Famine in the Land

When a famine came to the land, the Lord appeared to Isaac. This is the first recorded divine revelation accorded Isaac. Several promises made earlier to Abraham were now repeated to Isaac (see chs. 12:3 15:5 22:17, 18). The obedience of the father is here given as the reason for the blessings that would come upon the son. It is also an implied promise that similar action on Isaac's part would bring similar results. James explains that Abraham's faith, for which he was rightly praised by Paul (Rom. 4:1—5), was perfected by his obedience (James 2:21—23). Neither trust nor obedience is complete without the other. Whenever God spoke, Abraham always obeyed without delay (Gen. 12:1—4 22:1—3).

While in Gerar, Isaac lies about Rebekah. As Abraham had declared his wife to be his sister (chs. 12:11, 12 20:2, 11), so also did Isaac but the manner in which God protected Rebekah was very different from that in which Sarah was preserved. No one so much as touched her. This experience and one other (ch. 25:28) are the only recorded instances in the life of Isaac of deviation from strict rectitude. Ashamed of his own conduct, Abraham may not have warned Isaac by a narration of his own failures in this respect. More likely, however, Abraham had told Isaac but, as so often happens, Isaac had to learn the lesson for himself through bitter experience. How often the sins of parents are perpetuated in their children! But hereditary weaknesses never free the children from personal accountability for their own mistakes. (see Eze. 18:20).

God abundantly blessed Isaac while in Gerar. Although the patriarchs lived, generally speaking, a seminomadic life, their habits differed considerably from those of present—day Bedouins. The latter neither till the land nor own great herds and flocks as the patriarchs did. Although the Gerar valley is exceptionally fertile, a hundredfold increase in the yield of grain is about the maximum for Palestine, where it is normally thirtyfold to fiftyfold (see Matt. 13:23). The special blessing of God rested upon Isaac.