Genesis 25:19-34

“These are the generations.”

This phrase occurs ten times in Genesis.

In each occurrence, the phrase serves as a bookend.

The first folks to study from Genesis would have hearers.

Books were far too expensive until the invention of the printing press

(they had to be handwritten).

Therefore, until very recently, most people would have heard, rather

than read, books.

Ancient authors would use different techniques to help people

hear their message.

When we find these techniques in Scripture, it’s often a clue for us “to

sit up and pay attention.”

“These are the generations” serves to divide Genesis into sections.

Moses tells us that we’ve come to another section of the story.

There are striking similarities between the births of Isaac

and Jacob.

In both cases, the mother is barren and is able to have

children only as a result of miraculous, divine intervention.

In both cases, the barrenness extends over a long period of

time.

Abraham: from age seventy-five to age 100.

Isaac: from age forty to age sixty.

In both cases, the important child is the younger of two

brothers and yet is chosen to be the recipient of his father’s

blessings and perpetrator of the divine promises.

Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as his

wife.

It was believed by the characters in the narrative that God

was actively finding Isaac a wife.

Abraham to his servant: The LORD God of heaven, who took me

from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who

spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I

give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall

take a wife for my son from there” (Gen 24:7).

The servant prayed for divine guidance and his prayer was

answered (Gen 24:12-14).

“Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your

master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken” (Gen 24:51).

Since the LORD found Rebekah for Isaac, there is going to

be a major struggle with faith.

How could the LORD find a wife for Isaac (through whom the

promise to Abraham was to be fulfilled) be barren?

Was Abraham delusional to trust YHWH’s promise?

Is YHWH able to overcome barrenness yet again?

Did the servant misunderstand Yahweh’s leading?

Abraham and Isaac both have this struggle of faith, yet they

handle their struggle in vastly different ways.

Abraham listens to his wife’s pleadings and conceives with a

concubine.

Isaac turns to the LORD in prayer.

“Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she

was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah

his wife conceived” (v 21).

The ESV and some other more modern translations say that

Isaac prayed.

The Hebrew indicates that what Isaac did is far more than simply

pray; he begged and he poured his heart out to God.

This is the same Hebrew word used in Exodus where Pharaoh

asked Moses to petition God to remove the plagues (8:8-9, 28-30;

9:28; 10:17-18).

“Pleaded” and “granted his plea” come from the same

root word in Hebrew.

The idea seems to be that we’re coming “full circle.”

Isaac pleaded; God answered his plea.

Why was Isaac’s prayer (20 years’ worth) a demonstration

of faith?

How do we demonstrate faith when we pray?

Why is prayer so important?

For what things should we pray?

Do you think we (as a whole) pray as we ought?

Notice it’s after, not before, Isaac’s prayer that Rebekah

conceives.

As we have mentioned before, the idea that children are a

gift of Yahweh is demonstrated time and time again.

I have no doubt that we see that in this text.

However, I don’t think that’s really the point of this passage.

The point of this text, I believe, is in the power of prayer.

God hears the constant cries of His people.

God answers according to His perfect will.

I think you could really make the case in this passage that God did

not answer Isaac as Isaac wished.

Isaac prayed for twenty years!

How many of us would have given up and accepted a “No” from God?

Isn’t there a message here about perseverance in prayer?!

Isaac prays that which is consistent with the will of God.

He knew that it was the Lord’s will that Rebekah conceive

and have children.

That had been clearly demonstrated in the divine promises.

Should our prayers be consistent with the will of God?

Jesus clearly demonstrated that principle in His life, most notably

in the Garden.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask

anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 Jn 5:14).

What are some things that we can pray that we know are

in the will of God?

If we know that these things are in the will of God, why

should we pray about them?

Some ideas:

God wants relationship.

It changes us.

Makes God’s will our own.

We start to see things in God’s way.

We must remember that prayer is really for our benefit,

not God’s.

Yahweh answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah

conceived.

The children struggled within her.

The Hebrew for “struggled” (rasas) means “to crush” or “to

smash up.”

Abimelech’s skull was crushed by a millstone (Judg 9:53).

Eccl 12:6 tells us of a bowl and a wheel being broken.

The idea is certainly that this is more than a mother’s

discomfort because an unborn child is kicking.

Because of her exasperation Rebekah says, “If all is well,

why am I like this?”

Different translations render Rebekah’s statement in a

variety of ways.

“If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” (ESV).

“If it be so, wherefore do I live?” (ASV).

“Why is this happening to me?” (NIV).

“If it be so, why am I thus?” (KJV).

Which translation is to be preferred?

Honestly, we don’t know.

Why don’t linguists/translators not know how to translate

Rebekah’s statement?

Rebekah’s statement in Hebrew is not a complete

sentence.

“If thus, why this I?”

The text isn’t exactly clear to whom she says this.

The next line tells us that she inquired of the LORD.

Perhaps she speaks this to Isaac (maybe blaming him for her

distress--perhaps she didn’t know all that she was getting into by

marrying a patriarch?).

I do believe that she spoke this to the LORD.

Why, though, even mention that this is not a complete

sentence?

The incomplete sentence seems to demonstrate

Rebekah’s pain.

She is in such physical (and, very likely, emotional) anguish

that she has trouble putting together a complete thought.

Aren’t there times that we find ourselves in that situation.

What can we do when we find ourselves in such a bad situation

that words and thoughts don’t come together?

“The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know

what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself

makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be

uttered” (Rom 8:26).

God tells Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb.”

Obviously there were not two nations in Rebekah’s womb.

The figure of speech is called metonymy, one word stands for a

closely associated word.

It is common in everyday language.

News broadcaster: “The White House announced today. . . .”

“The pen is mightier than the sword.”

What God means is that the two sons in her womb will

father two different nations.

God, standing outside of time and history, could see the futures of

these two boys.

What potential might we be able to see in our children?

How should that potential impact the way we raise our children?

“The older shall serve the younger.”

God’s choice of the Israelites over the Edomites was not

based on moral qualities.

These two children haven’t acted morally/immorally as of yet.

Gen 27:29, 40; Mal 1:3-4.

The rejection of Edom occurred before Jacob and Esau were

every born (Rom 9:10-12).

This might seem arbitrary and cruel.

However, God has infinite wisdom and He has a perfect will.

Is 40:13-14.

Dan 4:34-35.

Rom 11:33-36.

How can knowing God has a perfect will provide comfort to our

lives?

Can that knowledge be disconcerting to some folks?

Under Hurrian law, an older son was entitled to receive

twice as much inheritance as the younger son.

However, a father had the right to designate a younger son

as his “elder son.”

The lineage of Christ demonstrates that God often chose

the younger to receive the promise.

Isaac (not Ishmael), Judah (not Reuben), Perez (not Zerah),

David (not Eliab), and Solomon (not Adonijah).

Why would God chose the younger over the older?

This demonstrates that God’s election is based on grace, not

merit (Rom 11:6).

“When her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed

there were twins in her womb.”

I find the use of “indeed” in the text interesting (“behold” in

both KJV and ESV).

I think the idea is that God is always right.

“The first came out red.”

The Hebrew for “red” sound much like the word “Edom.”

There is some discussion about whether the text means that he

had a ruddy complexion or if this simply means that he was red-

haired.

However, this is the same term used to describe David (1 Sam

16:12; 17:42).

Therefore, I take this to mean that Esau had a ruddy appearance.

We are also told that Esau is very hairy.

The word for “hairy” is śe’ar, which is reflected in the name

Esau ‘eśaw.

As you know, the fact that Esau is hairy is going to play a

major role in this narrative.

The other twin is named “Jacob.”

The name is probably derived from ya’qub-alel, “May God

protect.”

This was a typical Amorite name of the early second millennium.

However, the narrator reinterprets the name to mean “heel” (Hos

12:3).

Figuratively, the name could also mean “deceive” (Gen 27:36; Jer

9:4).

Isaac and Rebekah do not intentionally name their child

“Liar.”

However, the narrator is using foreshadowing to tell us what

will occur.

I never cease to be amazed at the wisdom of God in the

way He inspired Scripture.

“To take the heel” is a Hebrew idiom meaning “to

supplant/replace.”

There’s a good bit of foreshadowing here.

Yes, Jacob grabbed Esau’s heel.

However, why did Moses record that he did? (I call this the “So

What?” test).

Any time Scripture records something, it’s important.

Jacob and Esau grew up as polar opposites.

Esau was a skillful hunter. He is presented almost as the

first redneck (he did have a ruddy appearance, after all).

Jacob was a “quiet man.”

The Hebrew term really means “blameless” or “perfect.”

Since Jacob was anything but perfect, the term means something

like “well-cultured” or “civilized.”

I kinda think we could view Jacob as a “metrosexual.”

Jacob and Esau’s different personalities allowed their

parents to play the favorite child “game.”

The fact that Isaac and Rebekah played favorites created

much tension between Jacob and Esau.

Unfortunately, Jacob would repeat his parents’ mistakes.

Both with Jacob and Esau and with Joseph and his brothers the

outcome of the favorite “game” was disaster.

Jacob and Esau separate for a number of years (Esau flees for his

life).

Joseph is sold into Egyptian bondage.

I understand that God was able to use both of these disasters to

further His will.

However, God, being God, could have found another way to fulfill His

sovereign will.

What can happen today when parents play favorites?

Do you know anyone who suffered adversely because

his/her parents did this?

How do we keep from playing favorites with our children?

Notice why Isaac loved Esau.

“Because he ate of his game.”

Isaac loved the child who best served him.

Same thing with Rebekah.

Jacob was apparently good in the kitchen.

He probably eased the burden on Rebekah, so she loved

him.

Jacob found Esau in a dire situation and took advantage

of him to secure the birthright.

This meant:

At his father’s death Jacob would become head of the household

with authority over his brothers and sisters (27:29, 37; 49:3);

Receive his father’s special blessing (27:33-36);

Inherit a double portion of his father’s possessions (Deut 21:17);

Become perpetuator of the divine promises (28:13-14).

Moses offers commentary at the end of this narrative: “Esau

despised his birthright.”

There are many things in Genesis that Moses doesn’t comment

on (drunkenness, lying, incest).

Therefore, the fact that he mentions Esau despised his birthright

means that it’s a big deal.

The episode begins with demonstrating the different roles

Jacob and Esau fulfilled in the home.

Esau was hunting.

Jacob was cooking.

The KJV says, “Jacob sod pottage.”

“Sod” is the obsolete form of the past tense of “seethe,” an

archaic word which meant “to boil, to stew.”

Esau was weary from the field.

How difficult is it to make decisions when we’re weary?

Is there wisdom in “sleeping on” some decisions?

Jacob convinced Esau to sell him his birthright for a bowl

of soup.

Esau gave up a future reward for temporary pleasure (Heb

12:16-17).

How many people will give up future rewards for temporary

pleasures?

How do we keep from doing so?

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