the whole world. We have a God who blesses, who forgives, who transforms, and who uses us to spread his blessing.

Agent of blessing is the identity of the Christian. Now, we are a people who loves truth because God is true. We are people who loves justice because God is justice. We are a people who loves grace and mercy, because this is God’s way, as he revealed in Christ for the blessing of the nations.