Daily Devotions
Genesis
"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near." Psalm 75:1
Text: Genesis 26:1-35
OBSERVATION OF THE FIRST ABIMELECH
In the days when Abraham lived in Gerar, Abimelech made this observation,
“God is with you in all that you do.”
GENESIS 21:22
The hand of the Lord in the life of Abraham was unmistakable! The blessings of the Lord upon His servant were so obvious!
What about Isaac? Would he be similarly blessed? That same observation may be made in the life of Isaac when he dwelt in Gerar, another generation later.
“So Isaac dwelt in Gerar…
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year
a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began
to prosper, and continued prospering until he became
very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and
possessions of herds and a
great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.”GENESIS 26:6, 12-14
THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD
The hand of blessing on Isaac was as God had promised when he went to Gerar to dwell.
“Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.”
GENESIS 26:3
Isaac had believed in God! He did not go to Egypt! He stayed in the land, and because of his obedience to the Lord, he was specially blessed!
1. A hundredfold blessing
There is no mistaking such wondrous blessings! To be blessed a hundredfold is impossible to imagine unless one traced the hand of the Lord in the matter!
2. “Very prosperous”
Three stages were noted. Isaac “began to prosper” was the first inkling of the hand of God’s blessing in his life. He “continued prospering” was the next notation. The third remark was the most significant of all. He became “very prosperous”. The description of his prosperity followed. He had “possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants” (Genesis 26:14).
3. “So the Philistines envied him”
The Philistines had dwelt there before Isaac came. How could a foreigner do so much better than the natives? What did he do right? What were his methods of agriculture or animal husbandry that made him so successful? The real answer lay in the fact that God was watching over him and blessing him mightily.