Abimelech, king of the Philistines, is back on the scene. I love this revolving picture of God’s people and the philistines making peace pacts. This chapter is like a retelling of Chapters 20 and 21, only with Isaac’s name substituted for Abraham’s. They even wind right back up in the same spot – Beersheba – and shake on another peace treaty. They even had a bit of a grumbling, but instead of getting into a huge argument about why Isaac had to leave Gerar, they kissed and made up! That moment of reconciliation speaks volumes. They both accepted the past for what it was and understood the future depended on their peacefulness. Those are some serious critical thinking skills. I try to teach my kids the importance of looking ahead and seeing how choices we make now affect the way our futures develop. That’s exactly what Abimelech and Isaac were doing.
(Abimelech and Phicol are either really old or these are common names for the rulers and army commanders back then. I found this interesting but felt led to highlight the peaceful relationship and critical thinking skills aspect more.)
Writing prompt: forward thinking
I tell my kids when they are facing big challenges to ask themselves, how will this affect me in five years? Someone gave me this advice when I was a teen, and it has helped me to assess some situations more clearly. Obviously, if you know me, I didn’t always remember to ask myself this question, as I have made some pretty boneheaded decisions in my life that definitely could have benefited from some forethought, or critical thinking. How are your critical thinking skills? Write about a situation where forward thinking saved your behind – or could have saved your behind had it been implemented.
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