When the famine came, Isaac had ordinary fears. What do ordinary people do when trials hit? They panic. What did Isaac do? He panicked. It would be wonderful to read, “There was a famine in the land, so Isaac sought the Lord.” But the text plainly states, “So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines.” And it's clear that he wasn't planning to stop there. He was heading toward Egypt when the Lord intercepted him at Gerar and told him not to go to Egypt.