184
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
April 1932
LESSON Golden Text Illustrations B y A lan S. P earce
COMMENTARY Children’s Division In Holy Places B y H elen G ailey B y H erbert H. T ay
. Blackboard Outlines B y B essie B. B urch
Outline and Exposition B y B. B. S utcliffe
M AY 1, 1932 ISAA C A N D HIS WELLS G enesis 26:12-25
for possession o f them, and Isaac calmly let them take them, while he moved to another section o f the country and digged again. The first well he called “Esek,” or Contention, and the second “ Siynah,” or Enmity. The contention o f the world arises not so much from a desire to take possession o f that which belongs to an other as it does from the natural enmity against all that is o f or from God. Be cause of this, whatever thé Christian may do, he will find the world contending with him. Flocks and herds were the principle property in Isaac’s day. Inasmuch as they could not live without water, it was gen erally understood that the land on which they grazed belonged to whoever owned the wells, and these wells were in the land o f the Philistines. In His providential dealings in this matter, God was moving Isaac farther and farther from the Phil istines and nearer and nearer to Himself— and this is just what God desired to do. Isaac finally overcame the strife by sim ply giving up to the Philistines that which they desired to take. Here is an instance o f good overcoming evil, and o f yielded- ness triumphing over envy and strife. Is aac now calls his well “ Rehoboth,” mean ing Room. It is better to allow God to make room for one than to attempt to make room for oneself. God either makes room for us where we are, or He causes us to move from that place. He ordains that each move shall find us nearer to Himself. III.. T he R evelation for I saac (23-25). “ And the Lord appeared unto him.” There was no appearance o f the Lord to Isaac while Isaac was out o f his own place. There might be material good there, but there could not be the fellowship which God desired. “ And the Lord appeared unto him the same night." When Isaac reached the proper place, there was no waiting for the manifest presence of the Lord. It was as though God could not wait to appear to His own, when once His own was “at home,” that is, in Beersheba, for He ap peared “ the same night." The Lord proclaimed Himself “the God o f Abraham.” This speaks o f God’s re newal to Isaac o f His covenant with Abraham. He reassures Isaac’s heart, and inducts him, as it were, into his fa ther Abraham’s place. The thought is that from this time on, Isaac will stand on his own feet; he will use neither his father’s wells nor his father’s position ; he himself will be the head in whom the promises of God are centered. Isaac builded an altar. This was to be his own altar, not his father’s, although it was erected to the “ God o f Abraham.” The name speaks of intimate fellowship and friendship, unchanging purpose, and unalterable promise. The use of it gave public acknowledgment to the fact that the “ God o f Abraham” was from hence-
Golden T ext : “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1). Beersheba and Its Wells I T is not certain whether the Hebrew words from which the name o f the city o f Beersheba was derived mean “ Seven Wells,” or “Well o f the Oath.” Be that as it may, the region about the city is plentifully sprinkled with wells. In fact,
while His unseen dealings with His ser vants is quite another thing. It is no sure sign of the favor o f God when material possessions increase. However, we must remember that Isaac was diligent in his business, or the increase would not have come. The result o f his prosperity was the envy o f the Philistines, in whose land he dwelt. As long as Isaac stayed in the land of the Philistines and prospered, he could expect to meet their envy. Not only so, but his prosperity awakened the alarm o f Abim- elech, king o f the Philistines, who said, “ Go from u s; for thou art mightier than we.” This is the condition which we have today among the nations; the prosperity o f one country appears as a menace in the eyes of other countries. Isaac’s wells, which constituted the ground for dispute in today’s lesson, were really the wells of his father, Abraham. Isaac had nothing which was directly his own in this respect. He was attempting to use that which God had given to his father, not that which God was waiting to give to himself. He could have material blessing from the Lord without having the presence o f the Lord, but the presence could not be his outside his own land. The envy o f the Philistines led to the removal o f Isaac (v. 17). Isaac was essen tially a man o f peace; he would rather move than fight for his rights. This does not imply that wrong or corruption should be allowed to go unrebuked, for such things touch others; but anger, resent ment o f personal wrongs, bitter retaliation, or revengeful actions because of personal injury serve only as fire to kindle fire. W e cannot fight evil with evil, and expect good to come o f it. God gave material blessing to Isaac, because He knew that was the surest way to win Isaac wholly to Himself. God knows how to deal with us, each in his own peculiar way. II. T he P rovidence for I saac (18-22). A fter digging the wells that Abraham had used before him, and which the Phil istines had filled up, Isaac’s herdsmen be gan to use them. But the Philistines strove BLACKBOARD LESSON
the only possibility of human habitation in this district hangs upon the presence o f wells. To the south o f Beersheba, there are to be found ruins o f many ancient cities, each of which con sists o f a small group o f -stone huts gath
ered about a well. Just north of the pres ent site o f the city, there are quite ex tensive ruins. They stretch for about three miles over the rolling hills. Among the ruins are to be found the remains of seven wells. When one understands the climate and topography o f this region, he can easily see why Isaac chose to live there, and why he dug so many wells. In the Scriptures, the name o f Beersheba is often linked with that of Dan, as representing the extreme boundaries o f the Holy Land. Dan is nestled at the foot o f towering, snow- crowned Mount Hermon. This lofty peak is the southermost sentry o f the natural mountainous guardians o f the land from the north. Just north o f Beersheba, the rocky hill country o f Judaea ends. It gives way to the gently rolling plains of the South Country. The physical features of the hill country make possible the presence of many gushing springs o f crystal-clear water. In the region o f Beersheba there are no springs. The only source o f water supply is the wells. There is enough rain in this district to enable the grass to spring up and cover the rolling plains during the winter and spring. This offers excellent grazing land. Outline and Exposition I. T he B lessing for I saac (12-17). “ Isaac sowed . . , and received . . . an hundredfold . . and waxed great, . . . and grew until he became very great.” W e are perhaps amazed to read such a statement as this, after the shameful way in which Isaac had acted. But, as Dr. Thomas points out, God frequently allows one o f His servants to prosper materially, while He withholds spiritual blessing from him. The testimony which God bears to the world by means o f His providential dealings with His servants is one thing,
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