Genesis What s For Breakfast 25:1-34 At three months to term Rebekah began to experience crushing pains in her womb. She would suddenly cry out, then clap her hand across her mouth in order to cover the sound. If it has to be this way, she thought, why should I go on living? This time she went alone to the sacred hill where Isaac had prayed before. She raised her hands and said, What is it, Lord? O Lord, what is happening to me? And the Lord God said: Two nations are wrestling within your womb; two peoples born of your body, Rebekah, shall suffer a lasting division. One shall be stronger than the other; the elder shall serve his younger brother. And so it was that when the time came for Rebekah to be delivered, she gave birth to twin boys. The first one came out wrinkled and red and so hairy he seemed to be wearing a coat. And the second came immediately behind, clutching his brother s heel. So they named the first infant Easu. And the next they named Jacob, because already within the womb he was seizing his brothers heel. 1 Of course before we go into the delivery room, we have a few pieces of housekeeping to take care of. And for ourselves, I want to touch on the impact of parents on children, a theme that will constantly rear its head in these and the remaining chapters of Genesis. But the main focus on the latter part of this chapter, is once again the issue of priorities. Moses now takes us back to Abraham for the purposes of completing the picture of his life. The exact chronology of this chapter is muddled, but that shouldn t be of any real concern. This chapter is used to tie up some loose ends, moves on to Isaac, and introduces Jacob and Easu. Remember Moses has very little to say about Isaac, with the balance of the book focusing on Jacob and Joseph. VI. The Patriarchs Chapter 11:11-Chapter 50 C. Isaac Chapters 25-35 1. Isaac the Heir Chapter 25:1-6 2. The Death of Abraham Verses 7-11 3. Ishmael s Line Verses 12-18 4. The Birth of Jacob and Esau Verses 19-28 5. Esau Sells His Birthright Verses 29-34 1 Wangerin, Jr., Walter, The Book Of God, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996, p. 42-43.
1. Isaac the Heir: It appears that after the death of Sarah, Abraham, though an old man, takes another wife, Keturah. He has six sons by her. Previously, she had been a concubine, but now she is made a wife. I say appears because Moses is silent on the chronology here. The sons born to Keturah, Abraham s concubine (1 Chronicles 1:32). It appears from this that though Abraham couldn t have children before the birth of Ishmael and Isaac, after these two, no problem. The information on Abraham s sons is provided probably because there is some future involvement with them. Moses notes the line because he would take a wife from the nation of Midian. Unfortunately, these same people were the cause of a lot of problems for Israel. Abraham disposed of his wealth prior to his death by turning it over to Isaac with the exception of gifts he gave to the sons of Keturah. It would seem that Abraham loved these sons just as he had Ishmael. And as he also had done with Ishmael, Abraham sent his other sons away to avoid problems for Isaac. Apparently, he was trying to prevent unnecessary trouble for Isaac from disgruntled half brothers. He reaffirmed Isaac as his only heir. 2. The Death of Abraham: And so, at the ripe old age of 175 Abraham finally died. He died with his son and his household around him. Isaac and Ishmael come together to bury their father. He was buried next to his wife Sarah. While it is unclear how Ishmael came to be at the funeral, it is safe to assume that he must have loved his father and so he joined his brother in peace to say good by to Abraham. The blessings that God gave Abraham are now passed on to Isaac. So, Isaac returns to Lahairoi where he lived with Rebekah. Leupold makes the following comment on this passage: The last expression used is particularly noteworthy: he was gathered to his people. This cannot mean: buried with his relatives or ancestors, for we know that none of his kin except his wife lay buried at Machpelah. Apparently, the expression is then equivalent to the one used 15:15, to go to one s fathers. Those who have gone on before in death are regarded as a people still existing. This is a clear testimony to the belief in a life after death on the part of the earliest patriarch. Though no specific revelation on the subject seems to have been given to these patriarchs, faith in the Almighty God drew its own proper conclusions as to whether God would ultimately let his children perish, and its conclusion was correct: He cannot. This passage confirms that conclusion. If Scripture is to be explained by Scripture, then Heb. 11:13-16 offers the fullest confirmation of our interpretation. 2 All of these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth. People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it. But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn t ashamed to be called their God he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13 16 CEB) 2 Leupold, H. C., Exposition of Genesis Vols 1 & 2, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981, p. 694-695. ) 268 (
3. Ishmael s Line: As we have seen in previous examples, first scripture lists the line that is to be set aside, and then it goes on to describe the line of promise. Accordingly, Moses accounts for the family of Ishmael. Since this is a formal genealogy, Ishmael s parents are listed, then his twelve sons. Each of these were to be the father of many peoples/nations. This fulfilled the promises given to Abraham, that he would be the father of many peoples. The bottom line is, God literally fulfilled his promises to Abraham. He would be the father of many nations. But, only Isaac s line would lead to God s chosen people. It was this people, Israel, that were His people and are His people and will be the restored people over whom He will rule. And through them He will rule the world during the Millennial age. So, Ishmael also lived a long life, 137 years. Then he died, also among his peoples These groups lived to the south-east of what would become Israel, basically the area between Egypt and Assyria. Moses, having accounted for the line of Ishmael now moves on to the promised line, that of Isaac. 4. The Birth of Jacob and Esau: We are about to meet an individual whom I consider one of the most interesting of the Old Testament saints. He serves as a prime example of the fact God can use anyone He calls. It shows that a weak person under the leading of God can become great. Jacob is about to appear on the scene. Because little is said about Isaac, we assume he was essentially a nondescript individual. I don t think we can draw any real conclusions about him one way or another, though we will see he isn t one of the great fathers of history. He demonstrates the fact that the sins of the father are often replicated by the son. So, Moses starts with a formal genealogy. He reminds us that Isaac is the son of Abraham, the son of blessing. At forty he became the husband of Rebekah. He once again records the fact that the Isaac and Rebekah are both from the family of Abraham. And like father, like son, as Abraham s wife, and Isaac s mother, was initially barren, Rebekah is also barren. As a result Isaac entreats the Lord to remove Rebekah s barrenness. Do you think his childhood would have had any specific impact on his faith in this situation? How do you pass on your faith to others based on God s blessings and mercies in your life? The result of Isaac s entreaties leads to God s answering and Rebekah s pregnancy. I suspect during this pregnancy, she was wondering why she had ever wanted to be pregnant. It was a tough one. It felt like warfare was going on in her womb. She was having twins, with an attitude problem. These two couldn t even get along before they were born, much less after they were. The pain, and concern sends her off to the Lord for some reassurance. What is missing from this discussion of Rebekah s pregnancy? We are told nothing of Isaac s concern for an heir to fulfill God s promises to his father. Rebekah, while concerned over her barrenness, which would be a typical concern in her culture, doesn t say anything about the need to have children for the sake of God s promises. Her concern seems to be over her concerns about the pregnancy itself. Though I suspect we can t be critical over that. ) 269 (
The Lord, in His mercy, directly answers Rebekah. He identifies a number of specific issues. 1. First, she is to give birth to two nations. Each of these boys would become the patriarchs of a great people. 2. The two children will have significantly different personalities. It is obvious that these two were fraternal twins, not identical ones. 3. One of these children would be the father of a people who would be the stronger of the two, and were to be the line of promise. 4. The younger was to be the child of blessing. It is interesting to note that as in almost all cultures the oldest, the first born, would be the one to inherit the main interest in father s name and goods. But frequently, God bypasses the older son and blesses the younger or one of the younger children. Other examples include: Joseph, who God lifted up above his entire family, Ephraim, the son of Joseph, David, who was the youngest son in his family. Verses 24-26: As is most frequently the case with the pregnant, they give birth. Which is what happened her. Rebekah gives birth to the twins. First out comes Easu, which can be translated hairy or thick haired. And alternate translation is red or earth colored. His skin is red in color and his is a type of the man of the earth, totally devoid of a spiritual framework. Then comes Jacob. But before Easu can be fully born, the baby Jacob grabs him, as if he was trying to get out ahead of him. Maybe as a consequence of this the baby is named Jacob which means the usurper. Isaac was 60 years old when the boys were born, which means Rebekah was barren for the first twenty years of their marriage. Verse 27: As the boys grew up the differences in their natures or dispositions become more apparent. Easu was the Hemingway type. He spent a great amount of time in the great outdoors hunting. Jacob, on the other hand, was the stay at home mama s boy. Verse 28: Unfortunately, the two parents contributed to the problems between the boys. This is not unique situation. Isaac loved Easu, after all Easu was a man s man. And by the way Easu made a mean venison stew, which Isaac really loved. Conversely, Rebekah loved Jacob. He stayed home and kept her company. He was around for her. He was her little boy. And as is usually the case, anytime parents prefer one child over another, there is going to be nothing but trouble. Can you think of any biblical or other examples of this problem? 5. Esau Sells His Birthright: One wintry dawn Easu returned from a long and unsuccessful hunt. He hadn t eaten for several days, and he had just traveled an entire night afoot. He was starving. As he approached the tents of his father he smelled a morning stew on the air. It tightened his stomach and made him mad for food. He followed the scent directly to the tent of his brother. There sat Jacob, stirring a bubbling red pottage. ) 270 (
Easu could scarcely form the words. Please, he groaned, pointing toward the clay pot. Please, Jacob, I am dying Jacob said nothing for a moment. then he looked up and smiled. I think we can make a bargain, he said. Easu wiped a big hand across his mouth. A bargain? Jacob grinned and uttered his next words with such swift articulation that Easu felt at first confused, then angry, and then just hungry, careless of anything else. Can a dead man inherit his father s wealth, Jacob said, even if that man happens to be the elder of two brothers only? No, of course not. Dead men inherit nothing a all. If you die, brother, you ve got nothing here and can get nothing hereafter. But if I give you food, I give you life now. In return for your life, then you must give me that which, without your life, can mean nothing at all to you. Your birthright. So then here is the bargain, Easu: I give you life, you give me your birthright, and we are even. Jacob always talked like this, too fast for common folk to follow. Easu could only think of food. Yes, he said, reaching for the pot. But Jacob pulled it back and with eyes suddenly steadfast said, Swear it to me, Easu. Easu yelled, I swear, snatched the pot by main strength and carried it away in order to eat without the noise of his brother s voice to annoy him. 3 The key point here is that Easu despised the birthright, while Jacob valued it. Easu didn t care about the blessings, spiritual matters simply were of no interest to him. Jacob s sin though was stealing what he would have received anyway, because that is what God promised. Here we see then the pattern for how Jacob was to live much of his life. Kidner says of the birthright: The birthright was the status of firstborn: it meant the headship of the family and, in later Israel at least, a double share of the estate (Dt. 21:17). Evidence from Nuzi shows that among contemporary Hurrians it was transferable, and in one such contract a brother pays three sheep for part of an inheritance comment enough on Jacob s bargain. If Jacob is ruthless here, Easu is feckless: the versions have toned down his spluttering: Let me gulp some of the red stuff, this red stuff Embracing the present and the tangible at any cost, going through with the choice (33) and walking away unconcerned (34) incidentally far from dead, in spite of 32a - he earned the epithet of Hebrews 12:16: a profane person. The chapter does not comment So Jacob supplanted his brother, but So Easu despised his birthright ; and Hebrews 12 shares its standpoint, presenting flippant Easu as the antithesis of the pilgrims of Hebrews 11. 4 Make sure that no one becomes sexually immoral or ungodly like Esau. He sold his inheritance as the oldest son for one meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he couldn t find a way to change his heart and life, though he looked for it with tears (Hebrews 12:16 17 CEB) Conclusion: There are two issues that can be taken from this chapter. The first has to do with a warning to parents. One of the problems that these boys suffered from was favoritism. When parents favor one child over another it inevitability leads to struggles, problems and resentments. We ve already discussed this some, so I d simply like to remind us that the problems created aren t just between the children. Favoritism also creates problems between the parents. We will see this next time as Rebekah helps Jacob trick his father. Lines are 3 Wangerin, p. 43-44. 4 Kidner, Derek, Genesis, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1967, p. 152. ) 271 (
drawn in the family, where parents don t treat the children as having equal worth and value, regardless of any personal feelings that may pull a parent towards one specific child. But I think we can find an even more important lesson. Easu is a good example of an individual who lives for the moment. His focus is entirely self-centered. He d really fit in this society which teaches that solving the immediate problem always has the highest priority. We can often do this with no thought to the consequences of our actions. The things of life that were important were lost in Easu s immediate need for self-gratification. Very often this is what the mid-life crisis is all about. A sense of frustration and maybe even fear about immediate circumstances become the excuse by which individuals throw over everything for an immediate fix with no thought for the long term consequences. In the comedy Tribute Scottie is dying of cancer. As a result he ends up sleeping with his ex-wife with no thought to the consequences to his son. All he can say when Jud confronts him with his pain at his dad s actions is: All of my life I ve never given any thought to where any situation would all end. Last night I m afraid I overdid it. 5 As believers, we are called to keep the long view. We don t have the luxury of living for the moment with no thought to the consequences. We aren t to be Easus or Scotties. We are to be Pauls. Don t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies. So now this is how I run not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing. Rather, I m landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won t be disqualified after preaching to others. I have fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. At last the champion s wreath that is awarded for righteousness is waiting for me. The Lord, who is the righteous judge, is going to give it to me on that day. He s giving it not only to me but also to all those who have set their heart on waiting for his appearance (1 Cor. 9:24 27; 2 Timothy 4:7 8 CEB). And with the author of Hebrews, let us keep our eyes, not on our feet, but on the prize, on Christ Jesus. So then let s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God s throne. Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won t be discouraged and you won t give up (Hebrews 12:1 3 CEB). 5 Slade, Bernard, Tribute, Samuel French, Inc., New York, NY, 1978, p. 58. ) 272 (
Genesis What s For Breakfast 25:1-34 VI. The Patriarchs Chapter 11:11-Chapter 50 C. Isaac Chapters 25-35 1. Isaac the Heir Chapter 25:1-6 2. The Death of Abraham Verses 7-11 3. Ishmael s Line Verses 12-18 4. The Birth of Jacob and Esau Verses 19-28 5. Esau Sells His Birthright Verses 29-34 1. Isaac the Heir: (1 Chronicles 1:32) 2. The Death of Abraham: (Hebrews 11:13 16) 3. Ishmael s Line: 4. The Birth of Jacob and Esau: 1. Two nations
2. Two Personalities 3. One Serves the Other 4. The Promised Line Verses 24-26: Verse 27: Verse 28: 5. Esau Sells His Birthright: (Hebrews 12:16 17 CEB) Conclusion: (1 Corinthians 9:24 27; 2 Timothy 4:7 8; Hebrews 12:1 3) Personal Application: Where have you gotten caught up in the short view? This week meditate on what it might mean for you to take God s long view. Prayer for the Week: Lord, may You Spirit help me start looking for immediate gratification, but rather let me look for gratification from You. Amen.