(Genesis) Genesis 26:18-35

Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father. Now you see he's returning back to that land where his father was. For the Philistines stopped them after the death of Abraham, and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

And Isaac's servants digged in the valley and found there a well of springing water, and the herdmen of Gerah did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, because they strove with him. Now this reveals a struggle, and very frankly you have here the water, and may I say that I feel the water is a picture of the Word of God.

We are to drink deep of it. It's called the water of the Word, and it's for drinking purposes, to slack our thirst, and it's also for washing. You clean through the Word which I've spoken unto you.

And water becomes a very important item in life. You can't have life without water. You can fly over this desert of Arizona, New Mexico, and California, and when you fly over it you just see plenty of desert.

Then all of a sudden you see that which is just lush green, and you raise the question, what happened down there? Well, water is the only explanation. You can tell the same thing about the children of God today in any church. The difference is the Word of God, those that study the Word of God.

And there's a struggle, friends. It's not easy. I think you almost have to pay a price today really going to study the Word of God.

You can do anything. The devil will let you do anything except get into the Word of God. Now verse 20, "...the herdmen of Gerah did strive with Isaac's herdmen." Now verse 21, "...and they digged another well, and strove for that also.

And he called the name of it Sitnah. And he removed from thence, and digged another well, and for that they strove not. And he called the name of it Rehoboth.

And he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." Rehoboth. There's room for us, and we'll be fruitful in the land. We'll be a blessing.

Now notice this. He'd dig a well, and they'd take it away from him. And he'd move up and dig another well.

They'd take that away from him. And what happens? Well, he just keeps moving up. This reveals, may I say, that Isaac is a man of peace and a man of patience.

David wouldn't have done this. I can tell you that. Simon Peter wouldn't have done this.

And if you want to know the truth, Vernon McGee wouldn't have done this. But it's a lesson for us here, and especially when it pertains to the Word of God. May I say, we'll have to do some striving if we're really going to get the Word of God out.

Now, we are told, "...he went up from thence to Beersheba. And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father. Fear not, for I am with thee.

I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake." Now, God appears to him to comfort him. God appeared to the patriarchs, you see, with the exception, of course, of Joseph here. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He appeared to them.

Now, notice, "...he built an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, pitched his tent there, and there Isaac's servants digged a well." Here he goes again, he's digging wells. You can always put a well down next to Isaac. You can put an altar down next to Abraham, and you'll put a tent down next to Jacob, as we'll see later on.

Now, we are told in verse 26, "...then Abimelech went to him from Gerah, and Ahazath one of his friends, and Phicol the chief captain of his army. And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee. And we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us, and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee." You see, they had respect for this man Isaac.

Now, we are told verse 34, "...and Esau was forty years old, when he took to wife Judith, the wife of Beri the Hittite, and the daughter of Elon the Hittite, which was a grief of mine unto Isaac and Rebekah."