Genesis III Notes. Two Brothers

Transcription

1 II. Theme: Two Brothers 13-Jun-04 Genesis 25:19-24 Duguid Chapter 1 God chooses Jacob the younger over Esau the elder; our salvation, like Jacob s is all of sovereign grace. Key Verse: Genesis 25:23 23 And the LORD said to her: Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. Review Last week we began our study in the third quarter of Genesis, the stories of Isaac and Jacob. Genesis 25:19-35:29 is the 9 th major section of Genesis. It is the account of the offspring of Isaac. I call this section the Jacob Cycle, named after the main character. On the last week of the quarter we will look at Genesis 36:1-37:1, which is the 10 th section of Genesis the account of the offspring of Esau. The Jacob Cycle is written very carefully, and it is arranged, like many other Bible passages, palistrophically or chiastically. That is, events early in the cycle are mirror imaged by events that happen later in the cycle. Jacob leaves Canaan; at the corresponding point at the end of the cycle he re-enters the Promised Land. Coming and going, Jacob sees angels and has an up close and personal encounter with God. Even the seemingly misplaced interludes of Genesis 26 and 34 are carefully arranged in this chiastic structure. The key to the chiastic structure is the pivot point, the turning point. In the case of the Jacob Cycle, the central idea is in Genesis 30: Then God remembered Rachel. When God remembers, He acts in history to change things. He remembers Noah in the Flood, He remembers Israel in their oppression in Egypt, and here he remembers the barren wife of Jacob, and He acts in history to bring forth Joseph, the deliverer. God acts in history to fulfill His promises. He acts to bring about the promised blessings of family, wealth, and eventually land to Jacob and his descendants. That is what the Jacob Cycle is all about God s actions to further His blessings. As we go through the Jacob Cycle, keep your eyes open for the themes of birthright and blessing. We will jump right into that in today s lessons. The blessing is a key theme in the Jacob Cycle, as it is in all of Genesis. How does Jacob go about securing the blessing? Well, as we go through, we will see how he struggles with everyone he meets his brother, his father, his uncle, his wives, his children, even God Himself! The theme of conflict is prevalent in the Jacob Cycle. Our author Duguid has identified the theme of God s relentless grace in pursing sinners as one of the central ideas of this section of Scripture. Again and again, we will see how God s grace overcomes human sin. We will see how the Jacob Cycle relates to the rest of Genesis by ties back to Abraham, and how it looks forward to the Exodus and the deliverance of the Israelites. But most of all, it looks forward to a Savior, the Son of Woman, the Promised Seed of the Blessing, the greater Israel who succeeds where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all failed. Ultimately, all of the Scriptures point us to Jesus Christ, and the Jacob Cycle is no different. Introduction Today we begin our detailed study of the Jacob Cycle by looking at the birth of Jacob and Esau and the famous story of the sale of the birthright. The first detail that jumps out at us is Rebekah s barrenness. That immediately ties us back to the story of Abraham and Sarah. But while the barrenness of Sarah was a key theme in the development of Abraham s story, here it is Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 18 DSB 9-Sep-05

2 quickly passed over in favor of focusing on the twins and their struggle. Rebekah was barren for 20 years before the firth of the twins, something that you almost miss because of the brevity of the account. The focus is not on will there be a Seed, but on who is the Seed? Is it the elder, or is it the younger? So right away, the tension for the entire Jacob cycle is set into motion. Wenham: However, this section does not merely look forward; it also looks back, particularly to the opening of the Abraham cycle that it closely parallels. This is the family history of 25:19; cf. 11:27 Predictions 25:23; cf. 12:1-3 Abraham fathered Isaac 25:19; cf. 11:27 First fulfillment 25:24-26; cf. 12:4 Isaac married Rebekah 25:20; cf. 11:29 Age of patriarch then 25:26b; cf. 12:4b (Rebekah) was childless 25:21; cf. 11:30 Second fulfillment 25:27-34; cf. 12:5-9 Journey to oracle (land) 25:22; cf. 11:31 Wife/sister scene 26:1-11; cf.12:10-20 And the LORD said 25:23; cf. 12:1 Wenham: These parallels are sufficiently close to suggest that they are not coincidental. The history of Isaac s family is being deliberately compared with that of Abraham. And if this is so, special attention needs to be paid to the divine oracle summarizing the future career of Esau and Jacob in 25:23, for this occupies a position analogous to the promises made to Abraham in 12:1-3. The latter passage is of cardinal importance not just for the Abraham cycle but for the whole Pentateuch whose theme it states. Here 25:23 is similarly programmatic: it announces the God-determined career of Jacob to be one of conflict culminating in ultimate triumph. A. Barrenness (25:19-23) 1. This is the Genealogy (25:19-20) The Jacob Cycle starts out with the standard formula, This is the genealogy of Isaac. The formula departs a bit from the standard form by mentioning Abraham, Isaac s father. Usually the toledot formula mentions the sons, not the father. Again, here is an indication of how important Abraham is, and right at the start we begin seeing those connections back to Abraham. Verse 20 reminds us of what happened back in Genesis 24, when Abraham s servant went to Abraham s family back in Syria, in Haran, to find a wife for Isaac. That wife was Rebekah, the grand niece of Abraham. We are also reminded of Rebekah s brother Laban, who will play a very important role later in this cycle. So, the beginning verses remind us of the past and ground this story firmly on what has happened before. 2. Isaac s Prayer (25:21) Duguid: The story of Isaac starts in Genesis 25:21 with Rebekah s barrenness. They were in the same boat in which Abraham and Sarah found themselves forty years before. We are back faceto-face with the question that repeatedly faced Isaac s father, Abraham: Can God fulfill the promise in His strength, or does He need a little assistance from us to help Him out? Duguid: How does Isaac respond to his testing situation? He is a model of faith. He prayed to the Lord for Rebekah; the Lord answered his prayer, and she became pregnant (25:21). The text makes it sound so easy, doesn t it? Isaac prayed, and God gave him the desires of his heart. However, like Abraham and Sarah before him, Isaac and Rebekah waited a long time to see their prayers answered, twenty years in all [cp. 25:26]. Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 19 DSB 9-Sep-05

3 So right off the bat, we are confronted with a test of faith. Isaac, the son of the man of faith, responds well. In faith he trusts God to fulfill the promises made to Abraham, that Isaac was the Child of Promise: Then God said: No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him (Gen. 17:19). But Isaac is unable to have descendants without God s intervention. God has to act in history in order for His blessing to proceed. And what is the vehicle of God s action in history? Isaac s prayer. Eveson: God had promised descendants to Isaac (17:19), but Isaac did not know how or when. He did not shrug his shoulders in a fatalistic way, but he pleaded with God. Prayer that is based on His Word will be answered. God uses our prayers to fulfill His purposes. 3. Struggle in the Womb (25:22) In verse 22, we see that although God answered Isaac s prayer, it wasn t an easy pregnancy. The Hebrew word for to struggle is very strong and means to crush or to smash. This was not an easy pregnancy. You can just imagine how Rebekah s joy at her pregnancy turned to sorrow as those two boys inside of her got an early start on their sibling rivalry! This time, we see Rebekah turning to prayer. She went to inquire of the Lord. So, early on in the story, we have a rather positive picture of Isaac and Rebekah. They are a faithful couple who prays. We will see more of them, not as flattering later. But on to the key of the chapter, the oracle of God. 4. Oracle (25:23) 23 And the LORD said to her: Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. This oracle defines tension for the rest of the Jacob Cycle. Two nations, two peoples, two brothers, struggling with each other from the womb and down through history for supremacy. Normally the younger would serve the older, but that is not God s way. Duguid: When God says the older will serve the younger, this was God s way of telling them that the promised Savior would come of the line of the younger. Repeatedly the pattern emerges that the older will serve the younger (25:23). Abel was accepted while Cain was rejected; the line of Seth was chosen over the line of Cain; Isaac is chosen over Ishmael, Rachel over her older sister Leah, and Joseph over all his older brothers. Why does God act this way? God wants to make it clear from the start that there is no favoritism with Him. God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and He will harden whom He will harden. Our salvation is all of grace, not of our merit. God is no respecter of persons. B. Boys (25:24-28) In this next section, we are introduced to the twins. We learn a few things about them: their aspect at birth leading to their names, their disposition as they grew into manhood, and their parents favoritism for the sons. All of these things will be important as a foundation for the end of this chapter and especially for the events of chapter Esau (25:24-25, 27a) Esau was the older twin. We learn two things about him at birth: that he was red and that he was hairy. In fact he was so hairy that he was like a hairy garment all over. Must of have been pretty scary for Rebekah to see she had given birth to a werewolf! to a throw rug! I knew a Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 20 DSB 9-Sep-05

4 kid in college that was so hairy that he had to shave his back, but I digress. These two attributes of Esau at birth give rise to his names. His name Esau means hairy, and the Hebrew word sounds like Seir, where Esau later dwelt (36:8). Later on in the chapter (Gen. 25:30), Esau is given a nickname, Edom, which means Red. We then learn as Esau grows up that he is an outdoorsman, a hunter, a man of the field. Duguid calls Esau the original redneck. James Jordan points out that in the symbolism of the book of Genesis, Esau s hairiness pointed to his bestial nature. When the two boys were grown, Esau became a skillful hunter, and in the context of Genesis this points back to Nimrod (10:8-10; likely the leader of the Tower of Babel). So, not a promising start for Esau, the elder brother. 2. Jacob (25:26, 27b) Jacob came out right behind his brother. In fact, he came out clutching the heel of Esau. The struggle that had started in the womb was continuing even at the moment of birth! The name Jacob is based on this action. It signifies take by the heel. But it has a deeper significance than that it means Supplanter. My dictionary defines supplanter as one who supercedes another, especially by force or treachery. It comes from the Latin supplantare, which means to overthrow by tripping up. So, you can see how our English word supplanter comes directly from Jacob the heel grabber, who tried to trip up Esau at birth, and will do so again as they grow up. Eveson: While Esau was named after his appearance, Jacob was named after his action. The struggle in the womb was continuing at birth and this was a sign that it would be ongoing. The struggle between the twin brothers becomes another important theme in Genesis. We have seen something of it in the account of Cain and Abel and that of Ishmael and Isaac. In each case the younger and weaker is chosen over the older. God accomplishes his purposes through this struggle between the righteous and the unrighteous. The greatest conflict of all was a Calvary s cross, where the woman s Seed bruised the head of the serpent (3:15). Now we come to the first (but not last) controversial moment in our study of the Jacob Cycle. Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents (25:27b). While Esau was an outdoorsman, Jacob was a home-body. Everybody agrees with that. The problem is the Hebrew word that is variously translated as quiet (NIV), peaceful (NASB), mild (NKJV), or plain (KJV). This makes Jacob sound like a dull bookworm or computer geek. However, the Hebrew word used in other places in the Old Testament has a very different meaning. It means morally complete or righteously mature. It is a term of highest moral approbation. For example, There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1, also in 1:8, 2:3). Or consider a closer reference in Genesis: This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God (Gen. 6:9). This is the same word in the command of the Lord to Abraham in Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. Now, God certainly did not tell Abraham to walk before Him and be mild, or walk before Him and be plain, or walk before Him and be quiet. No he told Abraham to walk before Him and be blameless, or spiritually mature, like Noah was, like Job was. The interesting thing is how Bible translators translate this Hebrew word as perfect when describing Noah, blameless when describing Job or Abraham, but mild when describing Jacob. Remember last week how I talked about your viewpoint of Jacob and his salvation Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 21 DSB 9-Sep-05

5 coloring your interpretation of the events in the Jacob Cycle? Well, I think this is a case of that same bias creeping in even into Biblical translation. Jacob was a Supplanter, he was a Deceiver. Hosea chapter 12 paints Jacob (and his descendants) as deceivers. Jacob was always struggling with his brother, trying to take his birthright and blessing. So how could such a rascal be blameless? Better to make him mild. Of course, rascal that he was, Jacob doesn t appear to me to be mild either, but that s beside the point. If you believe that Genesis 25:27 is describing Jacob as blameless rather than mild, it will alter your thinking about the rest of the Jacob Cycle. If he is simply mild, then that is describing his personality. He is still a grasping, conniving supplanter who is only looking out for number one, looking for the material benefits of the birthright and blessing. Certainly he is converted somewhere along the line, but maybe even as late as Peniel in Genesis 32. However, if you believe that Jacob was blameless, that he was spiritually mature here early in the story, then that puts a very different spin on Jacob and his actions. Jacob is regenerated at an early age, perhaps even before birth. As Jordan points out, Had Jacob not been regenerate in the womb, he would not have fought with Esau. Jacob thus understands the oracle given to his mother, that God has chosen him to be heir to the spiritual promises of Abraham. So his efforts to win the birthright and blessing are based on his overwhelming desire for the spiritual things of God. As I say, two very different spins on Jacob and his character, and it all depends on the translation of one Hebrew word. 3. Parental Favoritism (25:28) Verse 28 sets up for us the conflict to come in chapter 27. The parents pick favorites. Isaac loves Esau best, because he loves the wild game that Esau prepared from his hunting expeditions. Perhaps Isaac also loved the fact that Esau was a dashing, daring, hairy he-man, the kind of man that meek and mild Isaac never was. Remember, Isaac stayed with his mother Sarah until her death and then his father had to go find a wife for him to be comforted over the loss of his mother (24:67). Meanwhile, Rebekah preferred Jacob. Rebekah was the more adventurous parent. She was the one who, like Abraham when the Lord s call came, prepared to dash off into the unknown in her case to marry a man she had never met 400 miles away across a desert. Perhaps opposites attract: quiet Isaac and macho Esau; impetuous Rebekah and home-body Jacob. No reason is given for Rachel s preference, but there is one implied. She had been given the oracle of God, and knew that the blessings of God were going to the younger. So perhaps her favoritism had a more spiritual motive. But regardless of the motives, the stage is set here for the disaster to come in chapter 27. The parents play favorites. These twins already were natural rivals, and now their parents were pitting them against each other. Duguid puts it this way: The ground was being prepared by the parents for a lifetime of strife between the children. In time, the sin of Isaac and Rebekah would come home to roost in a fitting judgment of God: Isaac would be deceived by his taste for wild game, while Rebekah would find her stay-at-home son propelled far away from her. C. Birthright (25:29-34) So we come to the sale of the birthright, where Esau the hunter falls into the trap like one of his helpless prey. Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 22 DSB 9-Sep-05

6 1. Significance of the Birthright What is this birthright and what is its significance? Look at Deuteronomy 21: If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and they have borne him children, both the loved and the unloved, and if the firstborn son is of her who is unloved, 16 then it shall be, on the day he bequeaths his possessions to his sons, that he must not bestow firstborn status on the son of the loved wife in preference to the son of the unloved, the true firstborn. 17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. So we can see that on one level, the birthright involves a double-portion of material inheritance. This right normally goes to the first-born son. But we learn from 1 Chronicles that the birthright also takes on spiritual dimensions. 1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; 2 yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph's (1 Chr. 5:1-2). This is a very important commentary on what is happening in Genesis. Chronicles says that Reuben was the firstborn and that he was entitled to the birthright, but because of his sinful act recorded in Genesis 35:22, that Reuben lost the birthright. Who did it go to? Well the physical blessings went to Joseph. Reuben was the firstborn son of the unloved wife Leah (remember Dt. 21:15-17). Joseph was the firstborn son of the loved wife Rachel. So when Reuben was disqualified, Joseph received the double portion, and as a result, there are two tribes of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh instead of one. By the way, remember that Ephraim was the younger, but more prominent son of Joseph, but I digress. While Joseph received the double portion of physical blessing, what does verse 2 say? Yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph s. Judah receives spiritual blessings. From Judah comes a ruler. At first, this means the line of David, but ultimately, it means the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Judah receives the spiritual blessings of the birthright he is next in line after Reuben because Simeon and Levi have also been disqualified (more on that in Genesis 34). So, the birthright is passed on to the first-born heir and contains both physical and spiritual blessings. And in this case, it is the spiritual blessings that are the key. The covenant that God had made with Abraham and Isaac was tied up with the birthright (Eveson). The promises made by God to Abraham and Isaac were the heart of the birthright. The birthright promised salvation, spiritual blessing, and ultimately a place in the line of the Messiah to come, the Seed of Genesis 3:15. So Jacob was right to desire the birthright. And Esau was dead wrong to despise it. Like the pearl of great price it was worth everything. Jacob desired the spiritual blessings, while Esau sold that pearl of great price for a worthless bowl of red lentil stew. 2. Jacob Interestingly, the text says nothing of the motivations of Jacob. It does not tell us why he sought the birthright. It does not comment on the appropriateness or the sinfulness of his actions. So we are left to interpret ourselves. And that s where all the fun comes in! I ve already made the case that Jacob was right to desire the birthright. I think that is clear enough. But was Jacob justified in his actions? Did he deceive his brother? Did he manipulate his brother? Did he Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 23 DSB 9-Sep-05

7 engage in a ruthless and premeditated exploitation of his brother s moment of weakness as one commentator puts it? Is he cold and calculating as another commentator suggests? What do you think? Here is the viewpoint of James Boice: Jacob was right to desire the birthright. True, he schemed to get it, when he needed only to wait on God. God had already said that the rights of the firstborn were his. Jacob sought a good thing in a bad way. He is not to be praised for his method. Still, he is to be commended for desiring the birthright and appreciating the honor of possessing it. Other commentators are less generous. Duguid puts it this way: He was taking Satan s shortcut. So, Jacob appears to be guilty of that very common sin in Genesis: seizing what is desired before it is rightful to do so. This is the sin in the Garden of Eden. This is the sin of Abraham and Hagar. And now Jacob is impatient, and he seizes the birthright that he is entitled to, not by order of birth but by oracle of God. The only problem was that God had not yet given it to Jacob before he sought to take it himself. Duguid summarizes this very well: Jacob will gain the birthright by one stratagem or another, but it will be a very long time before he is free to enjoy it. Unlike Isaac and Rebekah earlier in this chapter, Jacob is not willing to wait patiently for God to do what He has promised. He wants that blessing, and he wants it now! Invariably Satan s shortcuts don t work. They promise a shortcut into the Promised Land but leave you with another forty years to wander in the wilderness. They promise an easy way to acquire the blessing but leave you running for your life. Obedience may seem like the hard choice at the time. Leaving everything to God in faith may seem ever so difficult, but it is far easier in the long run. 3. Esau Well what about Esau? We are not left guessing about his motivation. Thus Esau despised his birthright (25:34b). The Bible does not comment Thus Jacob supplanted his brother for the birthright, but rather Thus Esau despised his birthright. This is a rather tragic commentary, especially when you consider who Esau was. He was a covenant child in a covenant family. His grandfather was Abraham, the man of faith, the Friend of God. His father was Isaac, the type of Christ on Mt. Moriah, recipient of the promises of God. His mother was Rebekah, a godly woman whose prayer to the Lord was answered. He was heir to the promises and privileges and blessings of God. But he threw all that away for a mess of pottage. Duguid points out: In spite of Esau s protestations, this was hardly a matter of life or death (25:32). He was not going to die if he didn t get the soup. This was rather a matter of a man driven by his appetites to exchange what is of eternal value for a brief moment s pleasure. Consider the New Testament s inspired commentary on this passage in Hebrews 12:14-17: 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. Boice comments: Are you like Esau? Are you despising your birthright, choosing instead the savory but passing pottage of this world? If you have not committed yourself fully to Christ and are not going on with him with all the strength at your disposal, that is precisely what you are Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 24 DSB 9-Sep-05

8 doing. You are an Esau, whom the author of Hebrews calls a godless [or profane] person. Let me describe the birthright you are forfeiting: 1) the benefits of Jesus death; 2) the benefits of God s written Word, the Bible; 3) the benefit of gospel preaching; 4) the benefit of the ministry of the church. Esau had no time for spiritual things. Are you better? Esau despised his birthright. Are you not like him if you have no time for God or for fellowship with God s people? Hold onto your birthright and go on both to fullness of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and your Savior and to true service for him. Conclusion Let me conclude by looking at the New Testament perspective on the birth of Rebekah s children. It is found in Romans chapter 9:10-16: 10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls she was told, The older will serve the younger. 13 Just as it is written: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. Paul quotes Malachi 1:2-3 in this passage: 2 I have loved you, says the LORD. Yet you say, In what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the LORD. Yet Jacob I have loved; 3 But Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness. What is Paul teaching here? Boice explains: The text flatly states that the choice of God was not dependent on their birth or their character. The choice was in the heart of God and based entirely on his sovereign authority. He decided that Jacob was the child who was to carry the line of Messiah and be the heir to blessing, and in the same way, he determined that Esau was not to carry the line nor inherit the blessing. As Duguid puts it: Neither Jacob nor Esau deserved God s work in his heart. What clearer evidence could there be that God s calculations are not the same as ours? What more proof do we need that our salvation is all of grace? Boice continues: All is of grace. All that you are, all that you will become, all that you have, all that you will ever attain all is due to God s grace. Above all, salvation is due entirely to God s grace, so that it depends on nothing in human beings. There are many benefits that come from understanding and accepting the doctrine of God s grace in salvation. The first practical benefit is that this belief eliminates boasting. God has chosen to save people entirely apart from any merit or receptivity in them, precisely so that pride will be eliminated (Eph. 2:8-9). Salvation is totally of grace so that the glory might be God s alone. The second practical benefit of this belief is that it encourages love for God (1 John 4:19). If we have a part in salvation, then our love for God is diminished by just that amount. If it is all of God, then our love for him ought to be boundless. Finally, the doctrine of grace encourages us in evangelism. God s sovereign grace is the only hope of success as we proclaim the gospel. The only way we know the elect is through their response to the gospel and their subsequent living of the Christian life. Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 25 DSB 9-Sep-05

9 Wenham concludes: God chooses the patriarchs not because they are particularly loveable characters but because of his declared intention that in them all the families of the earth should find blessing. The fact that God was able to use men like Jacob to forward his purposes may shock us, but it should surely encourage us, too, for at times we fall as he did. If God could use him, may he now graciously use us. Close in Prayer. Next week: Lesson 3 Of Wives and Wells Gen. 26:1-33 (Duguid chapter 2) Genesis III Notes. Doc p. 26 DSB 9-Sep-05