Jo’s Place

Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander.  “Why have you come here?” Isaac asked. “You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.”  Abimelech and his advisers replied, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you.  So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you.  Let’s make a covenant.  Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you.  We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace.  And now look how the Lord has blessed you!”  So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together.  Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other.  Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace.  That very day Isaac’s servants came and told him about a new well they had dug.  “We’ve found water!” they exclai...

Isaac Deceives Abimelech A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time.  So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.  The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you.  Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.  I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father.  I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands.  And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.  I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.”  So Isaac stayed in Gerar.  When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.”  He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” ...

​ Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech …Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham.  “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said.  “Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants.  I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”  Abraham replied, “Yes, I swear to it!”  Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.  “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered.  “I have no idea who is responsible.  You have never complained about this before.”  Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.  But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves.  Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart ...

Abraham Deceives Abimelech Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar.  While living there as a foreigner, Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.”  So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.  But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”  But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?  Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’  I acted in complete innocence!  My hands are clean.”  In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent.  That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her.  Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet.  Then you ...