(Genesis) Genesis 26:6-12

Now, verse 6, And Isaac dwelt in Gerah, and the man of the place asked him of his wife, and he said, She's my sister. Now, Gerah is to the south. Abraham and Isaac all lived in the south part of that country.

And actually, Abraham had come into the land way up in Shechem, up in the northern part. But he ended up by living down at Hebron, the place of communion. Now, Isaac dwelt in Gerah, and the man of the place asked him of his wife, and he said, She's my sister.

For he feared to say, She's my wife, lest, said he, the man of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was fair to look upon. And believe me, we've already found out that she was a very beautiful person. But now Isaac again is repeating the sin of his father.

God warned him not to go to Egypt. He didn't go to Egypt, but he went to Gerah. And here in the land of Gerah, why he says to Rebekah, as he saw the man of that place casting glances toward Rebekah, said, You tell him that you're my sister, not my wife.

Now, the difference between Abraham and Isaac is that Abraham told a half a lie, and Isaac told a whole one. It was cut out a whole cloth, the one that he's telling. Now he says in verse 8, 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.

He's making love to her, by the way. Or as the saying is, today they were having a love-end. And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out at the window and saw, and behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

And Abimelech called Isaac and said, Behold, of a surety, she's thy wife, and how saidest thou, she's my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, lest I die for her. And Abimelech said, What is this that thou hast done unto us? One of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife, and thou shouldst have brought guiltiness upon us. In other words, Isaac had put these people in danger of committing a sin.

Then he goes on to say, And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. Now, Abimelech became a very good friend of Isaac. Isaac had the respect of the community just as Abraham did.

Both of them are outstanding men. We are not apt to get that impression, by the way, from the rest of this chapter, and that's the reason I mention it here. He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

Then Isaac sowed in that land and received in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. God's with him, you see, and that is the blessing that God promised to these people from the day called Abraham was an earthly blessing. Well, later on when he put them in that land, he says, I'll bless you in your basket.

That is, I'll fill it with foodstuff. And God made that good when they were walking in fellowship with him. Now, he's not promised us that.

He's promised us spiritual blessings. We are told we are blessed with all spiritual blessings, and that is our portion today. And on the same terms, if you walk with God, if you today will permit him, he wants to bless you abundantly spiritually.