Genesis Series #50 June 16, 2002
Title: Can God Bless Me?
Email: pastorsarver@yahoo.com
Website: www.newlifeinchrist.info
Welcome to New life in Christ. Today we continue with message #50 in our verse-by-verse study of the Book of Genesis.
Read Genesis 26:1-33
Opening Prayer
Perhaps you have asked yourself the following questions: "Can God bless me when I’m in this terrible situation?", "Can God bless me when I am such a miserable sinner?", and “Can God bless me when I face such strong opposition?" The answer to all these questions is an absolute "yes!" As we will discover in this story, but first you need to understand that God doesn’t bless us because we deserve it but because he is gracious. Some people seem to think that God’s blessings are earned and therefore they try and to obtain his blessings through their own efforts.
Some seek to obtain God’s blessings by traveling on pilgrimages to distant lands and performing religious rituals. Some seek to obtain God’s blessings by repeating a certain prayer. You have probably seen articles in the classified section of the newspaper inferring that if you repeat a certain prayer in a certain way for a certain amount of time you will be blessed by God. Others attempt to possess God’s blessings by sacrificial giving, enduring long hours of prayer, lengthy fasts or living in near perfect obedience.
During my early years in the church, it was clearly inferred that the most anointed and blessed people were those who were extremely dedicated and who spent much time on their knees, going without food, and were exceptionally holy. The concern I have with all of these ideas is that they all are man-centered and make the blessings of God dependent on our efforts rather than God’s grace.
In this chapter we find that the central topic is God’s blessings, which are mentioned numerous times. The chapter begins with the promise of God’s blessings upon Isaac and then ends with Abimelech acknowledging God’s blessings on Isaac. (vs. 29) Most of the rest of the chapter deals with Isaac’s wells, which were a tangible sign of God’s blessings. In this chapter we will learn who God blesses, why God blesses, and how he blesses. Most importantly we discover that God’s blessings are not hindered by our situations, our sins, or the opposition of others. I would summarize the main message of Genesis Chapter 26 in one sentence like this:
God, in his grace, blesses his people despite the situation, despite their sins, and despite opposition.
Read Verses 1-6
"Now there was a famine in the land. . ." This famine is in addition to the earlier severe famine in Abraham’s day. Keep in mind that this is the Promised Land, the place of blessing in which this hardship takes place. In other words, we learn from this account that you can be right where God wants you to be and still experience trouble sometimes. Being one of God’s people does not exempt you from the problems that the rest of the world faces. This is a principle I often repeat because Christians often grow discouraged when they encounter serious problems, not because the problems themselves are overwhelming but because they expected a mostly trouble-free life. Failure to realize that problems come along with being a Christian often makes the problems all the more difficult. Former Supreme Court justice, Louis Brandeis, once said his frustrated, impatient daughter, "My dear, if you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you."
Isaac did what his father Abraham had done in a time a famine and went to the land of Gerar. Abimelech is again mentioned as the King of the Philistines, even though this event is many decades later. There could be several reasons for this. First of all there is no reason that this cannot be the same person as mentioned in Abraham’s account, albeit much older now. This Abimelech could also have been a descendant of the aforementioned Abimelech and that would explain the same name or it is possible that the term "Abimelech" is not a name at all but a title like president or prime minister, which would also explain is usage here.
"The Lord appeared to Isaac and said ’do not go down to Egypt...’" Clearly Isaac intends to do like most people would do in a time of trouble and go to Egypt where there is plenty of food. This in itself is not wrong because God later instructs Jacob to go to Egypt during a time a famine. (Genesis 46:24) Nevertheless God instructs Isaac to remain in the land despite this famine, why? I believe it is to show Isaac and us that he can bless us no matter what the situation. God can bless us in a bad economy, a bad marriage, a difficult ministry, or a trying workplace, etc. Many times it is not God’s will that we run from our problems but rather that we trust him to bless us despite the situation.
God, in his grace, blesses his people despite the situation, despite their sins, and despite opposition.
In verses 3, 4 God promises that he will bless Isaac with a blessing similar to that which he had given to Abraham. The details of the blessing are important because they show that Isaac was the recipient of the covenant blessing of Abraham. This shows us that when Esau sold his birthright in Genesis Chapter 25 that he was giving up a lot! It also shows us that when Jacob gets the blessing in Chapter 27, he has getting the genuine covenant blessing.
The Lord reassures Isaac by saying, "I will be with you and will bless you." (vs. 3) The point for us being that as long as God is with us, it does not matter what the situation is. Your responsibility and my responsibility is to "stay in the land", which means to keep being led by God and not by our fears. Keep doing what you know to be God’s will even if you are in a bad situation, knowing that God can bless you anyhow. God promised to bless Isaac because Abraham had followed his will. (vs. 5) In a similar way we are blessed because of Jesus’ obedience, not our own. We’re not blessed because we deserve it but because Jesus deserves it!
The first thing we learned about God’s blessings is that he can bless us despite the situation. The second thing we learn is that God to bless his people despite their sins. We see this in verses 7-13.
Read Verses 7-13
"Like father, like son" is a saying that we are all familiar with and it certainly applies to this situation. Isaac had the same unjustified fear and deceptive reaction as Abraham did decades earlier. Some people think that this Bible story cannot be true because it is so similar to Abraham’s deception of Abimelech concerning Sarah. This similarity should not surprise us or cause to doubt the truth of every Bible passage. If we know anything about life it is that children are likely to make the same mistakes as their parents!
There are significant differences in this story from Abraham’s similar deception. In Abraham’s situation, Abimelech is made aware of Abraham deception via a supernatural dream and because of the unnatural barrenness of his wives and concubines. In this account concerning Isaac, Abimelech learns of Rebekah’s true relationship with Isaac by normal circumstances. In both cases, God was working but sometimes he chooses to work supernaturally and sometimes in more natural ways.
The most interesting and instructive aspect of this story is that immediately after Isaac’s sin was discovered in rebuked (vs. 10-11) the Bible reports that he was supernaturally blessed in vs. 12, 13. This confuses and disturbs people. Why so? Because people often believe in their hearts that God blesses those who deserve it and those who sin don’t deserve it. This and many other passages of Scripture show us that this belief is often wrong. God doesn’t bless us because we deserve it but because of his love, mercy, and grace. Under the law we would be treated as our sins deserve (Leviticus 26:21) but under grace "He does not treat us as our sins deserve. . ." (Psalm 103:10)
God, in his grace, blesses his people despite the situation, despite their sins, and despite opposition.
It is good to know that even though you and I will fail and fall short, God in his mercy blesses us anyways! In this case God blessed Isaac with material gain, even providing a multitude of corn in a time a famine, and he may bless us with material gain also. We must keep in mind though, that the New Testament emphasizes that our blessings in Christ are primarily spiritual. (Ephesians 1:3) Things like God’s presence, his joy, his peace, guidance, mercy, etc. are given to us despite are many faults. Isn’t God good!
God, in his grace, blesses his people despite the situation, despite their sins, and despite opposition.
We have already seen that God can bless us despite our situation and that he can bless us despite our failures. In the next part of this story we see that God to bless us despite opposition.
Read Verses 14-23
There are many things opposed to God’s people receiving his blessings. Satan certainly fights against it tooth and nail. Sometimes people, governments, etc. are against also against the blessings of God. Despite the sometimes formidable opposition that we face, the Bible shows us that God can still blesses his people.
In ancient times few things were more important than wells. It was an arid land where water was rare and yet was needed for people and to keep the livestock alive and flourishing. Wells were difficult to dig through hard earth and rock and often this was done without success.
The Philistines were opposed to Isaac and tried to stop God’s blessings of Isaac by stopping up his wells or stealing wells that rightfully belonged to him. The wells represent God’s blessings on Isaac, but there was opposition to God’s blessings on this person of God and so fittingly Isaac names the wells in accordance with this opposition and these disputes. Rather than fighting over the wells or giving up in discouragement, Isaac just moved to another location and dug another well. Every time he did he found water. Why? What lessons does this teach us? It teaches us that God can bless us even when we face great opposition.
God, in his grace, blesses his people despite the situation, despite their sins, and despite opposition.
How many churches have been built despite opposition from the government? How many Christian marriages have succeeded despite opposition from friends or relatives? How many missionaries have prospered despite local opposition? These are all examples of how God prospers and blesses his people despite opposition. The Christian life can be hard and certainly the enemy will oppose God’s blessings on your life. He will try and stop up the wells of God’s blessings but you just trust God, take your shovel and dig another well when you face opposition.
Country singer Paul Overstreet wrote a song about this story from Genesis 26, which contains an important lesson for us. In this song Isaac is renamed Ike. Listen to the lyrics:
Ike had a blessing from the Lord of the above,
gave him a beautiful woman to love,
a place to live, some land to farm,
two good legs and two good arms.
The Devil came sneaking around one night,
decided he would do a little evil to Ike.
figured he hit ole Ike where it hurts so he
filled up all Ike’s wells with dirt
Ike went out to get his morning drink,
got a dip full of dirt and his heart did sink
He knew it was the Devil so he said with a grin
God blessed me once, he can do it again
So when the rains don’t fall, and the crops all fail,
and the cow ain’t putting any milk in the pail,
don’t sit around waiting for a check in the mail,
just pick up your shovel and dig another well,
pick up your shovel and dig another well.
You are going to face repeated opposition to God’s blessings in your life. You have a choice when you do, you can sit around and moan about how unfair it all is and how life is ruined for you or you could pick up your shovel and did another well saying, "he blessed me once and he can do it again." Keep digging those wells because. . .
God, in his grace, blesses his people despite the situation, despite their sins, and despite opposition.
.
Read Verses 23-33
"He went up to Beersheba. . ." (vs. 23) All the afflictions and opposition of Isaac had actually been leading him deeper into the Promised Land, figuratively closer to God. It is the same with us. What looks like a tragedy is often the means God uses to bring us closer to himself. Isaac recognizes that God’s blessings were upon his life so he worship and thanks the Lord in verse 25. Even Isaac’s enemies had come to the point of recognizing that Isaac was a blessed man and that instead of opposing him, they had better come to terms with him, which they did in verses 26-32. Instead of holding a grudge, Isaac made peace and immediately after that God blessed him again with another well! (vs. 33)
Conclusion: Isaac was a man who experienced setbacks, opposition, moral failures, and difficult situations yet God still was able to bless him. The same is true for you and for me also.
1. God can bless us despite the situation.
2. God to bless us despite our sins.
3. God to bless us despite opposition.
Closing Prayer
