Genesis 26
1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed MY voice, and kept MY charge, MY commandments, MY statutes, and MY laws.
6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed MY voice, and kept MY charge, MY commandments, MY statutes, and MY laws.
6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
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Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do HIS commandments: HIS praise endureth for ever.
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I learned a "fear of the Lord" by all these examples in Genesis and Exodus.
A fear of the Lord means ... you know you must obey God for if you go against what God tells you will bring ruin upon yourself.
Example: In 1982, God gave me a dream showing me I was in great danger if I continued to go out among the radio audiences as I had done in cities across the USA. At the end of that dream, I heard these words, "Don't go until you see Exodus 15."
Immediately, I cancelled all meetings and planned to remain at my apartment in Dallas.
One woman who was in our church group and is no longer in our church group said to me, "Joan ... you can't do this. You have to go out. If you go out they will give money. If you don't go out they will not give money."
I replied, "God told me don't go ... and I'm not going."
I never went out again. God had another plan for me and I could do that assignment without leaving my bedroom. (blog, books, podcasts) I had to wait a few years but by 2012 these works were beginning. Until then, I sent writings by US mail to those who remained from the radio audience. And I recorded cassette tapes and sent to them and terminated the radio work completely in 1984.
Since the blog began in 2012, one-million seven hundred thousand people all over this world have downloaded our blog. Jesus Ministries Exhortations. And we have published over 17,000 writings exhorting the church in the word and ways of God. It costs us no money to publish the writings on the blog.
(God gave me a dream showing me the blog is a "little voice" ... but it is a "nice little voice." Yes, it is.)
I'm 87 years old now. I can write and record and publish ... but not travel.
God was planning my way when HE added these things and removed me from travel. Also I think travel would have shortened my years on this earth. I was young when the years of travel were removed from me and I didn't like staying at home ... but I did what God said and now I'm very glad, and live a peaceful and happy life.
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Genesis 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.
At first, the herdsmen strove with Isaac's herdsmen over water. But after digging several wells they were left in peace to live in the land.
Genesis 26:13-14 And the man (Isaac) waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
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God was with Isaac and spoke to him:
Genesis 26:23-25 And he went up from thence to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.
25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
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26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.
27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?
28 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD.
30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?
28 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD.
30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
(We cannot exist with unbelievers but we can send them away from us in peace.)
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Genesis 26:34-35 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
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All these Old Testament scriptures are examples for us:
1 Corinthians 10:6
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
As a new Christian in 1975, these verses were certainly examples to me showing me what would befall me if I chose evil as some of these people did.
I paid very close attention to these Old Testament examples and they helped me to avoid many pitfalls and helped me to choose godly ways.
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