1.10.2025

Things I Never Noticed in the Bible - Genesis 25-26

From the beginning, God has called His people to live among unbelievers, but to avoid becoming like them.  There are some places we should not settle in, like Egypt (vs 2).  But God specifically tells Isaac to settle among the Philistines.  Jesus later prays that His disciples remain in the world, but as they are not of the world, that they would remain and be sanctified (John 17:14-16).

Isaac makes the same mistake his father did, lying about his wife to protect her, and is found out.  God's covenant people are perpetually tempted to cross ethical lines to protect themselves from the ungodly.  Or to try to advance God's agenda in ways of which He disapproves.  We tend to become like the world we are living in, and need to fight against it constantly.

It is God's plan for His people in the world both to prosper, and to be treated unfairly by the Philistines, as Isaac is (Gen 26:17-21).  We can work against such injustice, as Isaac does, but should not rail against God's providence.

Chapter 26 ends with another warning how not to live in the world: do not marry unbelievers, as Esau did (vs 34-35).  This will bring great distress, however tempting it may be in the present moment.

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