Genesis chapter 21 and the ancient land of Israel And then we're going to read starting in verse 25 so Genesis chapter 21 starting from verse 25 About this episode of Abraham and Abimelech This section, this piece of Israel's history or Abraham's history, describes a treaty that was struck between King Abimelech and Abraham, and its terms guaranteed the shared use of precious water supplies in a region that was very arid, and so obviously water supply is crucial there. The covenant was ratified by seven lambs and Abraham called the place Beersheba. And we're gonna see, take a look together at the significance of what Abraham did for covenant and for worship there. Okay, so Genesis 21, let's start reading at verse 25. When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized, Abimelech said, I do not know who has done these things. You did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today. So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart, And Abimelech said to Abraham, what is the meaning of these seven eulams that you have set apart? He said, these seven eulams you will take from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well. Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phikal, the commander of his army, rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines. I want to meditate on this today and think about an idea of planting a tree, but planting shade or praying shade for our children. When Abraham called this place Beersheba, he named it very apt to the circumstances. The name Beersheba means the well of seven. So remember those seven lambs that he was talking about? And that well became a physical marker, a visual reminder of that covenant. But I think for Abraham's story, also a tangible artifact that God's promise to him was coming true. Because this site became the southernmost border of of the land of Israel as promised to Abraham. And Beersheba exists to this day. You can visit this site. It's about 45 miles southwest of Jerusalem. And you'll read several times throughout subsequent scripture that when all the land of Israel is described, the writer writes from Dan to Beersheba. So Dan being its northernmost border, all the way down to Beersheba being its southernmost border. And that's how this southernmost point was established. Okay, but I want to focus on verse 33. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. He did this as a ritual to commemorate the treaty, but also to mark a site of worship. What's the significance of this decision? What's the significance of this tree? I mean, why didn't Abraham plant a rosebush? Because I mean, that's really nice, right? It smells nice and you can pick the flowers and give them to people. Why a tamarisk tree? Well, I looked into this a little bit and I found something that I think is significant for us and what we're doing. And I want to share this as an encouragement. Abraham called on the name of Yahweh and which specific name? He tells us here, everlasting God, the long living, unchanging, everlasting God, El Olam. Well, the Tamarisk tree is like that because as far as trees go, it grows very, very slowly. We're talking like one inch or about two and a half centimeters per year. that's like I mean humans sometimes grow about that rate compare that to another tree that we're used to in the scripture the cedars of lebanon cedars of lebanon were used for construction they had to be uh reproducing fast growing trees they grow at about 15 inches per year or 40 centimeters per year right like this But the tamarisk tree was very slow growing and it could take about 400 years to reach its full height. We know that Abraham died when he was 175 years old. So Abraham clearly knew he would not see the end results of the tree he planted. But you know who would? His grandchildren and their grandchildren. Abraham wasn't planting for himself. Because the users of this well need shade, right? Water and shade are a winning combination in the desert. If you want to launch a successful startup business in the desert, sell water and shade. The tamarisk tree, it has a very special canopy. And this is what I learned in my bit of reading and research into this. Taurus trees are often referred to as salt cedars because they are a type of evergreen tree that produces a salt-like substance on its branches. And a very interesting thing happens. in the cycle of the day throughout this tree. As the temperature cools down in the evening, the salt crystals that form on the branches, they absorb the moisture from the desert air and they form little droplets of condensation on the branches. But then the next day when the sun comes up as the earth heats up, then the heat begins to evaporate the water And the water droplets actually burst open at some point, creating a fine mist in the air that descends from the canopy of this tree. These droplets actually produce a natural form of outdoor air conditioning. And it's probably not unlike the form of spray zones, those systems that you find in theme parks and stuff. Maybe you've seen them. So now imagine you're a traveler. And you're trekking through this arid region of southern Israel. You're parched, you're dry, your water resources have run low. And then you come upon Beer Sheba. Yes, you can stop for a cooling drink from the well. And while you're there, you and your animals in your convoy, you can shelter under this tamarisk tree. Well, I want to think of our praying here as planting a tamarisk tree. We gather here by agreement. Agreement around a source of spiritual water that has nourished all of us along in our journey. What's that water? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who shouted out in John 7, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Also, our efforts here are slow and steady, like the growth of the tamarisk tree. Although the revival that we seek, it can spring up overnight. Absolutely. It can catch us by surprise. And we kind of want it to, because we want to see change, right? But so far, we're plodding along. We're growing slowly. What are we praying for? Salvation? softened hearts, humbling of nations, the transformation of churches, restoration of a spirit of prayer. These are the kind of benefits that maybe we won't see in the full form. We may never see the full benefits of that kind of fruit and growth with our own eyes, but the result of our prayer, it becomes shelter, and refreshment and shade for our children and for their children. So let's not grow weary from short-sightedness in our prayer. Let's call on the name of the Lord, just like Abraham did, the everlasting God. Amen.