Dig Deep Into the Well by Brother Curtis Hansen

         Good morning. The scripture we are going to be reading from is in the book of Genesis. We will be reading chapter 26 and beginning in verse 1. As a means of setting before we begin reading, the previous chapter, 25, told the story of Esau and Jacob's birth and ending with Esau giving away his birthright for a bowl of pottage.

        And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Issac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

        2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of;

        Issac was told not to go to Egypt like his father Abraham did. When there's a famine in your life, you often return to the rut system you established for yourself. If something you did worked before, you will try it again.

        3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father.

        This is the command to Issac. This is the promise given. Often times we chase the promise and not hear the command.

        4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

        5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

        We are now getting to the why of the promise. It was because of Abraham obeyed God through his rules, commandments, instructions, and principles. There was no law established until the time of Moses.

        6 And Issac dwelt in Gerar:

        7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

        Verse 7 is a repeat of what Abraham did when he journeyed to Egypt earlier in Genesis. It's interesting how the same things repeat in human nature.

        8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out a window, and saw, and, behold, Issac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

        9 And Abimelech called Issac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Issac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

        The problem is the love and commitment. Issac develops the promise through his line. God does not bless disobedience.

        10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

        Notice that Abimelech has wisdom in this situation. It's almost as if the right lesson had been passed down.

        11 And Abimelech charged all his people saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

        12 Then Issac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

        The problem for Issac wasn't the deception, it was that he didn't uphold the covenant of his marriage with Rebekah yet in sowing in the land of Gerar, he received a hundredfold a year. Issac thrived in this famine.

        13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great.

        14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philstines envied him.

        15 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.

        16 And Abimelech said unto Issac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

        The king went to Issac and told him to leave because his blessing caused tension and jealousy among the Philistines.

        17 And Issac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

        18 And Issac 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.

        Issac finds himself in a season of tension and transition. What's his goal? He was seeking to find water. He went to the land where Abraham had dug wells. Each well dug represents faith, perseverance, and spiritual renewal. God doesn't want us to reinvent the wheel every time.

        To dig deeper in your spirit life isn't just squeezing your eyes tighter when you pray. It's beginning to fast from things while also praying.

        There's a faith to go back to the old wells to dig in verses 17 and 18. There's time to reclaim old ground. These ways and processes were already established. God wants us to dig again into what works. He's not wanting a new thing. We can either go with God's truth or our truth. Issac went back in transition because it was what worked in the past.Promises say where the water is but it's action that digs with a shovel. The process brings you to the promise.

        Let's talk about holiness. How can you provoke holiness? You can have an outward appearance as an image of holiness. It's important to note the reason for action. If it's for God, it's good. If it's for others, it's wrong.

        The Philistines had stopped up the wells. The enemy can clog up your well, but, he can't cut off the water.

        Now let's look at verses 19 to 22 to see persistence in digging.

        19 And Issac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

        20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Issac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; becuase they strove with him.

        21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

        22 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 chall be fruitful in the land.

        We can always go to fighting, but God often ahs a better way. The first well was named Esek which is translated to contention. Issac was in a phase of searching. He found a 2nd well named Sitnah which is translated as hostility. The 3rd well was named Rehoboth, and that is translated as room for us.

        Every well dug brought opposition, but Issac has a persistent faith to keep digging and trust God's process. We all face seasons of hostility and drought but God wants us to be persistent in our faith.

        Our last section is on the reward of God's process. We will begin reading in verse 23.

        23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.

        24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

        Issac had dug the wells, endured the opposition, and settled in peace. This is Issac's journey and not yours. Your journey will be completely different from this.

        25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Issac's servants digged a well.

        If you are digging and enduring, you will find peace. Digging wells is worship. The work isn't the curse, it's the minor irritations or inconveniences. God is calling you to work. The enduring part of the work is key. You can't control the famine, but you can act on the dig. You can't stop contention, but you can move. Go back to the basics. God's well and promises won't ever run dry. Sometimes we just need to uncover it.