Trust And Obey For There Is No Other Way!

“So Isaac stayed in Gerar.” Genesis 26:6 CSB

Everyone remembers Abraham. In fact, if I asked you what he was known for, you’d probably immediately say something along the lines of how he left his father’s country and followed God to Canaan. Everyone remembers Jacob. If I were to ask what he was known for, most would say he was the heel-catcher who stole the birthright from his brother.

But if I asked you what Isaac, Abraham’s son and Jacob’s father was known for, not much may come to mind. Maybe that he showed favoritism toward Esau, or that he married Rebekah from the land of his father. In Genesis 26:6, however, a very short verse and a seemingly unimportant detail is shared with the reader. You might say, “So he stayed in Gerar, not such a big deal!” But it is a huge deal. If you’re not watchful in your reading of the chapter, you can miss a powerful lesson about this seemingly forgotten man. Genesis 26:6 is a testament to Isaac’s life. In those five words, we see a man who trusted the Lord.

You see, a famine had hit the land again. Previously, when Abraham first arrived, there was also a famine. Isaac was preparing to follow his father’s example by going down to Egypt. As Isaac was making his way south, the Lord stopped him in his tracks and said in Genesis 26:2, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land…”
Verse 6 shows us Isaac’s obedience to the word God gave him. It may seem insignificant to us as we read it, but it did not feel insignificant to Isaac. He had to trust God for his family’s provision. He had to trust in the covenant promise God had given to his father.

Egypt was tempting. It had a way of drawing men to itself. Egypt is often a type of the world in Scripture. The promises it makes, however, mask the troubles it brings into our lives. God desires that His people not look to the world for provision or protection, but to Himself. Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33. As the people of God, Isaac is a wonderful example of faith in the promises of God’s Word during that moment in his life. My wife recently finished a book about the missionary George Müller. One principle of his ministry was this: whenever he found himself in need on the mission field, he prayed. He trusted that God would provide. And you know what happened? God provided. The Lord is faithful, faithful to fulfill all that He has spoken to us.

Today, if you find yourself looking to Egypt for help, the word to you is this: stay put. Remain where the Lord has you, and He will provide for you. There is an old song written by John H. Sammis (1887) called Trust and Obey, and one line says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” What a glorious truth we need to hear.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5–6

Agape,
Frank