Isaac

^Isaac

    Isaac, Abraham & Sarah’s promised son, grew up into a man who followed God. In today’s lesson, Isaac finds himself in a tough position. He is treated unfairly, and he must decide the best way to react. There was a famine in the land, people were starving. But God tells Isaac not to go to Egypt where there was plenty of food, but to stay in Gerar, and that He will be with him. In the middle of the famine God blesses Isaac and he becomes very rich!

    The people living nearby were the Philistines, and they were jealous of Isaac’s success. They filled up Isaac’s wells with dirt. In Isaac’s time people got their water from wells. It took a long time to dig a well, and they needed water, or they would die. To make it worse Abimelech (the king) tells Isaac to move! Isaac does not fight; he just moves away.

    They move to a new place, and he digs a new well. Isaac’s new neighbors claim that the new well belongs to them! He names the well Esek because it means disagreement. Isaac does not respond in anger; he simply digs another well. Unbelievably, his neighbors fought with him over that one, too. He names the well Sitnah because it means hatred. Isaac does not respond in anger; he moves again and digs another well. This time no one fought with him, so he named the well Rehoboth because it means “The Lord has made room for us.”

    God appears to Isaac and repeats the promise He made to Abraham. We know that God is pleased with Isaac’s reaction to being treated unfairly by his neighbors.

    Have you ever been treated unfairly like Isaac? Whenever you have a disagreement, and feel hated, remember when Isaac was digging wells. Isaac chose peace over getting his own way, and it resulted in great blessings for him. Just like God blessed Isaac, He will bless you too! Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.”

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