2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The story of the covenant between King Abimelech of Gerar (part of Philistia which was along the southwestern coast of what is today Israel along the Mediterranean Sea) and the family of Abraham is found in GN 20: 1-18. It is a real demonstration of how God can be a party to a man to man covenant, revealing His love for His creation and His desire to bring peace. Abraham had deceived King Abimelech once he and Sarah had come to live in that land. He told the king that Sarah was his sister, rather than his wife. This was actually partly true, because Sarah was in reality his half-sister, but it didn’t convey information that God felt Abimelech needed to know. The king ordered that Abraham send Sarah to him, so that he could sleep with her. Abraham obeyed but was not happy about this. Before King Abimelech could take any action with Sarah, God appeared to him in a dream and told him he would die if he slept with Sarah, because she was already married. God commanded the king to return Sarah to Abraham or there would be death for him and his people. We learn in (11-13) that Abraham had two motivations for his behavior. The first one is that he feared no one in Gerar would have reverence for God, and they would thus kill him to get his wife. The second motivation mentioned is that since Sarah was the daughter of Abraham’s father [Terah] but not of his mother, Abraham told Sarah that she could demonstrate her loyalty to him by telling everyone she was his brother. This was because Abraham had been sent by God to a foreign land. It is important to note here that Abraham lived much before the times King David did, and the Philistines had not yet become sworn enemies of the Jews.
By the time Abimlech is mentioned again in GN 21: 22-34, the king has come to the realization that God is with Abraham and his family. “God is with you in everything you do. So, make a vow here in the presence of God that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so promise that you will also be loyal to me and to this country in which you are living,” the king said in GN 21: 22b-23. What prompted this demand on the king’s part was an incident in which Abraham claimed that he had dug a well, and that the king’s men had seized it. Abraham wanted his well back. The two men entered into a covenant in which the king would return Abraham’s well, if Abraham would give him seven lambs and his word that he would never deceive the king. The place where this agreement took place is called “Beersheba,” which means in Hebrew, “Vow of the Well” or “Well of Seven.” I don’t mean to dwell on the numerology of the Bible, but think it is significant that God’s number of perfection and completion enters into the picture. That fact that Beersheba still exists today as an Israeli settlement famous for its open-air market three thousand years later is testament to God’s part in this covenant. Once this covenant was made, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshipped the Lord, the Everlasting God [Eloheim]. Abraham lived in Philistia for a long time (34).
The story of this covenant between Abraham and King Abimelech of Gerar is not over in GN 21:34. This covenant also extended to Isaac, Abraham’s second son, his son of the promise, as we see in GN 26: 23-25. “Isaac left and went to Beersheba. That night the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid; I am with you. I will bless you and give you many descendants because of My promise to My servant Abraham.’ Isaac built an altar there and worshipped the Lord. Then he set up his camp there, and his servants dug another well.” It is important to note that even today, water is a big issue in Israel. As in CA, parts of the Israeli desert has been turned into rich farm land by irrigation and careful conservation of limited water resources. Israeli has series of wadis, ravines that are filled with water in the wet season and dry the rest of the year.
King Abimelech and Isaac had a history of disagreements over wells Isaac had inherited from his father. Eventually, as we see in GN 26: 26-33, the king came to realize that God was with Isaac as He had been with Abraham. These two men entered into an extension of the covenant that the king and Abraham established. This agreement was sealed with a vow in Beersheba, causing that place to be aptly named. Isaac and the king parted friends.
I have often said that events of the OT foreshadow ones found in the NT. That is certainly true here. Mankind has a long history which has often been marked with disobedience and God’s need to correct them. Paul in RO 5: 10-11 writes, “We were God’s enemies, but He made us His friends through the death of His Son. Now that we are God’s friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ’s life! but that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has now made us God’s friends.” How many of us would be willing to sacrifice our only beloved child to suffer more than any other human being on earth ever has for the salvation of people who are our enemies? Would we even be willing to do such a thing for our friends? That is what God did for us when He gave Christ over to death on the cross! When we look at God’s hand in the affairs that transpired between King Abimelech, Abraham, and Isaac, we can only begin to appreciate the love our Lord and Redeemer has for each of us. He brings reconciliation and peace into our hearts. And, these, Dear Ones, are only a few of the gifts of His magnificent grace!
PRAYER: O Lord, Your hand can be seen in the affairs of faithful men. Your power is evident in bringing King Abimelech to the knowledge of Who You are with and in the willingness that both Abraham and Isaac had to trust You. These are important lessons for us to see, because that same power is exerted in our lives today. You have allowed us to understand the motivations for Abraham’s behavior, so that we could see him as You do, to be a man of faithfulness and obedience. The same is true of Isaac, who after a series of quarrels with King Abimelech trusted You enough to enter into an extension of his father’s covenant with him. He felt Your presence just as we should in our own lives. All of Your lessons for us are grand, magnificent, and righteous. One of Your greatest demonstrations of the love You have for us is exercising Your power to make us friends when we were once Your enemies. You do not thirst for war and destruction in our lives. Instead, it is Your will to show us Your love by bringing us peace and reconciliation. What greater love can there be?! In response today, we approach You to confess our sins in Christ’s name and to humbly offer You what You so richly deserve: our adoration, worship, loyalty, honor, glory, trust, obedience, praise, and heartfelt thanks. In the name of Your Son, amen.
Tomorrow, we will look at the covenants in the life of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson through Isaac. Knowing about the consistency of God’s love demonstrated in their lives helps us to have a better appreciation for how God is eager to show us His love in ours. While entering into a covenant with God or with another person with God participating is at once serious business, but it is also the source of profound blessings. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn