Bible Discussion Thread

God told Isaac to stay put in the land promised to his father. It was time for the people God was setting apart to no longer be sojourners in the land, but to possess it. So, Isaac dwelt in Gerar, which is near Gaza. Interesting how this is land that is being disputed in Israel to day between the Palestinians and the Jews. God told Isaac that his descendants were given all of the lands surrounding Gerar. Isaac and Rebekah must not have lived there before because the men of the place began asking about Rebekah. If they lived there and were known by the people of the area, the men would have known that she was Isaac's wife. Like his father, Isaac says that Rebekah is her sister. When Abraham said this, Sarah actually was his sister, but here, Rebekah is a cousin, not a sister. This was an outright lie, not an omission of further information about their relationship. Like his father, by saying that his wife was his sister would provide safety for Isaac from the men and the king, who he thought might kill him. Like his father, he wanted to protect the family line of promise. This probably showed a weakness in believing that God would protect him due to the promise and oath of God. Like his father, Abraham was uncertain. Interesting that Abraham could believe that God could raise Isaac from the dead if he slayed him as god commanded, he did not trust the people around him, thinking they were ungodly. Same with Isaac. But both men found out that these people had some integrity and perhaps some respect for God.

After a long time, the king oversaw Isaac and Rebekah sharing affection that could only be interpreted as what would occur between spouses. Isaac and Rebekah probably thought they were alone and not aware that the king could view them from his window. The king summoned Isaac and called him out on his deception, which elicited Isaac's response of his concern for his life being taken on account of Rebekah's beauty. Abimelech must have been very angry.

Just a quick comment on 'Rebekah being called Isaac's sister; I'm reminded of an oft expressed phrase in eastern culture, when a man you're speaking with introduces you to his brother who has just joined him. Ordinarily, the western mind safely concludes that the visitor is an actual brother. But in very close relationships, a cousin is considered a brother in the broader sense, so in their mind they have not misled you. Knowing this, I then might question him of the actual relationship, to which he sheepishly agrees that he is actually a cousin.

I wonder if the same 'deception' is used here as Abraham did with Sarah. Their action may not be commendable yet respected because of the acceptability of stretching the word . Therefore, this ambiguity was used to their advantage, guaranteeing preservation of their lives. Just a thought, though might not be so in this instance.

Thanks, I do think they used familial terms loosely. God did not punish Isaac for what he said. To us, it seems like deception, but seeing that God blessed Isaac greatly, the people around were not willing to "mess" with him by violating Rebekah.