PEACE 4 - Don't strike back when you're provoked.

Peace 4 - English files

Frieden 4 - German files

Devotional Thoughts about Genesis Chapter 26

The Bible doesn’t say as much about Isaac as it does about his father Abraham and his son Jacob, but Isaac was the long-awaited miracle child as well as the link in God’s line of promise connecting the two more well-known patriarchs. He’s also notable for having nearly been sacrificed by his father in response to God’s command (Genesis Chapter 22).

Before considering the wells, the focus in this lesson, we should keep a previous incident in mind (26:1-11). When Isaac had come with his herds to Gerar to escape a famine, he’d deceived the people there by claiming that his wife was his sister for fear that someone would kill him to get her. (By the way, his father had done the same thing twice before his birth, an example of a certain sin recurring in successive generations.) The king of Gerar scolded him upon discovering the truth.

So when God blessed Isaac by causing his crops and herds to increase, the Philistines’ envy of him was probably tinged with a bit of annoyance over his previous deceit. As sinners, we, like Isaac, probably aren’t always able to truthfully claim that our provocation by others was entirely unprovoked by us.

When the Philistines repeatedly sabotaged wells his father had dug and contested Isaac’s right to them, he was able to leave one well after another to them and move on to start all over again. God had promised to give Isaac and his family the land (26:3) and confirmed it at the end of his trials (26:24). The net result of Isaac’s experiences was that the Philistines respected his God and thus wanted to make peace with him. And God provided him and his herds with the water they needed.

Lord, when I’m provoked, please help me keep the big picture of Your glory in mind instead of dwelling on my petty annoyances.

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