REHOBOTH!

Genesis 26:1-25 TLB

Now a severe famine overshadowed the land, as had happened before, in Abraham's time, and so Isaac moved to the city of Gerar where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived. [2] Jehovah appeared to him there and told him, "Don't go to Egypt. [3] Do as I say and stay here in this land. If you do, I will be with you and bless you, and I will give all this land to you and to your descendants, just as I promised Abraham your father. [4] And I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars! And I will give them all of these lands; and they shall be a blessing to all the nations of the earth. [5] I will do this because Abraham obeyed my commandments and laws." [6] So Isaac stayed in Gerar. [7] And when the men there asked him about Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister!" For he feared for his life if he told them she was his wife; he was afraid they would kill him to get her, for she was very attractive. [8] But sometime later, King Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out of a window and saw Isaac and Rebekah making love. [9] Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, "She is your wife! Why did you say she is your sister?" "Because I was afraid I would be murdered," Isaac replied. "I thought someone would kill me to get her from me." [10] "How could you treat us this way?" Abimelech exclaimed. "Someone might carelessly have raped her, and we would be doomed." [11] Then Abimelech made a public proclamation: "Anyone harming this man or his wife shall die." [12] That year Isaac's crops were tremendous-100 times the grain he sowed. For Jehovah blessed him. [13] He was soon a man of great wealth and became richer and richer. [14] He had large flocks of sheep and goats, great herds of cattle, and many servants. And the Philistines became jealous of him. [15] So they filled up his wells with earth-all those dug by the servants of his father Abraham. [16] And King Abimelech asked Isaac to leave the country. "Go somewhere else," he said, "for you have become too rich and powerful for us." [17] So Isaac moved to Gerar Valley and lived there instead. [18] And Isaac redug the wells of his father Abraham, the ones the Philistines had filled after his father's death, and gave them the same names they had had before, when his father had named them. [19] His shepherds also dug a new well in Gerar Valley, and found a gushing underground spring. [20] Then the local shepherds came and claimed it. "This is our land and our well," they said, and argued over it with Isaac's herdsmen. So he named the well, "The Well of Argument!" [21] Isaac's men then dug another well, but again there was a fight over it. So he called it, "The Well of Anger." [22] Abandoning that one, he dug again, and the local residents finally left him alone. So he called it, "The Well of Room Enough for Us at Last!" "For now at last," he said, "the Lord has made room for us and we shall thrive." [23] When he went to Beer-sheba, [24] Jehovah appeared to him on the night of his arrival. "I am the God of Abraham your father," he said. "Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you, and will give you so many descendants that they will become a great nation-because of my promise to Abraham, who obeyed me." [25] Then Isaac built an altar and worshiped Jehovah; and he settled there, and his servants dug a well.

 

Promotion and increase are things everyone desires. However, they do not come from any earthly boss or source—they come from the Lord, according to Psalm 75:6. Promotion is the act of advancing, encouraging, or exalting in rank or honour; it also refers to the condition of advancement and increase.

When we labour, we expect an increase or expansion in our investments. In some cases, we may need to make room physically to accommodate our increase. Unfortunately, if we haven’t laboured in any way, the Lord will have nothing for us to make room for.

Rehoboth means “room for us” or, more appropriately, “room for me.” Praise God! Now, at last, the Lord has granted us ample space to increase—in the nations where we live, in business, in our careers, in our homes, and in our families. Whatever situations we’ve been contending with, God is still able to make room for us.

We know the story of Isaac’s well-digging and the contentions over the wells. Many of us face contention over things that are meant for us or things we have worked for. Like Isaac, some people give up in the face of such opposition.

But we should never give up on what we desire when faced with challenges and difficulties—no matter what they may be. Although God has made room for us, we still need to take authority and possess our inheritance, according to Psalm 37:29.

Our response to contention, like Isaac’s, should be to walk away rather than argue. It is said, “He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day.” It may seem cowardly, but from the story, we know there was a famine in the land. Water was scarce and precious, yet Isaac walked in obedience to God and in righteousness. He followed the divine command not to change location but to dig wells to supply water for his recently planted seed. Whenever he found that his work was likely to be a subject of strife and contention, he gave way and chose to suffer wrong rather than have his peace of mind disturbed.

There is one lesson Isaac learned that we all need to understand: God is the one who makes us fruitful. We don’t become successfully fruitful by our own abilities or strength.

We see in verse 20 “Esek” [contention] because they quarrelled with him. Who and what is contending with you over what? It doesn’t matter who because as seen in verse 22, God will make room - Rehoboth [room] for you, and you shall be fruitful in the land.

Are you trying or looking for room for more? God can make room for you in any area if you’ll just trust Him to handle things His way. Maybe you feel you’ve been passed over for promotion repeatedly and are ready to fight for what you believe you deserve or have worked for. Take a moment and consider how much better and bigger the Lord can make room for you—without the physical, mental, and emotional toll of fighting for yourself.

Remember Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God has given you the best of the land with room to grow, according to Genesis 47:6. Dig those wells, and do not let anyone or anything make you give them up.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

-       Have you experienced contention over something you believed was rightfully yours? How did you respond?

-       Are you trusting God to make room for you, or are you trying to force things to happen in your own strength?

-       Have you ever walked away from a situation to preserve your peace? What was the outcome?

-       What practical steps can you take to “possess your inheritance” as mentioned in Psalm 37:29?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for being the God who makes room for us. Just as You did for Isaac, you are still making space for Your children to flourish—in our homes, our ministries, our careers, and our hearts. We acknowledge that promotion and increase come not from man, but from You alone, our Source and Sustainer. Make room for us in the land, nations, and every sphere You’ve called us to, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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