349 - God Promises to Be With You#
349 - God Promises to Be With You
(JP Text Group - Huang Jihong Compiled)
Genesis 26:19-25,
19 Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found a well of living water. 20 The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So Isaac named the well Esek (which means "contention") because they contended with him. 21 Then his servants dug another well, and they quarreled over that one too, so he named it Sitnah (which means "enmity"). 22 He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth (which means "broad space"), saying, "The Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
23 From there Isaac went up to Beersheba. 24 That night the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your descendants for my servant Abraham's sake."
25 So Isaac built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And his servants dug a well there.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! A new week of life has begun, and I believe that every time we come before you, you will provide for us. Through such words, let us also have a broad space, so that we can prosper in this land where we stand, just like Isaac. In the midst of difficulties, let us see that you are with us, for this is your promise to us. Please guide us during this time, so that we may all receive, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
Today's topic is: His Promise Will Be With You
When we are blessed, when we pray and God listens to us, it is easy to believe that God is with us, especially when our prayers are answered, when we are healed, or when many blessings come to us, we say God is truly good. However, when circumstances are unfavorable, in times of difficulty, people can easily become discouraged and disappointed. At this time, we need to hold on to God's promises and believe that He will surely guide and turn things around for us, because He has promised to be with us. This text gives us a very great insight.
The first point to share: Believe in God's promises and hold on to them, no matter the circumstances.
What is the background of this text? Genesis 26:1-3 has already told us:
1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.
3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father."
Why did God tell Isaac such things? It was not because Isaac was performing particularly well that God blessed him and made promises to him, but because God had a covenant with Abraham, which we call a promise. Because He had promised to bless Abraham's son, Isaac.
When circumstances arise, we must hold on to God's promises; the greater the challenge, the more we should cling to the promise and not give up.
Now the problem is that there is famine in the land, and Isaac went to Gerar. Gerar is in Philistine territory, and the king there is Abimelech. When he looked around, that place was not as good as he imagined, so he thought about going to Egypt. After all, Egypt has the Nile River; it is a civilized ancient country, just like we have the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. As long as it is in the river basin, it will not be too dry, or because of poor harvests. At that time, Isaac thought about going to Egypt, but God told him: "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you."
Now the problem is that the circumstances are severe, and God's word tells you not to go down to Egypt. The human thought is to go to Egypt, which seems to be the most direct and effective method. Just like when we encounter difficulties, we want to find someone to help solve the problem; that is the most direct method. What is God's way? He says, "Do not do that." Once God's word is given to us, how should we choose? God told Isaac not to go down to Egypt but to dwell in the land He indicated. "Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you." Can you believe this word?
This place now has famine, and in a land of famine, we might ask God: "If you don't let this land have famine, then I won't have to leave, right?" Just like many people say: "Lord, if you bless me, I won't have to struggle so much, right?" The question is, when will your hope in God's promise be revealed? It is when the environment is bad, when the problems are great, can you still hold on to God's promises and not give up? Even though it is like this, I still believe that God will bless me because you have spoken to me! You said I dwell in this place, and you will be with me and bless me.
This word is also for you. If you feel that your current problems and circumstances are overwhelming, I want to tell you that God says to you: "The land you are dwelling in now, God is with you, and He will bless you." This promise is still effective in your life. Why? It tells us that Isaac was blessed by God because God would give all these lands to him and his descendants. "I will perform the oath which I swore to your father Abraham." What basis do we have to believe that this promise is also for you? Because Jesus has a covenant with our Heavenly Father, established by His blood, and He also tells us that He will surely bless us.
God blesses us not because our behavior is good; He blesses us because we believe in Jesus, and we are in Christ. When you are in Christ, God is willing to bless you on earth, help you, and be with you. When this word came to Isaac, he had two choices: first, to believe in God's promises and hold on to them; second, to rely on himself, which is obviously to go to Egypt.
Believing in God? If you choose to live by faith in God, then start sowing in this place during a year of famine. This requires faith, everyone. If it hasn't rained for two or three years, everyone knows what the consequences of sowing seeds are; you might even lose the seeds. In such a situation, can you still sow? If the weather is good, like this year, anyone can easily sow; it doesn't require faith; it is too easy to see. But what if it is a year of drought and famine?
Let's see how Isaac chose. He chose to believe in God's word. I also hope you learn from Isaac to choose to believe in God's promises. Believing is not passive; it is actively believing. Isaac held on to the word that God spoke to him and stayed in this place, not going to Egypt. Let's see what happened next.
Genesis 26:12-14
12 Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. The Philistines envied him.
Why did God let him be here? If he had been in Egypt and had all this later, he might think it was his own effort, his own labor. But if he had a bountiful harvest in a land of famine, he could only give glory to God. Isaac began to sow in a land of famine, and that year he reaped a hundredfold.
If it were a year of good weather and he had a hundredfold harvest, you wouldn't thank God in the same way. But in a bad environment, overcoming the environment by relying on God's promises, the greater the environment, the more you overcome, the more grateful you are to God, and the more you feel that this God is reliable. It is very clear here that he had a hundredfold harvest because the Lord blessed him.
How is a hundredfold harvest calculated? It's simple. If you sow 100 pounds of grain, what is a hundredfold harvest? 10,000 pounds? That's not how it is calculated; it is one grain of wheat producing a hundredfold. You can calculate how many grains are in 100 pounds and know how much your harvest is. It is not that you have 100 pounds of wheat, and God gives you 10,000 pounds; what kind of hundredfold harvest is that? What God gives you is more, much more, Amen.
The Bible mentions thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold based on your seed, just like the five loaves and two fish; didn't God multiply them? Do you know how many times? At least 5,000 times, because there were 5,000 men at that time; at least 5,000 times, right? God multiplies in this way.
At the beginning of the new year, you wrote down your wishes and hopes; isn't that a seed? How many times do you expect? A hundredfold harvest, Amen. Start expecting from now on. Look, it says he began to sow; sowing means turning the soil over and then planting seeds. When the time came, he had a hundredfold harvest, and he became prosperous. Have you noticed that God placed him in this place to make him prosperous? No matter how prosperous he became, he knew it was God's blessing upon him. If he had prospered in Egypt, he would not have seen how great God's power was.
There is another thing: he became very prosperous day by day. This is Isaac believing in God's promises and holding on to them, continually using God's words to receive, Amen. It wasn't just one year; he became wealthy over many years, prospering day by day. Many Christians read this passage and always want to get rich overnight. What does the Bible say to these people?
In Proverbs 28:19-20:
19 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough! 20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
In recent years, the world's economic situation has not been very good, and many people have lost money in business. When economic benefits are poor, people always want to get rich overnight, and as a result, they often fall into traps set by others. You could say this is a year of famine, but in a year of famine, it has nothing to do with you; you just need to hold on to God's promises and sow, and you will have a hundredfold harvest.
If people are "smart," they might say, "I won't sow; if I sow, I might lose even the seeds, so I might as well save the seeds and eat a little." This is human wisdom. God's way for you is to sow the seeds, but don't think about getting rich quickly. Isaac prospered day by day; do you know what that means? It means gradually improving; this month's performance is better than last month's, and this year's harvest is better than last year's. Year after year, he became a wealthy man, Amen.
Verse 14 says he had flocks and herds and many servants. In a year of famine, to be able to buy cattle and sheep is probably the cheapest time, and to buy servants is also the cheapest time. If he were in Egypt, it would be quite expensive. God placed you here to show that using God's promises makes it easier to succeed and achieve unexpected results, Amen.
If everyone is poor and suffering, no one will envy you. If most people in the village are very poor, eating one meal and not knowing where the next meal will come from, no one will complain about anything. But if one family has food left over every day and wastes a lot, how will people view that family? Their money is also earned by themselves, but just because they are different from others, many people's evil thoughts are jealousy. Isn't that how the Philistines felt?
As we mentioned earlier, Isaac had flocks, herds, and many servants, and the Philistines envied him. Why do you say Isaac is doing well? Why envy others? You could join him and ask for help; he wouldn't refuse you. Isaac is such a good person. But they didn't do that; they envied him. This is human nature.
I shared with you last time that if others are not happy, don't blame yourself. Sometimes it is not your fault. Just like Isaac becoming prosperous, is it his fault? Others envy him and speak ill of him behind his back, thinking he shouldn't be prosperous and should be a little poorer; is that right? Is it our problem?
Many people have this wrong idea that Christians should not be prosperous, should not be successful, should be poor, and should be weak. Who told you that? If a certain pastor is very wealthy, people will say he must have done something improper, that he must have embezzled church money. If a brother or sister is very successful, they will say he must have done something immoral. Why do people envy others like this? From a positive perspective, it is God's blessing upon them.
If you don't have a jealous mindset and believe that God can give you, then hold on to God's promises and let God bless you, Hallelujah. Believe that God can bless you like this, Hallelujah. Just like Isaac's situation, it is not Isaac's fault; it is their problem. Don't feel guilty for being prosperous. This is what I want to tell you; there is really no need. But when you are prosperous, don't show off; if you boast, boast about God's grace upon you, Hallelujah.
The second point to share: Believe that God's promises will continually supply you.
When people envy someone else, they will definitely speak ill of him behind his back, slander him, or do some small actions. The problem is not with the person but with the one who envies him. Did Isaac prosper? Absolutely! Look at what the Philistines did. The Philistines represent the people of the world, while Isaac represents the children of God. When the children of God prosper and are blessed by God, the people of the world will not think well of you; they will envy you, and what will happen? Let's look at the conflict that arose.
Genesis 26:19-20
19 Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found a well of living water. 20 The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So Isaac named the well Esek (which means "contention") because they contended with him.
Brothers and sisters, do you know how blessed Isaac was by God? In a year of famine, he sowed seeds, and God gave him a hundredfold harvest; he wanted to dig a well, and as a result, he found water. Why do people argue over a well in this place? Moreover, Isaac found a well of living water. Even today, with such advanced technology, digging a well may not yield living water, right? Let alone in Israel, which is a desert area. Do you know how much it costs to dig a well and how many people and how long it takes? Digging down may not yield water. Isaac seems to be too lucky; he dug and found a well of living water. But those people couldn't stand it; if they had flocks, they needed a well; otherwise, the flocks couldn't survive, or they would have to go far away to let their flocks drink water.
Later in Genesis, it also mentions that Isaac married; didn't his old servant go that way? He sat by the well; people would definitely go there. If you are selling any products, go to Israel to find a well and sit there; people will definitely go there because water is too scarce in the desert. Now the herdsmen began to argue over the water issue.
I want to ask you a question: Is this well dug by Isaac? Is it Isaac's well? Did he do anything wrong? No. But when they came over, they said, "This water is ours." They didn't say, "This well is ours," but "This water is ours." Now it is a very obvious situation; what should Isaac do? He has two choices: first, to argue with them, fight them, destroy their sheep and their people, or be destroyed by them; the second method? Let it go.
In that era, the law was not as sound as it is today. It was about who had the stronger fist and who had the more advanced weapons; they were the kings. Moreover, you are still an outsider. The water is ours; although the well is yours, the water is ours. Isaac saw this situation and let them have it. Brothers and sisters, do you know that letting go of this well means giving away a lot of money, time, and energy? Can you be so generous?
Let's look at Genesis 26:21, Isaac's servants dug another well, and they quarreled over that one too, so he named it Sitnah (which means "enmity").
Last time it was just an argument; this time they treated him like an enemy. What should Isaac do? Brothers and sisters, it came again. Why can't someone else bully me? Is it because I am weak and incompetent? Because today is a legal society, you can take up legal weapons to fight against enemies; what should you do in that era?
If you do not understand God's provision and do not believe that God's grace will continually supply you, you will not get through this. Many people might get so angry they could die. How can you live like this? You let go of one well, and now you dug another one, spent so much time, and they say it is yours again; what should you do? Isaac's approach was to give it to them.
If you have a bad temper, you would not tolerate them anymore, and conflict would be inevitable. Don't forget that behind these people is a king named Abimelech; they might have connections and power, and they come to find trouble with you. What should you do? Isaac let them have this well again.
Let me give you a thought-provoking question: Why could Isaac be so magnanimous? The Bible does not mention that Isaac cursed the Philistines or swore to destroy them all; he just gave it to them again. How did Isaac do it?
Genesis 26:22, Isaac moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth (which means "broad space"), saying, "The Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
This is the real answer in Isaac's heart. Why could he be so magnanimous? He believed that God's grace would continually supply him. You dig a well, and others take it away; I give it to you. I give you both; my heart is not hurt, and I am not angry because he knows that the one who supplies him is greater. Isaac might have thought, "You may dig for a lifetime and not find a well of living water. I dig, and I find it for sure. Aren't you pitiful? I give it to you, even in a year of famine."
A person with such a demeanor must first have something. If you are left with only one well, and others want to take it away, you would fight to protect it. The problem is that Isaac's family was large, and he had a high God for his provision. Isaac was very certain that even if he gave it away, he would not go hungry, and his people would not starve. Losing this well is nothing, Amen.
If you can treat your business, your customers, your family, and friends this way, you will have many friends and many customers, and your business will grow bigger and bigger. They just want to take a little advantage of you; I give it to you. Why? Because my supply is greater.
In China, there is a very special existence called a hospitality family. In house churches, there is a hospitality family. Do you know what a hospitality family does? They take in outside preachers, providing them with food, drink, and accommodation, all for free. After they leave, they clean up and happily thank God. Do we think this is a loss? Because you do not expect to gain anything from them, every time you host, you supply, and you are not just hosting one; you will host many.
From a human perspective, no one would do this because it is a loss. But you will find that there are many such hospitality families in China, and none of them say, "I can't do this anymore; my family is poor and has nothing." God gives such blessings more and more, and do you know why? It is exactly the same principle.
In the past, there was a prophet named Elisha. At that time, Elisha was very famous and helped many people. The wife of a wealthy man saw that the prophet Elisha often passed by and felt he was having a hard time, so she told her servants to build a room for him. When the man of God passed by, he could go there to eat and rest before continuing his journey. She did not expect anything in return; she just felt he was too hard. Elisha would go up, and every time he would take a little nap there before continuing his work.
He asked the woman what she wanted, saying, "Tell me what you want, and I will speak to the king for you; he will surely agree." Does this prove that Elisha had this authority? He had this authority. What did the woman say? "I have no need." It seemed like a polite remark. But Elisha said very seriously, "This matter God will surely accomplish." The next year, she indeed had a son.
Brothers and sisters, what is the meaning of this story?
Many people always want to settle accounts with God. With God, we should not settle accounts. If you can learn not to settle accounts with God, just say, "Lord, I know you are the God who blesses me. I sow seeds to help my brothers and sisters, and I treat others with love, believing you will give me more because you are the God of continual supply."
If you have Isaac's attitude, rest assured, the third well will come out soon. He dug three wells, and each time he dug, there was living water. He always firmly believed in God's grace. This time they did not fight over it, and Isaac named that well Rehoboth, which means broad space.
What was he thinking? This is the land God wants me to dwell in. Isaac's heart had already thought that because they quarreled over the first two wells, that was not the place God wanted him to be. He gave that well to them and now wanted to continue moving to the place God wanted him to be, where God would let him prosper and flourish.
If you encounter people who plot against you, you can say, "I will give you a little kindness." You will definitely meet true friends whom God has prepared for you, co-workers, friends, and customers who are very like-minded with you; you will definitely encounter them. As long as you have Isaac's heart, God will surely prepare such people for you.
Isaac thought, "Now this is the broad land God has given me; we shall prosper in this place!" Isaac truly became more and more prosperous because Isaac's focus was never on gain or loss; he believed that God's supply was greater. If it were not for this reason, who would willingly give such good resources to their enemies? Because Isaac believed that God's grace was greater, he held on to God's promises, believing that you are with me; what else can we not do? Do you believe that God is with you?
Isaac moved to another place, to Beersheba. Let's look at the text, Genesis 26:23-25,
23 Isaac went up from there to Beersheba. 24 That night the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; do not be afraid! For I am with you and will bless you and multiply your descendants for my servant Abraham's sake."
25 So Isaac built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And his servants dug a well there.
It seems that our God has nothing else to say to Isaac except to repeat Himself. Didn't we just read this? It sounds familiar, right? We always want to grasp something new, to give me a little new revelation, to give me a sentence I have never heard before... Many believers also hope that the pulpit will always give them something they have never heard before, something fresh. But when you come here, you find it is not like that; many times I tell you things that are repeated, constantly reminding you.
God is such a God. Now He appears to Isaac again and says, "I am the God of your father Abraham; do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you." Didn't we just read this? Now God is saying this again, and "I will multiply your descendants for my servant Abraham's sake."
Isaac did not say, "Lord, can you change the words a bit?" He did not do that. He built an altar there, called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent. His servants dug a well there. Isn't that in line with the well?
Isaac is a person who understands how to seek God's will and live by holding on to God's promises. They did not quarrel over that well; it seems that God had not spoken to him yet, so he moved to another place. When he arrived at Beersheba, that day God began to appear to him. I also believe that many of you are here because God has prompted you and assured you, saying, "I want to give you a vision today, to let you know that it is I who brought you here." So don't run around now; isn't Isaac not running around anymore? So he did something that was not recorded before, which is that he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord.
Do you know what building an altar was for in the past? It was for offering sacrifices. What does offering sacrifices represent? It means he has a covenant with God. He is reminding God that you have a covenant with my father Abraham. Through this offering, I want to establish a covenant with you, Amen.
Now please remember, are the wishes you wrote down this year a covenant with God? "Lord, I have such a plan; please help me fulfill it." Isn't that a covenant? We tell God, and then God blesses us and helps us fulfill this wish. Isn't that a good thing?
Just like Isaac built an altar, began to call upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent, which represents that he wants to settle down in this place, Amen. To settle down in this place, there must be a well; there must be water; otherwise, how can he live there long-term? So they began to dig wells, and as a result, they found a well of living water. Today, there is a very important point here: God tells Isaac and repeatedly tells him: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you," Amen.
So no matter what kind of environment you are facing now, please remember this word: "Do not be afraid, for God is with you; He will bless you," Hallelujah. Because of Jesus, because Jesus on the cross completed all the work of redemption for you, God's grace is upon you. Because of this, He also tells you not to be afraid; He will be with you and bless you.
In fact, God knows what has happened to Isaac before. Isaac kept retreating. From the perspective of the world, after believing in the Lord, he looks so weak, being bullied by others, only knowing to retreat. Just like some people say, that group of Christians only knows how to pray, but they do not know that this is the most powerful weapon, Amen. The most powerful weapon, as recorded in the Old Testament, is that many times when they prayed, God began to go out and strike down the enemies. Isn't it stronger to go out and fight? Do not neglect prayer, Hallelujah.
When you know that God is with you, God's purpose is to let you call upon Him. Wherever you go, God stands by your side, but it seems that God is never there; then what is the meaning of Him being with you? You must remember that since God has a promise that He will be with you, it means He has never left you.
The other meaning of never leaving you is that when you are in a good mood or a bad mood, on the mountain or in the valley, you can talk to the one who is with you, rather than complain, "Lord, why have you left me again?" You forget that He has a promise—He will not forsake you; He is with you! Isaac also knew this. Even when enemies came to trouble him and wanted his well, his God was also with him. So he chose to avoid them; he gave it to them. In the end, the results were very surprising.
Let's look at Genesis 26:26-30
26 Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phicol, the commander of his army. 27 Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?" 28 They said, "We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord." 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
If you encounter such shameless enemies, how should you deal with them? Look at what they said; they came with the commander of the army! There must be soldiers behind them! They came over with the commander, his friend Ahuzzath, and many people came over, a king came over, and came over with a fierce attitude. After coming over, they spoke good words to you. Look at how they said it: "We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you." Is this true? How did he see it? He does not believe in God; how did he see it?
You know what makes enemies most afraid? It is not that you get up and punch them; that does not scare them. They might practice at home and find a way to defeat you. What makes your enemies most afraid? It is that you keep retreating. They want to take your things, and you give them to them. As a result, you not only do not suffer losses but gain even more. Your enemies want to take your customers; you give them to them, and they find that the more they take, the more they get. This is the most frightening thing for enemies.
Just like today, I want to tell you a spiritual matter. Do you know why the devil fears Jesus? Let me tell you a joke. From Genesis to Revelation, it is recorded that the devil is always looking for opportunities to eliminate Jesus and Christians, right? He always wants to disrupt their plans, destroy their harmony, and take away their blessings. This is what the devil does. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy; he does these things. In fact, he is really not as capable as humans; he cannot compete with Jesus.
In the past, he did not know who the woman's offspring was. He tried every means to find the woman's offspring, with one goal: to kill the woman's offspring. As long as he killed Him, he would no longer have power, and he would still be the king of this world. This was the devil's idea. Did God know about this idea?
God saw it clearly, so when the time came, when Jesus appeared, everyone knew that Jesus was the Son of God. The devil then knew, locked onto the target, and at all costs, he had to eliminate Him. He gathered those who could not be friends in the past, Herod, the chief priests, and the scribes, to come together to kill Jesus. What did he not expect? He thought that by killing Jesus, everything would end. What he did not expect was that killing Jesus was the beginning of his nightmare. Do you know why?
After Jesus was killed, the Spirit of Jesus, which is the Holy Spirit, was poured out and entered into all who believe in Jesus. In other words, from that moment on, all who believe in Jesus have the same power as Jesus. Killing one was like poking a hornet's nest; he thought it was just one hornet, but when he slapped it, all the hornets came out, and each one looked exactly the same. This is the most devastating thing for the devil.
So you can also command the devil to retreat in the name of the Lord Jesus and let him leave, right?! We also have authority. So I say the worst thing the devil did was to do this; he killed Jesus. This is what he wanted to do the most. Do you see that he cannot compete with God? This is what makes the devil collapse. When Jesus is mentioned, he becomes extremely afraid. Can you see this in the spiritual realm?
In daily life, when you believe that God's grace is abundant upon you and that there is a rich supply, you will not get angry with others, let alone your enemies. When others see that God's power in you is growing stronger and the fruits of the Holy Spirit are increasing, they will be very afraid. Through this, they can see that God's presence is with you. In fact, Isaac did nothing, right? He did not even preach the gospel to them, saying, "Okay, I will give you this well if you believe in God with me." They calmly left.
They came over to make a covenant with Isaac. They said, "Let us swear an oath between us, that you will not harm us." Did Isaac ever harm them? He just kept retreating. Why were they afraid that Isaac would harm them? If Isaac wanted to harm them, it would be very simple; he just needed to hold on to the promise God gave to his father Abraham. Do you remember what that promise was?
At that time, God told Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you!" It is very simple; you do not need to take action; you just need to step back and let God go ahead. Is that simple?
In fact, Abimelech must have experienced something; otherwise, he would not have come over so eagerly. But we do not know what he specifically experienced. In any case, God must have done something in him, so he came over. He felt that it would be easy for Isaac to harm him, right? So he said, "Let us make a covenant; you cannot harm me, just as I have not harmed you, and I have treated you well."
May I ask how Abimelech treated Isaac well? Can you encounter such shameless enemies? My treating you well means every time you dig a well, I say it is mine. I treat you well; I take your well and say it is mine. Is this treating you well? And sending you away in peace? Is that letting him go in peace?! That was being driven away. Didn't Isaac say earlier, "Since you hate me, you sent me away"? It is clear that it was not a very friendly way to let him go. They might have said very harsh words, but now they say, "I let you go in peace."
If you encounter such hypocritical people, should you still make a covenant with them? Should you still make a covenant with such shameless people? You are blessed by the Lord, which means Isaac only believed in God's promises. He retreated and then handed this matter over to God.
Although Isaac did not argue with people, it does not mean he did not tell this matter to our God. This is something everyone should not overlook. Do not say, "I know; from today on, if someone slaps me, I will pretend nothing happened and go home." What about the anger in your heart? You need to pray to God, Amen. Believe that God is with you; He blesses you. You say, "Lord, I was wronged today; you must have seen it. But I do not want to argue; please comfort me." Isaac must have had such prayers; otherwise, how could he not react when they took away the well he had worked hard to dig? He is not a robot.
Brothers and sisters, Isaac must have talked to God, and God must have done something behind the scenes. As a result, these people saw and were afraid, so they came to make a covenant with Isaac. I have been emphasizing one word: If you encounter such shameless people, what should you do? Look at how Isaac did it.
Verse 30, Isaac made them a feast.
We say Isaac's obedience is a bit excessive, right? They ate and drank. Brothers and sisters, the person I envy most in the Bible is Isaac. Throughout Isaac's life, he hardly encountered any major storms. Although we respect other spiritual giants, their lives are quite bumpy.
Many people are named David, but do you want to experience David's life? David was chased by the local king for many years and nearly lost his life many times. You name yourself David; do you really want to become David? You only think he became king, but even after he became king, he could not find peace. His son rose up against him, and the generals below did not obey him. Do you want to be like that?
For example, Paul. There are quite a few people named Paul, right? Do you want to become someone like Paul? Everyone, think about it. From the day Paul began to preach the gospel, he spent two-thirds of his life in prison. He went to many places to preach the gospel, and others stoned him to death and beat him. Do you want to become such a person? Do you want to take such a person as your example?
No more David; no more Paul; I want to be Isaac. Don't change so quickly. This is the person I envy. I carefully examined Isaac's life; he really did not have any major storms. But Isaac has one characteristic that others do not have: he believes in God's promises and holds on to God's promises. Moreover, Isaac represents obedience, to what extent? To the extent of seeming foolish.
When he was very young, under the guidance of his father Abraham, his father must have told him what kind of God this is, to believe in God's promises and hold on to God's promises. God said that He would bless those who bless you; He would curse those who curse you. So do not curse others, do not argue with others, etc. His father must have taught him these things.
When this child was in his teens, his father said, "Yesterday God spoke to me and told me to go to the mountain to offer a sacrifice. Come with me." This child said, "Okay, okay! Haven't we offered many cattle and sheep before? Let's go together." He was very happy to offer this sacrifice. He went with his father to Mount Moriah. When they got to the mountain, he carried the wood and placed it on the altar. He found something was missing and asked his father, "Father, look, the wood is ready, and the altar is set up. Where is the sacrifice?"
A teenager should have a sound mind; he is not a 5-year-old child. Abraham finally said what he had been unwilling to say: "Son, do you know? That day God said that the sacrifice is you. The burnt offering this time is you." This child, foolishly, said, "Okay, okay, come on, Father; I am very willing to be this sacrifice." Just like that.
Can you do that? To offer your life is a very difficult thing. Such a young child can have such a heart of obedience, but he truly believes in the God that his father Abraham spoke of. It is not just Abraham who has faith; you must let this son be willing. The sacrificial animals offered to God are all willingly given. Cattle and sheep are very obedient animals; if you offer a donkey on the altar, it will scream for three days and refuse to die. But cattle and sheep are different; they know they are going to be killed. At most, they might shed a few tears, but they will not struggle or resist. Isaac is such a representative, so he went up.
That was when he was very young, in his teens. When he grew up and encountered situations, he believed that God was the God who supplied him with abundant blessings. He said He would not leave me. Because just now, my God told me again that He would not forsake me and would bless me; He would be with me. He remembered the promises God made to him and held on to those promises. So when enemies came to find trouble with him, he gladly accepted.
He believed that you should reconcile with me because the God behind me is not someone you can provoke, Amen. So he said, "Come, I will prepare a feast for you." In fact, this is the feast of the victors. If you cannot prepare a feast for them, it means that the hatred is already in your heart. Now being able to prepare a feast for them proves that Isaac has none of those things in his heart.
Let's look at a passage from Romans 12:19-21,
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
In fact, what Paul said in this verse is what Isaac has already practiced, Amen. Isn't it quite wonderful, brothers and sisters? If we believe that God's promises are so abundant, you will not complain about others because of a little loss. You believe that God will give me more. Last year, many people failed in business and were deceived by others, and the money might never come back, leading to depression. This is not worth it, brothers and sisters. What I mean to say is that if you fail, look up to God this year, hold on to His promises, and live, knowing that God is with us; He will bless us, Amen. In the past, we might have relied on ourselves, but from now on, hold on to God's promises and live, knowing that He has not left you; He is with you.
What is the final outcome? Genesis 26:32-33
32 That day (which day? The day he invited Abimelech and his group to dinner) Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, "We have found water." 33 So he named the well Shebah; therefore, the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.
Do you think it is such a coincidence? He invited those people to dinner, and on that day, his servants told him, "We dug a well and found water." Do you know what Shebah means? This time Isaac named the well Shebah, which means "oath." He had just made a covenant with Abimelech, made an oath, and water came out; he named this well oath. In fact, he believed even more in the covenant he had with God, Amen.
Later, he became more and more prosperous, and there was a city nearby named Beersheba. Do you know who has the right to name a city? Only the lord of the city has that right. This proves that Isaac later became more and more prosperous in that place, and his family grew. He named that place Beersheba. Do you know what Beersheba means? It means "sevenfold oath." This is the meaning of Beersheba.
Isaac always believed that God wanted me to meet Him here, to hold on to His promises, to believe that He is with me, and to believe that He will bless me. God has an oath with me. At the same time, King Abimelech found me and made a covenant with me, and I have oaths with both God and man. One vertical and one horizontal represent a cross-shaped life.
I hope you remember: First, you have an oath and a covenant with God. When doing business, you have a covenant with people. This cross-shaped life will let you see God's abundant supply in your daily life, Hallelujah. Sevenfold oath; seven is a complete number. So Isaac always believed that God's oath to me is always effective; He is always with me, and He will bless me.
Let's look at a passage from God's promise to Jacob, Genesis 28:13-15,
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you."
Who is Jacob? Isaac's son. Have you noticed something? Isaac believed in the covenant God made with his father. God said to him, "I am the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac." Why did God say this? His grandfather Abraham was already gone. Why did God mention Abraham? He wanted to tell him, "I am the God of the dead and the living; I can bless them, and I can bless you too." Moreover, didn't He say something similar? "I am with you; wherever you go, I will keep you; I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you."
Brothers and sisters, have you noticed that our God keeps repeating the most important things to help us remember? We always forget too easily, especially when circumstances arise. When you have nothing, what you need is not money falling from the sky to hit you on the head, but God's promises. His promise is that He will never leave you; this is what you need. When God spoke to Jacob, at that time Jacob had nothing. That night he slept with a stone as his pillow in the wilderness. God did not say, "Come, let me turn this into a bed for you, and then I will talk to you." When he had nothing, God first gave him His promise: "Wherever you go, I will keep you."
I hope you brothers and sisters remember this: Wherever you go, He will be with you; He will keep you. He will fulfill one thing, which is that the words spoken by God and Jesus will be fulfilled in you. This is God's promise to you, so please hold on to this promise, Amen.
Finally, let's look at a passage from Matthew 28:18-20,
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Isn't this for you? This is God's promise to you. He also tells you that He will be with you until the end of the age. So what do you have to worry about? Even if you are in the low valleys of life, in the shadow of death, it doesn't matter; He is with you, and He will surely lead you out of this. Moreover, when God blesses you, it will surely be sevenfold blessings, seventyfold blessings, Amen.
It is complete blessings upon you. So please remember, during this week, keep thinking about the Bible and which people God said to them, "I will be with you; I will not forsake you; I will bless you." God has said this to many people. Today I want to give this promise to you; please hold on to it. This week, wherever you go, please believe that God is with you, Hallelujah. Do you know what the last chapter and the last verse of Revelation talks about? This is the conclusion of the Bible and a hope for all Christians. Let's read it together.
Revelation 22:21, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen!
May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you always!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for giving us such words. We are also blessed people, blessed like Isaac, because you are the God who has a covenant with us. Through the covenant established by Jesus on the cross, we have an eternal covenant with you. You also promise to be with me, to bless me, and to fulfill the promises spoken by Jesus. I also believe that no matter what circumstances I face, you have not forsaken me, nor have you left me alone.
Because Jesus was forsaken by you on the cross, that gives me a guarantee that I will never be abandoned by you. I believe in this promise of yours. Please let me experience such promises during this week. Thank you and praise you; all glory belongs to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray, Amen.