Reasoning Through the Bible
A Family in Conflict || Genesis 25:12-26 || Session 41 || Verse by Verse Bible Study
In today's verse by verse Bible Study, get ready to uncover the profound story of Isaac and Rebekah from Genesis 25, as we tackle their struggle with infertility, Isaac's earnest prayer, and the conception of their twins. Witness God's response to Rebekah's simple question, resulting in a prophecy that turns traditional expectations on their head. But there's more beneath the surface. We delve into the prophecy given to Rebekah and its implications for future nations, clarifying its focus on national destiny rather than individual salvation, as illuminated in Romans 9. As we dissect the family dynamics between Isaac, Rebekah, and their sons, we'll see how parental preferences and roles influenced their relationships. Expect a rich discussion that intersects divine prophecy with human actions, offering a broader understanding of this Biblical narrative and its theological significance. Join us for a thought-provoking journey through scripture, family intrigue, and divine mystery.
In today's verse by verse Bible Study, get ready to uncover the profound story of Isaac and Rebekah from Genesis 25, as we tackle their struggle with infertility, Isaac's earnest prayer, and the conception of their twins. Witness God's response to Rebekah's simple question, resulting in a prophecy that turns traditional expectations on their head. But there's more beneath the surface. We delve into the prophecy given to Rebekah and its implications for future nations, clarifying its focus on national destiny rather than individual salvation, as illuminated in Romans 9. As we dissect the family dynamics between Isaac, Rebekah, and their sons, we'll see how parental preferences and roles influenced their relationships. Expect a rich discussion that intersects divine prophecy with human actions, offering a broader understanding of this Biblical narrative and its theological significance. Join us for a thought-provoking journey through scripture, family intrigue, and divine mystery.
Hello and welcome. My name is Glenn and I'm here with Steve. Today we are reasoning our way through Genesis, chapter 25. At this point in the story, abraham has obtained a wife for his son, isaac, and Rebecca and Isaac are married. In the verses 12 through 18, we find they're the descendants of Ishmael, that was the other son of Abraham, and, if we remember, the book of Genesis is the book of beginnings and it has the beginnings of all of these nations. Genesis 25, 12 through 18 is the beginnings of the tribes that came from Ishmael. With this we then have the continuation of Isaac and Rebekah and we're going to find out what happens when Rebecca gets pregnant. So, steve, if you could start at verse 19 and go down through verse 26.
Speaker 2:Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac Abraham's son. Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebecca, the daughter of Bethuel, the Aramean, of Padam Aram, the sister of Laban, the Aramean, to be his wife. Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was barren, and the Lord answered him. And Rebekah, his wife, conceived, but the children struggled together within her and she said If it is so, why then am I this way? So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her Two nations are in your womb and two peoples will be separated from your body, and one people shall be stronger than the other and the older shall serve the younger. When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came forth, red all over, like a hairy garment, and they named him Esau. Afterward, his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob, and Isaac was 60 years old when she gave birth to them.
Speaker 1:With this we have the story of the birth of Jacob and Esau, and I kind of feel for Rebecca here, steve. At one point she says why am I this way? Well, the implication there is that these two brothers are twins inside of her and they're fighting before they're even born and, as we're going to learn the story, they do indeed fight for much of their lives. I mean, it starts here. It just seems like some families are fighting from the word go here. This is prior to go. They're not even born yet. Rebecca's saying my goodness, what is going on inside me? I kind of feel for her at this point, don't you?
Speaker 2:Yes, I do, and I also am glad to see that. Where does she go to find out what's going on? She goes directly to the Lord, which is an example for us Something going on. Let's go to the Lord and find out what's going on.
Speaker 1:In verse 21,. We learn some things here about birth. It says in verse 21, Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was barren. Now, barren, of course, means without child. And the Lord answered him and Rebekah, his wife, conceived With that. Steve, who is it that is in control of the?
Speaker 2:womb. We saw that back with Abimelech and Abraham. When Abraham had passed Sarah off as his sister, god had closed the womb of the household of Abimelech as part of the warning to Abimelech. Then, after he settled with Abraham and gave Sarah back, that then the household says God opened the wombs again in his household. We see that in other places in Scripture. We see that in other places in Scripture God can control these certain situations where he's working through people for his purpose. It's obviously something that's here Isaac goes and petitions to the Lord on behalf of Rebecca and himself in regards to her barrenness.
Speaker 1:There's other places that become very clear that God is in control of the room. There's places where he says it flat out. Then there's also places that we've seen already. In Genesis, Sarah didn't have a child until she was 90 years old, and so God intentionally worked through her in that regard. God has the power to open the womb or to close the womb. God has the power of life. We should realize this is that God is doing something greater.
Speaker 1:Many families want children and can't. I've had issues in my extended family where there was people that really wanted a child and struggled with that. It caused a great deal of heartache and pain and struggled with that. It caused a great deal of heartache and pain, but in the end, we learn from these stories here in the Bible that God brings about life as he sees fit for his purposes and he always has a greater purpose. We talked about that in some detail when we were dealing with Abraham and his wife Sarah, who didn't have children until very late in life. God has the ability to open the womb and make a woman fertile. Life comes from the Lord, Death comes from the devil. Death comes from Satan. God focuses upward into life, whereas Satan focuses downward into death. That's one of the lessons here. Then in verse 22,. What do we see here, Steve? Is the actual problem? We've alluded to this prior. What's the problem going on in verse?
Speaker 2:22?. It says that the children were struggling together within her and she's wanting to know why is this happening to them? You can just feel that they're rolling back and forth as she's going through this.
Speaker 1:I know when my wife was pregnant, she was just having one, and it was hard enough with this child moving around, and it's hard to imagine what it would be like when there's two of them fighting inside of you. Do families always get along Well? Of course no, they don't. Is there a solution? Two families that are fighting?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's called belief in the Lord Yahweh and Jesus Christ. Think of it as a triangle with Jesus Christ at the head. If you have two corners of the triangle, as the triangle goes upward toward the head, you have togetherness. If all parts of the family are looking towards Jesus Christ and wanting to become more Christ-like, they will naturally come together as a family versus staying apart.
Speaker 1:If we as individuals end up in families that aren't getting along and this happens in families then we as Christians need to be the one that is the peacemaker. We need to be the one that tries to reach out and resolve issues. We don't need to be the ones that are known for holding grudges for many decades, and I've had to learn that lesson the hard way myself. I think here God's message to families is that there is a way to get along, and we're going to find that out, as we find in Jacob and Esau, because they're going to continue to fight, but in the end they resolve and become loving brothers again. But it was a long, hard road in between now and then.
Speaker 1:I think that happens with our families. As Christians, we should be the ones that seek reconciliation. Steve, I always think of times where in my family, we fought over things years ago, and now I look back on it and say, well, I remember we're having a fight, but what was it we were fighting over? The question I ask myself and the people around me is, if we look back in our lives on the things that we were fighting over, how many of those fights were actually worth fighting over and how many of them were things that we shouldn't really have been fighting over in the first place?
Speaker 2:That really hits home hard with me, glenn. I lost my wife a few years back. One of the things that came out of that, as I talked with other people in their marriages, was don't argue, just don't argue. The things that you argue over in a marriage are really pity things that don't amount to anything and it just causes strife in the marriage. It doesn't need to be there. To your point, most of them, if not all of them, are things that are just forgotten. Avoid arguing altogether because your loved ones might not be here in the months or the years coming. You're going to miss them for the broader aspect of just having them around. You certainly don't want to just remember the arguments that you coming. You're going to miss them for the broader aspect of just having them around. You certainly don't want to just remember the arguments that you had. You want to remember the good times and the things that you had together, especially in worshiping God.
Speaker 1:If we look at the end of verse 22,. Look at verse 22. Rebecca is having this struggle. These two children are fighting within her. What do we see here, Steve, at the end of verse 22? What does she do? As a step to try to figure out what to do next?
Speaker 2:She went directly to Yahweh to inquire of him. What's going on? What?
Speaker 1:should we do when we have a problem in our family?
Speaker 2:obviously, that's the same thing. We need to go and take it to Him, not only, maybe, to find out our understanding of what's going on, but to give wisdom for us on how to handle it, and also to give peace or calmness to the other party, or for understanding from them, or that they might become believers. Those different situations go to the Lord. Give it to Him. Let Him then give guidance back.
Speaker 1:The lesson here is to go to the Lord first. What we shouldn't do is try everything I know how to do, then when it doesn't work, then I go to the Lord as a last resort. No, no, go to the Lord first, then it won't be as big of a mess that I make it when he resolves things, because if we just go to him first and learn his ways, then the problems will stay small instead of me making it worse. Then we have starting in verse 23,. There's a prophecy that God gives. Get the picture here she has gone to the Lord, she's having this fight within her and she goes to the Lord for guidance and say Lord, what's going on? What should I do? In verse 23, what is the prophecy that God gives her? What's his answer?
Speaker 2:The answer is that these are two nations that are here and out of these nations they're going to be separated. One's going to serve another. In fact, the older is going to serve the younger. In this prophecy that God is giving to her, it's talking about nations, and it's kind of a foretelling of how they're going to act with each other or interact with each other later on in life.
Speaker 1:Let me go ahead and just read verse 23 again. This is God's response to her prayer about what's going on with these two babies inside of her. In verse 23, the Lord said to her two nations are in your womb and two peoples will be separated from your body, and one people shall be stronger than the other and the older shall serve the younger. Now with this, if you know the story, what happens later in the book Steve? What happens to these two children?
Speaker 2:Esau, who is the oldest, sells his birthright to Jacob, who is the younger. As the story progresses, jacob becomes the child of promise from Isaac and God reaffirms that, as to the Abrahamic covenant of land promises, promises of a nation and promises of blessing, we see that this actually comes about. Jacob the younger becomes the one of blessing and Esau the older serves him later on in life.
Speaker 1:In that time and in that day the oldest son was supposed to be what. What was the older of the sons supposed to?
Speaker 2:be. They were the ones who received the inheritance. He became then the patriarch of the family once the father passed away, but he received actually, in many cases, a double portion of what all the other siblings might receive. But in this particular instance, isaac had received the same promises that Abraham had. It had been confirmed to him by Yahweh God, so that's going to be passed on to Esau. This situation is not just a normal situation. This carries with it spiritual implications as well as physical implications.
Speaker 1:There are indeed some spiritual implications to the story. Before we get to that, let's point out a couple of more details here. First, because some of these things will be important later. In verse 25,. What was the name of the firstborn and what does it mean?
Speaker 2:The name of the firstborn was Esau, and Esau means hairy he comes out with a lot of hair. That's why he is named Esau.
Speaker 1:And then in the next, verse 26,. What was the name of the second?
Speaker 2:The second son name is Jacob, and he comes out holding on to the heel of Esau. Jacob means one who holds on to the heel or heel holder.
Speaker 1:Esau comes out first he's hairy. Jacob comes out second, holding onto the heel of Esau. And so what was Jacob trying to do from the time he was born?
Speaker 2:He's still holding onto Esau's heel. He's still wrestling and tussling with them, even as they're coming out of the wounds.
Speaker 1:That's the picture of the rest of their lives. Esau came out first, but Jacob, is this supplanter, the one who holds onto the heel. So let's read again verse 23. Two nations are in your womb and two peoples will be separated from your body, and one people shall be stronger than the other and the older shall serve the younger. So it's backwards.
Speaker 1:That's the prophecy. Really, what's supposed to happen is the older is the preeminent one, and if there's any other siblings, in that the younger ones would serve the older. But God says no, there's this struggle going on. One of them is going to be stronger than the other. The older is going to serve the older, but God says no, there's this struggle going on. One of them is going to be stronger than the other. The older is going to serve the younger. That's backwards. It also makes quite clear it's talking about people, groups, nations. He says flat out two nations are in your wombs. The answer that God gives her of why these twins were struggling within her was way beyond what's going to happen to these two individual people, jacob and Esau. God says to her two nations are in your room, two people groups, obviously, steve. The context of the book, the context of the chapter and the specific prophecy is about the beginning of what the beginning of the nation of Israel.
Speaker 2:Through Israel comes the Messiah, savior of the world. Let's also point out here, as you have, glenn, that this is an answer to Rebecca's question. God is answering her question. What's going on? It is a prophecy, it is a foretelling. It's God saying here is what's happening, here you have two nations. This is not a determinate decree which God is making of saying you have two nations here. The older is going to serve the younger, and that's God is decreeing it. So he's simply answering Rebecca's questions. What's going on? God is giving her the answer, but from his answer this sticks with Rebecca. I think it plays a role later on in the narrative that Rebecca remembers this. There's two nations and the older is going to serve the younger.
Speaker 1:Now this story here of Jacob and Esau. Later in the book of Genesis, jacob's name is changed to Israel and he becomes the father of the country, the nation of Israel, as the younger he ends up having 12 sons, ends up being the 12 tribes of Israel. That's the immediate thing that they're talking about here. This idea of the two nations coming out of Rebekah's womb is picked up again over in the New Testament and it actually becomes a quite large hinge point in some theological questions, namely around Romans, chapter 9. And in Romans, chapter 9 is a big deal in deciding between branches of theology, reform theology and covenant theology and dispensational theology and all these things. One of the key passages to all these things is Romans, chapter nine. We're not going to take the time. We could spend quite a long time on that and we'll do that when we get to the book of Romans. But Romans nine quotes Genesis 25, 23, the older shall serve the younger, and Romans 9 talks about these two nations coming out of the womb. So what we really want to point out here is that Romans 9 is talking about these nations. It asks the question about the nation of Israel at the beginning of the chapter, romans 9. In the course of the explanation.
Speaker 1:God in Romans 9 quotes Genesis 25, 23,. The older shall serve the younger. And note again that's why we're being careful here is that when it says this, it's talking about the origin of nations. It's not talking about the salvation of individual people. Nothing in Genesis 25 is talking about the salvation of individual people. It's talking about God building this nation through Isaac and not Ishmael, and he's going to go through Jacob and not Esau. This is what is talked about over in the New Testament. Nowhere in Genesis 25 do we get salvation of individual people. Rather, we get the origin of nations. We get God's sovereign election, but it's an election of a nation of people. Again in verse 23, two nations are in your womb people groups. That's really the context here. Yes, we have God sovereignly electing this nation, but he's doing just that he's electing a nation. That's the context here. It's the context in Romans, chapter 9. And again, we'll get to that when we get to Romans 9.
Speaker 2:But comments on that Steve and the nation has a purpose. To Romans 9. But comments on that Steve and the nation has a purpose, so his election of this nation is for a purpose. Stated that that nation is going to be a blessing to all the other nations because the Messiah, the Passover lamb, is going to come from this nation of Israel.
Speaker 1:Tune in for the future. We'll get to more of that when we get to Romans 9. But from here, just saying that the older shall serve the younger is in a verse that's talking about the building of a nation, and that's in a book that's talking about the building of a nation and not about personal salvation. Let's go on to the next one, if we go down, starting in verse 27, and in 28, it says this when the boys grew up, esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man living in tents. Now, isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game, but Rebecca loved Jacob. So, steve, here we have what appears to be playing favorites. Do you see that here, when it says that Jacob loved Esau but Rebecca loved Jacob? What's going on in this?
Speaker 2:family. I think it's a dynamic that happens in every family who have multiple children. Isaac is drawn to Esau because of the things that he does. Rebecca is drawn to Jacob because of the things that he does. I think that's natural. Maybe Rebecca is remembering what God had told her in these few verses earlier, before they were born. Don't know, scripture doesn't say that specifically, but it's quite clear here that there's likeness between the father on one son and between the mother on another son.
Speaker 1:The picture that's given to us here in this passage is that Esau is this hunter, he likes being out in the field, he's going out chasing game manly man. That Esau is this hunter, he likes being out in the field, he's going out chasing game manly man. And I've heard many Bible teachers then turn around and say well, jacob hangs around the house and makes stew in the kitchen with mom. Therefore, he's sort of a different sort of person. I'm not sure that's exactly the right analogy and, steve, you and I were talking earlier about this. What's your picture here? What is the scripture actually saying about the distinction here between Jacob and Esau?
Speaker 2:In verse 27, when it says Esau became a skillful hunter, we have a throwback to Nimrod, who was also a skillful hunter. When it says Jacob was a peaceful man that word peaceful in Hebrew is tam, it means complete and that he was living in tents being Jacob. What I think is being depicted here is the nature of Esau. Esau is out, away from the family. Jacob has decided to stay with the family. He picks up the family business of sheep herding and staying around there. Jacob, through the years, has gotten a bum rap from the standpoint he's a mama's boy. I don't think this verse is saying that at all. I think it's saying is is that Esau is an independent out doing his own things. Jacob is one who has stayed behind and is doing the things of the family there, amongst the community, living with them.
Speaker 1:That word there that our translation here translates a peaceful man. Some of the English translations say a mild man and, as you say, the language scholars tell us it means complete. I think you're correct. Yes, he was hanging around where the family was, but I think the sense here is that Esau was incomplete. Yes, he's sort of the manly man hunter out doing things, but that's one aspect of a man whereas Jacob was a little more well-rounded and we're going to see that Jacob's a little more sly and a little trickier. But nevertheless I think that we can't necessarily say that because Jacob is in the tent with the family cooking, then necessarily that means he's weak, or a Casper milk toast or something like that. What I see here is that he's more well-rounded, more fitting into the rest of the family, whereas Esau was a little more independent and not doing what he wanted to do With that. I think that's what's going on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and taking care of flocks, that's not a mamby-pamby job. It takes a lot of skill to take care of flocks and there's dangers associated with it. What was it, david? David killed lions and killed a bear protecting his flock that he tended An idea that, because it says he's a peaceful man or a mild mannered, doesn't mean or translate into it that he's some sort of a mama's boy? I don't think.
Speaker 1:So let's pick up on that for just a minute, because I think that's a topic that is applicable to today. Let's take the stereotype of a manly man, a hunter I'm out in the woods doing manly things I'm hunting, I'm lumberjacking, I'm strong and the other stereotype would be kind of a calm, mild, peaceful person. That is a little softer. And again, we just said that's not necessarily true, but let's take those as stereotypes and apply that today. Is there one of those? As far as what a man should be, that's our question. What should a man truly be? Is there one of those two stereotypes that's morally better than the other? Is it morally better to be a hunter, lumberjack kind of person, strong, independent or is it morally better to be kind of a peaceful man that's mild-mannered and hanging around the family? Is one of those positions superior, either emotionally, morally or ethically?
Speaker 2:I think a well-balanced man would be both. Their life should center around worship of Jesus Christ, God, and through that you can do both of these things. That you can do both of these things, but don't let either one of those characteristics override the worship and direction of giving to a family of worshiping God. It's all in moderation, it's all in perspective. I think the stereotype if it's all heavy on one side or all heavy on the other, it's too imbalanced. Both ways to the extreme are not good. Having them both back in a balanced situation with God being the center of their life, I think that's a perfect picture.
Speaker 1:I always think of David as a good example of what a man should be when he repents. But if you take of it as far as this again, these two stereotypes the manly man versus the strength under control David, I think, is a good example in the sense that this was a thoroughly dangerous man. He knew the fields, he knew warfare, he was successful at warfare, he won battles because he was quite good at defeating his enemies. He was a dangerous man, but he was also a godly man. He looked at his strength and used it in a way that would please God, in a way that was under control. He held his hand back when God would have him hold his hand back Again, sin being the exception.
Speaker 1:We all have sin, but if you look at David's life when he needed to be peaceful and respectful and moral to people, then he was soft. He was a musician, played the lyre and would hang around the palace and play music, but at the same time he knew how to pick up a bow sling and a sword and use it quite effectively. He was not scared to do it. To me, the picture of a man is someone who has the strength to be dangerous but then has the spiritual aspect, to have that under control and to be peaceful when he needs to be peaceful and to be even violent if there's an enemy that comes in to attack. I think that is an example of what a man should be. From the scriptures here with Jacob and Esau, there's not one of these that's morally superior to the other. It's just that Esau was imbalanced. We probably should stop here for today. We've reached a good spot. We're still struggling with these two children, but we're going to pick up right there next time as we continue to reason through the Bible.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for watching and listening, as always. May God bless you.