以撒虽然在每一个地方都有一口井，都有一些享受，但神不满意，神用环境逼使以撒回到别是巴。神似乎说，“以撒，你是定居下来了，但你没有定居在对的地方。我要激起争竞，逼你回到别是巴。”以撒已经往下去，但神用环境逼他从庇耳拉海莱上到别是巴。因以撒无心回去，神只得逼他回到神的地方。
有的基督教师鼓励信徒效法以撒的榜样，不要与人相争。按照这种教训，当我们挖了一口井，别人占去了，我们就当容忍，把井给他们。我们若到另一个地方，挖了另一口井，别人又占去了，我们还是不争，再到另一个地方去。最后，我们到了第三个地方，那是宽阔之路的地方。但这种教训并没有看见神的目的，神的目的是要把以撒带回到别是巴，就是神向他显现的地方。神在那里显现之后，以撒筑了一座坛，呼求耶和华的名，并且支搭帐棚（创二六24-25）。以撒并没有在别的地方筑坛。神的显现同祂的应许及见证都在别是巴。只有在这地方，以撒才接受应许来达成神永远的目的。他没有在庇耳拉海莱（看顾人及启示祂自己的永活者之地）接受应许；也没有在埃色（争竞之井），或西提拿（敌意之井），甚至也没有在利河伯（宽阔之路的井）接受应许。虽然以撒在各地都有享受，但他只在别是巴有耶和华的显现。只有在别是巴这惟一的地方，他才能承受应许，有见证的生活，来达成神的目的。只有在别是巴，那盟誓的井，我们才能有耶和华的显现，承受应许，筑坛，呼求主名，支搭帐棚作见证。只有在这里，我们才能达成神永远的目的。
我们到各地都可得着享受，因为享受是我们的定命，但这不能印证或称义我们的立场。我们的立场正确与否，只能凭主的显现来断定，不能单凭享受。在许多地方我们有过享受，但在那里我们深觉没有主的显现。并且，在那些地方我们没有祭坛或帐棚，也没有从灵的深处呼求主名。我们虽然可以在别处得到一点享受，但只有在别是巴才能达成神的目的。
每日一问：神为什么允许争竞和环境出现？这些环境的目的是什么？
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Isaac’s Experience – Grace and Enjoyment (4) — Gen. 26:19-22
“Now Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, ‘The water is ours!’ So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, ‘At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.’” (Gen. 26:19-22)
Although Isaac had a well and some enjoyment in every place, God was not satisfied. God used circumstances to drive Isaac back to Beersheba. God seemed to say, “Isaac, you have settled down, but you have not settled in the right place. I will stir up contention to drive you back to Beersheba”. Isaac had gone downward, but God used circumstances to drive him from Beer-lahai-roi back up to Beersheba. Because Isaac had no heart to return, God had to drive him back to the place of God.
Some Christian teachers encourage believers to follow Isaac’s example and not contend with others. According to this teaching, when we dig a well and others take it from us, we should be tolerant and give them the well. If we go to another place and dig another well and others take that one too, we still do not contend and move on to another place. Finally, we arrive at a third place, the place of the broad way. But this kind of teaching does not see God’s purpose. God’s purpose was to bring Isaac back to Beersheba — the place where God appeared to him. After God appeared to him there, Isaac built an altar, called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent (Gen. 26:24-25). Isaac did not build an altar anywhere else. God’s appearing, His promise and His testimony were all at Beersheba. Only in this place did Isaac receive the promise to fulfill God’s eternal purpose. He did not receive the promise at Beer-lahai-roi (the place of the living One who watches over and reveals Himself); nor at Esek (the well of contention), or Sitnah (the well of enmity), or even Rehoboth (the well of the broad way). Although Isaac had enjoyment in every place, he only had the appearing of the Lord at Beersheba. It was only at Beersheba, this unique place, that he could inherit the promise, live a life of testimony, and accomplish God’s purpose. Only at Beersheba, the well of the oath, can we have the appearing of the Lord, inherit the promise, build an altar, call upon the name of the Lord, and pitch our tent as a testimony. Only here can we fulfill God’s eternal purpose.
We can receive enjoyment in every place, because enjoyment is our destiny. But this does not confirm or justify our standing. Whether our standing is correct can only be determined by the Lord’s appearing — not by enjoyment alone. In many places we may have had enjoyment, but there we deeply sense there is no appearing of the Lord. Moreover, in those places we have no altar or tent, and no calling upon the Lord’s name from the depths of our spirit. Although we may obtain some enjoyment elsewhere, only at Beersheba can God’s purpose be fulfilled.
Daily Question: Why does God allow contention and circumstances to arise? What is the purpose of these circumstances?