26:6-10 The behaviour of Isaac in attempting to pass off his wife as his sister - just like his father Abraham had [Genesis 20] shows that we tend not to learn from the mistakes of others - even our own close family. This is a sad fact. We seem to have to make the mistakes ourselves before we learn.

25:7 Another time marker. Abraham left Haran when he was 75 and died when he was 175 - so we are 100 years on from that time.

26:17 Isaac, in digging wells and not fighting for them when the inhabitants of the land took them truly was a consciences objector! See 'Dwelling As A Sojourner' Christadelphian Tidings February 2000 or visit this link to read the article

25:27 The description and contrast between Esau  and Jacob is more than a description of difference in lifestyle. Jacob is presented as a stranger who was ‘perfect’ (see comment for Genesis 17) whereas Esau was self sufficient.

26:29 The way that the men came to Isaac and sought peace with him is an early example of the truth of  Prov 16:7

Isaac married at the age of 40 (Gen 25:20), but had to wait 20 long years before his boys were born,
Gen 25:26.  20 years was a long time to wait, but he had faith.  He would have talked to his wife about
the miracle of his own birth, and he would have remembered the miracle of the servant finding Rebekak.
Not having children meant, naturally speaking, the end of God's promises, but he had faith and when those long years were broken by the birth of the twins, how that family must have rejoiced!

Jacob was a "perfect" person (v27 AV. plain). He was mature and Godly

25:21 Another barren woman bore a significant son. A step along the road of the seed of the woman.

26:1 Notice we come across an ‘Abimelech’ again. Remember it is a title, not a name.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Matt 16:26 - The Sea of Galilee gives as it receives .... BUT the Dead Sea keeps what it gets and is big ... YET it is dead!

25:12-18 We do well to remember that in giving us the descendants of Ishmael we have moved from straight narrative to genealogical data. This sets the scene for the line of the child of promise which is developed from Gen 25:19.

25:1     Keturah is here described as Abraham’s wife, though in 1Chron 1:32 she is described as his concubine. As the record here is talking about after  Sarah’s death does this indicate that Keturah’s status changed from Concubine to wife at this time and that she had been his concubine for some time before the death of Sarah?

26:34 Esau married the Judith the Hittite.  It is ironic that she was so named, for Judith (Heb. yehudit) means Jewess.

25:2  Abraham had been too old to bear seed so God intervened to provide Isaac. It would appear that the rejuvenation of Abraham was not a short lived experience simply for the production of the child of promise.

25:2 The sons of Keturah spread out eastward through the desert regions right up to the Persian Gulf.  Her sons, together with Hagar's progeny accounted, ultimately, for many nations.  This would be one application of the promise made to Abraham (Gen 17:4,5).  However, the more important application of the promise concerns those in covenant relationship with Yahweh.  First, that was relevant the Jews, under the Mosaic Law.  But, through the sacrifice of Jesus, people of every nation have the opportunity to be covenanted (Rom 4:16-18).  Having faith in the saving power of Jesus, and being baptized into Him, brings people into covenant relationship with Yahweh. They are His children, and part of Christ's household.  As such, the promises to Abraham apply to them (Gal 3:26-29).  

26:3 ‘sojourn in the land’ would comfort Isaac who would realise that his time in Egypt was to be temporary.

Psa 31:22  For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes. How often have each one of us felt the same way? Even Christ as He hung on the cross said. My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me,  Matt 27:46  Here in this Psalm, David is urging each one of us when we have these low moments, to put our confidence in our Heavenly Father. Always remembering the words spoken to Joshua. Deut 31:8 He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee. 

In vs. 2 and 3, two different Hebrew words which are translated rock.  In verse 2 the word is tsur and in verse 3 the word is cela.  For a title of God tsur is used whereas cela describes the underlying principle of safety, confidence, and guidance that God affords.
Is there a parallel in the case of Peter and his confession (Matt 16:18)?  Here Peter  (Gr. petrus = rock) states an underlying principle (Gr. petra = rock) on which Christ can build His ecclesia.

31:8     Have you ever felt trapped by your circumstances? David did, but was delivered by his God and rejoiced in that deliverance from Saul and all his enemies – 2Sam 22:20

31:5   The first part of this verse is spoken by Jesus on the cross as he dies – Luke 23:46. One might imagine that the remainder of the verse was in the mind of Jesus as he wakened on the resurrection morning.

31:13  The taking counsel against David was prophetic of the trial of Jesus – Matt 27:1so we might conclude that David’s emotion of ‘fear’ in the previous verse was also the emotion of Jesus at that time.

31:16 In asking God to ‘make thy face to shine upon thy servant’ maybe David is reflecting g on the way that Moses face ‘shone’ – Exo 34:29 - when he had been in the presence of God.

We tend to think of Psalms as prophecies of Jesus, and that's true as far as it goes. A more helpful way to think of it is that God provided David's life and thoughts as a way for Jesus to read, internalise, understand, and then carry out his purpose. They were a platform on which Jesus could build his life. You've heard of the term "mental fuel"? Well, Jesus needed plenty of that. So Jesus studied this Psalm. He then worked out what events in David's life it applied to. He then meditated about how God had rescued David from those troubles, how He had responded to David's particular plea for help. Then he tucked away the thoughts, sentiments and emotions contained in the Psalm for mental fuel when he faced similar circumstances. We can do the same. It's a bit like the wise virgins storing up oil.

v11  There's more than a hint of Jesus in this verse. We know he was a reproach among his enemies, especially to Judas.    The word translated without  here can also mean separate. When the disciples saw him picked out and separated from them, they fled, because they were afraid.

16:21    Notice that as soon as the disciples recognise that Jesus is the Christ he starts to emphasise that he is going to die a cruel death.

16:3 The ‘signs of the times’ that the Pharisees and Sadducees could not discern was the implications that flowed from the miracles that Jesus performed.

16:6  Leaven figures in Israel’s past with regard to feasts and whilst different meanings have been attributed to ‘leaven’ Jesus here gives it a clear Biblical definition. Jesus says ‘leaven’ is teaching.

16:1 The miracles that Jesus did were the ‘signs’ that he was the son of God – John 20:30-31– and so there was no need for any further signs. The religious leaders would not accept the signs given so any further signs would be of no value.

V.28 Jesus seems to be telling his disciples that some of them will remain alive until He returns to earth to set up His Kingdom.  However, we know this cannot be the case.  All the disciples met violent deaths except possibly John who was exiled to Patmos and probably died there. 

The phrase taste of death could be referring to the death upon rejection at the judgement.  Jesus' discourse in John might clarify what this phrase means (John 8:51,52).  Jesus promised His disciples a place in His Kingdom, which meant that they would be immune to the taste of death (Luke 22:30). 

However, the qualification some in v.28 could be a reference to the fact that Judas will not be in the Kingdom.  If he is brought back for judgement, he will be rejected, probably receive a glimpse of the Kingdom like so many others (Luke 13:28), and then taste of death permanently. 

Another explanation for v.28 could be that Jesus is foretelling His transfiguration (Matt 17:1-3).  This event was a glimpse of the coming regal glory of Jesus.  The some, who witnessed the occurrence, were Peter, James, and John.

The symbol of leaven refers to the way in which words and ideas spread once they take hold. Jesus uses it both of good words (Matt 13:33) and bad (Matt 16:11-12). The important lesson from this is that we cannot remove ideas from our minds once they have entered in. A lump of dough that has been leavened can't be unleaved - and it will pass the leaven on, spreading it indefinitely. Jesus gives us the example of how to avoid contamination with damaging ideas in his harsh rebuke of Peter (v23). If we cannot remove ideas from our minds, we must stop them getting in in the first place.

(see this explanation of sourdough: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sourdough).

The "Conflict" of Faith and Works

Matt 16:27 - "The Son of Man shall reward every man according to his works." Scriptures which imply works as the basis of salvation are: Psa 62:12;Matt 16:27;2Cor 5:10;Rom 2:6-10;Rev 22:12;20:12-13;James 2:21-22.

Eph 2:8 - "By grace are ye saved, through faith...not of works..." Scriptures which make grace the basis of salvation, by faith are: Eph 2:5-9;Acts 15:11;Gal 3:1-9;Titus 2:11;John 6:29;Rom 3:24;Rom 4:1-16.

We can't earn salvation by works Rom 3:23;Titus 3:5;2Tim 1:9. Grace is freely given in Christ. But freely given grace also demands a free response Rom 6:1-2;James 2:14-17. Faith, if it is real faith, will lead to producing works. Works are the fruit of faith. Faith works by love Gal 5:6. Newness of life is the result of grace received. Obedience in love is the expression of gratitude for salvation freely offered in Christ. 

The above was gleaned from Balancing The Book: A Study of Biblical Paradoxes by Len Richardson, pp 5-9.

16:22 Peter’s comment highlights that whilst He recognised Jesus as ‘The Christ’ he had no understanding of what ‘the Christ’ would do.