Sermons from the Book of Genesis
Sermon Title: Generational Well Digging
Sermon Text: Genesis 26:12-33

Water is the most common substance on the earth. Seventy percent of the earth's surface is water. 97% of all water is in the oceans. The availability of water has given rise to some of the great civilizations of history. Civilizations have fallen when water supplies failed. The reason being, water is one of the great needs of life and essential to sustain life. People have killed over a muddy water hole. Man can live and average of two months without food, but only one week without water. In the semi-arid climate of Palestine, the availability of water was priceless. In a land where water was scarce, wells were extremely important. It is not surprising that we find a Bible scene where wells were a source of strife and and fighting.

Wells in the Bible are often a type of the work of Holy Spirit in a believers life. We read in John 4:14, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that

I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Just as wells of water were essential to sustain physical life, the work of the Holy Spirit is essential to sustain spiritual life. If one lacks water they will die physically. If one does not experience the work of the Holy Spirit in their life they will die spiritually. One must constantly drink of heavens well if they are to survive spiritually. When you quit drinking you quit living. It is for this reason why every generation must experience the work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot live off what another generation experienced. There must be generational well digging.

The story before is a story of generational well digging. It is the story of Abraham’s and Isaac’s wells. It is the story of one generation digging wells and the necessity of the next generation digging wells. Notice 3 things from the story. First, notice with me the matter of: 

1. CLEARING WELLS OF THE PAST GENERATION

In verse 15, we read of“all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father.” Abraham had dug wells in his days.  Abraham had needed water and had dug wells of life sustaining water. Abraham had enjoyed the refreshing water of the wells he had dug. Now we see Isaac: 

A. Remembering The Wells Of His Father

Whenever wells were dug, it was proper to give them names. Although we do not know what the names were, Abraham had given names to the wells he dug. In verse 15 we read that Isaac “called their names after the names by which his father had called them.”  Isaac recalls and remembers the names of the wells his father had dug.

It does our hearts good to remember and recall the wells our spiritual fathers have dug. It is good for the soul to reflect on the work of the Holy Spirit in previous generations. G.W. Hervey in speaking of revival said, “No fact is better established than that the rehearsal of the incidents of other revivals has been of great service in many a work of grace."2  What was Mr. Hervey saying? He was saying that recalling and reflecting on revivals in the past often stirs us about revivals in the present.

There have been wells dug and enjoyed by our spiritual fathers that we need to remember. I think of a well dug in the mid-1700’s in the New England states. That well has been called the “Great Awakening.” In 1734 Jonathan Edward’s of Northampton, Mass., begin a series of sermons on “Justification by faith alone.”  The results which followed were astounding. Edward’s in his “Narrative of Surprising Conversions” wrote: “A great and earnest concern about the things of religion and the eternal world became universal in all parts of the town, and among persons of all degrees and all ages; the noise among the dry bones waxed louder and louder; all other talk but about spiritual and eternal things was soon thrown by.”

 A work of the Spirit of God was experienced in Northampton to the degree that in the next 6 months over 300 were saved (population of Northampton was around 1,100). The water from that well began to be enjoyed by others, until when it was all said and done, the whole Atlantic seaboard had drank of the well and between 25,000 and 50,000 souls were saved. Since the population of the entire New England colonies at that time was around 340,000, this had the impact 25 million converts would make on the church today. Between 1740 to 1760, 150 new Congregational Churches were started, along with many other Baptist and Presbyterians.

I think of another well dug in 1800 in Logan County, KY. This was a section known as Rogue’s Harbor, because of the fugitives of justice that hid out there. A Presbyterian pastor, James McGready began a meeting at the Red River Meeting House. Two preachers, William Hodges and John Bankin helped him. Two brothers, John and William McGee from Tennessee were also at the meeting as observers. The meeting began on Friday and was scheduled to continue through Monday. Several times during the first 2 days the congregation melted into tears. On Sunday Hodges preached and one woman screamed loudly and others dropped to the floor crying, “What shall I do to be saved.” 

When the official meeting was over, the 3 ministers left the church. But no one in the congregation moved. They sat in rapt silence. The McGee brothers had remained behind. Suddenly William McGee sank down on the floor of the pulpit. At the same time John was seized by a violent trembling, and began to exhort the people to “let the Lord God Omnipotent reign in their hearts and submit to Him.” The woman that had screamed earlier now began to shout. John McGee left the pulpit to go to her. Several people said to him, “You know, these Presbyterians are much for order. They’ll not bear this confusion.” McGee started to turn back, but then something stopped him. Feeling he was witnessing the work of God, he went through the house shouting and exhorting the people. In no time at all, the floor was covered with the slain.

I could name other wells that our fathers have dug. There are other blessed works of the Holy Spirit I could mention. Wells that were dug that saved churches, towns, counties and this nation from spiritual death.

Furthermore, we see Isaac: 

B. Reopening The Wells Of His Father

We read concerning these wells in Vs.15 that “the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham.” Many of these wells were shafts that had been bored under the rocky surface. Sometime after the death of Abraham the Philistines had closed up the wells; that is, they had stopped them up. The well of water that Abraham’s generation had drank of was no longer being enjoyed by Isaac’s generation.

The sad honest truth is, that many in our generation have never drank of the wells of which our spiritual fathers drank. Thank God for a few springs we have drank of, but for the most part, this is a well-less generation. We have experienced a small measure of the work of the Holy Spirit, but a mighty life changing, life sustaining, life giving work, we know very little about.

We read in Vs.15, that “Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father.” Isaac reopened those wells and drank of the same wells his father had drank. The wells of our spiritual fathers need to be reopened by this generation. We need to drink of the same wells. We need to experience for ourselves the same blessed work of the Holy Spirit.

I heard about a college many years ago that found their water supply dwindling. Their water came from a spring and flowed through a pipe to the college. The spring provided a constant flow of water. But one day they awoke to find but a trickle of water coming out of the pipe. The spring was still flowing so they knew that there must be something clogging up the pipe. They begin to take the pipe apart and eventually they found a huge frog that was lodged in the pipe.

There are a few frogs in our pipes! The wells of our fathers have been stopped up by tradition, formalism, skepticism, indifference, and sin. The wells need to be unclogged and reopened. We can be certain that the well has not dried up. It has been stopped up! If God is not working in your life by the person of the Holy Spirit you can be sure something has stopped up the well. If God is not working in a church, you can be certain something has stopped up the well. Whatever it is needs to be cleaned out and cleared out that we might drink of life sustaining and necessary water.

R. A. Torrey gave a prescription for revival that he guaranteed would bring revival to any place or person. He said it had never failed. Torrey said, “I can give a prescription that will bring a revival to any church or community or any city on earth.” He named 3 things. “First, let a few Christians (they need not be many) get thoroughly right with God themselves. This is the prime essential. If this is not done, the rest that I am to say will come to nothing. Second, let them bind themselves together in a prayer group to pray for a revival until God opens the heavens and comes down. Third, let them put themselves at the disposal of God for Him to use as He sees fit in winning others to Christ. That is all!" The first thing Torrey said was required was unstopping the wells. Whatever is keeping the water from flowing needs to be repented of and cleaned out. We can drink of the wells of our father if we un-stop the wells.

Secondly, notice with me Isaac:

2. CLAIMING WELLS IN THE PRESENT GENERATION

Whereas we need to drink of the wells our fathers drank from, it is also true that each generation must dig it’s own wells. We can’t live in the past. We must dig new wells in our own generation. The digging of wells were a claim on property. When Abraham had dug his wells he had claimed the land as his own. Each new generation must make their own claims and possess as their own that which they can enjoy.

We see in Isaac action:

A. The Opening Of New Wells

We not only read of Isaac reopening the wells his father had dug, but we also see him digging his own wells. We read in Genesis 26:19, "And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water." We also read in Genesis 26:21, "And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah." We then read in Genesis 26:22, "And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." Notice finally Genesis 26:25, "And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well."

Isaac not only re-claimed that his father had claimed, but he dug new wells and made his own claims. The same is true of this generation. Thank God for the spiritual territory claimed by our fore-fathers, but we have got to claim spiritual territory as our own. Our spiritual fathers wrote yesterdays chapter of the history of the Church. This generation must write the next chapter. We must open new wells and make claims to spiritual territory in our day.

Nobody loves the past anymore than me. I am constantly learning about the past and visiting the past. The wells of our fathers stir me and have great interest to me. But I am interested in digging wells today. I want to drink of a work of the Spirit of God in this day and in this place. As I said, water is essential to sustaining life. I see this generation that is dying of thirst. There are some of this generation that has had a sip here and a sip there, but we are dying of thirst. We need a well. We need to experience a work of God in our day and in this place.

In Isaac's actions we also see: 

B. The Opposing Of New Wells

The devil never likes for wells to be dug in his territory. He fights each effort to dig a well and disputes each claim that is made. If you are a generational well digger then you can expect opposition. Isaac dug wells but he was fought each step of the way. The first well that Isaac dug was named Esek which means “contention.” Why? We read in Genesis 26:20, "And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him." The word “strive” means to “wrangle, grapple.” The Philistines fought with Isaac’s men over the well. They made the claim that the well was theirs. Well digging is always opposed.

Satan hates to see us dig wells for we see that the second well Isaac dug was named Sitnah which mean “hatred.” We read in Genesis 26:21, "And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah." It was only after he dug his third well he found any relief. We read in Genesis 26:22, "And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." Rehoboth means “spaces, roominess.” He is able now to enjoy his claims but it has been a fight every inch of the way. Satan fights our prayer time, Bible study, Church attendance, holy life and service. Why? He doesn’t want us enjoying new wells. He doesn’t want us experiencing a mighty work on God in our generation.

In Isaac's actions we see:

C. The Outcome Of New Wells

It is when the Spirit of God is at work that we meet God and experience God in a new and fresh way. It is then that we see God manifested and His blessing experienced in our life. Notice Genesis 26:24-25, "And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well." God appeared unto Him and promised him His protection, presence, and prosperity. God had appeared to his father, but now God was appearing to him. He was meeting the same God his father had met. He was hearing the same God his father had heard. He was encountering the same God his father had encountered.

This meeting with God brought into a new place of dwelling (he pitched his tent there). It brought him into a fresh experience of worship (he built an altar there). It brought him into more wells (he digged another well). If we want to meet God there must be a work of the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, notice Isaac: 

3. CREATING WELLS FOR THE PROSPECTIVE GENERATION

The wells Abraham had dug Isaac in the next generation drank. The wells Isaac dug, the next generation drank. Notice Genesis 26:32-33, "And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. [33] And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day." Isaac named the well he dug when he met God Beersheba which mean “well of the oath.” That well would always testify to what God had done and said to Isaac. It would be a reminder to the generations to come of Isaac’s experience with God.

I think of the marker in front of Moriah Church in Lougher, Wales where the great Welsh Revival began. On one side are the words, “God hath visited His people.” It stands there as a reminder to this generation of a well dug in the past.

In these wells we see wells that would be:

A. Available To The Next Generation

Years after Isaac was gone, his well would be available to his children, grandchildren, and succeeding generations. The wells we dig are wells that will be available to the next generation. I am also reminded that if we dig no wells, we will leave no wells for the next generation.

We also see wells that would be: 

B. Appropriated By The Next Generation

Just as he had drank from his fathers wells, his children would drink from his wells. They would one day be thirsty and from the wells he digged they would drink. I want to dig some wells for the next generation. Amen!