Rehoboth - space to be neighbors

As his herds increased, so did Isaac’s need for water. And when his crops flourished, the jealousy of his neighbors over-flowed. They fouled his wells with rocks and dirt and eventually evicted him from the region.

In a day when revenge and dominance was a sign of strength lest your opponents sensed fear and weakness. Isaac showed remarkable restraint. He intuitively knew the proverb that a soft answer can turn aside wrath.

Spring in the Gerar Valley today

Isaac left his crops and moved his herds elsewhere – to the Gerar valley where his father had dug wells and pastured flocks decades earlier. Local herdsmen had filled them in after the old man died, but Isaac re-excavated them and continued the family cattle business.

Prosperity makes enemies as well as friends - and the local herdsmen harassed the wealthy newcomer. When Isaac dug a new well, his neighbors claimed prior right to the resource. Isaac named the well “Argument” and walked away from it. They contested the next well, so Isaac named it “The Well of Anger” and abandoned it too.

Patiently Isaac outlasted his adversaries. He dug a third well over which no one fought. He named it "Rehoboth" – Wide-Open Spaces – in gratitude for the elbow-room it gave him and the opportunity to live peaceably among strangers – and to flourish together, sharing the natural resources.

Space is not just legroom, but freedom from the encroaching demands of others. Human beings need space, but we also need to learn to get along together. Cooperation is one of the most crucial principles confronting water resource management in the contemporary world.

Israel's Protective Wall

I wonder . . . what a difference it would make if the inhabitants around the Gerar valley today, Israelis and Palestinians, were to adopt the non-adversarial spirit and practice of Isaac? Sadly, harassment and contempt prevail on both sides as the per capita use of water in Israel is almost five-fold greater than what Israel allows to those in Palestine.

I'm convinced that this kind of injustice outrages heaven as much as it breeds frustration and anger on earth. Dr. Yosef Dreizin, deputy water commissioner for Israel recognizes the need to negotiate redistribution of natural water resources, and goes even further in calling for cooperation on the production of new water resources. Actualizing that vision would make partners out of enemies – and that is the secret Isaac teaches us at Rehoboth.

In Monday’s post I plan to explore this interesting story a bit further. Have a look at the story in Genesis 26. Enjoy!