The death of Abraham and the story of Isaac, along with his twin sons, Jacob and Esau. The study covers key events, including Abraham's legacy, Isaac's role in God's covenant, and the complex dynamics between Jacob and Esau. If you're interested in biblical insights and a deeper understanding of scripture, this episode is for you. Tune in to explore how these ancient stories still resonate today. The death of Abraham and the birth of Esau and Jacob
The death of Abraham and the story of Isaac, along with his twin sons, Jacob and Esau. The study covers key events, including Abraham's legacy, Isaac's role in God's covenant, and the complex dynamics between Jacob and Esau. If you're interested in biblical insights and a deeper understanding of scripture, this episode is for you. Tune in to explore how these ancient stories still resonate today. The death of Abraham and the birth of Esau and Jacob
· Thank you for tuning into this verse-by-verse Bible study. I am your host Randy Duncan, and we are making our way through the book of Genesis. And in this episode, we are covering chapter 25, which sees the death of Abraham, and so the focus will now turn to his son Isaac, and to his twin sons, Jacob and Esau.
·
As a reminder, in the
last episode we completed chapter 24. And in that, we finished the story of how
Isaac and Rebekah were brought together as husband and wife, which sets the
scene for them to sort of be handed the torch, passed on from Abraham and Sarah
·
And so, we begin
Chapter 25 with verses 1-6, Abraham took another
wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian,
Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were
Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher,
Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 Abraham
gave all he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave
gifts, and while he was still living, he sent them away from his son Isaac,
eastward to the east country.
·
So, we start out with this, oh by the way statement that
“Abraham took another wife”. Now, there is a bit of differing opinions on
exactly what this means and when this happened. Some insist that this verb
“took” is better translated as “had taken”, which would mean that this happened
sometime in the past. IOW, it’s not chronological.
·
Others believe this was after Sarah died. However, one
problem with that interpretation is Abraham’s age at that time. Abraham had
long ago judged his body too old to have children, which is why Isaac’s birth
had to be supernatural. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, and he
was now even 40 years older! So, it seems unlikely that he would have fathered
six more sons at 140 years of age.
·
But after the other sons are listed, it tells us that Abraham
gave them all gifts, and then sent them away. Isaac would be the sole heir of
everything Abraham owned, and more importantly, to the covenant promises from
God.
·
7 These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175
years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and
full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael his sons
buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar
the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the
Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11 After the death of
Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi
·
So, Abraham lives to be 175, which means Isaac is now 75
years old when Abraham dies. Abraham lived in the land for 100 years. Remember
that God had promised Abraham that he would live to a ripe old age, and that he
would go to his fathers in peace. Here, it is affirmed that Abraham does indeed
die at a ripe old age, and content and happy, and is able to die in peace,
seeing many grandchildren.
·
Notice that both Isaac AND Ishmael bury Abraham. Even though
they have been separated for many years, they still share the same father. And
Ishmael still has a future in the story. Remember, God promised Abraham that he
would also bless Ishmael, it’s just that Ishmael would not be the son who would
inherit the covenant promises of God.
·
Abraham is buried in the same cave as Sarah, the same one he
purchased for her burial. We discussed this in an earlier episode, how that
cave at Machpelah is to this day a venerated site to Jews. In fact, it is
considered by many as the second holiest site in Judaism after the Temple
Mount.
·
In fact, this site is also holy to Muslims, since Abraham is
the father of Ishmael. Today there is a mosque built over the site, and Muslims
refer to the site as the Sanctuary of Abraham.
·
12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom
Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of
the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn
of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,
Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are
their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes
according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137
years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18 They
settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of
Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.
·
So, these verses begin by listing Ishmael’s sons, 12 of them.
So, Ishmael, as a son of Abraham, enjoys the physical blessings of family, just
as God promised he would. In fact, his 12 sons are actually called 12 princes,
or chieftains. Remember back in chapter 17, verse 12, what did God tell Abraham
concerning Ishmael? “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed
him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father, get
this, “twelve princes”, and I will make him into a great nation.” So again, as
always, God does exactly what He says he is going to do. God keeps His promises.
·
It tells us here that Ishmael lives to be 137 years of age.
The mention of the life-span of a non-Israelite is quite remarkable, and
suggests the importance of this descendent of Abraham
·
And the last part of verse 18 tells us that Ishmael settled
over against all of his kinsmen”. Yet again, this is exactly what God told
Hagar was going to happen back in chapter 16, verse 12. In that verse, God
tells Hagar “He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and
everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”
So once again, what happened was exactly what God said would happen. Ishmael
lived in hostility and in conflict with those around him.
·
We move now in this chapter to the beginning of the story of
Isaac’s twin sons, Jacob and Esau.
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19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham
fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the
daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the
Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because
she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife
conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it
is thus, why is this happening to me? So, she went to inquire of the Lord. 23
And the Lord said to her, two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from
within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the
older shall serve the younger.”
·
So, after a quick recap that Isaac is Abraham’s son, and that
Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, we learn that Rebekah was
unable to give birth. This is the same situation we saw with Abraham and Sarah,
with Sarah unable to have children. But like Abraham and Sarah, Isaac prays to
God, and God responds. This is also a reminder that God is directly involved in
the promised line. We will see later that Isaac prays for 20 years before
Rebekah gives birth. 20 years! However, in the meantime, Isaac and Rebekah do
not resort to using a concubine like Abraham and Sarah did. They maintain their
faith in God’s word and in the power of prayer. By holding off on answering
Isaac’s prayer for 20 years, perhaps God is teaching this new generation that
they must also learn the lesson of faith, to understand that what is happening
with God’s promised line is not natural, but supernatural.
·
The scripture tells us that “the children struggled together
within her”. Rebekah experiences an unusually difficult pregnancy. The report
of a difficult pregnancy is unique in scripture, but also, the Hebrew here uses
an unusual verb (wa-itrotsetsu), which literally means “they crushed, thrust, one another”,
and it foreshadows their hostility towards one another
·
So, this was an unusually difficult pregnancy, so much so
that Rebekah is worried. She realized that this was not normal, and so she goes
to God, and asks, “Why is this happening to me? Why did I yearn and pray to
become pregnant if this is what was going to happen to me? Why do I go on living?
In the Hebrew, that is this sense of what she is asking God.
·
It may not be about a pregnancy, but how many times do we
have the same question about events and situations in our lives? God, why is
this happening to me? Sometimes we may get an answer, sometimes not. And when
we don’t get an answer, we need to learn to live with unanswered questions, and
to accept that God’s wisdom and God’s sovereignty stands behind all things.
·
It’s ok to have questions, to be emotional, even angry. It’s
ok to ask God why. There are plenty of examples of people in the bible who did
just that. But to demand answers from God, well, that’s a different story. See
Job chapters 38 and 39 to see how well that worked out for Job.
·
But God responds to Rebekah. God informs her that she is
carrying twins, that each of them will be a progenitor of a people, that the
movements and struggles within her womb result from sibling rivalry, and that
one would be stronger than the other, but that the older would serve the younger.
·
There is an important point here. The older shall serve the
younger. The physical firstborn is NOT going to be the inheritor of the
covenant promises. The younger will inherit those promises. This reminds us of
the situation with Abraham’s sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was the firstborn
physically, but it would be the younger, Isaac, who would inherit the covenant
promises. Same thing here. The physical firstborn of Isaac, Esau would not
inherit the promises, but the spiritual firstborn, Jacob, would. Esau is
parallel to Ishmael, and Jacob is parallel to Isaac. And there are other
examples of this throughout the Bible, such as Cain and Abel, David rather than
any of his older brothers, Joseph rather than any of his older brothers.
·
This is an example of the reality of the physical and the
spiritual. Yes, you may physically be the first, but spiritually, you are not
fit. There is a physical reality, and there is a spiritual reality.
Unfortunately, in our world today, most people are caught up in and completely
absorbed by only the physical reality. So much so that they give almost no
thought to the reality of the spiritual.
·
Think about it…how much of each day do you spend on the
physical versus the spiritual? And I am not speaking of the physical in terms of
exercise or going to the gym or anything, I am talking about simply going
through your typical day, which is made up of going to work, running errands,
spending your energy on planning your weekends, watching tv, social media,
arguing about politics, and the list goes. Now I am not suggesting that the
physical is not important, of course it is, that’s how we are made and were
designed to interact in the world and with others. But if you are neglecting
the spiritual side of life, you are missing out on the fullness of what it
means to be a human being, to fully appreciate and enjoy the way God has
created us in his image. Well here, God demonstrates to us one again that there
is indeed a physical reality, but there is also a spiritual reality. And the
spiritual reality is of more consequence.
·
24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there
were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy
cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his
hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty
years old when she bore them.
·
27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man
of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved
Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
·
So, the twins Jacob and Esau are born. The firstborn was
Esau. It tells us that he was red, and this is not likely referring to his hair
color, but referring more to a ruddy sort of complexion. This sort of red might
be similar to when a normally pale person has been outside in the cold, and
their cheeks get flushed. It also tells us that Esau was hairy. This detail
will come into play later on in the narrative.
·
Jacob was the second born, and it tells us he came out
holding onto Esau’s heel. Sort of symbolic of Jacob trying to prevent Esau from
being the firstborn. The name Jacob is an abbreviation of a longer word meaning
“may God protect”, and so it sort of recognizes Jacob’s divine election.
·
But we will see that Jacob in some ways will tarnish
this good name, and so it is appropriate that his name is also a pun for
another word in Hebrew (ah-cave) that means “to seize someone by the heel”, to
go behind someone”, to betray”. It is the same word used by God in Genesis 3:15
where God tells Satan, in referencing the Messiah, that this future descendent
would crush him, but that Satan would do what?... bruise his heel. It is the
same word that puns here, and so the reference to betrayal is fitting.
·
It also tells us a little about each of the boys after they
grew up. Esau is a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet
man, dwelling in tents. The biblical ideal of a leader is symbolized by a
shepherd, which is what Jacob was. Mighty hunters, such as Esau and Nimrod, are
depicted negatively in scripture. In fact, in a couple of chapters, we will see
Esau described as someone who “lived by the sword”. And remember, Jesus tells
us in Matt 26 that “all who take the sword will perish by the sword”.
·
And then we come to that short but very interesting verse,
verse 28, which tells us “Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but
Rebekah loved Jacob”. Ruh roh, raggy!
·
First of all, when it says “loved” here, the word translated
here as “love” actually means “to choose, or to have a preference for”. No
doubt, Isaac and Rebekah loved both of their boys, but they have their
favorites.
·
It tells us why Isaac preferred Esau, because he loved eating
the game that Esau brought home. But no reason is given why Rebekah preferred
Jacob. So, we naturally assume it is because God has already told her that Esau
would serve Jacob. Jacob was God’s chosen.
·
It is interesting…Adam failed in eating, Noah failed in
drinking, and now Isaac fails in tasting. Isaac prefers the natural senses;
Rebekah prefers the divine choice and lasting qualities. So, because of all of
this, and for different reasons, parental favoritism comes into play, and it
ends up making matters worse.
·
Last five verses of this chapter, starting in verse 29 read,
29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was
exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I
am exhausted!” (Therefore, his name was called Edom). 31 Jacob said, “Sell me
your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a
birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So, he swore to him and
sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew,
and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus, Esau despised his
birthright.
·
And so here we see that the struggle that began in the womb
continues into adulthood. Esau comes in from the field, exhausted, and asks
Jacob for some of the red stew he was cooking. The Hebrew actually reads “some
of this red stuff”. BTW, the stew Jacob was cooking was red, which is why then
Esau is called Edom, because Edom is derived from the Hebrew verb, adom
(a-dome), meaning “to be red”. And Edom is where Esau’s descendants
settled. Which is also ironic because remember, when he was born, Esau is
described as being red all over.
·
Now, to be fair to Esau, it wasn’t that he was just tired
from a long day hunting in the fields. The real meaning is that he was actually
famished, about to faint, and in dire need of food and drink. That is the
proper Hebrew understanding of what the Esau is saying
·
Nevertheless, Jacob sees an opportunity and exploits his
brother’s misery and weakness. So, he tells him, “Sure, I’ll give you some
stew, just sell me your birthright first”. Again, Jacob is taking advantage of
the opportunity. This is quite a contrast to the way his grandfather, Abraham,
treated guests, servants, and strangers.
·
So, when Jacob says “birthright”, what exactly is he talking
about? The word refers to the rights of the firstborn. The firstborn holds a
position of honor within the family. You were also responsible to be the family
protector, the leader of the family. The father’s inheritance was divided among
the number of sons, and the firstborn received two portions. So, for example,
if there were eight sons, the firstborn would receive two portions, and the
remaining seven sons would split the remaining six portions.
·
Now some think that if there were only two sons, then the
firstborn would inherit everything. Others teach that no, the inheritance would
have been divided into three parts, and the firstborn would have received
two-thirds, which is twice as much as the younger son.
·
But more importantly in this instance, the one who possesses
the birthright also inherits Abraham’s covenant promises.
·
Well, how does Esau respond? He says, “I am about to die.
What good is a birthright to me?” Esau’s lacks faith, and he lives in the
moment. He is shortsighted, and so right now, his birthright means nothing to
him.
·
But Jacob makes him swear, which makes the deal irreversible.
Because in the ancient world, an oath was a serious and sacred act. But at the
center of all of this is the two different worldviews of Jacob and Esau. Esau
lives for the here and now, the immediate, instant satisfaction. Sort of like
most of the world does today. Jacob took a longer view approach, deferred
prosperity.
·
So, Jacob gives him the stew, Esau ate and drank and got up
and left. The style of the verbs in the Hebrew represents Esau’s behavior as
being crude as he just devours the meal, then gets up and walks out. And there
is no mention of him even giving his birthright a second thought.
·
The chapter ends simply by stating that Esau despised his
birthright. By despised, what is meant here is that Esau treated his birthright
with irreverence, he rejected it, he devalued it.
·
One of the main features of this scene is to depict the
differences in Jacob and Esau. Esau was a crass man, characterized by the
desire for the immediate sensual gratification. He speaks coarsely, roughly,
he’s rude, and has contempt for his family’s inheritance. No wonder God chose
Jacob even though he was younger! God is not going to provide his covenant
promises to someone who acts like a barbarian. The bottom line is that Esau
wasn’t really interested in spiritual things.
·
As I mentioned earlier, that is something that every
person has to figure out on their own. Are you primarily interested in physical
things, or spiritual things? I pray that you give some thought to your
spiritual life, because until you do, I just don’t believe you will ever be as
happy, as complete, and joyful and satisfied as you could be.
·
Jesus even taught us in Mark 12:30 that you” shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind
and with all your strength”. And if we are not devoting some of our day to
spiritual things, I just don’t think it is possible to do that.
·
You know, Jacob started wrestling with Esau in the womb, and
it continued into adulthood. And all the while he was wrestling with another
person so that he could inherit blessings. But what Jacob will learn, just like
all of us will, is that sinners don’t wrestle against other men, they wrestle
against God.