This chapter tells of a new famine in the area where Isaac was living, between Beer-Sheba and Gerar in the Negev. appears and speaks to Isaac. It is not known if He has done so before or if this is the first time. Abraham has died, but it is very likely that he had shared with Isaac the great promises and covenant that God had made with him and his descendants. Isaac knew the promises would continue through himself.
The famine is at least 100 years after the last one when Abraham went to Egypt for relief from the famine. Isaac goes to see King Abimelech, (probably not the one Abraham went to see). The name, Abimelech may have been used as a title. It means, "My father is king." This may be a descendant of the Abimelech Abraham visited 75+ years before. It is interesting that the verse says that Abimelech was the king of the Philistines. Some archeological evidence suggest that that the Philistines came from the area of the Aegean Sea around 1300 B.C. This event happened centuries before 1300 B.C. In Abraham's encounter with King Abimelech , the text said the area was inhabited by Hittites. So, it was probably the same in Isaac's encounter. It seems that along the way, God appears to Isaac, telling him not to go down to Egypt, like his father did in the last famine, but, instead, to dwell in this land. God promises to be with Isaac and to bless him because Isaac and his descendants are to have all these lands. God promises to perform the same oath that He swore to Abraham and the same promise. This is due to Abraham's obedience to God, keeping His charge, His commandments, my statures, and God's laws. We have not an account of when God proscibed these mentioned, but evidently, God had instructed Abraham about how he shall live before God and worship Him, but the overarching obedience of Abraham was that he lived by faith in God. I wonder if these are the commandments given to Noah after the flood, along with circumcision.
This chapter tells of a new famine in the area where Isaac was living, between Beer-Sheba and Gerar in the Negev. appears and speaks to Isaac. It is not known if He has done so before or if this is the first time. Abraham has died, but it is very likely that he had shared with Isaac the great promises and covenant that God had made with him and his descendants. Isaac knew the promises would continue through himself.
The famine is at least 100 years after the last one when Abraham went to Egypt for relief from the famine. Isaac goes to see King Abimelech, (probably not the one Abraham went to see). The name, Abimelech may have been used as a title. It means, "My father is king." This may be a descendant of the Abimelech Abraham visited 75+ years before. It is interesting that the verse says that Abimelech was the king of the Philistines. Some archeological evidence suggest that that the Philistines came from the area of the Aegean Sea around 1300 B.C. This event happened centuries before 1300 B.C. In Abraham's encounter with King Abimelech , the text said the area was inhabited by Hittites. So, it was probably the same in Isaac's encounter. It seems that along the way, God appears to Isaac, telling him not to go down to Egypt, like his father did in the last famine, but, instead, to dwell in this land. God promises to be with Isaac and to bless him because Isaac and his descendants are to have all these lands. God promises to perform the same oath that He swore to Abraham and the same promise. This is due to Abraham's obedience to God, keeping His charge, His commandments, my statures, and God's laws. We have not an account of when God proscibed these mentioned, but evidently, God had instructed Abraham about how he shall live before God and worship Him, but the overarching obedience of Abraham was that he lived by faith in God. I wonder if these are the commandments given to Noah after the flood, along with circumcision.
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