Of the patriarchs in the Old Testament, Isaac, is undoubtedly the least written about or discussed. We all know of and preach about his father, the "Father of Faith" Abraham. We speak of Isaac's sons, Esau and Jacob. We sing songs about Isaac's twelve grandsons who make up the tribes of Israel. Yet we rarely speak of him. My brother shared something with me the other day and I wanted to share that message with my fellow brothers.
We know that Isaac was a peaceful man, for when his father agreed to sacrifice him to God, Isaac displayed no opposition. He was obviously old enough to understand what was about to happen to him (Genesis 22:); we can infer from the scriptures that he willingly laid himself on the altar and was prepared to die before God intervened.
In the referenced text, Isaac is a married adult and his father has died. Isaac faced the same enemy his father had previously faced – King Abimelech. Just as his father feared the king of the Philistines and lied about his relationship with his wife Sarah, Isaac told Abimelech that Rebekah was his sister as well. Thankfully, God protected Rebekah as He did Sarah. Isn't it amazing how many of us repeat the same mistakes as our parents?
Despite Isaac's lack of faith, God blessed him and soon he began to prosper, so much so that the Philistine ordered him and his now vast estate out of the country. The Middle East is known to be a dry climate. Add to this, the scriptures tell us that there was a drought as well. Isaac proceeds to dig a well for a source of water and life. What follows is absolutely amazing, unless you are familiar with the tactics of the devil.
The Bible says that every time Isaac dug a well, the Philistines would fill them with dirt, or close them. In short, they were cutting off Isaac's (and their own) lifeline. This happened on several occasions. The Word goes on to say, every time the Philistines filled in Isaac's wells, he did not fight them or strike back; he simply dug another well. After Isaac was told to leave the Philistines, the herdsman of Gerar did the same thing. In fact, on one occasion the Bible says that the well was springing up – as if to say it was a geyser. Yet, the enemies of Isaac filled it up. Because of his peaceful spirit, however, Isaac simply dug another well: he moved on.
The story ends in a peculiar, but thought provoking way. There was not some showdown. There wasn't a thunderous declaration from God. Fire and brimstone did not fall from heaven and burn up Isaac's enemies. The Philistines were not stricken with leprosy and have to ask Isaac to pray for their deliverance. According to the scripture, King Abimelech and his friends (all enemies of Isaac who assisted in covering the wells) noticed that as hard as they fought against Isaac, God continued to bless him. They noticed Isaac did not waste valuable time fighting them. Instead, Isaac focused on being productive and successful.
My brothers in Christ, has someone hurt you or disappointed you lately? Has someone fought against your success or have you failed at an attempt to be successful? Have one of your lifelong dreams seemed to have disappeared? Don't give up. Don't sit around waiting for someone to come back and apologize. Don't waste time and expend energy hoping or wishing something bad to happen to them. Don't ask God to teach them a lesson. Dig another well. Focus your attention and energy on doing what adds to your life and pleasing God. Dig another well.