From about sixty to eighty years after the famine that struck the land of Canaan during the time of Abraham, famine struck that land a second time.[1] The time differential depends upon whether or not these events occurred before or after the births of Esau and Jacob. The text, itself, doesn’t mention them, so it isn’t clear at what point the famine occurred. Moreover, just as Abraham migrated to Egypt to escape the famine, so Isaac moved his flocks and herds out of Canaan, probably intending to go to Egypt, but the Lord intervened and told him to dwell in Gerar, the land of the Philistines (Genesis 26:2-3). The land of the Philistines was closer to Egypt than Canaan was, so Gerar was probably a commercial district in the land, where the trade routes began to converge, so Isaac’s needs would be supplied here due to goods going to and coming from Egypt.
In any event, Isaac migrated to Gerar and dwelt there, in obedience to the word of the Lord (Genesis 26:6). Thus, expressing his faith in God. We need to recognize that Abraham’s and Isaac’s faiths were tested differently. Abraham was tested in what he did do, vis-à-vis-à-vis his walk with the Lord, such as picking up stakes in the land of his birth and leaving to dwell in a land he didn’t know (Genesis 12:1-4; cp. Hebrews 11:8), and such as his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, if the Lord demanded such as sacrifice (Genesis 22:10-12, 15-18).
On the other hand, Isaac’s faith was tested in what he didn’t do, vis-à-vis in that he rested in the promises already made. Not knowing he couldn’t help bring the promises to fulfillment, Abraham sought to have a son through Hagar, because Sarah was barren, but Isaac, knowing the history of Abraham’s walk with the Lord, prayed to the Lord to give him a son, when he knew Rebekah was barren. In fact, he prayed unceasingly for nineteen years (Genesis 25:20-21, 26). Thus, both were tested in the thing they couldn’t see, but they were tested differently, so both men believed God.
After Isaac had migrated to Gerar, and the men of that place, vis-à-vis Abimelech’s men, inquired about Rebekah, Isaac told them she was his sister (Genesis 26:7). Thus, he took up the same defense, which his father did, believing the Lord would protect him and his wife from those who were stronger than they. Some scholars believe these events reveal moral weakness on the parts of both patriarchs, but how can this be, if there was no Law of God revealed at that time? Who would have told either of the men not to lie (cp. Romans 3:20)? Thus, if the Law of God didn’t exist at this point, how could there have been a transgression (Romans 4:15; 5:13)? Indeed, if either Abraham or Isaac was sinning by lying, why would the Lord intervene on their behalf? Why wouldn’t he have at least corrected Abraham, so Isaac wouldn’t repeat his error? Therefore, the idea of moral weakness on the parts of Abraham and Isaac has no foundation, according to how I read the text.
We are told that, after Isaac had been in Gerar for some time, Abimelech[2] discovered that he and Rebekah were husband and wife, not brother and sister, as Isaac claimed (Genesis 26:8). Apparently, Abimelech had been wary of Isaac’s claim from the beginning, because he also knew of Abraham’s claim, and remembered that it nearly destroyed the royal family.
Therefore, he called for Isaac, and he reprimanded him for lying to his men. Isaac told him why he lied, which was the same reason Abraham had lied before him (Genesis 26:9-10; cp. 20:9-13). Therefore, fearing the God of Abraham and Isaac, Abimelech command his men to stay away from Isaac and Rebekah, and the man who would violate her would be put to death (Genesis 26:11). Thus, the Lord, once again, protected his servant, proving, at least to me, that there is no legitimate claim against either patriarch of a presumed moral weakness.
______________________________________________
[1] See my previous study: God’s Promise to Isaac.
[2] This Abimelech may not be the same Abimelech who lived in Abraham’s day. Thus, the name seems to be one of title, like Pharaoh, Herod or Caesar.
Smoodock's Blog 