Meditation

The oath that Abraham and Abimelech make at Beer-sheba establishes that the two will not war against each other and that this will continue even into the next generation…Abimelech is concerned that Abraham’s growing household and abundance will overrun his kingdom so Abraham assures him that this will not happen…The excerpt from Genesis 21 continues…’22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.’…Many aspects of our spiritual growth are explained in this exchange…Abraham demonstrates that he will not take advantage of Abimelech, who has shown him kindness, because he grown in strength and to signify this he makes an oath…The fact that Abimalech servants have appropriated a well that Abraham dug  comes into dispute, which could have caused Abraham to respond in kind but instead he ensures that he first finds out whether Abimelech knew…Abraham as the more spiritually advanced soul does not resort to a physical show of strength but chooses instead to calm the situation and also promise to maintain this posture not just with Abimelech but with his generations to come…Dear Father God, would that we could all understand the importance of reliance on your grace in the alleviation of conflict…Let us learn to put you at the heart of every encounter and to call you to be our arbiter in all matters…And always let us search for the means to remove conflict and encourage cooperation…In Christ’s name we ask this…Amen.