“[12] And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, [13] and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. [14] He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. [15] (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) [16] And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
So, Isaac was blessed by God. In the midst of a famine, Isaac reaped a bountiful harvest. When everyone else reaped a little, Isaac reaped a hundredfold. This reminds us that God can do what no one else can do. With God all things are possible. The laws of agriculture don’t control God. God controls agriculture. No rain? No problem. God blessed Isaac’s work in the midst of famine. This led to the Philistines envying him.
I want to press pause and zoom in on this word envy for a moment. That word envy in the Septuagint is the same word used in Galatians 5, which describes envy as a work of the flesh.
“[16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.[25] If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
So, Paul is saying that Christians must walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh. The desires of the Spirit are against the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit. And then he says they’re clear for us to see; they’re evident! They should be clearly recognizable for us! One of the works of the flesh is envy.
Envy (phthonos) would be the act of desiring what other people have. It’s you being unhappy about someone else’s blessings instead of being thankful for our own. It’s you not being content with where the Lord has you. And it’s you not being content with what the Lord has given you. It’s ultimately you shaking your fist at God, saying, “I want what they have.”
The Philistines were looking at how God was blessing Isaac and they had begun to become envious of him. Envy is a dangerous thing. It’s a weed that chokes out all of life. It’s poison to the soul.
Church, I felt in my spirit this week a need to remind us that with God’s blessing comes the temptation to become envious. Jealousy often lurks behind the curtains of our hearts. Envy hides in the shadows of the bright light of God’s blessing. I hope and pray that we are a blessed church, a people who are blessed by God. But, please see and understand that the natural response of our flesh is to grow envious of how God’s blessed others.
Have you ever found that to be true in your own heart? I know I have.
I think back to when I was a young Christian in college. My best friend was the man. He was outgoing, funny, and an incredible communicator. The moment he walked into a room, everyone’s attention shifted toward him. People loved being around him. And honestly, I often felt like I lived in his shadow.
As I watched people flock to him and not to me, I found envy quietly creeping into my heart. I found myself developing the heart of the Philistines. There were seasons when it genuinely felt like there was a war raging within me between the flesh and the Spirit. But in those moments, the Holy Spirit graciously reminded me of the words of John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The Lord began teaching me that my life was not about my glory, but about the glory of Jesus.
He taught me that I wasn’t called to be my friend, and my friend was not called to be me. How God blessed him was not how God had blessed me! God had uniquely gifted both of us for His own purposes and His own glory. God’s blessing on another man’s life doesn’t mean God’s blessing doesn’t rest on your life! God revealing a great plan for another man’s life doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a great plan for you!
In going back to verse 4, the intention of God blessing Isaac was for all the nations to be blessed through him! Yet, the Philistines were unable to see this… They were blinded by envy. And they responded to the blessing of God on Isaac’s life with opposition. In their envy, they stopped up and filled in his wells.
Now, ironically, these wells were likely major sources of water for the entire region. So, in trying to stop Isaac’s flourishing, they were ultimately harming themselves. In their bitterness toward God’s blessing on Isaac, they sabotaged a source of life that could have benefited everyone around them.
Church, sin clouds our judgment and leads us to do irrational things. Sin literally leads to death. Envy is a weed that chokes out all of life. It’s poison to the soul. Left unchecked, it will consume your joy and destroy you. It will lead to you filling in the very wells that could bring you life.
So, do not water the weed of envy in your heart! Do not feed that monster! Do not drink that poison! Crucify it! Nail it to the cross!
Now, I want you to also see and understand that the world will not always celebrate God’s blessing on your life. Rather than celebrate you, the world might actively seek to destroy you. Rather than rejoice with you, some may grow to resent you. Rather than encourage you, they may oppose you. The longer you walk with God and experience the blessings of God, the more the world will grow to hate you.
Jesus himself says in John 15:18-20, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you… if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 1 John 3:13 says, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” Jesus says in Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs in the kingdom of God…Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Then Jesus says in Matthew 10:22, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
So, church, God in his word consistently warns us that envy will, at times, be present in the hearts of those around us. The world will, at times, hate us because of our allegiance to Jesus. Do not be surprised by this. God may bless you tremendously, and that blessing may lead to hardship. Don’t be surprised when it does.
Now, as a result of the Philistines opposition against Isaac, Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
What a statement. You with God are greater than we. You with God are mightier than this nation. So leave.
“[17] So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. [18] And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. [19] But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, [20] the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. [21] Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. [22] And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
So, even when he was sent out by Abimelech, he stayed as close to the land God had told him to stay— “So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.”
Even in the face of opposition, Isaac sought to walk in obedience to God. This is a subtle reminder of the truth that opposition is never an excuse for disobedience. When hardship arises, we’re tempted to question whether or not obedience is really worth it. But, hardship never warrants disobedience.
Perhaps God calls you, through his Word, to a particular path of obedience. For a time, things go well, and you experience the blessing that comes from walking with him. Then, out of nowhere, opposition arises directly because of your obedience. The temptation in that moment is to think that obedience isn’t worth it. But, Isaac’s example reminds us that even when obedience brings difficultly, obedience is always worth it because God is always faithful and he is always worthy of our worship through obedience.
Notice that, instead of retaliating against the Philistines for what they had destroyed, Isaac quietly restored what had been lost. He’s seeking to live peaceable in a land that does not belong to him. While in the Valley of Gerar, he reopened the wells that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham’s death. And as he reopened the wells, he gave them the same names his father had given them. But, even after he left Gerar in an attempt to live in peace, the Philistines still sought to live in contention with him.
Look at verse 19, “When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.”
This led to Isaac calling the well, Esek, “because they contended with him.” Esek in Hebrew mean contention. So, this name served as a reminder of the reality that opposition comes even when we might be walking in God’s blessing. It’s a reminder that contention might come with blessing. Opposition might come from obedience.
But, I love Isaac’s response! In response, he has his people dig out another well. He doesn’t fight, he moves on and trusts the LORD. Yet, once again, the people of the land quarreled over this new well. So, he called it, Sitnah, which means enmity or hostility, which highlights the persistent opposition Isaac faced while in the valley of Gerar. So, while Isaac is seeking to live peaceable with his neighbors, his neighbors are seeking to continue in hostility. They are determined to oppose him!
This leads to Isaac moving to a new place and digging another well… a well that no one quarreled over. He named this well “Rehoboth,” (which means “broad places” or “room”), and he declared, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
Church, please do not the intentionality in Isaac’s words. Isaac doesn’t say, “I have acquired space.” He doesn’t say, “We have succeeded in securing land.” He doesn’t say, I have found space.” No, he says, “Now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
So, who has made room for Isaac and his family? The LORD!
And what will he do now? Be obedient to the LORD in what he called him to do, which is “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”
Isaac didn’t seize the promised blessing through force; he received it through patient trust in God’s faithfulness to keep his promise. God made space when there was no space before. He opened what was closed and enlarged what was restricted. Isaac understood that God would be faithful to keep his promise. He understood that God would provide, and he didn’t have to obtain anything by force.
In a lot of ways, Isaac’s life foreshadows Jesus’ life and teachings. Jesus, himself, in the sermon on the mount tells us to turn the other cheek. He says, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Well, here we see Isaac embodying Jesus’ teaching, consistently turning the other cheek and seeking to live peaceably with all! Well after well was taken from him, yet he trusted the LORD and chose peace. Rather than retaliating against those who wronged him, Isaac repeatedly chose to avoid conflict. Isaac displayed a quiet strength through restraint and trust in God whenever he was wrong.
Like Isaac, we are to strive to “live peaceably with all.”
Isaac’s example also reminds us of the central reality of the christian faith. We have never been able to secure our future through human effort or force, but only through God’s provision. Everything we possess in Christ has come by the gracious provision of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” The kingdom of God is not inherited by those who grasp and strive for it, but by those who trust in the one who gives it freely, Jesus. As Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Let’s keep reading.
“[23] From there he went up to Beersheba. [24] And the LORD appeared to him the same night and 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.” [25] So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.”
What a moment this must have been for Isaac! God has commanded Isaac to stay, and he does. God promises to bless Isaac, and he does. But, then opposition comes. And Isaac remains faithful. And so does God! At the right time God acts on his behalf! And God revisits the promise he’s made to Abraham (and now Isaac). And as a response to this revisiting of his promise, Isaac worships!
Friends, do you notice how God consistently revisits the promise he’s already made to Abraham (and now to Isaac)? I want to remind you that he’s not doing this for his sake; he’s doing it for Isaac’s sake. We are forgetful people, and we need to be reminded of simple yet important truths.
Oh, what a grace it is to be reminded of truths we already know! Part of my job is to remind you of central promises, central truths, that God has made to us in Christ! Forget not the gospel, my friends!
As a response to God revisiting Isaac (and revisiting the promise he has given to Isaac and his father), Isaac makes an altar and worships him. Isaac worships, then pitches a tent, then digs a well. His life is God-centered.
This progression reminds us that worship is not disconnected from daily life (or even daily survival); instead, it’s what anchors it. The beauty of the Christian faith is that we get to take worship into work!
Let’s continue reading, “[26] When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, [27] Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” [28] They said, “We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, [29] that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.” [30] So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. [31] In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. [32] That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.” [33] He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.”
Church, God can turn former conflict into unexpected peace. After all, we see this at the cross. Romans 5:10 tells us that while we were enemies, Christ died for us, reconciling us to God by the death of his Son.
So, perhaps you’re striving to live at peace with those around you, and conflict continues to resurface. Let this be of encouragement to you this morning! Do not overlook the impact a life of walking with God can have on those around you.
Lastly, do not miss what Isaac does when Abimelech comes to him. He doesn’t strike him. He doesn’t take revenge. He welcomes them into his home. He prepares a feast. And enters with them a covenant of peace.
Church, there is an offspring of Isaac who entered into this world born of a virgin…who was beaten and stricken…who was cast out of the city and nailed to a cross…and who rose again from the grave. And this offspring is the promised Messiah in whom all the nations will be blessed. And he invites us to the table today. He has prepared a feast for us. And he has established a covenant of peace with those who do not deserve it.
So, come to him all who are weary and heavy laden… and you will find rest!