0962. 941. Wells

941. Wells

A Study in Genesis 26

Primarily a well is a pit in the ground into which a water-spring wells up. In a metaphorical sense a well is used in many ways, such as a well of learning, and a well of everlasting life.

I. Well of Promise—Gen_26:1-6, Gen_26:24. When the Lord appeared to Isaac He forbade him, on the one hand, to go down to Egypt, and also told him to sojourn in the land in which he was found. It was a time of famine in the land, and his natural inclination was to go to Egypt for help, as his father Abraham had done—Gen_12:10. And then the Lord follows up His prohibition by giving Isaac a series of “I wills” of promise. These promises may be read in the light of the larger blessing of the New Testament.

1. The “I will” of presence. “I will be with thee” (Mat_28:20).

2. The “I will” of blessing. “And will bless thee” (Joh_14:18).

3. The “I will” of gift. “I will give” (Joh_14:27).

4. The “I will” of performance. “I will perform” (Joh_14:13).

5. The “I will” of multiplication. “I will make thy seed to multiply” (Joh_15:5).

6. The “I will” of continuance. “Will give unto thy seed” (Act_2:39).

7. The, “I will” of reason. “Will bless thee… for My servant Abraham’s sake” (Joh_14:14).

All these promises were given to Isaac for Abraham’s sake; ours are given to us for Jesus’ sake.

II. Well of Prosperity—Gen_26:12-16. The Lord’s blessing is seen in that the tilled land of Isaac brought forth a “hundredfold,” in that he “waxed great,” in that he “went forward,” in that he “grew until he became very great,” in that he possessed flocks and herds, in that he had a “great store of servants,” in that his prosperity was “envied,” and in that Abimelech recognised he was “mightier than” the Philistines. When we serve the Lord by our obedience we always command His blessing.

III. Wells of Recovery—Gen_26:17, Gen_26:18. The wells that Abraham made were choked by the wanton act of the Philistines; Isaac repaired them. This action may be taken to illustrate that when it is possible to recover what has been fouled by sinners we should do so. Sinners will often foul the wells of thought by contaminating literature. Happy are we if we shall restore our minds by the well-springs of God’s Word.

IV. Well of Contention—Gen_26:19, Gen_26:20. Isaac’s servants found a “well of living water” (Gen_26:19, margin). This provoked opposition from “the herdsmen of Gerar,” hence the well was named Esek, which means contention—20, margin. We shall often find that when by our patient labour we obtain something, others will be jealous of our obtainment. A strong character will not dispute about his rights, he will give them up rather than contend for them.

V. Well of Hatred—Gen_26:21, Gen_26:22. Isaac’s men “digged another well.” This provoked opposition again, and Isaac called the name of it Sitnah (margin, hatred). Opposition pursued develops into hatred, but Isaac, in the calm of his surrendered rights, moved on and digged another well. When we are removed from the sphere of those who hate us it is impossible for them to find us.

VI. Well of Rehoboth—Gen_26:22. Rehoboth means room (margin). Contention now ceases, and Isaac recognises “the Lord hath made room for us.” We shall always find that anything we give up for the Lord always leads to compensation from Him.

VII. Well of Communion—Gen_26:25, Gen_26:32, Gen_26:33. Isaac had moved on to Beersheba. Beersheba means the well of the oath—Gen_26:33, margin; and the reason why it is so called is evident from Gen_26:24, where the Lord assures Isaac He will bless him for Abraham’s sake. Believers now are assured by God’s Word and oath that He will surely bless us in Christ, who is our great High Priest—Heb_6:13-20.

An old man, in speaking to his sons on his deathbed, said to them: “I am leaving you a fortune, but you will have to dig for it.” Practically, he left his sons no fortune, but the good advice that if they wanted to succeed in life they would have to dig by constant perseverance into the earth of their surroundings and acquire things by diligent labour which would prove a source of sustenance in the after days. The great lesson of the lesson is, press on in the quest of life and do not be discouraged by opposition.

By: DR. F. E. MARSH