Genesis 26:25: “So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.”

October 11th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

After encountering God, Isaac responded just like his father Abraham did: he built an altar to worship and mark the spot of God’s appearance. Isaac, the “son of the promise,” was the miracle baby that God had promised would be birthed by a 75-year-old mother. Isaac was the one who carried on the line in the purposes of God. Even down to this day, Jews speak of “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” He is listed among the champions of faith in Hebrews 11, where it says, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future” (vs. 20).

As a result of his encounter with God, Isaac did 3 things that contain a spiritual lesson for us.

1) He built an altar, which speaks of dedication. The dedication at an altar usually includes a sacrifice to God. As the apostle Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). We try to make this a practice every morning in prayer, “Lord, I give You this day back. I want to serve You in my body, mind, and spirit today.”

2) He pitched a tent, which speaks of detachment. Isaac pitched a temporary tent; he did not build a house. As believers, we too are pilgrims passing through this world; and in order to pass through, we must remain detached from this world and all that it holds dear. We are subjects of the King and citizens of His kingdom. As the apostle John wrote, “Do not love the world, or the things in the world . . . the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15,17).

3) He dug a well, which speaks of dependence. Digging a well is a picture of one’s continual need for water. We need to be dependent on the Word of God as our daily source of life. We need to continue digging for the water of life. As the psalmist wrote, the person who reads and meditates upon the Word of God is like “a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth it’s fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

“LORD, we want to be dedicated to You, detached from the world, and dependant on Your word this day.”