We can learn from. Abraham that it is not wise to take matters. In our own hands like he did wit
Hagar.
Sarah dealt “hard” with Hagar Gen. 16:6 beat your servant after they do what you ask
Two Promises
1. Genesis 17:15-16 Sarah
2. Genesis 16:10-12 Hagar
How did Issac deal with Haggar and Ishmael
The differences between the siblings was from the mothers not the the son.
Galatians 4:21 bond woman free woman
Ishmael had nothing to with being born and God in His great mercy proved His love to Ishmael.
Ishmael sent away….Hagar sent away…hated
ReDig your own well and let the living water flow out of it.
Sometimes we can force to stay…remain selfish….
Handling Criticism: Genesis 26:12-33
Failures and Faultfinders….cousins
I. God will test us through relationships with others.
A. Isaac had been blessed by God. His prosperity got the attention of his neighbors and
turned them into enemies.
B. Even good relationships can turn sour. God doesn’t cause it, but He uses those relational
problems to get our attention and to test our attitudes. Isaac’s five wells represent various tests
in our relationships.
II. Isaac’s Five Wells
A. The first well: envy—”””JEALOUSY (verse 14)
1. For no apparent reason, the Philistines began to act strangely toward Isaac. Once they
had been open and friendly, but now, all of a sudden, their attitudes changed. They became
jealous and felt threatened by the blessing of God upon Isaac’s life.
2. Many relationship problems stem from jealousy. When you are blessed, you seem to be
growing while others are diminishing. The Philistines decided to just “sling mud” into Isaac’s
wells.
3. David faced the problem of jealousy with Saul;
Abel with Cain;
Hagar with Sarah; and
Joseph with his brothers.
When a person “throws dirt,” it is usually because he is jealous.
Social media is not a place to be critical
neither should you allow social media to affect your responses
B. The second well: strife—ARGUMENTS (verse 20) “Strife” “esek ”
1. Jealousy can be subtle, gently removing you from the scene (withdrawal). However, as in
this section of Genesis 26, jealousy can turn into opposition and even into open arguments.
Esek, the word used in the original text, can even mean a “lawsuit.”
2. Envy brings strife, and strife brings contention. A person you never quarreled with before
will suddenly begin to act like your enemy, openly challenging you for no apparent reason.
C. The third well: ACCUSATION (verse 21)
1. Isaac had to dig another will, and again, it was contested. He named it Sitnah, which
means “Satan,” or “accuser.”
2. This is the third level of relationship problems. At this point, the problem has gone from
jealousy to opposition to accusation with killing you in mind. Destroying your credibility . The
person involved in the test has now begun to actually spread things against your character And
is slandering you to others for no reason.
