(Read Genesis 26)
(Read about Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech here.)
The freaky and weird story so far:
In Genesis 12, Abraham (Abram at the time) makes the dubious decision to enter Egypt with the half-true story that his attractive wife Sarah (Sarai at the time) is his sister, not his wife. The king takes her in as his wife, finds out the truth, and sends the couple away rich. In Genesis 20, Abraham and Sarah pull the same ruse on Abimelech, king of the Philistines. This time, God closes the wombs of all of Abimelech’s household, and doesn’t allow him to consummate his unlawful relationship with Sarah. Angry at the deception and afraid of its consequences, Abimelech asks Abraham to pray for him, and sends the couple away with blessing.
Now we see Abraham’s son attempting the same trick again with his wife in this chapter.
Comparisons to Abraham:
Abraham was told to GO to the land God showed him. Isaac is told to STAY.
In chapter 24, Abraham had made his servant swear an oath because Isaac was not to ever leave the land God promised.
Abraham left the Promised Land for Egypt during a famine.
Isaac is told not to go to Egypt during a famine.
Abraham approaches the king of Egypt for help in a famine. Isaac approaches the king of the Philistines during a famine.
Abraham lied to the Egyptian king (during a famine), and the Philistine king (not during a famine), about his wife being his sister. Isaac lied to the Philistines (during a famine) about his wife being his sister.
God touched the first king with a plague.
God did not allow the second king to touch Sarah.
The third king (same king, second time), did not allow anyone to touch Isaac or Rebekah.
Sarah was taken by two kings because of her husband's lie. Rebekah was not.
Abraham's wealth and the size of his family made him have to separate from his relative Lot because of disputes over land. Isaac's wealth and family size made him have to separate from Abimelech because of disputes over water.
Abraham and Sarah were half siblings. Isaac and Rebekah are cousins.
Right after God made his promise to Isaac, he is too afraid of the Philistines to tell them the truth about Rebekah. Or was he hoping to get rich on the lie, as his father had?
Abimelech watches Isaac and Rebekah. He didn't take Rebekah in. Had he learned his lesson after Sarah? Had this family gained a reputation for this lie?
Abimelech takes protecting Isaac and Rebekah very seriously. You can hear echoes of the previous engagement in the urgency of his words. He knows not to mess with children of Abraham.
Isaac became wealthy, just like his father.
Isaac pretends that he and Rebekah are people that they are not, but are discovered when he is caught "playing" with her. This is another wordplay with names, like Jacob with Deceiver, and Esau with Red Stew. Isaac’s name is similar to “play” and “sport”. Remember that he was names for laughter. This is also comparable to the use of the word “laughing”, “sporting” or mocking” used of Ishmael before he is sent away.
The Covenant
vv3-6 - God affirmed to Isaac the covenant he made with Abraham, in their fullest and latest form, including that it was because of Abraham's obedience, which was added after his willingness to sacrifice Isaac.
The addition to this covenant is that it is dependent on obedience to commands, decrees, and laws. This refers to the law given at Sinai, and that is how the readers would have understood it. The word Law in this passage means Torah.
However, in this sentence, the word uses the plural form, which is unusual, and does not specifically refer to the Mosaic Law alone. The writer is probably sending a message to the Israelite readers regarding the law, but another less specific message to Abraham in the story, like a double entendre.
Isaac was willing to dig three wells and only use the third rather than fight with his neighbours.
God's blessing on Isaac leads him to peace with his neighbours where there could have been hostility.
Isaac sought peace. He did not return evil for evil.
Esau married two women who were not of the promise. This had been very important in Isaac's story.
The text is laying a foundation for Esau to lose the covenant blessing. He despised his birthright (chapter 25). He married women who were not of the promise. Likely, he did not believe in the covenant at all.
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