ISAAC MISREPRESENTS REBEKAH

The pressure of famine in Canaan forced Isaac with his family and flocks to migrate into the land of the Philistines, where he was exposed to personal danger, as his father had been on account of his wife‘s beauty; but through the seasonable interposition of Providence, he was preserved (Psalm 105:14, Psalm 105:15).

Genesis 26:6-11 KJV

[6] And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

[7] And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

[8] And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

[9] And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

[10] And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

[11] And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

Genesis 26:6 KJV

And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

  • Gerar is to the south.
  • Abraham and Isaac both lived in the southern part of that land.
  • Actually, Abraham had come into the land up north to Shechem, but he ended up living down in the southern part at Hebron, the “place of communion.”

Genesis 26:7 KJV

And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

  • Isaac is repeating the sin of his father.
  • God had warned him not to go to Egypt; so he didn’t go there but went to Gerar instead.
  • In Gerar he must have seen the men casting glances toward Rebekah; so he says to her, “You tell them that you’re my sister, not my wife.”
  • The difference between Abraham and Isaac is that Abraham told half a lie and Isaac told a whole lie. The one he is telling was cut out of the whole cloth.

Genesis 26:8 KJV

And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

  • I guess they were laughing and playing together.

Genesis 26:9 KJV

And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

 

 

 

Genesis 26:10 KJV

And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

  • Isaac had put these people in danger of committing a sin.

Then Abimelech went on to say—

Genesis 26:11 KJV

And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

  • Abimelech became a very good friend of Isaac’s.
  • Isaac had the respect of the community just as Abraham had had.
  • Both of them were outstanding men.

I mention that here because from the rest of the chapter we might not get the impression that Isaac is an outstanding man.

I hope that you have really enjoyed this post,

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