Bereshith (Genesis) 26

Lesson date: 2/4/5855AA

Verses 1-5 – These verses put together have me asking many questions: 1) was it a real famine? 2) was the famine in Abraham’s time a test? 3) did YHVH tell Abraham to go to Egypt or did he do on his own? 4) had he not gone to Egypt would there have been an Yishma’el? 4) Why was Yitshaq going to Abimelek?

((Please note that in Hebrew, when it is speaking of going to Egypt, the most common form of expression is yarad – to go down, go downward or sink.)) (Jer. 42:13-16)

The Hebrew word for famine is H7458 – רָעָב – râ‛âb – raw-awb’ – From H7456; hunger (more or less extensive): – dearth, famine, + famished, hunger.

Now, notice the difference between famine and abundance: H7230 – רֹב – rôb – robe – From H7231; abundance (in any respect): – abundance (-antly), all, X common [sort], excellent, great (-ly, -ness, number), huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much, multitude, plenty (-ifully), X very [age].

Notice the difference = o – the ayin. The only consonant different is the ayin, which is the “eye” to perceive the difference. Why is the ayin added to famine? Because it is very simple to know when you have it good with plenty of everything but it is much harder to see how good you really have when times are tough. When times are good it is easy to say “I follow God” but, when times are tough it is harder to go to our knees and earnestly seek YHVH’s face. Have you ever looked back on your life and thought, “Wow, we had nothing, could barely pay the bills but at that time my relationship with my mate and my Father were the best I have ever known? So what was the difference? The ayin.

Verse 3 – “Sojourn in this land” H1481 – גּוּר – gûr – goor – A primitive root; properly to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), that is, sojourn (as a guest)

YHVH didn’t say “swear allegiance to the land”, “take on the customs of the land”, follow the laws of the land”. Basically, He told Yitshaq to live there as a guest in the land. As we would say in the military “that post was a TDY” a temporary duty station not your PCS = permanent change of station.

Do you notice how verse 3 and 4 or intricately linked to one another? Sojourn here and I will 1) be with you; 2) bless you ; 3) give(H853) all these lands to you 4) shall establish(H853) the oath; 5) increase (H853) your seed; 6) I will give(H853) all these lands to your seed; 7) in(H853) your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed.

Seven distinct promises for simply obeying His Word. Wow! And what were all of these blessings predicated upon? “because Abraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot.” Obedience, that’s all.

Obeyed – shama’ – H8085 – to hear with obedience – in other words “do it to prove you heard it.”

Guarded – shamar – H8104 – to hedge about – Remember, build fences around Torah.

Charge – mishmereth – H4931 – to act as a sentry (a watchman)

Commands – mitsvah – H4687 – command, human or divine law

Laws – chuqqah – H2708 – appointed, ordinance

Torot (plural of Torah) – H8451 – precept, Pentateuch

Verse 6 – Here is the testimony of Yitshaq “And Yitshaq dwelt in Gerar”

Verses 7-11 – Surely Yitshaq must have heard about the times Abraham had called Sarah his sister, which she was but now Yitshaq does the same thing with Ribqah and angers the king by doing so, once his lie becomes known.

Verses 12-14 – Did Yitshaq sow seed and reap 100 fold? Yes, but I believe that this is a double entendre and the second part is that he also sowed righteousness and therefore was blessed as YHVH had promised and because of this blessing due to his obedience the Philistines were jealous but did not want to be obedient. Sound familiar?

Verses 15-22 – It is in these verses that I can see that Yitshaq was a much better man than I am in his dealings with the Philistines. We see in verse 16 that Abimelek is afraid of Yitshaq because he is mightier than they are, remember, he inherited all of his fathers fighting men plus the increase since he could have easily killed the shepherds who were giving him the trouble. But Yitshaq is a man who wants to dwell in peace with those around him.

In modern vernacular let’s put this in context: The enemy comes in and fills in all the wells of our spiritual ancestors and keeps us from the Living Water of Truth. Now, having our eyes opened by our obedience to our Father we dig out the old wells and fountains of Living Water, only to have the enemy runs us off so, he returned to the waters of his Father and dug out the older wells of Truth and called them by the names his Father had given them, instead of the names man gave them and there he dwelt at the ‘well of the oath’.

Notice in Ber. 26:20 the name of the well Eseq: H6230 – עֵשֶׂק – ‛êśeq – ay’-sek – From H6229; strife: – Esek.

And also look at Sitnah in 26:21: H7856 – שׂטנה- śiṭnâh – BDB Definition: Sitnah = “strife” and look where it comes for: H7854 – שׂטן – śâṭân – BDB Definition: 1) adversary, one who withstands 1a) adversary (in general – personal or national)

2) superhuman adversary 2a) Satan (as noun proper)

Probably just a coincidence.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, watch, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1Pe 5:9 Resist him, firm in the belief, knowing that the same hardships are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Jas 4:7 So then subject yourselves to Elohim. Resist the devil and he shall flee from you.

I think our clue is the word ‘dug’ which comes for H2658 – haphar- which means ‘to search out, dig or search for, look around, spy’. So the metaphor is that we should be like Yitshaq in that we diligently dig into the Well of Truth, the Word.

Verse 24 – Once again we see YHVH appear to Yitshaq and reassure him that He is watching over him and going to bless him.

Verse 25 – Yitshaq built an altar for slaughtering and called on the Name of YHVH.

Psa 50:13 “Do I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats?

Psa 50:14 “Offer thanksgiving to Elohim, And pay your vows to the Most High.

Psa 50:15 “And call upon Me in the day of distress – Let Me rescue you, and you esteem Me.”

Psa 107:22 And let them bring slaughterings of thanksgiving, And relate His works with rejoicing.

Psa 116:17 I bring You a slaughtering of thanksgiving, And call upon the Name of יהוה.

Verse 26-31 – Abimelek comes to Yitshaq, with two witnesses to ask for a covenant of peace.

Verse 32 – On the same day as the covenant the servants came to Yitshaq and informed him that they found water. Think of the mental picture that this must make.

Verse 33 – Shibah the well of the oath or the well of the sevening.

Verses 34-35 – Esau deliberately married two Hittite women to anger his parents Yitshaq and Ribqah.

Ahavah,

Lesson date: 1/4/5858AA

Verses 1-5 – These verses put together have me asking many questions: 1) was it a real famine? 2) was the famine in Abraham’s time a test? 3) did YHVH tell Abraham to go to Egypt or did he do so on his own? 4) had he not gone to Egypt would there have been an Yishma’el? 4) Why was Yitshaq going to Abimelek?

((Please note that in Hebrew, when it is speaking of going to Egypt, the most common form of expression is yarad – to go down, go downward or sink.)) (Jer. 42:13-16)

The Hebrew word for famine is H7458 – רָעָב – râ‛âb – raw-awb’ – From H7456; hunger (more or less extensive): – dearth, famine, + famished, hunger.

Now, notice the difference between famine and abundance: H7230 – רֹב – rôb – robe – From H7231; abundance (in any respect): – abundance (-antly), all, X common [sort], excellent, great (-ly, -ness, number), huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much, multitude, plenty (-ifully), X very [age].

Notice the difference = o – the ayin. The only consonant different is the ayin which is the “eye” to perceive the difference. Why is the ayin added to famine? Because it is very simple to know when you have it good with plenty of everything but it is much harder to see how good you really have when times are tough. When times are good it is easy to say “I follow God” but, when times are tough it is harder to go to our knees and earnestly seek YHVH’s face. Have you ever looked back on your life and thought, “Wow, we had nothing, could barely pay the bills but at that time my relationship with my mate and my Father were the best I have ever known? So what was the difference? The ayin, being able to see the goodness of the times even though they were hard.

Verse 3 – “Sojourn in this land” H1481 – גּוּר – gûr – goor – A primitive root; properly to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), that is, sojourn (as a guest)

YHVH didn’t say “swear alligence to the land”, “take on the customs of the land”, follow the laws of the land”. Basically, He told Yitshaq to live there as a guest in the land. As we would say in the military “that post was a TDY” a temporary duty station not your PCS = permanent change of station.

Obeyed – shama’ – H8085 – to hear with obedience – in others words “do it to prove you heard it.”
Guarded – shamar – H8104 – to hedge about – Remember, build fences around Torah.
Charge – mishmereth – H4931 – to act as a sentry (a watchman)
Commands – mitsvah – H4687 – command, human or divine law
Laws – chuqqah – H2708 – appointed, ordinance
Torot (plural of Torah) – H8451 – precept, Pentateuch

Verse 6 – Here is the testimony of Yitshaq “And Yitshaq dwelt in Gerar”. (Gerar was still in Kena’an)

Verses 15-22 – It is in these verses that I can see that Yitshaq was a much better man than I am in his dealings with the Philistines. We see in verse 16 that Abimelek is afraid of Yitshaq because he is mightier than they are, remember, he inherited all of his father’s fighting men plus the increase since he could have easily killed the shepherds who were giving him the trouble. But Yitshaq is a man who wants to dwell in peace with those around him.

Notice in Ber. 26:20 the name of the well Eseq: H6230 – עֵשֶׂק – ‛êśeq – ay’-sek – From H6229; strife: – Esek.

Also look at Sitnah in 26:21: H7856 – שׂטנה- śiṭnâh – BDB Definition: Sitnah = “strife” and look where it comes for: H7854 – שׂטן – śâṭân – BDB Definition: 1) adversary, one who withstands 1a) adversary (in general – personal or national) 2) superhuman adversary 2a) Satan (as noun proper)