GENESIS 26
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.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.” – Genesis 26:23-29
GENESIS 26 COVENANT BETWEEN ABIMELECH & ISAAC
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After Isaac was asked to leave Gerar by Abimelech, he journeyed
Wherever he went, the Lord prospered him in wealth and riches
Abimelech, upon hearing his blessings, came to him with Phicol
He asked Isaac to make a sworn pact between them
He wanted Isaac to ensure that they will not be harmed by him
Isaac responded and made that covenant with Abimelech.
What an interesting proposition from Abimelech after he sent Isaac away from his land because he was prospering in numbers of people and riches. Now that he learned about the growth of his wealth, he comes to Isaac to ensure that they will not be enemies but friends. It sounds like a strategy to retain power on the part of Abimelech. We witness here how Isaac had a good and righteous nature to even accept that treaty. He could have gotten back to Abimelech after he was asked to leave Gerar, but he accommodated their proposal for a peace treaty. It shows his forgiving heart and wisdom.
We also get a glimpse of how Abimelech operates in the world system of power. He wants to make sure that he will have allies in case he needs support from them. Dependence on the Lord is out of the question on those who do not serve God.
REFLECTION
- How do you view the proposal of Abimelech in terms of the motives of his heart?
