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Do you remember earlier, in the beginning of this chapter how Isaac went to Garer and lied about his wife to the local Philistines. He told them his wife Rebecca was his sister and when they discover she was his wife they immediately turned her back over to him. When they say we’ve done nothing but good to you, that’s what they’re referring to.  They said, look, we just want to make this peaceful situation permanent. 

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 went away peacefully.

(Genesis 26: 30-31)

They threw a feast and they eat and they drank and then they got up the next morning and they swore another oath with one another. Then they depart peacefully, which I think is a major part of this story: The story continues, 

“That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba”. 

(Genesis 26: 32-33)

They find water, the Lord is still blessing them and he called that place the Hebrew word for oath.  What’s going on in this passage is that it’s a renewal of the covenant they made with Abraham, ut it also serves as what we would today call a non-aggression pact. We’re going to live at peace, we’re not going to fight with each other anymore. 

A very interesting little story, I think the sum of it is simple. When Isaac was faced with opposition, he trusted the Lord and graciously dealt with his neighbours and consequently the Lord blessed him materially with prosperity and spiritually with peace, with his neighbours. 

I want to wrap this up by pointing out a couple of things. We have to look at a passage within the context of the book. If you look at this passage in the context of Genesis, one of the things you have to say is that this passage is teaching is that the Lord is faithful. This section of verses shows God’s faithfulness and his blessing to Isaac just as he had promised, which for him meant  bountiful harvests an increase in his flocks and herds and a life of peace. We saw God make a covenant with Abraham and now extend it to his son Isaac, just as he promised. That doesn’t mean Isaac didn’t have to respond to embrace and receive that promise, Isaac responded by exercising faith, and then the Lord blessed him. Somebody once said, he tried not to waver in his trust on God, and he quietly and resolutely went about the business, obtaining water for his flocks and his crops and God blessed him. All God’s people must maintain confident trust in God’s promise of provision in spite of hostility, or the envy of unbelievers around us. Sometimes the very blessing of God will provoke this hostility.

Some Bible experts have pointed out the similarities between Genesis 26 and Genesis 21 which they say shows a deliberate attempt by the writer to parallel Isaac with Abraham. This account of Isaacs dealing with the Philistines is very much walking in his father’s footsteps. He receives similar promises, faces similar tests, fails similarly, as his father did, but eventually triumphs in the same fashion. Indeed, in certain respects he has more of the promise revealed to him and he achieves more. He had been promised the lands way back in 26: 4, but by the end of this story, he is securely settled in Beersheba and has a treaty with the Philistines in which he is acknowledged as their superior.

If opposition should come to us as believers can take the lead from the example of Isaac on how-to live-in peace. The passage is clearly implying that by trusting in the Lord the result of that can be peace and  prosperity. Let me be very careful here, because this story also illustrates that you can please the Lord and yet still have enemies. When people live in a way that pleases the Lord, which includes pursuing peace, they may still have enemies, but the prince of peace may very well inspire your enemies to be at peace with you.  Somebody pointed out the proverbs 16:7 says this.

“When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
     he causes their enemies to make peace with them”.

(Proverbs 16: 7)

Now this is a proverb, it’s not a law. In other words, there are exceptions. A law doesn’t have exceptions. A proverb isn’t a law, so this may have an exception and the exception that is sometimes suggested is when facing persecution. You could be pursuing the Lord and serving him and be persecuted and your enemies will not be at peace with you. That would be an exception to the proverb, but the norm, what usually happens in is God turns enemies into friends.

When you respond properly and you’re trusting the Lord and treating people graciously, the Lord can turn enemies into friends. I have seen that happen so many times, a righteous life disarms opposition. It always takes two too fight. If you just lay down your hostility, and go serve the Lord, the result will usually be peace.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”.

(Romans 12: 8)

If you pursue peace, then the lord just might make someone who was once your enemy, your friend.