Chapter 16 Table of Contents Chapter 18 Jacob, Esau, and Joseph Now we will briefly touch on the most important events in the lives of Abraham s descendants as they are recorded in the last twenty-six chapters of the book of Genesis. Today we will continue the story in the land of Canaan and stop with Abraham s descendants living in Egypt. Isaac Married Rebekah Genesis 25:19-20 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham s son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. Rebekah, Isaac s wife, was born in the land where Abraham lived before the Lord led him to Canaan. God had spared Isaac s life; God promised Abraham that through Isaac would come many descendants, including the Deliverer. Now, Isaac was married and could have children. But, there was a problem. Rebekah Was Barren Genesis 25:21-22 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. Here we see that Rebekah was barren. She could not have a baby. We also see that Isaac is praying to (entreating) the Lord for his wife. Isaac was forty years old when he intreated the Lord for his wife. The Lord hears his prayers and answers by allowing the woman to conceive. Not only does she conceive, she is going to have twins. Also, the babies in her were struggling with each other. So, she asks the Lord about this, and He tells her that they are going to be two nations and that the elder will serve the younger. Esau and Jacob Were Born Genesis 25:24-26 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. Just as God said, there were twins in her womb. When the first one came out, he was all red and hairy. They called him Esau. The second son that came out was called Jacob. Now here we see an amazing thing; Jacob s hand takes hold of his brother Esau s heel. This is a sign that Jacob will rule over Esau. The boys were born when Isaac was 60 years old. God waited twenty years to answer the prayer and allow his wife to have children. Perhaps during this time of waiting, he remembered his mother and father who also waited for 123
him to be born. Perhaps his faith was strengthened by his father s testimony in this matter. Esau Did Not Believe or Value God s Promises Genesis 25:27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Esau was a skillful hunter; he spent his time tracking and killing wild animals out in the fields. The promises concerning the Deliverer would ordinarily have been passed on to Esau. He was Isaac s firstborn child. The Deliverer from God would then have been one of Esau s descendants. However, Esau was not interested in the promises of God. He did not trust in God like Abraham and Isaac did. Esau was like Cain. He did not see that he was a sinner. He did not see that he needed to be accepted by God. As we read about Esau, we will see that he went his own way and lived only for the things of this world. These were more important to him than the things that God wanted to give him and teach him. Jacob Cherished and Believed God s Promises Genesis 25:27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Jacob lived quietly in his tent and kept sheep and cattle. In contrast to Esau, Jacob was a believing man like Abraham and Isaac. Jacob admitted that he was a sinner and needed God to send the Deliverer. He was very interested in God s promises. Each one of us needs to ask, Am I turning away from God s truth and following my own way like Cain and Esau? Or, am I like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who admitted their sin and trusted in God to provide the Deliverer? Jacob Returned to Haran Genesis 28:10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. Because of the great differences between Esau and Jacob, problems between the two brothers increased to the point that Esau threatened to kill Jacob. Therefore, Jacob left his father and mother s home and began the long trek back to Mesopotamia, the land from which his grandfather, Abraham, had come. 124
Jacob s Dream Genesis 28:11-12 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. It was a long way from Canaan to Mesopotamia, so, on his way, Jacob had to sleep out in the mountains. One night as Jacob slept, God gave him a dream. Occasionally during those times, God would speak to people through dreams. Now that His Word is completed, He speaks to us through the Bible. Through this dream, God was showing Jacob that the coming Deliverer would bridge the gap between man and God. God is the only one who can make a way for us to come to Him. Even if a person were to do many, many good deeds to try to please God, his efforts would still not bridge the gap caused by sin. This reminds us that, in the beginning, Adam and Eve were in oneness with God. God walked with Adam and Eve. They were friends with God, but when they disobeyed God, they and all of their descendants, including you and me, were separated from God. The stairway or the way to God was removed. There was no way that people could come back to God and be in fellowship with Him unless God made a way. But God promised the Deliverer who would destroy Satan and reconcile man to God. The Deliverer would be like the stairway which Jacob saw reaching from earth to Heaven. Through the Deliverer, people would once again be able to be in oneness with God. Even though all people have been separated from God because of Satan s lies The Deliverer and Adam s disobedience to God, God planned to send the Deliverer who would make it possible for God and man to be reconciled and reunited. Jacob was a sinner, just like us. God graciously showed Jacob that there is only one way to God. God was also showing Jacob that he must put his trust in God and 125
not in his own ability to manipulate the circumstances. The Promises Were Passed on to Jacob Genesis 28:13-15 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. God was continuing to work out His plan to send the Deliverer. Many years had passed since God gave the first promise of the Deliverer in the Garden of Eden. Abraham, whom God had called to be the forefather of the Deliverer, was now dead, but God had not forgotten His plan. God promised Jacob that the Deliverer would be one of his descendants. Jacob knew for certain that the promises given to his grandfather, Abraham, and his father, Isaac, now belonged to him. Continuing his journey east, he came to a man called Laban, who was the son of Nahor, Jacob s relatives. Here, he married and had children. In fact, he had 12 sons in all. During this time, he worked for his father-in-law keeping sheep. Genesis 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. After many years, Jacob returned to Canaan with all of his family and possessions. During this return trip to the land of Canaan, God changed his name to Israel. Today, the land of Canaan (the Promised Land) is still called by his name. Joseph, Jacob s Favorite Son Genesis 37:1-3 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. Now Jacob and his family were living in the land of Canaan. There they were shepherds. Jacob s sons tended the sheep. Out of all of his sons, Israel loved Joseph the most. He was the son of Israel s old age. He loved him so much that he gave Joseph a gift that he did not give to the others a coat of many colors. 126
One day, when Joseph s brothers did things that were wrong, Joseph overheard them and told his father Jacob. This incident, along with Israel s love for Joseph, made the brothers jealous and angry. Joseph s Older Brothers Hated Him Genesis 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. Because Joseph was his father s favorite son, all of his older brothers hated him. They hated him so much that they could not talk peaceably to him. Why didn t they love Joseph? The reason people get angry and hate one another is that everyone has been born separated from God and everyone s heart is evil. Have you ever had anger, hatred, and evil things in your heart and mind? All of us were born separated from God, and there is no way we can change ourselves. We do these sinful, evil things because we were born sinners just like our father, Adam. Joseph s Dreams Genesis 37:5-11 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. Joseph s dream caused his brothers to hate him even more. His dream meant that they would all bow down and serve him some day in the future. He also had another dream that he told his father about. The dream meant that his father and mother would bow down to him in the future along with his brothers. Even though Joseph had dreamed the dreams, he didn t know exactly how God would fulfill them. He could not see the future. He only knew that God made it clear to him that he would be the leader and ruler over the family. God revealed it to him because God knew exactly what was going to happen to Joseph s family. God knows the whole future. Joseph Was Sold into Egypt Genesis 37:12-14 And his brethren went to feed their father s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14 And he said to him, 127
Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. Genesis 37:18-28 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. 23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. 28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. One day while his brothers were with the flock of sheep in Shechem, Israel sent Joseph to see how they were doing, but when his brothers saw him approaching, they made a plan to kill him. Their plan was that they would kill him and cast him into a pit so that no one would find the body. Then they would tell their father that some evil beast had eaten him so that they would not be found out. His brother Reuben heard it and defended Joseph. He suggested that they should not kill him, but instead cast him into a pit so they would not shed any blood. This way, he could secretly come back and set Joseph free. So, when Joseph came to them, they caught him and took his coat off him. Then they took him and put him in a pit that was empty. It didn t even have water in it. After this, they sat down to eat bread and noticed that a caravan was passing by. Suddenly, one of his brothers, Judah, had an idea to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelite so that they could make some money. They hoped also that he would die at the hand of the Ishmaelite and not by their own hands. So, they drew him up out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelite for 20 pieces of silver and the Ishmaelite took him down into Egypt. What a great hatred these brothers had for their younger brother! What greed they had. Sin drove them to want to kill their own brother, the brother who was their father s favorite son. 128
Chapter 16 Table of Contents Chapter 18 Joseph, the one whom God had promised would become a leader, was now a slave in Egypt, separated from his family and his homeland, but Joseph was not separated from God. God was still with him because God carries every promise He makes to completion. God knows the future. He knew Joseph s future. He knows my future. He knows your future. 129