Peaceful Agreement

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PEACEFUL AGREEMENT

Gen 21:25-34

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized. 26 But Abimelech said, "I don't know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today." 27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a treaty. 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?" 30 He replied, "Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well." 31 So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there. 32 After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

NIV

The main topic of this discussion, which was not an argument, was about a well. Abraham knew in his heart that he was right, that he and his menservants dug that well, but someone in the household, or under the rule of Abimelech, seized the well. The direct meaning of the Hebrew word translated as seized is to violently take away, to tear away, to rob. We do not know whether anyone in Abraham's household was injured in this violent action by Abimelech's people; however, it is interesting that the offended gave gifts to the offender as part of the agreement. We are told that Abimelech was not aware of what men under his command did; however, we find that strange, as we would think that when they took control of the well, they would have reported it to their king. Nevertheless, Abraham took seven ewes and presented them to Abimelech as a witness that the well belonged to him. Of course, seven is the perfect number, the number of completion. There are seven Jewish festivals; God rested on the seventh day, it is the divine order of completion. But the story is about the offended giving the offender a gift to prove his case. Abraham could have taken his hundreds of fighting men and recaptured his well by force, but that could have started a war.  We believe the LORD gave Abraham wisdom to resolve this matter in a peaceful and amiable manner by giving those seven ewe lambs as a testimony that he had dug the well. Everything ended well; they made a treaty and swore an oath. Our story is about making peace with anyone who has offended us. Sometimes, when we are offended, we expect the offender to make the peace, to come and ask for forgiveness. Sometimes, when we are offended, we simply sit and stew, even harboring a bit of anger, bitterness, or a vengeful feeling. However, in the example of Abraham and Abimelech, we see that when we are offended, we should offer a gift to the offender to bring a peaceful resolution to any possible conflict. In other words, the offended person needs to seek a peaceful treaty, without self-righteousness, anger, resentment, or a desire for revenge.