Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Isaac said to them, ‘Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?’ 28They said, ‘We see plainly that the Lord has been with you; so we say, let there be an oath between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you 29so that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.’ ”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, September 25, 2021
by Daniel D. Maurer, Clergy Stuff
Today’s passage from the daily readings of the Narrative Lectionary isn’t one of the more well-known ones. Yet, it’s really pretty neat.
Isaac is told first not to go to Egypt. So he doesn’t. He instead goes to the land that is eventually to become his children’s inheritance. But when he goes there, he tells everyone that Rebekah is his sister, because he thinks she’s too pretty and anyone seeing her might want to kill him.
However, King Abimelech figures out what’s going on, and is kinda p-o’ed at Isaac.
Isaac, at the same time, moves on and is successful in farming.
Then, King Abimelech decides that it’s not such a bad idea to become friends with Isaac again. So, the two make a toast and everybody’s happy.
End of story, right?
No, there’s more. This truce will end up determining the future of how the story in Genesis continues on. It’s also once again a reminder that no part in Genesis is meant to be read separate from the rest of the story.
It’s all one, big happy (not all the time) family. And a family that would one day bring about Jesus of Nazareth.