Isaac is the bigger person

Isaac sowed there in the land of the Philistines, and he prospered greatly reaping a hundredfold from what he sowed and increasing greatly in sheep and servants. The Philistines envied him, and Abimelech told him “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” So Isaac moved to the valley of Gerar, and re-dug the wells Abraham had dug,,  and which the Philistines had filled in with earth. They also found a well of running water,  but the herdsmen of Gerar claimed it as theirs. So they dug another well and they quarrelled over that too. He then moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth meaning breadth of the Lord, because he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land” (Genesis 26:12-22).

Isaac's behaviour is very much at odds with our culture's loud and persistent demands for our rights. This is especially true of those who like Isaac,  clearly have the upper hand (“you are much mightier than we”). And likely the world will see this as weakness, but Isaac is acting with the same magnanimity that his father showed to Lot when Lot's herdsmen quarrelled with his (Genesis 13).   Being magnanimous is acting out of generosity or bigness of heart, it is going the second mile in pursuit of peace. Magnanimity, like meekness, is not weakness, it is strength under control!

We read in proverbs “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook an offence (Proverbs 19:11). Discretion is about having insight and understanding.   You have to wonder what this says about a culture that makes offence a virtue!  It is a man's or a woman's glory to overlook an offence,  because it is the imitation of Christ (1 Peter 2:23), and it is well pleasing in God's sight, as we will see next day in God's response to Isaac's actions here (verse 24).

Again in proverbs we read “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules over his own spirit is better than he who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32).  And again what does this say to a culture that encourages a person to wear victimhood as a badge? But those who encourage victimhood do the victim no favour, because bitterness and resentment are poison, and they poisons the victim,  and those the victim loves (Hebrews 12:15). In fact in order for the victim to come out of that prison, he (or she) has, like Isaac,  to be the bigger person. But when he or she does that we too come to our  Rehoboth. And we also like Isaac will be able to declare “He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me (Psalm 18:19 ).

Father, we saw last day that Isaac inherited, as we all do,  some of his father's faults. Today we are seeing the other side of the coin,  as he also inherits some of his virtues.  Help us too, to see the big picture. It is far too easy to see only the faults of others. We need Your grace Lord (Hebrews 12:15 again). Lord please show us others as You see them,  and help us to be magnanimous, the bigger person,  in all our dealings (Philippians 4:5). And we will give You the glory in Jesus Name Amen