†. Gen 26:26 . . And Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with
Ahuzzath his councilor and Phicol chief of his troops.
Well, well, well; look what the cat dragged in. There were a whole lot more
than just those three men; you can bet on that. Phicol is the Army chief of
staff. There is no way he escorted the king of Gerar without bringing along a
fair-sized contingent of Gerar's trained fighting men as body guards.
But who is Ahuzzath?
The Hebrew word for "councilor" is from merea' (may-ray'-ah) which, in the
sense of companionship, means: a friend
An earlier Abimelech, back in Abraham's days, practically kidnapped Sarah
for his harem. But this one showed no interest at all in Rebecca, who was
just as much a stunning ten as Sarah. In point of fact, when Abimelech
complained that one of the people might have slept with Rebecca (Gen 26:9
10) he didn't complain that he himself might have. Just between you and
me: I suspect Mr. Ahussath was Abimelech's boy toy, if you know what I
mean. It really wasn't unusual for ancient monarchs to have male lovers;
and nobody thought too much of it at the time.
†. Gen 26:27 . . Isaac said to them: Why have you come to me,
seeing that you have been hostile to me and have driven me away
from you?
Normally, kings in that day did not call on people. If they wanted to see
somebody, they sent a summons to appear and an escort to make sure you
didn't refuse. Isaac knew something was up because 'ol Abimelech was
treating him as an equal; if not a superior. Isaac had by this time become
strong enough to crush Abimilech's community, and the old boy very well
knew it too.
I can't help but like a man like Isaac. He was so direct. Not really what I
would call an in-your-face kind of guy; but transparent and unequivocal.
†. Gen 26:28a . . And they said: We now see plainly that Yhvh has
been with you,
Oh, I get it. As long as they thought Isaac was a nomadic farmer it was okay
to dump on him? And now that they know he's connected with a
supernatural being, they want to be his friend? But our man is cool. He won't
let that get to him. You know what's going on here? Abimelech is holding his
hat in his hand. And he is going to eat that hat too before it's over.
†. Gen 26:28b-29a . . and we thought: Let there be a sworn treaty
between our two parties, between you and us. Let us make a pact
with you that you will not do us harm,
You know, it is just amazing how nice people can be when they realize
they've bitten off more than they can chew. The Gerarians had sorely
underestimated Isaac and thought they could push him around because he
was an affable immigrant. Big mistake. As time went by, they perceived that
his prosperity could only be explained in a supernatural way. If it came to a
fight, Isaac was allied with a powerful spirit being whom they all knew for a
certainty from past experiences could not be defeated. Yes. Isaac was well
able to totally clean their clocks and nail their hides to the barn door. (Isaac
was only just recently visited by that Being back in verse 24 who
encouraged Isaac to be brave, and also promised Divine assistance.)
Isaac was holding all the aces and didn't have to make a pact with anybody.
He could have stood right up, lectured their butts soundly for the way he
was treated in their country, and ordered them out of the house. They really
had some chutzpah coming to him with a proposition like that. But Isaac was
indeed a peaceable man; well in control of his tongue, and of his passions. If
those crumbs were ready now to promise to leave him alone, well, then,
okay, he was for it.
†. Gen 26:29b . . just as we have not molested you but have always
dealt kindly with you and sent you away in peace.
Was that true? Some of it. It's true the Federales didn't raid his camps, nor
plunder his goods, nor rough anybody up. He wasn't subjected to
unreasonable searches and seizures. And he wasn't forcibly deported like an
undesirable, or an enemy of the state, or a criminal. But still; they didn't
deal fairly with Isaac. He never trespassed on private property, but dug his
wells and settled on open range managed by the BLM; viz: public lands. Yet
the county water commission always ruled against him even though his men
dug those productive wells fair and square.
†. Gen 26:29c . . From now on, be you blessed of Yhvh!
Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw! I just love it when the bad guys wish me the best
from my god. "God bless you" they say. Oh sure; God bless me. As if they
really give a hoot how the Bible's God feels about anybody.
†. Gen 26:30 . .Then he made for them a feast, and they ate and drank.
The wicked often feel they won because their opponents are so civil and so
agreeable. Isaac had plenty of good reason to be indignant. But he held his
peace. That could be construed as weakness. Mistake! (on their part) You
think Isaac consented to their crappy defense? No way.
Isaac is a shrewd statesman. He picks his battles. Some things merit
contention. But this incident didn't. Those guys were in his home with hat in
hand and he took advantage of it to wangle a non-aggression pact out of
them that would benefit both communities: Isaac's and Abimelech's. If Isaac
were to let his passions dictate the terms, then he might jeopardize his
family and his servants. Isaac had his weak points, but political strategy
wasn't one of them.
There are those in life whom we appropriately label thin skinned, reactive,
and defensive. You know who they are. They sit still for nothing, take
nothing lying down: they're stand up fighters; always ready to give others a
piece of their mind. These contentious folk suck all the enjoyment out of
social contact. Everybody has to walk on egg shells and be careful what's
said around them so they don't explode. Too easily provoked, indignant and
quarrelsome, these people will be excluded from Messiah's kingdom because
his domain is characterized as a place of peace rather than strife.
†. Ps 37:8-11 . . Give up anger, abandon fury, do not be vexed; it can only
do harm. For evil men will be cut off, but those who look to the Lord-- they
shall inherit the land. A little longer and there will be no wicked man; you
will look at where he was-- he will be gone. But the lowly shall inherit the
land, and delight in abundant well-being.
†. Mtt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the
children of God.
Cont.
/
Ahuzzath his councilor and Phicol chief of his troops.
Well, well, well; look what the cat dragged in. There were a whole lot more
than just those three men; you can bet on that. Phicol is the Army chief of
staff. There is no way he escorted the king of Gerar without bringing along a
fair-sized contingent of Gerar's trained fighting men as body guards.
But who is Ahuzzath?
The Hebrew word for "councilor" is from merea' (may-ray'-ah) which, in the
sense of companionship, means: a friend
An earlier Abimelech, back in Abraham's days, practically kidnapped Sarah
for his harem. But this one showed no interest at all in Rebecca, who was
just as much a stunning ten as Sarah. In point of fact, when Abimelech
complained that one of the people might have slept with Rebecca (Gen 26:9
10) he didn't complain that he himself might have. Just between you and
me: I suspect Mr. Ahussath was Abimelech's boy toy, if you know what I
mean. It really wasn't unusual for ancient monarchs to have male lovers;
and nobody thought too much of it at the time.
†. Gen 26:27 . . Isaac said to them: Why have you come to me,
seeing that you have been hostile to me and have driven me away
from you?
Normally, kings in that day did not call on people. If they wanted to see
somebody, they sent a summons to appear and an escort to make sure you
didn't refuse. Isaac knew something was up because 'ol Abimelech was
treating him as an equal; if not a superior. Isaac had by this time become
strong enough to crush Abimilech's community, and the old boy very well
knew it too.
I can't help but like a man like Isaac. He was so direct. Not really what I
would call an in-your-face kind of guy; but transparent and unequivocal.
†. Gen 26:28a . . And they said: We now see plainly that Yhvh has
been with you,
Oh, I get it. As long as they thought Isaac was a nomadic farmer it was okay
to dump on him? And now that they know he's connected with a
supernatural being, they want to be his friend? But our man is cool. He won't
let that get to him. You know what's going on here? Abimelech is holding his
hat in his hand. And he is going to eat that hat too before it's over.
†. Gen 26:28b-29a . . and we thought: Let there be a sworn treaty
between our two parties, between you and us. Let us make a pact
with you that you will not do us harm,
You know, it is just amazing how nice people can be when they realize
they've bitten off more than they can chew. The Gerarians had sorely
underestimated Isaac and thought they could push him around because he
was an affable immigrant. Big mistake. As time went by, they perceived that
his prosperity could only be explained in a supernatural way. If it came to a
fight, Isaac was allied with a powerful spirit being whom they all knew for a
certainty from past experiences could not be defeated. Yes. Isaac was well
able to totally clean their clocks and nail their hides to the barn door. (Isaac
was only just recently visited by that Being back in verse 24 who
encouraged Isaac to be brave, and also promised Divine assistance.)
Isaac was holding all the aces and didn't have to make a pact with anybody.
He could have stood right up, lectured their butts soundly for the way he
was treated in their country, and ordered them out of the house. They really
had some chutzpah coming to him with a proposition like that. But Isaac was
indeed a peaceable man; well in control of his tongue, and of his passions. If
those crumbs were ready now to promise to leave him alone, well, then,
okay, he was for it.
†. Gen 26:29b . . just as we have not molested you but have always
dealt kindly with you and sent you away in peace.
Was that true? Some of it. It's true the Federales didn't raid his camps, nor
plunder his goods, nor rough anybody up. He wasn't subjected to
unreasonable searches and seizures. And he wasn't forcibly deported like an
undesirable, or an enemy of the state, or a criminal. But still; they didn't
deal fairly with Isaac. He never trespassed on private property, but dug his
wells and settled on open range managed by the BLM; viz: public lands. Yet
the county water commission always ruled against him even though his men
dug those productive wells fair and square.
†. Gen 26:29c . . From now on, be you blessed of Yhvh!
Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw! I just love it when the bad guys wish me the best
from my god. "God bless you" they say. Oh sure; God bless me. As if they
really give a hoot how the Bible's God feels about anybody.
†. Gen 26:30 . .Then he made for them a feast, and they ate and drank.
The wicked often feel they won because their opponents are so civil and so
agreeable. Isaac had plenty of good reason to be indignant. But he held his
peace. That could be construed as weakness. Mistake! (on their part) You
think Isaac consented to their crappy defense? No way.
Isaac is a shrewd statesman. He picks his battles. Some things merit
contention. But this incident didn't. Those guys were in his home with hat in
hand and he took advantage of it to wangle a non-aggression pact out of
them that would benefit both communities: Isaac's and Abimelech's. If Isaac
were to let his passions dictate the terms, then he might jeopardize his
family and his servants. Isaac had his weak points, but political strategy
wasn't one of them.
There are those in life whom we appropriately label thin skinned, reactive,
and defensive. You know who they are. They sit still for nothing, take
nothing lying down: they're stand up fighters; always ready to give others a
piece of their mind. These contentious folk suck all the enjoyment out of
social contact. Everybody has to walk on egg shells and be careful what's
said around them so they don't explode. Too easily provoked, indignant and
quarrelsome, these people will be excluded from Messiah's kingdom because
his domain is characterized as a place of peace rather than strife.
†. Ps 37:8-11 . . Give up anger, abandon fury, do not be vexed; it can only
do harm. For evil men will be cut off, but those who look to the Lord-- they
shall inherit the land. A little longer and there will be no wicked man; you
will look at where he was-- he will be gone. But the lowly shall inherit the
land, and delight in abundant well-being.
†. Mtt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the
children of God.
Cont.
/
