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Gen. 25:19 "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. 21 And Isaac entreated
the LORD for his wife, because she was
barren: and the LORD was entreated of him,
and Rebekah his wife conceived."
The importance
of prayer is illustrated above. Isaac
entreated the LORD for Rebekah his wife who
was barren. The LORD answered Isaac's prayer
and blessed Rebekah to have twins. Isaac and
Rebekah had been married for twenty years
before that Rebekah conceived. Now we know
that Isaac and Rebekah were going to have a
son based on the promise that God had made
unto Abraham. However, God used the occasion
of Isaac's prayer to bring forth the
conception.
Rebekah was
the second of seven barren women in the
scriptures who later had a son. Each of
these women were blessed to bring forth a
son who was greatly favored in the eyes of
God to perform some important deed or
function. These seven barren women, their
sons name, and the important deed or
function are listed below:
1. Sarah
Isaac- he was the son of promise and his
birth is used to illustrate to us the
miracle of the new or spiritual birth. (Gal.
4:28)
2. Rebekah Esau and Jacob These twins
are used to illustrate God's sovereign
election of a people to be his chosen
people. (Rom. 9:10-13)
3. Rachel Joseph One of the strongest
types of Christ in the bible.
4. Wife of Manoah Samson Nazarite.
5. Hannah Samuel Great prophet.
6. Great woman who lodged Elisha the prophet
her son raised from the dead.
7. Elizabeth John the Baptist forerunner
of Christ.
Gen. 25:22, 23 Two Nations...
Gen. 25:22 "And the children struggled
together within her; and she said, If it be
so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire
of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her,
Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner
of people shall be separated from thy
bowels; and the one people shall be stronger
than the other people; and the elder shall
serve the younger."
Often in the
scriptures the Lord uses two individuals by
comparison and contrast to illustrate great
spiritual lessons. We saw this previously
with Cain and Abel and Ishmael and Isaac.
Now we have Esau and Jacob who are twin
brothers that the Lord uses to illustrate
another great spiritual lesson. The lesson
that these two illustrate is the doctrine of
God's election of a people to be his people.
Again, we see
the name God uses in this passage is the
word, LORD, which as we have previously
pointed out refers to God as the covenant
making covenant keeping God. This passage
of scripture centers on the subject of God's
covenant. In the covenant of redemption in
Rom. 8:29, 30 we read: "For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he
might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he
also called: and whom he called, them he
also justified: and whom he justified, them
he also glorified." The first part of this
covenant is the statement that God foreknew
a people. In Eph. 1:4-6 we read of God's
choice of a people: According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will,
To the praise of the glory of his grace,
wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved."
God chose a
people in Christ before the foundation of
the world. Jacob and Esau are set forth as
an example of God's election of a people. We
read in Rom. 9:10-13: "And not only this;
but when Rebecca also had conceived by one,
even by our father Isaac; (For the children
being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election might stand, not of
works, but of him that calleth;) It was said
unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but
Esau have I hated." This tells us that God
through his sovereignty made choice between
two unborn boys that had done neither good
nor evil. Thus God's choice was not based on
works at all. There was nothing that either
boy had done to warrant God's choice. Yet,
God chose and loved Jacob and did not choose
and hated Esau.
This is
exactly how God's purpose according to
election stands. The choice of a people to
be God's covenant people in the covenant of
redemption is strictly made by the sovereign
act of God and is solely by the grace of
God. This principle of grace in election is
stated in Rom. 11:5, 6 "Even so then at this
present time also there is a remnant
according to the election of grace. And if
by grace, then is it no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it
be of works, then is it no more grace:
otherwise work is no more work."
Moreover, the
choice was made by God and not by the boys.
Nor was it made for the boys by their
parents. God in his sovereignty did the
choosing. In like fashion God in his
sovereignty does the choosing in the
covenant of redemption.
"Two nations
are in thy womb
" We know that according to
biblical history, both the descendents of
Esau and Jacob became nations. Esau became
Edom and Jacob became Israel.
"Two manner of
people shall be separated from thy bowels
"
Both Esau and Jacob were sinners. They were
sinners by nature and both sinned. Then we
must ask ourselves since both boys were
sinners, then how were they two manner of
people? The answer is that Jacob was a
sinner justified by the atoning blood of
Christ and Esau was a sinner unjustified.
Every man in the earth fits one of those
descriptions.
"And the one
people shall be stronger than the other
people
" This can be taken one of two ways.
It can be said that Israel as a nation was
stronger than Edom as a nation and that is
true. It can also be said that God's elect
people are stronger than those who are not
his elect people. In the eyes of God, those
whom he chose have faith and therefore have
more strength with God that God has given
them. This also is correct.
"And the elder
shall serve the younger." This seems to be a
direct reference that Edom was prophecied to
serve Israel. This is exactly what happened
according to the history of the Old
Testament scriptures.
Gen. 25:24-28 Jacob and Esau
Gen. 25:24 "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. 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. 28 And Isaac loved Esau, because
he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved
Jacob."
"And the first
came out red, all over like an hairy
garment; and they called his name Esau."
Esau got his name based on the appearance he
had when he was born. The name Esau
literally means red. This is also the
meaning of the name Edom. Apparently his
hair was red and he had hair all over his
body at birth.
"And after
that came his brother out, and his hand took
hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called
Jacob." The name Jacob, means a supplanter
or one who removes or catties a thing away
by fraud or trickery. This was a strange
name for them to name a son, but Jacob in
his earlier life lived up to the meaning of
his name. In this supplanting or trickery,
Esau, Jacob's brother was to be his primary
target.
"Esau was a
cunning hunter, a man of the field; and
Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents."
These twin boys were quite different both in
appearance and in their manners. Esau was a
man's boy. He did what most men would be
proud of. He was a cunning hunter and a man
of the field. This red headed, hairy boy, no
doubt, made his father proud with his manly
deeds. In contrast Jacob was a plain man.
The fields and hunting was not his "cup of
tea." He liked dwelling in tents and
cooking. He was a mama's boy. He did things
with his mama.
"And Isaac
loved Esau, because he did eat of his
venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob." This is
exactly what you would have suspected based
on the nature of the two boys. However, as
we will learn, God's children can change and
Jacob will be one who will be a hard worker
in the field and a good provider for his
family. He will also grow mightily in faith
before God. However, beforehand he will live
up to his name.
Gen. 25:29-34 Esau Sells His Birthright
Gen. 25:29 "And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau
came from the field, and he was faint: 30
And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray
thee, with that same red pottage; for I am
faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy
birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am
at the point to die: and what profit shall
this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said,
Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him:
and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of
lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose
up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his
birthright."
The above
passage tells us a lot about the two young
men. First, we learn of Esau that he was
only interested in living in the moment. He
was looking for instant gratification. He
was not concerned or worried about the
future, but lived for the instant
gratification of the moment. He was faint
from his hunting and Jacob had made up a
nice pot of red pottage. He was willing to
give up his birthright in order to have a
meal of red pottage. The instant
gratification was to fulfill his fleshly
lust for delicious pottage. He so lightly
considered his own birthright as being
important and valuable. After all, he
reasoned, what good would it do him now if
he could not have what his soul lusted after
and that is a delicious meal of red pottage.
He was all about fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and the mind. He was typical of
those who are children of wrath and of those
who are children of God before are they are
born of the Spirit. Thus, Esau despised his
birthright.
Jacob was a
conniving businessman. While Jacob valued
the birthright that belonged to his brother,
he was willing to take advantage of any
situation or even create a situation where
he could get advantage. By offering his
brother Esau a meal of beans in exchange for
the birthright, Jacob showed his extreme
selfishness as well. The unselfish thing
would have been to give his brother a bowl
of red pottage of beans. However, Jacob had
lusted after his brother's birthright and
obtained it through supplanting his brother
with the offer to exchange the bowl of beans
for his brother's birthright. Selfishness is
the chief characteristic of God's children
before the new birth. |
