Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for Abraham to send away his sons? Modern day relations in the Middle East teach us how important that was; for these non-covenant sons, spread over the Middle East, are probably the ancestors of many of Israel’s most hateful enemies today.
In our politically correct culture, sending them away seems unacceptably harsh. God could have provided for Isaac’s wealth just as He did Abraham’s, and He in fact did (reference verses 26:12-14 and 28-29); so why did these sons need to go? The possession of the land was clearly intended for Isaac’s descendants, and no others. Isaac was not powerful enough in numbers to actually possess it in his lifetime, but Abraham didn’t want to risk Isaac’s full possession in the future by allowing his other sons to share in the possession of it now until Isaac’s descendants grew powerful enough to take full possession. Rather, he took clear action to make it understood that his other sons were not to share in the possession of it.
Abraham’s hard stand reminds me of Jesus’ teaching that anyone who doesn’t hate father, brothers, etc. isn’t fit for the kingdom of God. Abraham demonstrated that in his sending away his sons for the sake of the covenant (which of course delayed his own possession of the land). The translation of the word “hate” aside, God really does require at times that relationship with Him necessitates some difficult sacrifices for us. Of course Abraham didn’t hate his sons. His actions show how critical it was for the covenant to preserve Isaac’s interest in the land and terminate the interest of all other potential possessors. To fail to exclude the others would be to despise the covenant. What lessons does God have for your life in this example?
One lesson that occurs to me is that God’s covenant is not all-inclusive. While He loves all He has created, He doesn’t enjoy relationship with all. It is a privilege to enjoy relationship with God. Do we treasure it as it merits? This is a good reminder to thank God now for the privilege of having a relationship with Him.
The promises God made to Abraham were to be through Isaac, and Isaac’s wife, the wife God clearly intended for him and orchestrated the connection with so beautifully, was infertile. God was clearly in control of this matter, for all it took to correct it was Isaac’s praying for his wife. Would Isaac have prayed to God at all, if not for this very important need? God made the promises, but their fulfillment didn’t come automatically. What can this teach us about God’s promises to us? What application does this have for your life?
When the infertility problem was corrected, what followed was perpetual struggle in the family. The working out of God’s promises is not always smooth. If we expect it to be, we are deceived, and this gives the enemy an opportunity to discourage us.
Isaac’s relationship with Abimelech gives us an idea of what it meant that Isaac was a sojourner in the land, as opposed to a possessor. We, too, are sojourners in this world. Do we live as such, or are we striving to take possession, make ourselves comfortable and secure? The life of a sojourner is a life of faith in God’s provision and protection.
Until God appeared to Isaac at Beersheba, He was known to Isaac as “the God of your father Abraham.” After that, He was known personally to Isaac, so that in tomorrow’s reading when God introduces Himself to Jacob, He does so as “the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac.” Obviously, something happened at Beersheba to advance the relationship between God and Isaac; building the altar and calling on God’s name were not simply motions Isaac went through. We should all be able to testify about transformational Beershebas in our walks with God.