There are three last things that this story ends with. a. A memorial tree. First, Abraham plants a tamarisk tree or a grove of trees (the root word being the same for both). The tamarisk tree is well suited for the land near Beersheba. It draws salt from the ground water and secrets it through its leaves at night. In the morning the salt collects moisture which then drips to the ground. It creates a natural cooling effect which would be nice to place your tent near. Abraham plants this tree in memorial of the event that happened and in honor of his God. b. Yahweh El Olam. Moses tells us that Abraham called upon the name of the LORD, Yahweh El Olam, or the Evelasting God. Again we see Abraham sojourning in a foreign land pubically worshipping God. He is not afraid to display his faith in God in a pagan land. Olam is a fairly common word in Scripture but there is one other place where God is called the Everlasting God. In Isaiah 40 we read this, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” You can almost picture Abraham saying this to his descendants. Haven’t you heard about when I called God the Everlasting God? Of course your way isn’t hidden from God. Look at what he did for me. Learn from my story. c. In the land of the Philistines. Finally, Moses returns to the fact that Abraham was sojourning in the land of the Philistines. Why is this important? Abraham brings the child of promise into the world in the land of the Philistines. Abraham worships in the land of the Philistines. God was with Abraham blessing him even in the land of the uncircumcised Philistines. God blesses his people no matter where they go and his people will praise him no matter where they go. This is a lesson that the Israelites needed to learn from Father Abraham as they traveled in the wilderness and as they entered into the Promised Land.