What is the old saying – familiarity breeds contempt?  We shall see from this study, that it not only breeds contempt, but envy as well. 

Genesis 26:6-16

⁶ And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: 

⁷ And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

⁸ And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

⁹ And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

¹⁰ And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

¹¹ And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

Abimelech has seen the hand of God on Isaac, as he prospers when no one else does.  His command not to touch Rebekah and Isaac is not enough to quell the intense envy that the gentiles have for Israel.   He only succeeded in inflaming the conflict –  by stressing even more that Isaac had more (and better) than they did.

¹² Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

This is hugely significant for believers.  This is something that weary evangelists can take to heart.  Isaac sowed in the Promised Land during a time of great famine, and received in the SAME YEAR a hundredfold reaping.  It also greatly stresses the relationship between Israel and the Land.  The land of Israel only responds to the People of Israel.  They are the only earthly, chosen,  people.

Isaiah 35:1-2

35 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

² It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.

¹³ And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

¹⁴ For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

Of course – as Jews tend to prosper at everything they set their hands to – the natural sinful response is – envy.  Everyone must be aware of the so-called Jewish conspiracy.  It is no conspiracy.  It is God.  Period.

¹⁵ For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

¹⁶ And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

isaac has not only re-dug wells, but the ground work has now been laid for conflict, fueled by envy, to fulfill god’s plan for his covenant people.  Abimelech fears isaac and sends him away.  it is not for abimelech to send issac anywhere – and we will see in the next study – that he does not go far – and –

Isaac’s Focus on Water!