“Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God. And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.”
Genesis 21:33-34
By this time, Abraham had lived in Canaan over thirty years. Even though God promised him the whole land, Abraham was still a foreigner who owned not even a tree. But, when it became necessary for Abraham to swear an oath of loyalty to King Abimelech, Abraham made an additional request…that the well Abimelech’s servants had earlier seized, be returned to him. “Show your agreement that I dug this well.” (v.30)
By faith Abraham dug a hole in the ground God had promised and named that claim Beersheba, meaning well of oath. It was there he planted a tree and “worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.” Abraham had never called God by this name before. Could it be that he was learning a new confidence in his promise-giving God? Even if Abraham could only claim one small well and a tree when he died, he knew that Eternal God would never die! HE was eternal and would give the land He promised in His own eternal time.
Living as a foreigner in this world, I may currently see only small down payments of what has been promised. But can I trust my Eternal God enough to keep on worshipping by those small wells and trees?
