The Jamesburg record., 1901-08-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson I'm the International series
for September i, 19OI-Isaac
the Peacemaker.
THE LESSON TEXT.
Genesis 2G:I2-3.)

tno received In the same year an hundred
fold; and the Lord blessed him.
ls And the man waxed great and went
forward and grew until he became very
great;
a. For he had possession Of focks, and
possession Of herds. and great store Of
servants; and the Phiistines envied him.
10. FOR all the wells which his fathers
servants had digged in the days of Abra-
ham his father, the Philistines had stopped
them, and filled them with earth.
10. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go
from US; for thou art much mighfier than
IL. And Isaac departed thence and pitched
his tent in the valley OF Gerar, and dweIt
there
B And Isaac digged again the wells of
water which they had digged in the days
OF Abraham his father; for the Philistines
nao stopped them after the death of Abra-
nam; and he called their names after the
names by which his father had called them.
~: And Isaac's servants digged in the
VsIley, and found there a well of spring1ng
water
90 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive
WIN Isaacs herdmen. saying The water
Is ours; and he called the name of the well
Essex; because they strove with him
q. And they digged another well, and
stroVe for that also; and he called the name
of it Sitnah
2. And he removed from thence. and
olgged another well; and for that they
1NAO'S A.Oh1 anu ne calleG the of IL
Hehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord
hath made room for US, and we shall be
fruitful in the land.
sheba ~ '-eOe " Deeh
"a And the Lord appeared unto him the
same night, and said. l am the God of
15,h IAN my Iather; fear not, for am
tny seed for my servant Abrahams $ sake
% And he builded an altar there and
called upon the name Of the Lord, and
art
servants digged a we'll
"oLDEN TEXT-Blessed are the
peacemskers. for they shall be called
the children of God.-Mett. $50.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Death of Sarah.-The account of
Sarah's death finds its interest for us
In the connected story of Abraham's
purchase of the cave of Machpelah.
The procedure was characteristically
oriental. The owner would have felt
aggrieved had Abraham taken him at
his word when he offered him the cave
as gift. This burial place was the
only ground Abraham himself ever
owned in Canaan.
Isaac's Marriage.-Eliezer 15:2) il
generally supposed to be the servant
re1erred to IN this account, but that is
not certain. as his name is not men
toned here. The servant in any case
was Abraham's steward and of course
greatly trusted. Abraham believed
that Isaac should marry one more in
sympathy with the spiritual worship
he practiced than any Canaanitish
woman would be.
Abraham's Burial.-The marriage
with Keturah occurred probably after
Sarah's death. The mention of it and
OF the descendants of Ishmael is for
the purpose of tracing the relation
ship between the Hebrews and their
neighbors. Ishmael's attendance at
Abraham's burial indicates greater
harmony between Ishmael and Isaac
than might be expected. Perhaps
Abraham had restored friendly rela-
tons after Sarah's death.
The Covenant with Isaac.-The Di-
vine manifestations came to the patri-
archs generally at the crises of their
lives. This revelation to Isaac came
when famine threatened him. His sim
full deceit regarding Rebekah was SIM
liar to Abraham's. They steadfastly
cherished hope for their descendants,
but sometimes failed to keep their
trust IN Gods protection of them
selves.
Isaac the Peacemaker.-There is no
mention of Abraham's tilling the
ground. and probably he had done very
little of IT, il at all. Isaac's cessful
venture is noteworthy on that ac-
count, as well as for its increase of
his possessions to the point where the
Philistines became envious of him.
The conditions of life in Palestine
make wells very important. Abraham
had been diligent in opening them, but
the Philistines, apparently not wish
ing to make it easy for him to live
among them. had filled them after his
departure. These wells Isaac now dug
again. The wells over which the Phil
tstines strove with Isaac were at va
rious points in southern Judah, Beer
sheba being no doubt the most easter
ly place mentioned in this section. The
Philistines' treatment of Isaac was un-
just in so far as they took advantage
of his labor. but their claim to the
land was probably fair. In any case,
Isaac could not well resist them, since
their force was much greater than his.
Isaac, however, was moved probably
not only by thoughts of benefit to
himself. but also by gratitude for the
kindness he had received from the
Philistine king. The revelation of God
to Isaac after the trouble over the
wells was a sanction of his conduct.
and new assurance that he had in
herited the promises made to Abra-
ham. In this conflict between the
servants of Isaac and the Philistines
and his gracious yielding (Matt. $500
we begin to see the working out of
the 1arnrhacy- in Com 1g.12-ds