And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
The verse belongs to the famine that carried Isaac into the land of the Philistines, where God blessed him abundantly, and it stands within God's providential dealings with the family of Abraham as the chosen progenitor of the Seed. It is part of the story of God's dealing with the Seed, showing His special providence over Isaac as one of the progenitors of the promised Seed.
When Abimelech told him to leave because he had become mightier than the Philistines, Isaac departed from Gerar, where Abimelech lived, and encamped and dwelt in the valley of Gerar. He did not go far away but settled nearby, in the district his father had occupied.
Though more powerful than the Philistines, he revealed a meek, yielding disposition by not using his power or fighting for his place. He willingly yielded more than justice required, giving up his position and material advantage even at apparent loss and inconvenience. He withdrew rather than contending for his rights, committing his cause to God.
That withdrawal for the sake of peace was an act of peacemaking by a believer in God's promises and a type of Christ. His refusal to strive was the same as his submission as a lamb when to be offered in sacrifice.
This meekness marks the character of the heir of the covenant and son of promise after Abraham's death, in contrast to Ishmael, who would have striven for his rights. The verse thus presses the choice of which of Abraham's two sons and which of the two covenants a person belongs to.
God worked for Isaac as he settled in the valley, rewarding and encouraging his yielding with blessing following in consequence. That reward included peace with his enemies.
The verse belongs to the famine that carried Isaac into the land of the Philistines, where God blessed him abundantly, and it stands within God's providential dealings with the family of Abraham as the chosen progenitor of the Seed. It is part of the story of God's dealing with the Seed, showing His special providence over Isaac as one of the progenitors of the promised Seed.
When Abimelech told him to leave because he had become mightier than the Philistines, Isaac departed from Gerar, where Abimelech lived, and encamped and dwelt in the valley of Gerar. He did not go far away but settled nearby, in the district his father had occupied.
Though more powerful than the Philistines, he revealed a meek, yielding disposition by not using his power or fighting for his place. He willingly yielded more than justice required, giving up his position and material advantage even at apparent loss and inconvenience. He withdrew rather than contending for his rights, committing his cause to God.
That withdrawal for the sake of peace was an act of peacemaking by a believer in God's promises and a type of Christ. His refusal to strive was the same as his submission as a lamb when to be offered in sacrifice.
This meekness marks the character of the heir of the covenant and son of promise after Abraham's death, in contrast to Ishmael, who would have striven for his rights. The verse thus presses the choice of which of Abraham's two sons and which of the two covenants a person belongs to.
God worked for Isaac as he settled in the valley, rewarding and encouraging his yielding with blessing following in consequence. That reward included peace with his enemies.