Day 2: Toldot/Genesis 26:6-22

What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine, too! Or, at least, that is how some people expect life to be.

The servants of Abimelech, king of the Philistines, felt that what was once Abraham’s should be theirs. While in search for the life-source of water, Abraham and his servants (while living in and around Gerar) had once dug and established wells. One would think that with such hard labor and scarcity of water, the Philistines would keep using those water depots. Instead, they covered them with dirt, stopping the wells up so that they were unusable and abandoned; yet, they wanted to retain authority over those wells, as if though they cherished the living water exuding forth.

After several wells were re-dug by Isaac and his servants, along with much harassment, contention, and strife, the Philistines finally ceased their demands and Isaac found a wide place for himself and his wealth to dwell. This last place that Isaac dug was named Rehaboth, which literally means streets and wide places.

The Philistines not only blocked the water from being used from Abraham’s day, but they wanted to keep the water for themselves. No one was qualified to drink of their water or receive the life-source in their desert. In turn, Isaac dug out the wells in order to provide water for his household, flocks, and herds even as he established a fountain of living water for the surrounding area. The name of streets would imply that people from far and wide could benefit from Rehaboth as they would travel to be revived by living water found by the son of Abraham. Isaac did not withhold his treasure as he thanked YHVH for making room for him and multiplying him.

The wells of living water are likened to Yeshua and the understanding of Torah. Both need to have revelation to seek and find, while many would like to hold a monopoly on the Truth that has been revealed. What was freely given to the world is often taken captive, perverted, forgotten, and then repackaged at a later date as a false religion or exemplified with bad behaviors and intentions. In turn, this fosters idolatry, spiritual corruption, and wrong/false witness of Truth. Not only does this example withhold vital life to those desperately seeking Truth, but it no longer flows and, therefore, cannot be called living water as it is stagnating and stale.

Wells of living water are the teaching Yeshua as He personified Torah. Even though many have no understanding of the origin of their faith or have covered up the inconvenient Truth of Torah, they have been given Living Water as passed down from our forefathers. While many believers cling to their doctrines like possessions, their storehouses are buried since they reject those who have preserved the faith and persevered to keep faithful. Many people take for themselves and become possessive over what was left for them, given to them, or just taken by them. It is not bad to take ownership of convictions. It is a problem, however, to take ownership of the original thoughts and ideas or foundations upon which those convictions are built and established. As is the case so often, it is the assumption that the new owner is the originator of thought and theology, and should, by water rights, be the god in charge.

The wells we dig may or may not be new wells. They could be ancient wells that have been stopped up or abandoned, long forgotten in a world that wants its own way—its own water source, complete with its own doctrine of right and wrong. Eventually, those waters become corrupt with manmade religion, traditions, or just plain humanism, leaving YHVH out completely. Whether the Truth we find is from new or old wells, they should contain the Water of Life, which is Yeshua.

That Life was found in those wells of old and was first made manifest to our patriarchs, including Abraham and Isaac. It was established caused to flow by YHVH and no other. No one person owns revelation, nor can we possess all knowledge so as to hold it hostage from others. YHVH discloses the Living Water in the dry and barren places that He has His children traverse in their journeys toward Him.

Yeshua is our Water Source and from Him, we are to drink so that we will thirst no more. Yeshua has established paths to Him that He lights and paves, then He invites the way back to Himself. He includes wells of Life/Truth and encouragement as reviving drinks in the midst of the desert places. Once we find these sources of life, we cannot take them captive or suggest they belong to us and no one else. What has been freely shared with us, should be freely shared with those around us. What has become ours through inheritance, belongs to all who will come and drink and believe.

The enemy, even so-called friends, may try and stop up the source of water in our lives. However, Yeshua is bigger than they are, as He never dries up, nor does He abandon what He has begun.

Dwell upon Isaiah 43:18-20, “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field will glorify Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.”