Well Wishes
Peaceful living pleases God.
Genesis(42) (Part of the Origins(41) series)
by Stuart Johns(45) on May 25, 2025 (Sunday Morning(55))
Confession(7), Peace(4), Trust(6)
Origins
Well Wishes
(Genesis 21:22-34)
INTRODUCTION
“While elaborating on loving one's neighbor, apologist Michael Ramsden spoke of a colleague who while in Asia asked his audience to close their eyes and imagine peace. After a few seconds the audience was invited to share their mental pictures of peace. One person described a field with flowers and beautiful trees. Another person spoke of snow-capped mountains and an incredible alpine landscape. Still another described the scene of a beautiful, still lake.
After everyone described their mental picture of peace there was one thing common in them all—there were no people in them. Ramsden commented, ‘Isn't it interesting, when asked to imagine peace the first thing we do is to eliminate everyone else.’” [#1 – Young people, what did everyone eliminate when they thought about peace? (everyone else)]
Source: Michael Ramsden, "Is Christianity a Matter of Convenience?" (7-29-15); www.keswickministries.org.
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2016/july/7071116.html]
One leader has said, “I would be a great leader if it wasn’t for the people.”
BODY
ME
Chickens in PA
The third grade classes at the local school in Pennsylvania always hatched chicks in the spring
The teacher divided all of the chicks between three students
We got 8 chicks [#2 – Young people, what animal did Pastor Stuart & Judy have in PA? (chickens)]
As they grew, we realized that 5 of those chicks were roosters
Just imagine what an earlier morning sounded like in our neighborhood when those roosters matured!
We went to our neighbors and asked them if it was alright that we had the roosters
They all agreed that it was not a problem
We did that to make sure we kept the peace with our neighbors
Chickens in VA
One of the questions we asked our real estate agent here in VA was whether or not we would be allowed to have chickens
He got the information for us concerning the process of having chickens
There was an application we would have to fill out
After completing the application, the local government would contact our neighbors to see if they were agreeable to us having chickens
If everyone agreed then we would be able to have chickens
This is the process of peace in VA
We decided not to apply
WE
Peace with our neighbors and coworkers
What have we had to do in order to maintain peace with our neighbors?
What have we had to do in order to maintain peace at work?
Take a moment to reflect on those questions
Abraham obeyed God’s prompting to listen to his wife, Sarah, and sent Hagar and Ishmael away, which probably brought peace to his home. Today, we will see what Abraham did to have peace with his neighbors and peace at work. We will learn from his example that . . .
BIG IDEA – Peaceful living pleases God.
Let’s pray
GOD (Genesis 21:22-34)
Peace with neighbors (vv. 22-24)
Visit from the king of Gerar and his commander
At that time
This is certainly a continuation of Genesis 20 where Abimelech and Abraham meet for the first time
Remember, this is when Abraham and Sarah told the people of Gerar that they were brother and sister
With that knowledge, Abimelech took Sarah into his harem
God protected Sarah from Abimelech
In a dream, God revealed to Abimelech who Sarah really was, Abraham’s wife
It is probable that three to four years have passed since that first encounter
Abimelech (ab-ee-mel’-ek/av-ee-mel’-ek)
We know from Genesis 20:2 that Abimelech was the king of Gerar (gher-awr’) [show map]
As we will see in Genesis 21:31, Abraham and Sarah were living in Beersheba (be-ayr’ sheh’-vah/beh-air’ sheh’-vah) [show map]
Abimelech brought his military commander with him for this meeting
Phicol (pee-kole’/pee-hole’)
The name Phicol means “strong”
It is likely that this was a title instead of a personal name, which may have been the same for the name Abimelech
After arriving in Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol greeted Abraham and made a request of him
Abimelech and Phicol’s greeting and request
Greeting
“God is with you in everything you do”
“Abimelech approaches Abraham and affirms the reality of the divine presence with the patriarch.” [Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18-50, 88]
It was obvious to Abimelech that over the past four years, God had blessed Abraham and Sarah, which prompted his greeting
“What a testimony: ‘God is with you in all that you do’ (21:22, NKJV). Abraham did not permit one lapse of faith to cripple him; he got right with God and made a new beginning. James Strahan said, ‘Men are not to be judged by the presence or absence of faults, but by the direction of their lives (Hebrew Ideals, 142). God is willing to bless when we are in the place of blessing (Ps. 1:1-3).” [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Pentateuch, 98]
What direction is your life taking right now? (place of blessing or place of discipline?)
I am reminded of something I learned at a FamilyLife Weekend to Remember from one of the main speakers (shared about praising their son before he went to bed, the son came to his mother and confessed his failures just the night before, the mother whispered in his ear “your failures don’t define you, God does”)
PRINCIPLE #1 – God is with us in everything we do.
Psalm 1:1-3, Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Are you in the place of blessing today?
If not, are you ready to confess your sin to the Lord, so you can be in the place of blessing?
#1 – My Next Step Today Is To: Confess my sin of __________ to the Lord, so I can be in the place of blessing.
I don’t know about you, but I want others to say that God is with me in everything I do
Abraham recovered from his lapse of faith and God blessed him and was with him
After greeting Abraham, Abimelech asked him to agree to a “nonaggression pact” [Mathews, The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26, 279]
Request
Nonaggression pact
Negative
Swear that you will not deal falsely with me, my children, or my descendants
With this statement, Abimelech recognized that Abraham and his descendants were going to be around for a long time
Abimelech’s hope was that this nonaggression pact would last a long time
Abimelech had not forgotten how Abraham had dealt with him the first time they met
Abraham and Sarah had lied to him and his people about their marital status
The lie caused Abimelech, his wife, and his slave girls to be infertile
Abimelech was asking Abraham to be honest with him
“The verb and preposition used here … do not mean ‘tell a lie’ but rather ‘deal falsely, break a covenant,’ …” [Hamilton, 88]
“People with whom God dwells should not engage in false, devious practices or conduct.” [Hamilton, 88]
Peaceful living with our neighbors pleases God.
That was the negative side of Abimelech’s request
Positive
Show the same kindness to me and the people in my country, that I showed to you
How did Abimelech show kindness to Abraham?
He returned Sarah to Abraham
He gave Abraham sheep and cattle
He gave Abraham male and female slaves
He gave Abraham the choice of where to live in his land
He gave Abraham a thousand shekels of silver to vindicate Sarah
Abimelech sought the same kind of kindness from Abraham
Abimelech pursued this nonaggression pact, in an effort to guarantee that he and his descendants would be treated fairly and honestly by Abraham and his descendants
PRINCIPLE #2 – It takes time to rebuild trust once it is broken.
Abraham had broken trust with Abimelech and his people and it was going to take time to rebuild that trust
That is why honesty is the best policy!
The same is true for us – when we break trust with someone, it is going to take time to rebuild it
When I do marriage counseling with a couple who have experienced an affair, I use the book Surviving an Affair by Dr. Willard F. Harley, Jr. and Dr. Jennifer Harley Chalmers
The authors explain that the offending spouse has to allow complete transparency if they are committed to saving the marriage by rebuilding trust
It may feel overwhelming and like overkill at first, because it requires communicating everything with your spouse (where you’re going, when you’re leaving work, if you are stopping on the way home, passwords for all of your email, social media, and other accounts, allowing your spouse to see your cell phone at any time, and much more)
Rebuilding trust with our neighbors means being honest with them every time
Rebuilding trust in any relationship means being honest and trustworthy every time
If you are committed to rebuilding trust, realize that it will take a long time – it will not happen overnight
Abimelech was looking for a long-term peace treaty with Abraham, which would give him plenty of time to rebuild trust
#2 – My Next Step Today Is To: Commit to rebuilding trust with ____________, no matter how long it takes.
Abimelech sought “well wishes” from Abraham – he wanted Abraham to show him the same kindness he had shown him
After the greeting and request, we see Abraham’s response
Abraham’s response
He agreed to the terms of the nonaggression pact
He would deal honestly with Abimelech and his descendants
He would show Abimelech and his descendants the same kindness he was shown
After peace was struck between the neighbors, we see the need for peace between coworkers
Peace with coworkers (vv. 25-32)
Abraham complained
“The verb means ‘to determine what is right’” [Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary, 299], it can also mean, “to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right” [blueletterbible.org, Lexicon for Strong’s H3198 - yāḵaḥ]
Abraham had “well wishes,” because he wished that the well he dug would belong to him once and for all
Abimelech’s servants had seized a well that Abraham’s servants had been using [#3 – Young people, what did Abraham complain about? (a well)]
“Access to water is a key issue for shepherds; if there is no water, then sheep die—as do human beings…” [Goldingay, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament, Pentateuch, 341]
In verse 30 we are made aware that Abraham was the one who had dug the well
He only wanted what was rightfully his
Abraham’s servants and Abimelech’s servants were at odds – there was no peace between these two sets of shepherds
Abimelech was not aware of what had happened
Abimelech denied
Abimelech was not aware of which of his servants had seized the well in question
He confessed that Abraham had not told him prior to the current conversation
I used to know someone who would say, “No one told me!” when I shared a need with them (I was telling them right then – it was the first time they were hearing it)
I have said for many years that I cannot deal with a problem that I don’t exists
Abimelech was now aware
Abraham brought
Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech
They made a treaty with each other concerning the well
The Hebrew word for treaty can also be translated “covenant, alliance, pledge”
In the ancient Near East when two parties wanted to seal an agreement, pledge, alliance, treaty, or covenant they would cut the sacrificial animals in half and walk between the divided parts
We saw this in Genesis 15:10-20 when the Lord made a covenant with Abraham (Abraham gathered the heifer, goat, ram, dove and pigeon and cut the heifer, goat, and ram in half and separated the halves, while Abraham was in a deep sleep, the Lord passed between the animal pieces in the form of a smoking firepot and a blazing torch)
Our current text does not explain the specifics of sealing the covenant or treaty, but it is likely that Abraham and Abimelech followed this pattern
Peaceful living with our coworkers pleases God.
PRINCIPLE #3 – God is pleased when we strive to live at peace with others.
Proverbs 16:7, When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
Remember, Abimelech and Phicol had come to Abraham seeking peace
Abraham had gotten right with God after his lie about his marital status
He was living a life that was pleasing to God and God allowed his enemies/neighbors/coworkers to live at peace with him
Application
Is there a person or people in your life that you are not at peace with? (take time to identify those individuals or groups)
Are your ways pleasing to the Lord? (take time for self-examination/evaluation)
#3 – My Next Step Today Is To: Examine my ways to make sure they please the Lord, so I can live at peace with ___________.
Abraham not only provided the animals for the covenant, but he also gave Abimelech seven ewe lambs as a guarantee that he had dug the well [#4 – Young people, what did Abraham give to Abimelech as proof that he dug the well? (7 ewe lambs)]
Abimelech accepted
Abimelech wanted to know the meaning of the seven ewe lambs
“It was vital to propagating the herd, and the generous number of seven (cp. 2 Sam 12:3-4, 6) reflects the importance of the well for Abraham’s prosperity.” [Mathews, 280-81]
“But Abraham went a step further. He set aside seven very valuable ewe lambs as living witnesses that he had dug the well and the water belonged to him. He gave the lambs to Abimelech who would then guard them carefully. They were like ‘receipts’ guaranteeing that Abraham owned the well.” [Wiersbe, 98]
Acceptance
We are not told directly that Abimelech accepted the ewe lambs and the covenant
Indirectly, we know that he did, because of two things:
The name of the place was called Beersheba, which can mean well of seven, well of the oath, or well of the sevenfold oath
Well of seven would represent the number of ewe lambs that Abraham gave Abimelech
Well of oath would represent the covenant they made there
The Hebrew words for seven [šebaʿ] and oath [šābaʿ/šĕbūʿâ] are very close [show the two words]
Abimelech and Phicol returned to the land of the Philistines
Peaceful living pleases God.
There is one more person we need to live peacefully with
Peace with God (vv. 33-34)
Planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba
[#5 – Young people, what did Abraham plant in Beersheba? (a tamarisk tree)]
Tamarisk tree [show picture]
“Abraham’s gesture of planting the tree expressed his devotion to and recognition of God as the source of his prosperity.” [Mathews, 282]
Trees had played an important part in Abraham’s journeys [Hamilton, 93]
His first stopping place in Canaan was a tree near Shechem (Gen. 12:6)
He built an altar by a tree at Mamre (Gen. 13:18)
He lived near trees (Gen. 14:13)
He entertained Yahweh under a tree (Gen. 18:1)
Now he plants a tree in Beersheba (Gen. 21:33)
“The tamarisk grows in sandy soil. It is deciduous and may reach over twenty feet in height, with small leaves that excrete salt. Its bark is used for tanning and its wood for building and making charcoal.” [Walton, The NIV Application Commentary, Genesis, 497]
The planting of a tree showed ownership of the well and a desire to remain in the area for a long time
Beersheba
This was considered the southernmost border of Israelite territory
Abraham and Sarah remained in the area where they had been living for several years
Abraham did not just plant a tree, but he called on the name of the Lord
Called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God
Abraham worshiped the Lord for all that He had done and was doing
I can only imagine that part of his worship was centered on the peaceful living that would be the result of the covenants He and Abimelech had made
Eternal God (El Olam)
This was a new name for God that had never been used before
El Elyon (God Most High) was used in Gen. 14:19, 22)
El Shaddai (God Almighty, the All-Sufficient One) was used in Gen. 17:1
El Olam (Eternal God/Enduring God) most likely was referencing to the future as Abraham had just made a covenant that would last in perpetuity (into the future) with he and Abimelech’s descendants
This is the only place that this name for God appears in Scripture
“It emphasizes God’s everlasting nature.” [Gangel & Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary, Genesis, 187]
PRINCIPLE #4 – God is eternal!
This means that God has no beginning or ending. He is not affected by time. He has already lived your tomorrows
I am grateful that He has already lived my tomorrows, so He can guide and direct me as I approach my tomorrows
We see the final note in this section of the Biblical narrative
Lived in the land for a long time
Abraham and his family lived in the land of the Philistines for a long time
“The ‘many days’ of this verse could mean as much as ten to fifteen years, because Isaac was a young man when he accompanied Abraham to Mount Moriah (Gen. 22).” [Wiersbe, 99]
But that’s a narrative for a couple of weeks from now
YOU
What sin do you need to confess, so you can be in the place of blessing?
With whom do you need to commit to rebuilding trust, no matter how long it takes?
Do you need to examine your ways to make sure they please the Lord, so you can live at peace with others?
WE
Are there any sins we need to confess as a body of believers, so we will be in the place of blessing?
With whom do we need to rebuild trust, no matter how long it takes?
Do we need to examine our ways to make sure they please the Lord, so we can live at peace with our neighbors?
CONCLUSION
“I saw a Peanuts cartoon with Lucy saying to Charlie Brown, ‘I hate everything. I hate everybody. I hate the whole wide world!’
Charlie says, ‘But I thought you had inner peace.’
Lucy replies, ‘I do have inner peace. But I still have outer obnoxiousness’ (from Barbara Brokhoff, New and Improved Jesus? C.S.S., 1991, p. 53).”
Source: W. Frank Harrington, "When You Really Want to Quit," Preaching Today, Tape No. 138.
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/july/4634.html]
“Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.”
Source: J. Oswald Sanders. Today's Christian Woman, "Heart to Heart."
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1998/november/5458.html]
