June 18, 2023
Reading: Genesis 21:22-34
Focus: Genesis 21:32-34 – After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Pilcol, the commander of his forces, returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.
Father God, Thank You for Your Word. Bring to our minds the places where we have met with You. Open our eyes and minds to Your teachings. In Jesus Name, Amen.
A few years after Abimelek had seen what the God of Abraham could do, he visited Abraham again. Abraham was living near the land of the Philistines and Abimelek wanted a treaty with him because he knew that God was with him. He had a healthy respect for Abraham’s God. Abimelek starts by trying to butter him up by pointing out how well Abraham had been treated in his kingdom. He wanted Abraham to swear before his God, that he would not deal falsely with him as he had done before Isaac was born. Abraham swore that he would not deal falsely with Abimelek. Seems to me that Abimelek wanted to stay on the good side of Abraham, because he knew what Abraham’s God could do. I wonder why he didn’t start to follow Abraham’s God.
During the conversation, Abraham told Abimelek of the well that he had dug which had been seized by Abimelek’s people. Water was precious to these people. Many times, tribes would fight battles to control wells. But Abimelek appears shocked that his people would do such a thing. It seems that Abimelek may not have been aware of the seizure of the well because he denied having heard anything about it. But he was anxious to correct the problem, so he proposed a treaty between the Philistines and Abraham’s people.
Abraham was willing and brought sheep and cattle to Abimelek and they made the treaty. Abraham separated 7 ewe lambs and Abimelek asked why. Abraham asked Abimelek to accept the ewe lambs as witness that he had dug the well instead of those who had claimed it. Abraham had pitched his tents about 25 miles from Gerar in Philistine territory and it looked as though he planned to stay awhile. So Abimelek was willing to keep the peace and had his people return the control of the well to Abraham.
The treaty was made and the well was returned to Abraham. In honor of the treaty, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree. This long-lived tree, with its hard wood, and thickly clustered evergreen leaves showed that Abraham intended to stay in the land of the Philistines and put down roots. Abraham built an altar there and called on the name of God. The place where this well is situated is called Beersheba and it is still there to this day. The name Beersheba means “well of the oath”. It can also mean “well of seven”. The Hebrew word for oath and seven are similar.
That well in Beersheba still exists to this day. Beersheba marked the southernmost boundary of cultivated land in Israel. The proverbial phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” is used nine times in the Old Testament to describe whole of the Promised Land. Dan being in the north, and Beersheba in the south. The distance from Dan to Beersheba is approximately 270 miles. Throughout the Old Testament, Beersheba is the site of many events, good and bad, and where people called on the Lord. At one period in Israel’s history, it was the site of idols and people were warned not to go to Beersheba.
We can have a place like Beersheba, either in our hearts or even a particular place special to your heart. It is the place where your burden of sin was lifted. It is a place where you can call on the Name of the Lord and He will be there. Where we can go for peace, for healing, for help or just to be with the Lord. Jesus had a place. It was in the mountains. There are a number of places in the Scripture where Jesus went into the mountains to be by Himself to pray. Our place can be ours alone or shared with others.
Our willingness to make peace is important. You can have issues with other people that can really get out of hand. Someone says something to you that infuriates you. Or you can aggravate someone by saying or doing something that really seems minor. The resulting hard feelings can cause issues in your home, in your church and even at work. These are things that we need to talk to God about, to find resolutions to and to make peace. It may take some give on your part. It may take some give on their part. But somehow peace needs to be reached and put the issues behind both of you. You may even have to apologize, even when you don’t feel it is your fault. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” You are a child of God. Be a peacemaker.
The place could be where God met you or where He rescued you. That place becomes a memorial to you. A place you can return to meet with Him again. The memory of that place will stay with you. My place is in a building that used to be a church. It is now a Jewish school. I got saved at the altar in that church. I had gone to a youth meeting with some new Christian friends I had met earlier in the day. They shared what had been going on in their lives, then gathered around the altar to pray. There was something different about these teenagers. I realized I wanted what they had. I wanted the same kind of relationship they had with Jesus.
Just before they ended the meeting, they asked if anyone had something specific to be prayed over. I stood and said, “I want what you have.” Mind you, I had grown up in the Church of the Nazarene. I knew what to say and how to act but I didn’t have that personal relationship with Jesus. I knelt at that altar, surrounded by Christian friends, and gave my life to Him that night. I can’t tell you how wonderful it felt. I knew without a doubt that I was saved. When I got home, my grandmother looked me in the face and said, “You did it!” She knew just by the look on my face. I drove by that place many times before I left my hometown, but I will always remember the place where I met Jesus.
Do you have a Beersheba?
Father God, thank You for meeting me at that altar so many years ago. Thank You for forgiving my sins and saving my soul. Help to always remember that place in that church and that place in my heart. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Food for Thought (remember these are for you to answer for yourself. You don’t have to share the answers with anyone.)
- What is your opinion of the reason Abimelek went to meet with Abraham again?
- Do you think Abimelek trusted Abraham? Or was he afraid of his God? Why?
- Why do you think Abraham decided to put down roots in Beersheba?
- Is there an event or place in your life where you met God?
- Why is it important to remember the times and places where God met us?
