“For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.”
He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. The envy of the surrounding peoples is the testimony to the covenant blessing visible from the outside. Genesis 12:2 promised that Abram's name would be great — Isaac's name is great among the Philistines, not because of his virtue but because of his abundance. Proverbs 14:30 notes that envy rots the bones; the Philistines' response to Isaac's blessing is the bone-rotting envy that will drive the conflict of the next verses. The application: the visible blessing on the covenant person will generate both admiration and envy. Prepare for both.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
0/2000
No notes on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!