So Isaac moved to the Valley of Gerar and re-opened the wells. The name of two kings of Philistia; the first was a contemporary of Abraham, the second, probably son of the former, was king in the days of Isaac. Okay, without turning your head, look around. That same year he gathered 100 times more than he planted. He saw Isaac hugging and kissing Rebekah! (Genesis 12:10-20), The next time, Abraham and Sarah were back in the land of Canaan, in Gerar. Abimelech was a righteous king. Isaac was prosperous behind the power of the ALMIGHTY and he was envied by the Philistines. 1 Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. He gave glory to God. Which story came first? Hold up another object (such as a stapler). We didn’t harm you. After discovering Isaac’s deception, Abimelech ordered that neither Isaac nor his wife was to be harmed (Genesis 26:11). Abimelech sent for Isaac. There was very little food to eat. Trusting God every step of the way, the servant traveled nearly 500 miles to the home of Abraham’s relatives. Say: A famine struck the land where Isaac was living. 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, 1 showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. “We found water!” they said. Abram (later called Abraham) moves to ancient Egypt in order to evade a famine. Students may or may not know the stories of Abraham. The King instantly returned Sarah to Abraham. 3 (E)Dwell in this land, and (F)I will be with you and (G)bless you; for to you and your descendants (H)I give all these lands, and I will perform (I)the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. So he called its name [d]Sitnah. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL.  All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Wisdom Concerning The Secret And Revealed Things, The Net Pastor's Journal, Eng Ed, Issue 38 Winter 2021. These men were so amazed by the power of God in Isaac’s life, that they begged him not to harm them. They both feared for their safety, which is understandable in the culture they lived in. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. Jodi has over 20 years experience teaching children in large and small group settings. Abimelech was right to be angry about this deception, but he gave orders to all of his people not to harm Isaac or Rebekah in any way. There had been a famine in the land, but in less than one year, Issac’s crops multiplied 100-fold. Prophecy: Isaac, the son of Abraham, went through a similar ordeal in the land of Gerar with Abimelech’s son (also named Abimelech). 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. Abimelech in Hebrew means: Father of the King. Try it FREE. Each time, Isaac simply moved to another spot. Abraham died at the good old age of 175. With the dawn of a more naturalistic aesthetic during the Renaissance, progressive artists occasionally substituted cutting-edge observations of awesome astronomical phenomena for traditional iconographic motifs. You sacrificed only a single body part. This time you may get even closer to the child, but DON’T allow the object to come in front of the tubes. He was simply tolerated. (Genesis 20). Pray to Him and listen to His leading all through the day. King Abimelech approaches Isaac with a peace treaty as he acknowledges God’s blessings on Isaac. Finally, Isaac dug a well that no one claimed. © 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. The mighty King of Gerar, who was named Abimelech, had an important role in the life of Abraham.Their interaction is shown on the Bible Timeline Poster around 1854 BC.It all started when Abraham and Sarah set foot upon the king’s land. Of course not. As Abraham had done, Isaac built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord. He asked Isaac why he had lied. Abimelech seemed to regard marital purity higher than Isaac did. And I will give them all these lands. God was so faithful that He protected Sarah and Rebekah, even when their own husbands placed them in danger. Abimelech summons Isaac and exposes Isaac for the liar that he is. Ask: Does anyone know why a horse wears blinders? Isaac stayed in Gerar, just as God had instructed him, and the Lord blessed him. Genesis 26: Isaac And Abimelech | Bible Stories. All rights reserved. And Isaac went to (B)Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he (AE)built an altar there and (AF)called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. Isaac and Abimelech Genesis 26. We sent you away in peace. But during the moments that they struggled, Abraham and Isaac took their eyes off of God’s promise and focused on the dangers around them. Then Isaac became prosperous as a farmer, but the Philistines were jealous of his success and sabotaged his wells. Do you think it ever occurred to Isaac that an entire nation of non-believers was watching his relationship with the Living God? But if we look closely, we can find an even deeper sin shown here. Isaac was not instructed to leave, nor was he encouraged to stay. Key Verse: But he kept believing in God’ s promise. Isaac built an altar on that spot. 35 And (AP)they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. He asked Isaac why he had lied. Say: Still can’t guess? Now the Lord has blessed you.” - Genesis 26:27-29. Application: Wherever God meets with you is a place worth staying at! Romans 4:20. Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, lived in the city of Gerar and he reigned as king for a long time. Then he settled there and dug a well. How about this object? Gen. 24:1; 25:8, 11; 26:3; Job 42:12; Prov. Without moving your head, move your eyes to look at all the things around you. He reopened more wells that his father had dug. (Bible Study Online Article Covers : Genesis 26:11-15) SHORT RECAP Isaac made an oath of peace with the men. Abraham and Isaac each dig a well in Beersheba and make a treaty with King Abimelech. Genesis 26. The outcome should make cle… That was because the Lord blessed him.” (Genesis 26:12) Did you hear that? In a repeat performance, Abimelech arrived and asked for another treaty with Isaac, identical to the one made with Abraham. Again, Abraham told Sarah to say she was his sister. We want to make a peace treaty with you. (AK)You are now the blessed of the Lord.’ ”. God ALWAYS keeps His promises. Isaac must have considered going to Egypt to find food. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for (W)you are much mightier than we.”. Not one to miss an opportunity to make peace, Isaac throws a … Abimelech sent him on his way. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. King Abimelech had a message for Isaac. It was located between Kadesh and Bered, which was southwest of Beersheba. Jodi has a passion for Biblical ac... More, Q. Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? He asked, “What if one of the men had taken Rebekah for himself?” The king said then they would have all been guilty of doing wrong. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. (AN)Therefore the name of the city is [h]Beersheba to this day. The blinders are worn to block them from seeing what is around them, especially during races. That means they are able to see all the things all around them, all the time. Abimelech clearly acknowledges that the L ORD has been with Isaac and seeks to make a peace agreement with him. If a horse has blinders on, he cannot see the things around him, and he can only see what is directly in front of him - the track and the finish line. Thank your volunteers. Remain with God and you be blessed by Him (Psalm 40:4a, John 15:7). He became strong in his faith. Abimelech. Say: God had made these promises to Abraham. This is not the Abimelech of Genesis 20. He trusted that God would take care of him, even in the middle of a famine, and God certainly provided for him and his family! You have become too powerful for us.” - Genesis 26:16, Isaac did not put up a fight. Isaac became so wealthy that all the Philistines who lived there became very jealous of him. Do not be afraid. The king was angry that Isaac had lied. He stayed in Gerar just as God had commanded. 31 Then they arose early in the morning and (AM)swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. Seeing that Abraham is blessed by the Lord, the king of Gerar seeks to make a pact with him. Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham along side his wife Sarah. Everyone look straight at me. Isaac’s birth progresses Yahweh’s promise toward its goal: a holy nation through which the world would be blessed (Gen. 22:18). So he called its name [e]Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall (Z)be fruitful in the land.”. Isaac and Abimelech. Isaac confessed that he feared losing his life because of his wife. Say: Look straight ahead. Whenever he met any resistance in a place, he moved on peacefully. There, the servant met Abraham’s great-niece, Rebekah. Say: Okay, let’s all try this together. 1 * a There was a famine in the land, distinct from the earlier one that had occurred in the days of Abraham, and Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines in Gerar. Genesis 26 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE) Chapter 26. Say: Horses’ eyes are on the sides of their heads, so they have incredible peripheral vision. Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in the city of Gerar. I will increase the number of your children because of my servant Abraham.” - Genesis 26:23-24. His crops grew and his livestock multiplied. While Isaac lived in Gerar, he and his family used the wells that Abraham had dug when he lived there. Listen to why God was going to do these things for Isaac. Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International. On arriving before the Pharaoh, the Egyptians recognise Sarai's beauty, and the Egyptian princes shower Abram with gifts of livestock and servants to gain her hand in marriage… They trusted God and allowed their daughter to go to Isaac. God said, “I will do all of those things because Abraham obeyed Me. You can’t guess? b 2 The LORD appeared to him and said: Do not go down to Egypt, but camp in this land wherever I tell you. They wanted a peace treaty with Isaac, even though Isaac had never shown any signs of being unpeaceful. Isaac and Abimelech Abimelech was most prominently the name of a polytheistic king of Gerar who is mentioned in two of the three wife-sister narratives in Genesis, in connection with both Abraham (chap. The same name is applied to the king of Gerar during Isaac’s sojourn there (Genesis 26:1). The Bible tells us that all of Ishmael’s descendants were unfriendly to each other. 1 [] There was a famine in the land, distinct from the earlier one that had occurred in the days of Abraham, and Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines in Gerar. Let’s read this great quote. 13 The man (T)began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. Isaac and Abimelech. He did what I required. The Envious King This made Abimelech and the Philistines very envious of Isaac, so much so, that they had filled all the water wells that Abraham had dug during his day, they filled them all up with the dirt of the earth. But he kept believing in God’s promise. They stuffed his wells (these same wells Abraham made a covenant over) and politely asked Isaac to leave their land. We know that both men were men of great faith - Abraham is even referred to as the father of faith. This time the King of Gerar took Sarah into his palace. New King James Version (NKJV). The most important point for us to see in these stories is that God ALWAYS keeps His promises. This covenant with Abimelech in 21:22–34 is a substantial step forward regarding God’s pledge of land (15:7–21). 30 (AL)So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it [g]Shebah. He became strong in his faith. Now, everyone put on your blinders. Abimelech is correct in stating to Isaac that we have not touched you. 8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a … Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Move away from us. Just in time, God sent terrible diseases to Pharaoh and his family because Sarah was in his palace. Main Point: By faith, we must remain focused on God and his promises. Soon after that, King Abimelech traveled to Beersheba to meet with Isaac. 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked … King Abimelech was perfectly happy having Isaac seek shelter from the famine in his land -- until Isaac nearly defiled one of Abimelech's men with his wife/"sister", Rebekah. God would not allow the women to marry other men because He had promised that their children would become a great and special nation of people. a-bim'-e-lek ('abhimelekh, "father of a king"): A name borne by five Old Testament persons. Isaac before He Was Abraham’s Son. I am with you. Well tell me what you can see. Isaac & Abimelech. She has also spent many years mentoring Middle School and High School girls. Should an Unbeliever Partake of Communion? God is faithful, even when His children are not. 27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, (AH)since you hate me and have (AI)sent me away from you?”, 28 But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord (AJ)is with you. Abimelech, the king, would have taken her for his ... Prophecy and covenant now hastened to their fulfillment ... son, whose influence might ruin the consecrated Isaac . Ishmael and his wife had twelve sons. 10:22, NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Vines Expository Bible, Comfort Print: A Guided Journey Through the Scriptures with Pastor Jerry Vines, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word, NKJV, Open Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Complete Reference System, NKJV, Bride's Bible, Leathersoft, White, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. Isaac planted crops in the land of the Philistines, and the Lord blessed him. I will make your children after you as many as the stars in the sky. Main Point: By faith, we must remain focused on God and His promises. 4 And (J)I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; (K)and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 (L)because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”, 6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. Say: What? Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®). Say: The men of Gerar noticed how beautiful Rebekah was. Abimelech was kind enough to give Abraham rights to graze his cattle to any place in the land that he wanted. Read more: Isaac’s Wells One day, King Abimelech looked out of his window. Both Abraham and Isaac lied because they were afraid. May 6, 2020. They asked Isaac about her. He said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Abimelech may have been a title, rather than a name, such as Pharaoh. Used by permission. Isaac resided as a foreigner in the Philistine territory and around the city of Gerar for a long time and would have had to meet King Abimelech many times. Jodi is part of the Children’s Ministry team at Grace Fellowship Church, outside of Atlanta. The Bible says, “Isaac planted crops in that land. Note to Teacher: The Abimelech in Genesis 20 was most likely the grandfather of the Abimelech in Isaac’s day. We know that it is wrong to lie (Psalm 34:13). Then you will bear fruit that others can see (John 15:4-5), and it will bring glory to God. Finally, Abimelech told Isaac to move away because he had become too powerful. Isaac listened to God, and obeyed Him. The Lord appeared to Isaac. 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. The best value in digital Bible study. God’s blessings on Isaac were even seen by the Philistines who were an ungodly people (Judges 10:6). Ask for a volunteer. I will give all of these lands to you and your children after you. Say: Believe it or not, this very thing happened two times before in the Bible. We always treated you well. Move your eyes around exaggeratedly. Covenant of Isaac and Abimelech Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath and Phicol the commander of his army. 26 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, f he said, "She is my sister," for g he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah," because h she was attractive in appearance. Abimelech. At those times, focus on Almighty God. Isaac obeyed God by staying in Gerar. Say: After Abraham’s wife Sarah died, Abraham sent his most trusted servant to find a wife for Isaac. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. The Philistines filled the Isaac’s wells with dirt so he couldn’t use them! Now that you are focused on God’s Promises, you can’t see anything else. 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. Rabbi. 23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”, Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”, 10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? Isaac plants crops in the land of Gerar. During a big race like the Kentucky Derby, there are tons of people, cameras flashing, and (probably the biggest distraction) other horses. He gave Sarah back to Abraham and sent them on their way. (X)He called them by the names which his father had called them. And (M)he said, “She is my sister”; for (N)he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is (O)beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, [a]showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. Right away the king knew Isaac had lied and that Rebekah was really his wife. Say: After Sarah died, Abraham married another woman. But, as far as we know, this was the first time Isaac heard the promises directly from the Lord! 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, 'She is my sister'?" Hold your hands up to your eyes, binocular-style. 34 (AO)When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. For to you and your descendants, I … 26 There was a famine in the land, besides (A)the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Craft Idea “Focus on God” Glasses. God promised these things to Isaac’s father, Abraham. Surely, Abraham had told Isaac about these promises many times. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Isaac faces up to his lie (Genesis 26:9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? He kept My commands, My rules and My laws.” (Genesis 26:5). - Romans 4:20, Props: one set of “blinders” (two toilet paper tubes tapes together to resemble binoculars); 3 signs, large enough to be seen by your back row of students: God’s Promises, Trouble, Fear (signs are included at end of lesson); any two objects, such as an apple and a stapler. “Unbelief looks at the difficulty. That day, Isaac’s servants came to tell him that they had dug another well. 26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, (AG)and Phichol the commander of his army. The name of two kings of Philistia; the first was a contemporary of Abraham, the second, probably son of the former, was king in the days of Isaac. Abimelech decrees that no man shall molest either Isaac or his wife; if so they will be put to death. And I will keep the promise I made with an oath to your father Abraham. Now you can only see what is in front of you. In the same way, when we focus on God and His promises, we won’t see the difficult or frightening things around us. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Ask: Now what can you see? God came to the King in a dream and told him that Sarah was married. Rebekah’s family knew that it was God’s plan for her to leave her family and marry Isaac. The first episode appears in Genesis 12:10–20. That night the Lord appeared to him. 20) and Isaac (chap. Genesis 26:9 Context. But God stepped in to rescue Sarah. Now we will do well in the land.” (Genesis 26:22), From there Isaac went up to Beersheba. Hold up the signs that say, “Trouble” and “Fear,” out of the child’s sight. CHAPTER 26. However, in both cases, God had just made a promise that He would be with them and bless them. 2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Now hold up these “blinders.” Give the child the tubes to hold up to their eyes. (If the child cannot guess, slowly move the object closer so he or she can guess.) He left all that he owned to his son Isaac. Keep your eyes on His loving promises. 26). Isaac’s servants dug new wells, but each time, the Philistines who had been living there argued that the water belonged to them. All nations on earth will be blessed because of your children.” - Genesis 26:2-4. Both times, it was Isaac’s father, Abraham, who lied about his wife, Sarah. Abraham and Abimelech in Beersheba 22.1. Hold up your sign that says “God’s Promises.” Do not allow it to come in front of the tubes. Ask: Does this story sound familiar to anyone? Note to Teacher: Beer Lahai Roi is the well where God met with Hagar in Genesis 16:7-14. Live in the land where I tell you to live. The king brought his personal advisor and his army commander with him. 19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. Faith looks at the promise.” (Charles Bridges) At times, each of us is overwhelmed by hard situations or difficult people in our lives. Ask for another volunteer, and instruct him or her to hold the “God’s Promises” sign in front of the first child. Some of the Philistines kings are called “Abimelech.” For example, the king of Gerar who took Sarah into his harem is called “Abimelech” in Genesis 20:2. Water was extremely important in the desert area where they lived. He said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Without turning your head, tell me what I am holding up. Although Abimelech acknowledges the blessings that the L ORD was capable of bestowing on Isaac, Abimelech doesn’t seek the L ORD but a promise from Isaac. This was another blessing from God. 17 Then Isaac departed from there and [b]pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 2 The Lord appeared to him and said: Do not go down to Egypt, but camp in this land wherever I tell you. Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. Abimelech looked out a window and saw Isaac with Rebekah. He became rich and had so many flocks that the Philistines became jealous so they filled all his wells with dirt. Is it medically safe to engage in ten days of total fasting monthly taking only water. The king of Egypt heard how beautiful Sarah was and had her brought to his palace. Again, without turning your head, tell me what I am holding up. I will be with you and give you My blessing. He had six more sons with his new wife. Remain with God by reading and obeying His perfect Word (John 15:10). Say: These are blinders, also called blinkers. If God promised to be with them and bless them, would He allow them to be killed by evil men who wanted to steal their wives?