God's Promise to Isaac

Story: God’s promise to Isaac

Passage: Genesis 26:1-5

Characters: Isaac, God

Summary: There was another famine in the land. Isaac traveled to the land of the Philistines. God told him not to go to Egypt, but to travel in the land God would show him. If Isaac were to do that, God would bless him and establish the oath He gave Abraham. God told Isaac that he would bless Isaac because Abraham kept His commandments.

Notes: I find it interesting that this land had so many famines. Abraham and Isaac each knew that this was the land God was going to give them. I wonder what they thought when they saw the number of major famines in the land. Isaac followed in his father’s footsteps and traveled to Abimelech, king of the Philistines. He was apparently on his way to Egypt, which is also what Abraham did, when God stopped him. God made the same promise to Isaac which He had made to Abraham. When He made this promise, He gave a condition which had already been met and a condition which Isaac would need to meet. The condition which was met was that Abraham obeyed God’s voice and kept His charge, commandments, statutes, and laws. The condition Isaac would need to meet was to sojourn in the land. If Isaac would follow and obey God, God would keep His promise to Isaac. It is obvious that Isaac did not look at the famine as evidence of God not caring, but rather it was opportunity to follow God’s leading in his life.

Questions: Are God’s promises conditional? Why did God not want Isaac going to Egypt? How close was Isaac to God?

Lessons: When we obey God and walk in His spirit, God will bless us. When trials come, it is a chance for us to fully depend on God and follow Him wherever He leads us.