Tag Archives: Trusting

Goliath

87 – Goliath

1 Samuel 17:1-58

The Philistines once again invaded Israel. Both armies faced one another across a ravine. Suddenly a large Philistine stepped forward. His name was Goliath, and he was 9 feet, 9 inches tall.

He yelled, “Why are you preparing for battle? Let two of us settle this. Send someone out and we’ll fight. If your man kills me, we’ll be your slaves. But if I kill your man, you’ll be our slaves. Come on, send someone out and let’s fight.”

No one accepted his challenge, so he came out and yelled at Israel every morning and evening. This went on for forty days. Saul offered a reward to anyone who could defeat this giant. He said, “I’ll make him wealthy and he can marry my daughter.”

While this was happening, Jesse said to David, “Go visit your brothers and take them some food. Bring back word of how the battle is going.”

So David got up early and went to the battle site. He saw the men lined up in battle formations. He gave the food to the quartermaster and ran to see what was going on.

Suddenly, Goliath started shouting his challenge. “Come on. Send someone out here and let’s fight—man to man. Winner takes all.” Everyone backed away.

David was shocked. He said, “Who does this ungodly Philistine think he is? He’s defying the armies of the living God.” 

David’s oldest brother got angry. “Why are you here? Go back to your sheep. War is for men.”

David answered him. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I just asked a question.” He turned and asked the question again. “Who does this ungodly Philistine think he is?”

Saul heard about David’s question and sent for him. David said, “Don’t worry about this Philistine. I’ll fight him.”

The king said, “He’s a warrior—a seasoned fighter. You’re young, with no experience.”

David said, “I watch my father’s sheep. Every time a bear or a lion has come and tried to take a lamb, I grabbed the beast and killed it. The Lord was always with me and gave me victory. This ungodly Philistine is just another lion or bear. The Lord will give him to me.”

Saul said, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 

He then gave David his suit of armor, but he couldn’t walk because it was too heavy. He said, “I can’t wear these. They’ll hold me back.”

David got his shepherd’s staff and a sling. He went down to the brook and selected five smooth rocks and put them in his shepherd’s bag. Then he started walking toward the giant.

Goliath saw David coming. He yelled, “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? Come, and I will give your flesh to the birds.”

David yelled back, “You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord. You’ve insulted him. Therefore I’m going to cut off your head and give your body to the birds. This battle is the Lord’s, and he has given you to me.”

Goliath started walking toward David, but David ran toward the giant. He reached into his shepherd’s bag and put a rock into his sling. With deadly accuracy, the rock hit Goliath and sank into his forehead. He fell to the ground face forward. David ran up, pulled out Goliath’s sword, and cut off the giant’s head.

Both armies were shocked when they saw this. The Philistines turned and ran. The Israelites shouted a victory cry and chased after them. Many Philistines died that day.

Saul asked Abner, his general, “Who is that young man?”

“I don’t know.”

Saul sent for David. He came and stood before the king with the giant’s head still in his hands. Saul said, “Who are you? Who is your father?”

David said, “I am the son of Jesse of Bethlehem.”

Saul didn’t let David go back home, but made him a commander in the army. David was successful in everything Saul had him do.

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Elah brook with students picking smooth stones, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Elah Valley aerial from the west, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Jonathan’s Victory

84 – Jonathan’s Victory

1 Samuel 13-14

Continued from the previous story

Jonathan looked at the Philistines’ camp on the other side of the pass. He said to his armor bearer, “Let’s go over there and kill a few Philistines. The Lord just might help us. He’s not limited by how many of us there are.”
 
The man said, “If you go, I’ll go with you.”

Jonathan said, “Here’s my plan. We’ll go across to the rear of the Philistine camp. We’ll let them see us at the bottom of their cliffs. If they tell us to stop, we’ll come back here. But if they tell us to come up, we’ll consider that a sign from God. We’ll know that the Lord will give us victory.”

They decided not to tell the king where they were going. When they got to the cliffs, the Philistines saw them. They said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of their hiding places!” They yelled down to Jonathan. “Come on up, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”

Jonathan laughed, “Follow me. The Lord has given them to us.” The two men climbed up the cliffs and killed twenty Philistines.

News quickly spread through the rest of the Philistine camp. This caused panic. They said, “The Israelites have attacked us from behind.” Suddenly the earth shook, and their panic turned to terror. They ran in every direction.

Men in Saul’s camp saw this and told the king. He looked around. “Call the roll and find out who’s missing.” They found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.

As Saul assembled his troops, the panic in the Philistine camp intensified. When Saul’s army marched into battle, he found that the Philistines were fighting each other. 

The Israelites that had joined the Philistines now rallied around Saul. Those who hid among rocks and caves came out and joined the battle.

 Saul wanted his men to completely focus on winning the battle, so he shouted, “I put a curse on anyone who eats food before we win this victory.” His men obeyed, but soon they became hungry and tired.

Jonathan didn’t know what his father had said. He found some honey in the forest and ate it. Others immediately told him about the king’s order. He said, “The king shouldn’t have said that. Look at me. I ate some honey, now I’m ready to fight again. Our men should eat all of this food that the Philistines have left behind. Then they would fight harder.”

Saul finally realized his army was famished! He had a meal prepared and allowed his men to eat. The king then wanted to go back into battle, but suddenly realized something was wrong. He called everyone together and said, “Something is wrong, and I’m going to find out who’s behind it. Once I know who it is, he’ll be put to death, even if he’s my own son.”

He then drew lots, and it fell on Jonathan. The king asked him, “What did you do?”

“I ate some honey. If I’m to die for that, then I’m ready to die.”

Saul said to his son, “I took an oath, therefore you must die.”

The people shouted, “Jonathan won’t die! God used him to give us victory today. As the Lord God lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground.

So the people saved Jonathan’s life. With that, the battle was over and the Philistines returned to their own territory.

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Ruth & Boaz

76 – Ruth & Boaz

Ruth 3:1 – 4:22

Continued from the previous story

At the end of harvest, Naomi said to Ruth, “I am going to make sure you’re cared for. Here’s what you’re to do. Take a bath and put on some perfume. Dress in your best clothes. Boaz and his men will be working late tonight at the threshing floor. When they’re done, they’ll eat and drink, and then sleep on the threshing floor to protect the grain.

“Go there, but don’t let the men see you. Watch carefully and note where Boaz lies down. Once everyone is asleep, uncover his feet, and lie down next to them. When he wakes up, he’ll explain what you’re to do.”

So Ruth went to where the men were working and hid in the shadows. She watched carefully until she saw Boaz and the others lie down on the threshing floor.  Their heads were towards the grain with their feet pointing out. Once they were asleep, she quietly uncovered the feet of Boaz, and lay down.

During the night, Boaz realized there was a woman lying at his feet.  He said, “Who are you?”

 She said, “I’m Ruth. Spread your protection over me, because you’re my closest relative.”

He said, “The Lord bless you! You didn’t come to our village looking for a husband, rich or poor. Instead you proved yourself to be a woman of integrity.

“Still, there is a next-of-kin who is closer than me. In the morning I’ll talk to him and give him an opportunity to redeem you. If he doesn’t, I will. For now, it’s not safe to go home in the night. I’ll send you there in the morning.”

She lay at his feet until morning, and then got up while it was still dark. Boaz gave her grain to take to Naomi.

Ruth told her mother-in-law everything that happened. Naomi said, “Now you’re to wait. Boaz won’t rest until this matter is settled.”

That day, Boaz arranged a meeting with the next-of-kin and the elders of the city. He said, “Naomi has come back from Moab and is selling her husband’s land. You’re the closest relative. Buy it in the presence of these elders. And if you don’t, I’ll buy it.”

The man was quick to answer. “I’ll buy it!”

Boaz went on to explain, “Well, when you buy it, you must also marry Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the family name with the property.”

The man said, “I can’t marry this woman. It would ruin my own family name.  You have my permission to buy the property.” With that, the man took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz. That made the deal legally binding.

Boaz held the sandal out toward the elders. “You are witnesses that I just bought the property that belonged to Naomi’s husband and sons. And because of that, Ruth will become my wife.” 

People had gathered around and were watching all of this. The elders said, “Yes, we’ve seen the whole thing. May the Lord bless you, and may the Lord bless this woman who will become your wife.”

So Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and in the course of time, she gave birth to a son named Obed. He had a son named Jesse, who became the father of a shepherd boy named David. He became the great king of Israel!

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Samson & Delilah

71 – Samson & Delilah

Judges 16:1-31

In time, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah. When the Philistines found out about this, a group of their leaders met with her. They said, “Each of us will pay you 1,100 pieces of silver if you can find out the secret of his strength. Once we know that, we’ll be able to kill him.”

So she asked Samson, “How can someone tie you up in a way that makes you powerless?”

“Oh,” he said, “I’ll be like any other man if someone ties me up with seven brand new bowstrings.”

The Philistines gave her seven fresh bowstrings, and hid some guards in her room. She tied Samson up with the bowstrings, and then shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” He jumped up and snapped the bowstrings as if they were pieces of yarn touched by a fire. 

Delilah said, “You lied to me! Why would you make fun of me like that? Please tell me how you can be tied up.”

He said, “The key is new ropes, but only ones that haven’t been used for anything else. If I’m tied up with new ropes, I’ll be like other people.”

So she took some new ropes and tied him up. Guards were still in their hiding place. She yelled, “Samson, quick! The Philistines are here!” He jumped up and snapped the ropes like they were pieces of threads.

She said, “I’m nothing but a joke to you. Why do you keep lying to me? Now tell me how you can be tied up.”

He said, “It’s my hair. If you weave my seven braids with the web of a loom, I’ll be as weak as any other man.”

So she waited until he was asleep and carefully wove his seven braids into the loom. Then she yelled, “Samson! The Philistines are here.” He woke up and pulled his hair away from the loom.

Delilah said, “How can you say you love me when you don’t trust me? Three times now you’ve laughed at me by telling me a lie. Why can’t you trust me with the secret of your strength?”

She kept this up day after day. She begged and nagged him until she wore him down. Finally, he told her the truth. He said, “I’m what our people call a Nazirite. I’ve been one since birth. My hair has never been cut, and that’s the secret of my strength. If someone shaves my head, I’ll be like any other man.”

Delilah realized that he had finally told her the truth. She sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come. I finally got the truth out of him. Be sure to bring my money with you.” So they came with her money.

That night, he fell asleep with his head on her lap. A man came out of hiding and cut off his seven braids. As he did, Samson’s strength left him. Then she yelled, “Samson, the Philistines are here!”

He jumped up to defend himself, but he didn’t know the Lord wasn’t with him.

The Philistines grabbed him and he couldn’t break loose. They held him down on the ground and poked out his eyes. They then took him to prison, where he was forced to push a grain millstone.

While he was in prison, Samson’s hair started to grow back. In time, the Philistines gathered to worship in the temple of their god. They ate and drank until they were drunk. Someone yelled, “Go get Samson. That’ll give us a good laugh.”

The place was packed as a boy led Samson into the temple. He said to the boy, “Take me to the supporting pillars.”

Samson called out to God. “Oh Lord God. Give me strength just one more time. Allow me to pay back the Philistines for taking my eyes. I’ll die with them.”

He then grabbed the two supporting pillars and pushed on them with all he had. They gave way and the temple fell on the Philistines, including all their leaders. More people died in Samson’s death, then he had killed in all of his life. He had been a judge in Israel for 20 years.

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Jan and Noel Maughmer, BibleTelling Seminar in Israel, Beth Shemesh, March 2019
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Three Hundred Men

65 – Three Hundred Men

Judges 7:1 – 8:35

Gideon gathered a troop of 32,000 men. He took them and camped south of the Midianites. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men with you. If I give the Midianites to you now, Israel will say, ‘We won this victory by our own power.’ Tell them, ‘If you’re afraid, go home.’ ” 

Gideon said this to the people, and 22,000 people left, leaving 10,000 men.

The Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water. Watch carefully. Notice those who use their hands to bring the water to their mouth. Separate them from those who kneel down and drink like a dog.”

There were 300 men who drank, using their hands. The Lord said, “I’ll give you victory over the Midianites using these 300 men. Send the rest of them home.” So Gideon sent them home. 

Those who were left made camp above where the Midianites were in the valley. The people of Midian were like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were like the sand by the sea.

That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Sneak into the Midianite camp. If you’re afraid, take your servant with you. Listen to what the soldiers say.” So Gideon took his servant and went into the Midianite camp.

He heard a man telling a friend about a dream. He said, “I saw a loaf of bread rolling into our camp. It struck a tent and totally destroyed it.”

His friend answered: “I know what it means. That loaf of bread is the sword of Gideon the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him.”

Gideon returned to Israel’s camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord has given the Midianites to you.” He divided the 300 men into three companies of 100. He gave each man a trumpet and a jar with a torch inside it.

He said, “Watch me and follow my lead. When we’re all at the edge of their camp, our group will blow our trumpets. You’re to do the same. Everyone shout, ‘The sword of the Lord and Gideon!’ ”

Then he placed them on three sides of the camp. When they were all in place, Gideon’s group blew their trumpets and broke the jars. The other two groups did the same. They held their torches in their left hands, their trumpets in their right hands, and shouted, “The sword of the Lord and Gideon!” 

This totally shocked the Midianite army! They panicked and started to run, yelling as they ran. Gideon’s men blew their 300 trumpets. With this, the Midianite soldiers drew their swords and started killing one another. 

Gideon then sent for the rest of the men of Israel. Together they ran after the Midianites as they tried to leave Israel. God gave a great victory that day over Midian, and they were no longer a threat to Israel. 

After the battle, the people wanted to make Gideon their king, but he refused. He simply went back to live at his house. Then Israel was at peace for forty years.

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Omar telling this story at Gideon’s spring (Ein Harod) in the Jezreel Valley, from the March 2019 BibleTelling Seminar in Israel

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Cave of Gideon’s spring, Ein Harod in the Jezreel Valley, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Jericho

57 – Jericho

Joshua 5:13-6:27

While the people were still at Gilgal, Joshua looked toward Jericho and saw a man standing nearby with a sword in his hand. Joshua walked toward him and asked, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?”

The man said, “I am captain of the Lord’s army. I’ve just arrived.” 

Joshua fell down and worshiped. The captain said, “Take off your shoes because you’re on holy ground.” 

The Lord said to Joshua, “I’ve given you Jericho, its king, and its army.” He then gave exact orders on how Jericho was to be conquered.

When the day arrived, Joshua arranged the people. He had part of the army take the lead. Behind them, he put seven priests who were to blow ram’s-horn trumpets. The Ark of God was behind them. The rest of the army followed the Ark. Joshua told the people, “Don’t say one word as you march around the city.”

As they marched around the city, the priests blew the trumpets, but the people were silent. Once they had circled the city, they returned to their camp and spent the night.

They did the same thing the second day and the third. They repeated this march around the city for six days. 

Early on the seventh day, Joshua told the people to follow the same procedure, except on this day they were to circle the city seven times. He said, “After we have marched around the city seven times, I will tell you to shout. The Lord will then give you the city. All the people and animals in the city are to die, except Rahab and her family.

“You’re to burn everything, except the gold, silver, and things made of bronze and iron. These are to be set aside for the Lord. Be careful! Don’t take anything that is set aside for the Lord, or you will be set aside for destruction.”

So that day the people marched quietly around the city seven times while the priests blew the trumpets.  After the seventh time, everyone stopped. 

Suddenly the priests blew the trumpets one more time and Joshua yelled, “Shout!” The people shouted, and the walls of the city fell down in front of them. The army of Israel marched straight into the city and destroyed it. The two spies that Rahab had protected immediately went to her house. They brought her and her family out of the city alive. Everyone else in the city was killed and everything was burned, except the gold, silver, and things made of bronze and iron.

Joshua then proclaimed a curse on the city of Jericho. He said, “Any man who rebuilds this city will lose both his firstborn son and his youngest son.”

So the Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout the land. 

Rahab and her family were put in a safe place outside of the camp of Israel. Eventually she married an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. In time, they had a son named Boaz.

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Jericho

Tel Jericho (aerial view from the southeast), from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Explanation of the archeology at Jericho
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Crossing Jordan

56 – Crossing Jordan

Joshua 3:7 – 5:12

In the morning, God said to Joshua, “Today, I will exalt you in the eyes of the people—so they’ll know I’m with you just like I was with Moses.”

Joshua told the priests, “Take the Ark of God, and go to the Jordan River.” So the priests carried the Ark of God to the river, which was at flood stage.  When they came to the water’s edge, they kept going until the water covered their feet.  

Suddenly the river stopped! A wall of water formed ten miles upstream.  The rest of it flowed down to the sea. Seeing this, the priests walked to the middle of the riverbed and stood on dry ground. Then the people started moving across the river.

Joshua then said to the twelve men Israel had selected, “Each of you pick up a large stone from where the priests are standing. Put it on your shoulders and take it to the other side of the river.” Joshua then took another twelve stones and built a monument in the middle of the river, next to where the priests were standing.

The people looked at Joshua, and he was exalted in their eyes. They knew God was with him just like he had been with Moses. 

When they had all crossed the river, Joshua said to the priests, “Come up from the middle of the riverbed.” As soon as the priests were on the banks of the river, the waters crashed down the riverbed and returned to its flooded condition, as it had been before.

Joshua took the people to a place called Gilgal, where they set up camp. Then he had them build a memorial with the twelve stones. He said, “In the future, children will see this monument and ask, ‘why are these stones here?’ Their parents will tell them about this day, when God stopped the Jordan River so his people could cross over on dry ground. All the nations of the earth will know that the hand of God, the Lord of all the earth, is powerful.” 

The people of Canaan heard how God stopped the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross over on dry ground. Terror spread throughout the cities of the land.

Joshua told all the men of Israel they had to be circumcised. This hadn’t been done for the entire 40 years the people had been in the wilderness. 

Soon after this, the people celebrated Passover. The very next day, the manna stopped appearing and it never came back. From that day on, the people were to eat the food from the land of Canaan.

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Jordan River by Bethany beyond Jordan, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Twelve Spies

49 – Twelve Spies

Numbers 13:1 – 14:45

When the Israelites arrived at the border of Canaan, God said to Moses, “Send twelve men to search out the land.” So Moses selected one man from each tribe of Israel. He told them to go into the land and bring back information about the people and their cities. He also told them to bring back some of the fruit that was growing in the land. 

The men stayed in Canaan for forty days. When they came back, two of them were carrying a large cluster of grapes on a pole between them.

When the men gave their report, ten of the men said, “It’s true, the land is great and flows with milk and honey. But, the people are big and powerful and live in cities with high walls.” 

The other two men were Caleb and Joshua. They gave a different report. They said, “We must go up and take this land. We can do it!” 

The other ten yelled, “No, we can’t attack these people! They are stronger than we are. We felt like grasshoppers next to them!”

The Israelites were afraid when they heard this report. They turned against Moses and said, “Did God bring us here to be killed? We could’ve died in Egypt! The men of this land will kill us and make slaves of our wives and children. We’re going to select a new leader and go back to Egypt.” 

Joshua and Caleb ran out in front of the people and tore their clothes. They cried out, “This land is very good, and the Lord is about to give it to us! Don’t rebel against him because you’re afraid. The Lord is with us. We’ll swallow up these people!” 

The people of Israel attacked Joshua and Caleb, but suddenly the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tabernacle. God said to Moses, “How long will these people refuse to believe in me? They saw the wonders I did in Egypt. They saw the many miracles I did among them. Yet they still test me. 

“Therefore these people won’t see the land I promised their fathers. I’m sending them back into the wilderness, and they’ll stay there for forty years until they’re all dead. Everyone who is twenty years old or older will not see the land, except for my servants Caleb and Joshua. They’ll go into Canaan because they followed me without hesitation. Since these people worried about their children, I’ll take their children into the land of Canaan, and give it to them.” 

Moses told the Israelites what the Lord had said, and they broke down and cried. The ten men who brought back a bad report were suddenly stuck by a plague and died. Early the next morning the people said, “We now realize we’ve sinned. We’ll go into the land as the Lord commanded.” 

Moses said, “No! The Lord is sending you back into the wilderness. Don’t disobey him again. If you go into the land, you’ll be defeated because God is not going with you.” 

Nevertheless, they went into Canaan against God’s will. And just like Moses said, they were defeated in battle. Many were killed and the rest came back in disgrace. 

So the people of Israel turned back into the wilderness where they remained for the next forty years. All of the adults who came out of Egypt would die there. Still, the Lord was with them and met their needs. Their clothes and shoes didn’t get old, and God provided their daily food.

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Two Camps

26 – Two Camps

Genesis 32:1 – 33:20

Jacob and his family were going back to his homeland. Suddenly God’s angels met him. With that, he knew he was not alone, so he called the place “Two Camps.” 
From there he sent messengers to his brother Esau saying, “I’m coming home with all my possessions, and I’m hoping you’ll accept me.”  

The messengers came back and said, “Your brother is coming with four hundred men.” This struck fear in Jacob’s heart. He immediately divided everything into two camps, saying, “If Esau attacks one camp, the other can escape.” 

He prayed, “Oh, God of Abraham and Isaac, You told me to come back to my country. You said I’d prosper here. I’m not worthy of the kindness you’ve shown me. I left this land with only my walking stick. Now I’m two camps. 

“Please rescue me from my brother. You said my descendants would be as hard to count as the sand on the seashore.” 

He then prepared gifts for his brother, which included goats, sheep, camels, cows, and donkeys. He divided them into three groups and sent them ahead. He told his servants, “When Esau comes to the first group, say to him, ‘Your slave Jacob is sending these to you. Look, you can see him back there.’” He told the second and third the same things. He was hoping these things would help Esau be more forgiving. 

He then spent the night waiting for his brother’s arrival in the morning. Since he couldn’t sleep, he went off to be by himself. 

Suddenly a man appeared and grabbed him. Jacob fought back, and the two of them wrestled all night. At daybreak the stranger saw that Jacob was determined not to lose this fight. So the man struck Jacob’s side and dislocated his hip socket. 

He said, “I’ve got to go. It’s daybreak.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”

The man said, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Jacob!”

The man said, “No, that’s no longer your name. 

You’ll be called Israel, which means ‘wrestled with God.’ You’ve fought with God, and have lived to tell about it.” 

Jacob said, “What’s your name?” 

The man said, “I’m not telling you my name.” With that, he blessed Jacob. 

Jacob called the place “God’s Face.” He said, “I’ve seen God’s face and I’m still alive.” 

Jacob limped back to his camp. Off in the distance he could see Esau and his four hundred men coming. He put each of his families into different groups, and then he went out front. He bowed seven times as he hobbled toward his brother. 

Esau ran up to him and gave him a hug. Both men cried. Esau then pointed to the people standing behind Jacob. “Who are these people with you?” 

After Esau met Jacob’s family, he said, “Why did you put all those animals along the way?” 

“Oh, I gave those to you in hopes of winning your forgiveness.” 

Esau said, “No, no. I have enough. You keep them.” 

But Jacob insisted. “Please, accept my gifts. It would make me very happy.” So Esau agreed. 

Then Esau and his men went home that same day. Jacob went to an area near a city called Shechem. There he built an altar and called it “God, the God of Israel.”

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The Well Digger

21 – The Well Digger

Genesis 26:12-33

Isaac was a farmer while he lived among the Philistines. The Lord blessed his harvest so much that he became more and more wealthy. Eventually, his wealth was so great that the Philistines became jealous. They decided to plug up some wells Abraham had dug. In time, Abimelech asked Isaac to leave their country. He said, “You’ve become too powerful. We feel you’re a threat to us.” 

Isaac moved to another valley, and his servants unplugged some of Abraham’s wells. They also dug some new ones. Suddenly they found precious spring water. The herdsmen in that area said, “That water belongs to us.” So Isaac’s servants went and dug other wells, and again found water. Again, the herdsmen said, “That’s our water.” 

They went to another area and dug some more wells. This time, no one argued about the water they found. Isaac said, “Finally! The Lord has made room for us. We can now prosper at this spot. He called that place, “Plenty of Room.” 

Abimelech and a delegation from the Philistines went to Isaac. When he saw them he said, “You sent me away in anger. So why have you come to me now?” 

Abimelech said, “It’s clear to us that the Lord has been with you all this time. We want a treaty with you. We were good to you when you lived among us. Yes, we sent you away, but it was in peace. Now, let’s agree that you’ll treat us the same way and won’t harm us.” 

So Isaac prepared a banquet, and they all ate and drank together. The next morning they each gave an oath that they would live in peace with one another. 

As Abimelech and his delegation left, servants came and told Isaac about their newest well. They said, “We’ve found water.” So he called the place Beersheba, which means, “Well of the Oath.”

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