And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:
The verse describes Isaac advancing and increasing until he became very great, successful, exceedingly great, and very wealthy. This growth took place while he was living in the land of the Philistines after famine had carried him there, where he sowed in the land during the famine and the Lord blessed him there so that he prospered and continued to grow. The verse belongs to the account of God's providential dealings with Abraham's family as the chosen line through which the promised Seed would come, showing God's special providence over Isaac as one of the progenitors of the promised Seed.
The blessing that came upon Isaac came because Abraham obeyed God's laws, showing that Abraham's obedience brought blessing to his descendants. His prospering and increasing until he became exceedingly great illustrates the blessing and prosperity attending the covenant promise renewed to him. The chapter presents him as following in his father's way. His abundance followed his practical obedience to God's instruction in farming.
His increase came in consequence of yielding more than justice required in his differences with the Philistines, because he refused to contend for his rights and committed his cause to God, and God worked for him to make him prosper greatly. His prosperity was so evident that his neighbors and the ruler recognized God's presence and blessing with him, and his success stirred the envy of the Philistines. As the child of promise, his steady, continuous forward movement defines true growth as keeping going on the right track without stopping and starting, sinning and repenting, or rushing forward and then breaking down, giving every child of promise on the right track the pattern to keep going steadily onward.
The verse describes Isaac advancing and increasing until he became very great, successful, exceedingly great, and very wealthy. This growth took place while he was living in the land of the Philistines after famine had carried him there, where he sowed in the land during the famine and the Lord blessed him there so that he prospered and continued to grow. The verse belongs to the account of God's providential dealings with Abraham's family as the chosen line through which the promised Seed would come, showing God's special providence over Isaac as one of the progenitors of the promised Seed.
The blessing that came upon Isaac came because Abraham obeyed God's laws, showing that Abraham's obedience brought blessing to his descendants. His prospering and increasing until he became exceedingly great illustrates the blessing and prosperity attending the covenant promise renewed to him. The chapter presents him as following in his father's way. His abundance followed his practical obedience to God's instruction in farming.
His increase came in consequence of yielding more than justice required in his differences with the Philistines, because he refused to contend for his rights and committed his cause to God, and God worked for him to make him prosper greatly. His prosperity was so evident that his neighbors and the ruler recognized God's presence and blessing with him, and his success stirred the envy of the Philistines. As the child of promise, his steady, continuous forward movement defines true growth as keeping going on the right track without stopping and starting, sinning and repenting, or rushing forward and then breaking down, giving every child of promise on the right track the pattern to keep going steadily onward.