Like father, like son. Well, well, well!

Genesis 26

Like father, like son, Isaac repeated his father's sin.

But also like father, like son, Isaac followed YHWH, so God prospered him.

In addition to jealousy, perhaps remembering Isaac's deception, Abimelech and the people of Gerar got upset with him and chased him away.

Things did not stop there. They followed him futher away and stopped up his wells - first the well of Esek (Argument) and then the well of Sitnah (Opposition).

But YHWH continued to bless Isaac as he continued to follow Him, and eventually he found enough room at the well of Rehoboth (To Make Room). The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. God's blessing had extended beyond the range of the people of Gerar - it was too far for them to grab it or stop it up.

YHWH reaffirmed His blessing to Isaac just before Abimelech and his friend Ahuzzah and his general Phicol caught up with him.

In spite of the enmity between them, they could see YHWH was with him and had blessed him, so they wanted to make an oath of peace with Isaac.

And the next day they dug a new well and found water so he named that well Shibah (Oath). So the place is known as Beersheeba (Well of the Oath).

This also repeats what happened with his father Abraham, who had made a treaty with another king named Abimelech many years earlier near here as well and also called it Beersheba (Genesis 21:31).

So we see Isaac having repeated many things that Abraham did, both good and bad. As it said in verse 18, Isaac's people re-dug many wells Abraham's people had dug that the Philistines had stopped up, and called them by the same names as his father called them.

Does this mean we are doomed to repeat what our parents did?

No. God's grace lets us overcome what is bad with good. We can follow the examples of our parents for what is good, but ask God to overcome those that are bad.

We have a tendency to do what our parents had done, so we need to beware and be discerning as to what they had done whether good or bad. Let us ask God for wisdom in these things.

Father, thank You for my parents. Thank You for the good things they have done and the good examples they have given me. I pray for discernment regarding things that they did that are not according to Your will, that I might not repeat my parents' sins.

In Jesus' name, amen.