Among the Philistines

Genesis 26:12-23

Abimelech had allowed Abraham to stay in the Philistine land, under his protection. As Abraham grew stronge, in Genesis 21, Abimelech had made a covenant or agreement with Abraham, that they would never attack and try to destroy the others people. When Isaac came to Gerar, he honored his agreement, allowing him to stay.

“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.” (Genesis 26:12-15)

Isaac planted fields that produced a hundred times what he planted in Gerar, enabling him to keep far greater herds with a n increasing family of employees to care for them. After a while the Philistines started getting upset because he was doing so much better than they were.

Cattle cannot profitably graze areas more than about four to five miles from a source of water, because they use all their energy getting a drink over longer distances, and they do better if it is closer. Abraham had dug wells throughout the area to make all the grass usable. Like many environmental groups today, the Philistines viewed the wells as unnatural and refilled them, making much of their rangeland unusable and causing competition for the grass with Isaac’s herds. It is very much the same scenario we see being played out between ranchers and farmers and environmental groups today.

“And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.” (Genesis 26:16-18)

Just as competition had forced Abraham and Lot to separate in order eighty years before, the competition for feed forced Abimelech to ash Abraham to move out of their grazing area because his requirements were even more than theirs, and if it resulted in conflict they feared the outcome. Isaac then moved farther out into the valley where the wells had been stopped up and reopened them, so he could use the grass in those areas.

“And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” (Genesis 26:20-22)

When Isaac made it feasible to use other areas, some of the Philistine herdsmen were jealous and claiming that the land and water belonged to them by right of prior occupation demanded it, even though they had not wanted it before. Isaac relinquished the well and area and moved farther , digging a well at Sitnah, where the same thing was repeated, Finally, going still farther out, he dug a well at Rehoboth that they didn’t take from him. It was far enough from the Philistines and other settlements that Isaac and his herds could be undisturbed.

Had Isaac chosen to fight over the wells, it is probable he could have held them, as Abimelech believed that Isaac’s band was stronger than the Philistine forces. Instead he had yielded in an effort to keep the peace. Clearly peace was more important than having his way. Fighting would have turned the jealousy to hatred he would have had to live with for the rest of his life. It is exactly what Ecclesiastes 10:4 advises. “If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.” Not rushing to protect our interests, even when we are treated unfairly, can prevent a lifetime of conflict. I Peter 2:19-20 states, “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” That doesn’t mean we should never stand up for ourselves, but that we should not be constantly on the defensive. As Christians, the best defense is not a good offense.