"Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 15 So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.
16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, "Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us." Genesis 26: 12-16
So Isaac did move away and set up his camp in a large valley. They dug several wells, searching for water, and every time the herdsman of that area would claim the new well as their own. Finally, they dug a well and were not contested.
"He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, "Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land."23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."
25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.
26 Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. 27 Isaac asked them, "Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?" Genesis 26: 22-27
Remember earlier that Abimelech and the Philistines asked Isaac to move away because he became too wealthy and powerful. After watching Isaac and seeing the Lord bless him over and over, I guess that Abimelech decided that Isaac might just be a good guy to have on his side.
"They answered, "We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, 'There ought to be a sworn agreement between us'-between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD."
30 Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace." Genesis 26:28-31
We see a lot in this chapter how God provided for Isaac. He told him where not to go, and several times The Lord reassured Isaac, saying that he would bless him and his descendants. That had to have been encouraging, not just for Isaac, but for his whole family, for his sons, his wife, and their entire household. And then to see that a great king was coming to ensure the peace between his nation and Isaac just reinforced the knowledge that Isaac was blessed.
The very last two verse made me chuckle at this chapter. For we see that even way back then, daughters-in-law provided grief for parents of a son.
"When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah." Genesis 26:34,35
I do wonder what they did to cause grief to Isaac and Rebekah. I imagine that the women, who were Hittite, had not been raised in the same manner as Isaac and Rebekah. Perhaps they didn't adhere to the same customs and rituals and that really bothered Isaac, and most likely bothered Rebekah the most. I wonder if perhaps Esau's wives were on the lazy side, not bothering to help with the cooking and tending of children and crops and such. Unfortunately for me, the Bible does not expand on that at all, but perhaps this would be encouraging to parents everywhere, to see that even Isaac and Rebekah faced the trials of daughters-in-law.
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