Genesis 27:1-4

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1 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, "My son." And he answered him, "Here I am." 2 Then he said, "Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die." ~ Genesis 27:1-4

Today, we transition into Genesis 27 which reveals the idea that deception, sin, pain, and evil will never nullify the purposes of God. In fact, deception, sin, pain, and evil actually succeed in making God’s gracious purposes come to pass. If our faith in the God of the Bible is shaken because we think God is wrong in allowing these unwanteds into our lives, then we will struggle trusting Him with every detail of our lives. What we think of God and His relationship with deception, sin, pain, and evil will shape the way we respond when these knock on our door.

Today's passage clearly shows us that God’s relationship with deception, sin, pain, and evil isn’t reactionary, but purposeful. God uses evil to push forward His purpose of blessing the world. The sinful scheming of man in some cases actually leads to the fulfillment of God’s promises because God is ultimately sovereign over everything. In Genesis 27 we will see that God's promises move forward through the sinful scheming of even godly people.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, 'My son.' And he answered him, 'Here I am.'"

Many ask why God allowed deception to come into existence. Deception, evil, pain and sin will never nullify the purposes of God. All of these were allowed by God because He gave man a free will and without it, there is no involvement of the heart. If there is no involvement of the heart then there is no love. In the case of Jacob and Esau, as at many other times in the Bible, Jacob's deception came about to meet God’s purposes, which He spoke of even before their birth in Genesis 25. This means that both the deceived and the deceiver are the Lord's and in the end His plans will come to pass exactly as they should. The only difference between the deceiver and the deceived is our ultimate reaction to God when He confronts us on our sin. Throughout the Scriptures we see that those who admit their sin find forgiveness from God.

Since Joseph was thirty when he stood before Pharoah, that means that he was about 39 when Jacob came to Egypt and Jacob was right around 130 years old at that time. When Joseph was born, Jacob was about 91, which was after he had spent 14 years in Padan-Aram. That means that Jacob and Esau were 77 at this time and it made Isaac 136 years old. Today's passage took place at about the year 2245 BC and it was 61 years after Abraham died.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "Then he said, 'Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death.'"

Here is Isaac stuck in his tent with bad eyesight and he undoubtedly believed his days were coming to a close. This is the way life is when we encounter a change in our health. Since he was reminded that his time on this earth was limited, Isaac desired to put his house in order even though his death was more than 40 years away. When we do not live our lives in reference to eternity, we truly do not live at all.

In light of eternity, we do well to keep our focus on God’s kingdom for this is why we are on this earth at this moment. We must do all we can to spread the good news of the gospel with anyone willing to listen. We must be wise to make the most of every opportunity that we have because the days are truly evil. The older we all become and the more we see sin advance in this world, the more we should be convinced that our hope is only in the Lord Jesus. In John 16:33 we read, "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die."

In light of the fact that Isaac was the patriarch of an entire camp with dozens of servants, many warriors and their families and that Isaac owned thousands of animals of every kind, he called for his 70 year old son and asked him to hunt game for him. There was more involved here than just a venison stew. Notice the phrase, "make me savory food, such as I love." There is inherent in a parent, especially as we approach the end of our lives, the desire that our children return to us the love and care that we have all their lives given to them. Such was Isaac’s desire. Isaac desired that Esau return the love that he had expressed to him through the years especially through hunting, killing and cooking game on his behalf. 

Like father, like son. This is a case that the temporal was the enemy of the eternal. You will remember that the reason Esau lost his birthright in the first place was his great desire for the stew that Isaac had made earlier. Isaac seemed to have no idea of the shallowness in the soul of his son. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 16, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

I close with a quotes from Jim Elliot, one of the missionary on January 8,1956 who gave his life for Christ in the jungles of Ecuador, who put it this way. He said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Genesis 26:34-35

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34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. ~ Genesis 26:34-35 

Today, we close out our study of Genesis 26 which is primarily about Isaac, the son of Abraham. Even though he lived longer than Abraham, Jacob and Joseph, less is written about him than was written about the others. This chapter ends with two verses about one of Isaac's two twin boys, Esau who married two different Canaanite women. You will remember that earlier, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob only to regret it later. This one decision was one of many that distanced Esau from his father. Esau was determined to distance himself even further from God by refusing to come under His authority. One way that this showed up in Esau's life was in the choice he made to have two wives.

Marriage is one of the most important decisions we will make in this life because it impacts our lives and the lives of our posterity. Even though he was forty years old, Esau didn’t consult his parents but instead revealed his blatant disregard for them by choosing to marry women who did not believe in the God of the Bible. The fact that he didn’t even talk with his parents about his decision shows he knew they would not be pleased with his choice.

In v.34 of today's passage we read, "When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite."

Both Abraham and Isaac modeled a monogamous marriage between one man and one woman for life, in accordance with God’s original design in Genesis 2. Abraham did had many concubines which in the surrounding Canaanite culture was acceptable but not prescribed by God. Polygamy has never been approved of by the God of the Bible. The decision on the behalf of Abraham was a poor decision because it impacted the thinking of his posterity, mainly his grandson Esau. What parents do in moderation or in this case grandparents, the kids will do in excess.

The longest chapter in the book of Genesis is dedicated to the story of Abraham’s servant finding a wife for Isaac from their family line. Yet, Esau didn’t care about how important and significant marriage was: he just married two of the local girls. In the choice of Rebekah for Isaac, there was much prayer, but with Esau, not one prayer. And, since these two women were Hittites, they would not have worshipped the One True God of the Bible. They would have followed after the false gods of the land, and they would try to lead their new husband even further astray.

Esau married at the very same age as his dad, Isaac, but instead of one wife, he married two. Esau married two Hittite women. In marrying these two, Esau rebelled against God’s design for the family. Instead of a wife from Mesopotamia, Esau married two from Canaan, the people who were under a curse. It was foolish for Esau to do this because if he had listened to the Lord and had been defined by Him, he would have had a much better life than he did. Esau fostered a rebellious mindset toward God because God had dealt with him in truth. I once had a friend who would often say, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you mad." Esau never got over his anger because he had buried his feelings. And, we all know that "Feelings that are buried are buried alive."

In v.35 of today's passage we read, "And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah."

Esau married two different women because he wanted to gain worldly power and influence by marrying them, but in the end, Esau’s wives "turned out to be thorns in the sides of Isaac and Rebekah." The person we marry probably has more influence on our spiritual journey than any other person on this earth. Our world would be much better off if we better understood that God designed marriage to be a covenant relationship between one man and one woman for life.

Instead, our culture has followed after the way of Esau. Most  don’t hold the marriage bed in high esteem. In fact, it is the practice of most to encourage a multiplicity of sexual partners. This is the result of the fact that we don’t think that relationships need to be between two people of likeminded convictions. As a result, we are reaping the fruit of our disregard for God's instructions in this area.

Esau was not a believer in the God of the Bible for he was not defined by Him. We know that we are being defined by God when we invite His culture into our lives. God has been clear, for example, according to 2 Corinthians 6:14 that a believer is not to marry an unbeliever. God says to the believer "do not be unequally yoke together with an unbeliever."

The picture of being unequally yoked comes from farming. Oxen and mules don’t work well together. They will pull a load differently, so if you put them in the same harness, they’ll be very ineffective. We must not think of the Word of God as a luxury, it is essential to our survival. If it is our desire to live in a way that we have never lived before, we must come to think in a way that we have never thought before. In Deuteronomy 32:47 we read, "For it (the Word of God) is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life." 

These words of Moses have been my story. I came to the Lord one month short of the age of eighteen. Immediately the Lord placed it in my heart to get into to as many Bible Studies as I could find. As an eighteen year old kid, those many Bible Studies that I attended kept me out of a lot of trouble. Not long after that, it was the Lord's Word that led me to Columbia Bible College where I met my wife. And since then, I have gradually learned that the Word of God is truly my life. For if we allow the Lord to define us by obeying His Word, the life we desire we will receive.

Genesis 26:26-33

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26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army. 27 And Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?" 28 But they said, "We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.'" 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water." 33 So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. ~ Genesis 26:26-33

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 26 which begins with Isaac on his way to Egypt due of famine, and ends with him enjoying flowing water in Canaan. Today's narrative is very much like that which happened to Isaac's father Abraham in Genesis 21. Two of the three main people, Abimelech and Phichol, who came to visit Isaac this particular day were two of the same people whom Abraham had dealt with in like manner.

In v.26-29 of today's passage we read, "26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army. 27 And Isaac said to them, 'Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?' 28 But they said, 'We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.'"

Isaac's three visitors, Abimelech, Phichol and Ahuzzath, according to some biblical scholars pictured what many refer to as the unholy trinity. Due to their earlier treatment of him, Isaac was completely surprised when these guys show up at his camp. The phrase "hate me" was used by Isaac to remind them of the quarreling that their people had experienced over the wells, one of which was called "Sitnah" meaning "hatred."

A common tactic of Satan is to imitate the things of God in order to make himself appear to be like God. What is commonly referred to as the “unholy trinity,” described vividly in Revelation 12-13, is no exception. The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, God the Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. Their counterparts in the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. While the Holy Trinity is characterized by infinite truth, love, and goodness, the unholy trinity portrays the diametrically opposite traits of deception, hatred, and unadulterated evil. At the beginning of the Tribulation these will rise up to make a covenant with Israel.  

The impotence for their desire for a covenant was "that the Lord is with you." Despite their jealousy and hatred of Isaac, Abimelch and his men recognized that the Lord was with him. And the same is, and will be, no less true with the Muslims who hate Israel today. And so Abimelech and his men asked to enter into a covenant with Isaac. In the future, according to Daniel 9:24-27 a covenant will be established between the anti-Christ and Israel. Israel will not know that they will enter into a covenant with the anti-christ until the middle of the time frame as indicated by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:15. This covenant will be a 7-year covenant and it will be happening during the time that we know as the Tribulation.

According to v.29 of today's passage, either Abimelech and his men were blind as to what happened between Isaac and the people who kept stealing his wells, or they were bald faced liars. They may not have touched Isaac or harmed him directly, but they did so indirectly, causing him to move from well to well and finally telling him to leave their land.

In v.30-31 of today's passage we read, "30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace."

Isaac's prior relationship with Abimelech, the king of Gerar was strained. He was caught in a dangerous lie regarding his wife, Rebekah. When Isaac's prosperity threatened the king, the king asked Isaac to move away. Even then, the people of the region harassed Isaac's family about the use of the wells. After Isaac moved to Beersheba, the king and his entourage arrived to have a conversation which led to a nice meal and the establishment of another covenant. Ironically, the same day that the covenant is made between Isaac and his three visitors, another well was dug which produced water.

In v.32-33 of today's passage we read, "32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day."

Shebah which means "oath." The word Shebah here has an added letter on the end of it, a letter like our "h." This addition of this letter makes the word signify more than just an oath, but that which is full or abundant. The well found then and the well of the future will be filled to overflowing. However, Sheba is also the word for seven and because of the agreement, the place is called Beersheba, the well of the oath or the well of the seven. As you can see, the coming seven-year covenant with the antichrist was foreshadowed here.

The Bible time and time again uses the number two to signify a difference, usually of things at enmity with each other. There are two testaments in the Bible, one based on law and one on grace. One shows fallen man, the other man restored. There is day and there is night. There is darkness and there is light. There is good and there is evil. There is Cain and there is Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Adam and Christ. There is heaven and there is hell. There is life and there is death. Each of these are in contrast to the other, just as the two wells were in contrast. 

This life that we all share here in time on this earth has one main purpose: to prepare for the inevitable end when good and evil will clash and good will win. Most people believe this life is all about the acquisition of the things this world has to offer. Not so! You see, there are only two everlasting things on earth today: people and God's Word. Everything else will ultimately be burned up. We must invest in those two everlasting things, people and the Word of God, or we will miss what this life is truly all about. The ultimate point of our lives is to get those two things that will endure beyond this world together. A good place to start is to intentionally read the Word of God daily for ourselves with the intention of interacting with God so that we can intentionally interact with others regarding what God has said in His Word.

Genesis 26:23-25

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23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake." 25 So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. ~ Genesis 26:23-25

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 26. Although Isaac lived the longest of all the patriarchs,180 years, less is recorded of him than of the three others. This is the only chapter exclusively devoted to Isaac's life. Today's passage is the key to understanding the whole chapter because up to this point in Isaac's life circumstances shaped most of his decisions. In today's passage we see that he finally came to see that through all the opposition over the wells he had dug, God had been guiding him back to the land of promise, back to those places where his dad, Abraham, had walked in fellowship with God. 

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "Then he went up from there to Beersheba."

Beersheba was the spot that Abraham was when he made a treaty with Abimelech. It was also where Isaac and Abraham departed from and returned to when they went to Mount Moriah. It was the place where God’s people had found peace and restoration. The same will be the case for Isaac. Isaac went up to Beersheba because he sensed on a spiritual level that this was where God wanted him to be. If God had previously been leading Isaac through opposition, now Isaac was willing to be led by God. Being led is one thing, though, knowing God in an increasingly and more intimate way is another.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.'"

As He did to Abraham, Isaac's dad, God appeared to Isaac on the heels of his obedience. This just highlights the fact that real faith leads to obedience; not perfect obedience because we will never be perfect at anything this side of heaven, especially our obedience to God. The key is that we are learning to hear God's voice and walk in His ways. The more we respond to the truth God gives us, the more truth He will give to us.

Central to God's promises to Isaac was one command: "Do not fear!" It’s a refrain that echoes over and over again in the pages of Scripture, a command given by God to all humble enough to receive the free gift of His acceptance through Christ. God said "fear not" to Abram when Abram wondered when he would see his promised heir. God said it to His people as they looked at the odds stacked against them in the Promised Land. God said "fear not" to Joshua as he prepared to take the reins of leadership from Moses. He said "fear not" to Elisha when he thought he was outnumbered. The words echo through the Psalms as a means of encouragement during worship. 

In 1 John 4:18 we read, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." 

Fear is at the root of all disobedience to God, and, our ultimate fear is separation from God. In order for us to overcome fear, we must develop a maturing understanding of God's love for us. This is why we are to persevere through our trials because it is in the context of the impossible moments of life that God's goodness shines forth the best. God came to earth in the form of the Lord Jesus in order to help us overcome our fears, first and foremost our fear of Him. As long as we are afraid of God, we cannot overcome any fear that we find in our souls. Fear creates suspicion, distance, defensiveness, and insecurity. The greatest block in our spiritual life is fear and no spiritual discipline is possible when we are in fear of God.

Brennan Manning once said, "God’s love is based on nothing at all, and that is what makes us secure." God was teaching Isaac a very important aspect about His love which is summed up in a simple statement: merit filled love can never be trusted. The love that believes I must perform for God is the most unfaithful of loves because when we lose our ability to merit love, we will inevitably lose the love.

When we begin to define ourselves as those who are worthlessly loved, we will for the first time set foot on the trail of authenticity. For the first time ever we will be able to stop with all our comparing and strivings. We can then and only then step out of the storm of our fears. For then and only then will we know God's unconditional love. This type of love is beyond the human condition. It is a love reserved only for God and those of His affection. God’s love is encapsulated in a vacuum free of the contaminants of our fears. It is a pure love that loves for love's sake. It is based on nothing but love itself.

God's love is based on nothing and that makes us most free. Were it based on anything we do, and that "anything" were to collapse, then God's love would crumble as well. But, with the God of the Bible no such thing can possibly happen. When we get to the place where we begin to truly understand this, it will be then that we will live freely and to the fullest. We do not have to earn His love; neither do we have to support it. It is a free gift from the God who thought up the plan of our rescue through His Son's cross.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well."

Like his father, Abraham, when there was an altar and a tent in Isaac's life, it was all good. In the same place where Isaac's dad, Abraham, called on the name of the Lord, Isaac did the same. The altar was a symbol of his worship of the God of the Bible and the tent was a reminder that this world was not his home. This is the first recorded altar built by Isaac. With the building of this altar, Isaac was saying he had placed His entire faith and hope in the Lord God alone. Did he struggle beyond this moment in his walk with the Lord? Absolutely, because the struggle is a very essential part of the development of our faith in the God who loves us unquestionably. God's love for us is undying because the Lord Jesus laid down His life on our behalf.

Genesis 26:15-22

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15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we." 17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. 19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, "For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." ~ Genesis 26:15-22

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 26 which is the one chapter in the Bible about the life of Isaac. Today's passage centers around wells. There are many different wells in this world. Some satisfy for a moment and then we need more, but there is one well which will fill us eternally. As the Lord Jesus told the woman at the well, "The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 

As we mentioned in our last study, the key to the growth of our faith and our heart's ability to see God is what we do when we encounter trials. It is not the blessings of this life that hone our faith in God, it is the trials that push us to Him along with His word spoken to our hearts. In the first five verses of this chapter we learned of the first trial in the life of Isaac: There was famine in the land. And, Isaac learned to some degree to depend upon God. This is the point of all of our trials, learning to know this patient God who is bigger than we can imagine. 

In our last study we saw that Isaac didn't fair well with the second trial for he lied about the identity of his beautiful wife Rebekah. It was by the grace of God that Isaac was rescued out of the mess caused by his lying. In today's passage we see the next trial to come into the life of Isaac, the filling up with dirt of the wells that his dad had dug. Despite God’s blessing upon Isaac, he had to deal with the Philistines who just wanted to quarrel over everything.

In v.15-16 of today's passage we read, "15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, 'Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.'"

Amazingly Isaac's foolish habit of lying didn’t disqualify him from God’s blessing. God prospered him in the land of the Philistines, so much so that they wanted him to leave. In order to make things difficult on Isaac, the Philistines stopped up all the wells which Abraham’s servants had dug. This was in direct violation of the agreement which was made between Abraham and Abimelech some 80 years earlier. The Philistines told Isaac to leave them for he was mightier than they.

In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them."

Due to this conflict with the Philistines, Isaac departed from living closely with them and he and his people made camp in the Valley of Gerar. This area is about halfway between Gaza and Beer-Sheba. As in the days of Isaac, the same map reflects the divide to this day, some 4000 years later. All of the hard work that was accomplished, and the sources of water that were dug by Abraham were destroyed after he died. This shows the cowardice and envy of the people even more. They waited until Abraham died to do this, knowing that he would have gone in and destroyed them by force. In their attempt to destroy what they believed was the source of his blessings, the Philistines destroyed the wells.

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, 'The water is ours.' So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him."

The words "running water" communicate something different. With the digging of this well there was literally "a bubbling up." This well was a unique source of water, like an Artesian well. Isaac named this well "Esek," which means "contention" "because they quarreled with him." "Esek" also describes the on-going conflict that still exists today between the Jews and the Palestinians who are the descendants of the Philistines. 

Today, the equivalent to the water in the wells would be the oil in the land. In 1999 a maritime drill struck gas in commercial quantities just 800 feet beneath the Mediterranean 25 miles out from Israel’s southern port of Ashdod. Production began in 2004 at what is called the Mari-B, and some 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas are piped ashore each year from reserves. Another field, known as Tamar was discovered in 2009 off the northern end of Israel’s coast. Tamar was the world’s largest gas find in 2009. A bit further off the coast, there is another source of oil was discovered and this largest reserve of oil in Israel is named Leviathan. And all of these, of course, have the Palestinians protesting as to Israel’s rights to them. These are the modern parallels of this ancient story about Isaac and his wells. Just as water blessed Isaac, the oil God placed in the land of Israel will be a similar source of blessing.

In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, "For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."

Isaac dug another well which he named "Sitnah" which is the feminine form of the word Satan and it literally means "hatred." Then Isaac dug a third well which he called "Rehoboth" which means "plenty of room." From this well, the people of Isaac would be fruitful and the greatest fruit is that which ensures into eternity. Although the fruit spoken of in this chapter is the fruit of this world, the fruit that will endure into eternity is quite a bit different. The Lord Jesus said in John 15:16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."

The astonishing thing about the discovery of the wells is that Isaac kept finding water in the middle of a famine. This is evidence that God was with Isaac to bless him, despite the antagonism of the Philistines. In the end here what we learn is that with the increase of trials in our lives comes the increase of God's blessing into our lives. But, we mustn't stop there because it isn't about the blessings, it's about the Blesser. The highest goal of this life is that we come to know the Lord for ourselves most intimately. This is what our trials offer us, a deeper walk with the Lord.

A hundred years ago, a pair of English ornithologists took birds from their mother’s nest on the island of Skokholm off the coast of Wales. They tagged those birds and transported them to various far-off places, then released them to see whether the birds could find their way home to Wales. One of the birds was released in Venice, Italy. Despite the tremendous distance of about 1,000 miles, the bird found its way back home by a path it had never flown, in just over 14 days! 

That experiment was repeated with even greater distances. Two birds were transported by train in a closed box to London, then flown by airplane to Boston. Only one of the two survived that trip. The lone surviving bird flew all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and found its way back to its mother’s nest in 12 days and 12 hours! Humans have a similar instinct hardwired into our souls, the longing to know God. In the words of Saint Augustine, "You have made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You."

Genesis 26:6-14

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6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, "She is my sister." He was afraid to say, "She is my wife," for he thought to himself, "The men of this place will kill me to get Rebekah because she is very beautiful." 8 After Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, "She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister?' Isaac replied, 'Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.'" 10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, "What in the world have you done to us? One of the men nearly took your wife to bed, and you would have brought guilt on us!" 11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, "Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death." 12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, because the Lord blessed him. 13 The man became wealthy. His influence continued to grow until he became very prominent. 14 He had so many sheep and cattle and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. ~ Genesis 26:6-14

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 26 where we observe the development of Isaac's relationship with God. The first thing we saw in our last study from Isaac was that faith cannot grow apart from trials. In fact, this chapter is all about trials of various kinds. In the first five verses of this chapter we learn of the first trial in the life of Isaac: There was famine in the land. And, Isaac learned to some degree to depend upon God. This is the point of all of our trials, learning to know this patient God who is bigger than we can imagine.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "So Isaac dwelt in Gerar."

Here, Isaac is seen immediately obeying God. The Lord had told him to stay where he was, so, Isaac stayed in Gerar. Whenever we do something right in reference to God's word, we must expect that soon thereafter another trial will come. Like Isaac, God has brought us to the place where we now know Him to some degree. He has done this not to just take us home to heaven, but to use us in this world to tell others about our hope in Him. God created us for two things: to worship Him and to serve others.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, 'She is my sister'; for he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife,' because he thought, 'lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.'"

So, the stage was set for yet another trail to come into Isaac's life. God causes or allows the trials to come about in our lives in order to free us from the bondage of our fears. Like his dad, Isaac deceitfully claimed that Rebekah was his sister and not his wife. Man, the fruit does not fall far from the tree. Isaac lied because of the same reason as Abraham, because Rebekah was incredibly beautiful. Like Abraham and Isaac, our faults are like a grain of sand next to the high mountain of God's mercy. So, don't be too surprised when people like Isaac do all of the stupid things that one does as they fumble and bumble their way on the pathway of their journey of faith. Don't be surprised when God, who is merciful, blesses them in spite of their foolishness. 

Like Abraham and Isaac, we hear God's promises, and we see God do miracles and then we quickly degenerate into an old pattern of sinfulness. And, that is okay because the struggle to get to this place is a very valuable part of being convinced that all we need is Him. God knows this about all of us and yet He does not give up on us. 

C.S.Lewis once wrote, "Aslan" said Lucy "you're bigger." "That is because you are older, little one" answered he. "Not because you are?" "I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.” God is forever calling us to a life of complete surrender to Him but we struggle to get there. As we grow in our faith, like Lucy in Lewis' writings, we see Him more clearly. 

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, 'She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister’?' Isaac replied, 'Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.'"

The word translated "long time" can mean days or even years. Isaac and Rebekah hid their secret for some time until Alimelech the king of Gerar figured it out. Abimelech means Father of the King. Very subtly God the Father spoke to Isaac through this true story. Until we are defined correctly by God, we will never know life as it was meant to be because sin will always mare our understanding of it.

Isaac lied to cover his butt and he was all about himself. This is where a life defined by anything other than God leads us; it leads us to places that we never wanted to go in the first place. We will never regret resisting sin, but we will always regret giving into it. To his credit, Isaac resisted the lust of the flesh and responded to Alimelech's question honestly, just as his father Abraham had in exactly the same situation and in exactly the same place many long years earlier. 

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, 'What in the world have you done to us? One of the men nearly took your wife to bed, and you would have brought guilt on us!' 11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, 'Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.'"

The irony of this story is that the pagan king of Gerar seemed to have better morals than the man of God, the patriarch Isaac. This man of the world understood that men and women of God should be honest, faithful, have lives filled with integrity, and so here is the unbelieving king rebuking this man of God. This just underscores that spirituality and morality are not the same. We are all in process and just as God is patient with us, we must be patient with one another.

The Lord graciously intervened before anything could happen, just like He did with Abraham. If something did happen to either of them, then the Philistines would have been in violation of the treaty Abraham made with Abimelech about eighty years earlier which is found in Genesis 21. Abimelech asked Abraham for a treaty and the treaty was cut between the two of them. It was binding on them. Abimelech remembered the covenant and he was a man who had reverence for the word which they agreed upon. And, if one of Abimelech's people had violated Isaac or Rebekah, they would have had the same punishment come upon them. 

In v.12-14 of today's passage we read, "12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, because the Lord blessed him. 13 The man became wealthy. His influence continued to grow until he became very prominent. 14 He had so many sheep and cattle and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous of him."

Isaac learned a hard lesson and eventually obey God who once again favored Isaac on the heels of his faith and obedience. And, hidden within these verses is a concept which is so deep we have the most difficult time understanding. The phrase "reaped a hundred times" shares the same root and basic spelling as the word "barley." Barley is known as the crop of hairy ears because of its hairy appearance. The root of this word is "hair." Hair in the Bible indicates an awareness of things. The goat for example is used in Leviticus for the sin offering and it is known for its hair. We have an awareness of sin in the hairy goat sin offering.

In the Old Testament book of Numbers we discover the Nazirite vow. This vow was made in order to consecrate a person to the Lord. During the time of that vow, they were never to cut their hair. Samson was a Nazirite from birth as were Samuel and John the Baptist. The hair on their head was a reminder of their state, just as the hairy goat is a reminder of sin. The barley harvest that Isaac reaped was a reminder of God’s covenant to him and the abundant blessing he received was because of his time of living faithfully within that covenant.

Despite Israel's unfaithfulness and unbelief, in 1948 they were returned to the promised land having been scattered throughout the earth. They are now living in the land as was promised by God throughout the Old Testament. For Israel, now is the time of hair, the time of awareness, the time of the barley harvest, and the mighty reaping of the grain.

As a result of Isaac's faith and obedience, God made him a great man. What a picture of the people of Israel today. Isaiah predicted this over 2700 years ago when he said,"Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, And fill the face of the world with fruit." Isaiah wrote those words at a time when it wasn’t even possible for the land to produce like it has and yet it has come true in our lifetime. Fruit from Israel is found around the world, and not just literal fruit, but the fruit of their labors in every way possible. They have flooded the world with the blessings of technology, medicine, food, and prosperity.

As always, along with blessing and prosperity comes something else, something dark, and cold, wicked, and sinister. It is something that inevitably ruins everything it touches. I speak of the envy of the Philistines in v.14. Isaac inherited all that Abraham had and now he had even more. He had grown to the point that he was the greatest man in the land. And today, Israel has inherited the land of promise once again and has brought all of the wealth it obtained from the world into the Land of Israel. Once again they are now the greatest people in all the land and others hate them for their success. This is why we must not be defined by any other than the God of the Bible.

Genesis 26:1-5

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1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." ~ Genesis 26:1-5

Today, we transition into Genesis 26 we will see God directing  Isaac to the location that will eventually set up a chain of events that the Bible refers to as the "end times." The book of Genesis was given to us in order to pull back the curtain into how God has and will move throughout redemptive history. Whether times are good or bad, nothing can separate us from the Lord and His goodness. As is promised over and over in the Bible, the sure promises of the Lord will all be realized in those who love God, to those who are called by Him.

Isaac was one of the great patriarchs but he was not a remarkable person. If we were to go simply by the amount of space in the book of Genesis devoted to his life, well, there is not a whole lot said about him. There is a lot said about Abraham, in fact 14 chapters in Genesis informs us. And, there is a lot said about Jacob, 11 chapters. But just about everything that Isaac did is in Genesis 26. Oh there's a little bit in Genesis 25 about Isaac praying for his wife and about the kids that they had, but really it's incidental to the main story of the two kids, Jacob and Esau, which we'll follow in the ensuing chapters. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar."

At about 100 years before today's passage in the life of Abraham, there was another famine in Canaan. During the famine in Abraham’s life, he mistakenly moved to Egypt for relief. However, this famine moved Isaac from Beer Lahai Roi to Gerar where Abimelech was the king. Like his father, Isaac encountered a famine. Like Isaac we encounter trials and the point is always, to whom we will look for help. Like Isaac, we go through trials because our faith in the God of the Bible only grows through the lessons learned through those times that we must have outside help. And, our faith in God is really worthless unless it is tested. Contrary to what many believe, our faith does not grow on a steady diet of blessing after blessing after blessing. 

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "Then the Lord appeared to him and said: 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.'"

As in the day's of his father, Abraham, Isaac was facing hardship in Canaan, but food could be garnered in Egypt. For Isaac, I am sure the temptation to go to Egypt was great. But, if he had gone to Egypt, Isaac would have missed a tremendous blessing from God. So, just as in the days of Abraham, a trip down to Egypt was not a good idea. As a result, God told him to remain in Gerar with Him for God promised to be with Isaac.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father."

The Lord had made several promises to Abraham in Genesis 12 when he was first told to move to Canaan, then again in Genesis 13 after he separated from his nephew Lot, then again in Genesis 15 when God made a covenant with him. He did so again in Genesis 17 at the time of the rite of circumcision, and finally in Genesis 22 when he asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah. Out of all of the promises God offered to Abraham, two promises He explicitly refers to here: the promise of His presence and the gift of the land. 

God told Isaac not to go to Egypt but to stay in Canaan during the famine. With this, the Lord offered to Isaac the opportunity to drill down deeper down into his faith in God. Staying in Gerar was a bad decision but God told him to stay because in staying in Canaan Isaac would see God more deeply in his heart through this famine as he chose to depend upon the Lord and the Lord chose to provide. Isaac was about to learn that God gave him more so that he could be a blessing to more. Charles Spurgeon once said, "God’s heart, not mine, is the measure of His giving; not my capacity to receive, but His capacity to give." And, God rarely blesses us with only us in mind.

In v.4-5 of today's passage we read, "And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

In addition to promising to Isaac His presence, God promised to Isaac and his people the land. To Isaac, God literally said, "I will give your descendants all these lands." The term for "lands" is mostly used to speak in plural form of the surrounding nations or even the nations of the world and not just the nations in Canaan. In fact, Ezekiel used it to speak of all the nations where the people of Israel were scattered in the exile in modern times. This verse speaks of the blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ to all nations of the world and to the millennial kingdom and the Messianic rule of Christ from Jerusalem, when all nations of the earth will be under His authority and the land will finally and totally be given to Israel.

God will be known throughout eternity as the God who keeps His promises because during the Millennium, all of God's promises to the patriarchs of Israel will be fulfilled. God has already fulfilled the personal aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant; Abraham did go to the Promised Land, he did have many descendants, and he is the forefather of many nations. Several hundred years after Abraham, Joshua led the Israelites to claim ownership of the Promised Land. 

But Israel has never possessed the specific boundaries that God promised in Genesis 15:18–20 and Numbers 34:1-12. Not even Solomon ruled over this particular area according to 1 Kings 4. The covenant God made with the patriarchs was that Abraham and his descendants would have the land forever. This will come to pass in the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth at the end of time. Biblical scholars estimate that the land promised to Israel is approximately 300,000 square miles. They currently occupy around 8,000 square miles. In times past, they have occupied more. But they have never occupied the full 300,000 square miles. That is, until the Millennium.

Genesis 25:29-34

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29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” 32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me? 33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. ~ Genesis 25:29-34

Today, we conclude to our study of Genesis 25 where we learn in biblical days the birthright included for the firstborn son a number of things that were bestowed on him by his father at the time of his father’s death. First, he would inherit the leadership position of his father’s house. Second, he would receive a double portion of the inheritance. Third, in the case of the patriarchs, he received the covenant promises that God had made to Abraham, the promise to become a great nation, the promise of the inheritance of the land of Canaan, and the promise that the Messiah would come through his line.

In v.29-31 of today's passage we read, "29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, 'Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.' Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, 'Sell me your birthright as of this day.'"

Jacob, who was around 15 years of age, had just finished cooking a red stew just before Esau had come into the house after a long day of work toiling in the field. The intense work that Esau was engaged in that day made him extremely hungry and desirous of his brother's stew. It was at that point that Esau began to be called Edom, which is the identical root for the name Adam. Both, Adam and Esau were known for toiling in the red cursed ground from which Adam came and from which their sustenance came.

Jacob and Esau had been taught about God from their grandfather, Abraham. They had surely been taught how God had called Abraham out of the Ur of the Chaldeans and promised to be his God and to bless him and make from him a great nation. Jacob and Esau most certainly heard how God commanded Abraham to take Isaac up Mount Moriah and offer him there as a sacrifice, and how God had stopped Abraham at the last minute and then provided a ram to be a substitute for Isaac. As a side note, the Old Testament birthright pictures for us the status the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ gains at the moment of his rebirth. 

Jacob jumped at the opportunity when his brother requested a bowl of the red stew that he had made. Jacob's price for the red stew was the birthright of his brother. Jacob was wrong to do what he did but he did it anyway. And, interestingly, God never condemned or commended Jacob for this action. Jacob would have had a much better relationship with his brother if he had patiently waited for God's blessing. His desire for the birthright reveals that he had an interest in spiritual things, but the way that he went about to get it was not right. When we do not value life, death will define us. 

In v.32-33 of today's passage we read, "32 And Esau said, 'Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me? 33 Then Jacob said, 'Swear to me as of this day.' So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob."

Even though from the outside Esau looked like the rugged outdoorsman that we would call a man’s man, he was weak for his only concern was for the present and that made him impetuous. Esau was much like people today who live for the moment. He certainly was not looking to the future when he responded with: "Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?" In other words all he could think about at that moment was his hunger and that red stew. He wasn't really about to die, but at that moment his birthright looked far off and his immediate needs defined him so much more. 

So, for nothing more than a meal, all of Esau’s treasures were sworn away. And for the same soup Jacob inherited much. Esau craved the bowl of stew which he later regretted so much for in the moment his value system failed him. For such an insignificant thing as a simple venison meal, Esau squandered his birthright which included two thirds of the family possessions, the leadership of the nation that would come and for all the covenant blessings that God had promised to Abraham and to their dad, Isaac. 

In v.34 of today's passage we read, "And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright."

The word translated "despised" means "to show contempt" or "to think lightly of something." Leave it up to a teen-ager for such a poor decision. Esau didn't regard his birthright as something bad, but he did regard it to be of little value at the time. And, of course this little bad decision led to another bad decision, and in time, it led to Esau making some really bad big decisions later.

This is the first time bread is mentioned in this entire chapter. Esau gave up his birthright for bread and a red stew that would keep him alive for a mere hours. When the Lord Jesus Christ came, He offered to all willing enough to believe in Him His birthright only if we would take of His bread and His blood that gives eternal life. The transfer that took place that day between Jacob and Esau was a picture of our transfer from Adam to Christ. As sons of Adam, we had forfeited our birthrights to the enemy of our souls. In Adam we had the title to the Garden of Eden and we gave it up for one single bite of the forbidden. Esau did the same thing for a bowl of soup. Both meals were temporary and devastating.

In Hebrews 12:14-17 we read, "14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears."

As in the case of Esau, when we ignore God, a hardness of heart sets in and when we are being defined by the enemy, it will increasingly be more and more difficult to turn back to God. Repentance means a change of mind. When Esau came back to his father later and requested his birthright, his father said it was too late. Esau had sold it to his brother. Esau wept bitterly and tried to change his father's mind, but his father could not change his mind because it was already promised to Jacob.

In spite of the fact that Esau and Jacob eventually made peace with one another, Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, never got along with Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites. Edom regularly opposed and fought against Israel. A big part of the problem was that the Edomites were not being defined by God and the Israelites were. Esau valued the definitions of this fallen world rather than those of God. He chose the temporal and physical cravings of this world rather than God’s definitions of all things. 

As believers in the Lord Jesus, we must walk as sons intent on the pleasure of God’s blessing, not as rebels intent on the pleasures of sin’s false promises. As we have seen, Esau was a fool who later became a sexually immoral man, who lusted after and married pagan Hittite women. We must be careful to not be deceived like Esau. It is interesting that he did not become sexually immoral over night. His problems began when he chose not to be defined by God in a little thing which eventually led him to being enslaved in a big, big way. 

Genesis 25:24-28

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24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. ~ Genesis 25:24-28

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 25 where we find the once barren Rebekah pregnant with twins. As mentioned before, Isaac was born in the year 2109 BC and was married at the age of 40. Then, 20 years later Isaac's sons were born. All of those years Isaac prayed for his wife and the Lord answered with twins who will illustrate for us the difference between those justified before the Lord and those who are not. I am sure Abraham prayed, too, because he was still alive at that time, and he knew what it was to wait for the promised seed. Rebekah was the second barren woman in the line through whom the seed was to be perpetuated. 

Previously, Rebekah had been told that "two nations were in her womb." At that time Rebekah could not see that the first nation, Israel, would come from Jacob. Neither did she know that the other nation, the Edomites, would come from Esau, Jacob's twin brother. Throughout their history, the Edomites would prove to be the enemies of Israel. This is why the prophecy that was given to Rebekah goes on to say, "And two peoples shall be separated from your body," which meant they would end up being at odds. Israel and Edom have never been able to live together. To this day, the Edomites hate the Israelites and they continue to war against them. 

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau." 

Rebekah gave birth to twins. The Hebrew word for "twins" is the word from which we get the name "Thomas" who is noted in John 11:16 also as "Didymus" which also means "twin." Esau was the firstborn of Rebekah's two sons. When he came out, he was red. It isn’t stated whether the red is from the blood of birth adhering to his hair or if his hair was naturally red, but most believe that he was named red because he was a red hairy baby. Some Jewish scholars have noted that his red color was a precursor of the fact that he would be a shedder of blood, fierce, and cruel. This has been born out by his descendants since. 

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob."

Jacob, the second born was prophesied to be served by Esau the firstborn. This was given as an indication of their future due to the fact that Jacob came out of his mother's womb holding Esau’s heel. Due to this event, he was given the name of Jacob which means deceiver. The idea behind the grabbing of his brother's heel was that Jacob would one day trip up Esau. This was fulfilled when Jacob deceived everyone in order to gain the blessings of the firstborn.  

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents."

In this one verse, many years had come and gone. The boys are now grown to where they are old enough to live and work alone. Here, in this first verse about their adulthood, God shows us two types or pictures in the two men. The first picture is of Esau whose name means "made" just as Adam was made from the dust of the earth. Esau is pictured as a complete man, one who obtained his living from the ground that had been cursed by God. As a hunter, Esau was like Nimrod and Ishmael who came before him. All three of these men picture for us the fallen and unregenerate man.

Jacob, on the other hand is noted as one dwelling in tents. Here, we see Christ, first dwelling in the tabernacle among the children of Israel who later He dwelt in the Temple in Jerusalem, and finally He put on a tabernacle of flesh and dwelt among us as John records in John 1:14 which reads, "And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth."

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob."

The Hebrew literally says that Isaac loved Esau because of the venison in his mouth. On the other hand, Rebekah loved Jacob, but no reason is given. Rebekah's love for Jacob could have stemmed back to the prophecy that she was given before they were born. We don’t know, but please note it doesn’t say either parent didn’t love the other child. They merely favored one over the other which is never a good thing when training up children in the way they should go.

The difference between Esau and Jacob will be ultimately born out in our study. The difference between the two was determined by what they each valued to be most important in their lives. In their culture the birthright was normally given to the firstborn, but as we will see, Esau gave his birthright to his brother. Jacob was not a model of ethics or integrity, but he genuinely valued the things of God. The birthright was precious to him, in fact, he procured it by devious means. 

In Hebrews 12:16-17 we read, "That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears."

Although Esau was exposed to much truth, he with determined willfulness turned his back on God and the things of God. As a result, he had no ethics or faith in the God of the Bible. He was defined by this world. When Esau finally realized what he had forsaken, he made a half-hearted attempt to retrieve it. Just because he sought for it with tears did not indicate sincerity or true remorse. Sadly, he found no place for repentance. He bitterly regretted, but he did not repent. He selfishly wanted God’s blessings, but he did not want to be defined by God.

Genesis 25:19-23

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19 This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. 21 Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” ~ Genesis 25:19-23

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 25. Having considered the genealogy of Ishmael in the previous verses, today, we will consider the genealogy of Isaac. Today’s passage was used by the Apostle Paul to explain the Bible doctrine of Election. It was the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for all sin, but His payment for sin only applies to those willing enough to receive from Him eternal life. 

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian."

This is the eighth "genealogy" listed in the Bible. In order for us to see the sovereignty of God Moses gave us a recap of how and when Isaac wed his wife, Rebekah. The words "Abraham begot Isaac" were given here in order to confirm Isaac as the legitimate and chosen son of the promise. Abraham is known as the man of faith who followed God into the Promised Land. As he grew in his relationship with the God of the Bible, Abraham learned to live in anticipation of God's character and His promises. When Isaac came, Abraham asked his servant to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham's hometown. In so many ways, Abraham typified God the Father.

When Isaac was of adult age he consented to go up the mountain with his father to worship. After he carried the wood for the sacrifice, Isaac was placed on the altar. In that moment, yet again, Isaac became a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaac was the son of obedience and it was his father, Abraham who initiated the plan to go up the mountain to sacrifice unto the Lord, and, it was Isaac who carried out his father's plan. It was the father, Abraham who led Isaac, and, it was the son, Isaac, who followed. It was Abraham who commenced, and, it was Isaac who continued. Both Abraham and Isaac pictured for all to recognize God the Father and God the Son relating accordingly.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived."

Isaac married Rebekah in the year 2149 BC. Shortly thereafter he prayed for her because she, like her mother-in-law, was barren and she could not have children. Barrenness is a frequent subject in the Bible. And those who cannot have children struggle with their value because often a woman's value is most dependent upon her ability to have children. But what each barren woman doesn't know is that God has not forgotten them. Every barren woman is precious to the Lord. And, as always, God has purpose in the barrenness that some endure.

Spiritual barrenness is much more tragic than physical barrenness. This is why the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The phrase "poor in spirit" means complete bankruptcy in the spiritual sense. This means those poor in spirit or barren have no assets spiritually at all. The Lord Jesus was saying, "Blessed are those who realize their utter hopelessness and they turn to God through their troubles because this precedes a personal relationship with God."

The beauty of this scenario is that God always hears the cries of the hurting. It does not mean that we will always receive from the Lord what we want, but it does mean that we will always get from the Lord what He wants for us and that is the absolute best thing for us. In today's narrative the next phrase is: "And the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived." 

Here was a husband praying for his wife. We live in the age of fertilization and very often we miss the most important thing we can do regarding such a matter and that is to pray. We pray because a relationship with God is forged as a result. More important than being able to have children was that Rebekah entered into and grew in a personal relationship with God. Rebekah discovered the only thing in this world that could fill the vacated dreams of her soul was the presence of God. Once Rebekah became aware that the main reason that she was on this earth was to know God, prayer became more important to her. It was then that she discovered that most of her problems fell into place because of her fellowship with God.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, 'If all is well, why am I like this?' So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her: 'Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.'"

The natural order of the delivery of the family blessing was once again reversed as had already happened several times before in Genesis. The younger will be put ahead of the older. And thus we again see the doctrine of Divine Election introduced into redemptive history. This doctrine will find its ultimate fulfillment in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Before they were even born, God elected the older to serve the younger. However this serving and subordination wasn’t limited to the children. Rather the verse reads "two nations are in your womb." This verse dealt with both the immediate and the future. In this then is also a picture of the true people of God, the elect.

In Romans 8:28-30 we read, "28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

Before time even began God foreknew certain things about the people of the world and based on that He predestined some to be conformed to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as God foreknew the destinies of the two children in Rebekah’s womb, God knows in advance the destinies of everyone who has ever walked the face of this earth. 

The death and the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ was an offering to God for sin and it has always been intended to save all. But, it only applies forgiveness and salvation to those who believe. Yes, it is true that we were spiritually dead in our sins, but God made us with the ability to reason, to choose, and to decline. And, God holds us accountable regarding what we do with the Lord Jesus' sacrifice, whether we believe in Him or not.

God’s order to provide salvation came before His order to elect all who have or ever will believe in the gospel of the Lord Jesus. According to Revelation 13 before the foundation of the world, God provided unlimited atonement for everyone who would believe on the redemption provided through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has made this offer to all and the elect respond. He desires that all repent and come to Him for His acceptance that was earned by the Lord Jesus on our behalf. 

God doesn’t predestine some to eternal happiness and some to eternal torture without regard to free will. According to His own wisdom, without regard to our merits, He bestowed upon all humble enough to believe in His Son eternal life. Some were created for noble purposes and some for ignoble purposes according to that placement. All who have the opportunity to hear the message are given the ability by God to respond to it.

Genesis 25:12-18

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12 Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. 13 And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations. 17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren. ~ Genesis 25:12-18

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 25 where the focus has been clearly placed on Abraham's son of promise, Isaac. But, today's passage diverges away from Isaac to Ishmael's genealogy. The genealogies in the Bible provide important records of historical succession, continuity, and legitimacy, but these lineages also provide unique insights for our faith in the God of the Bible.

Some biblical genealogies, God skirts by while others are highlighted, built upon, amplified, and picked up later. This is due to the fact that in certain genealogies eternity was being impacted in a positive way. In genealogies like Ishmael's not much regarding eternity was taking place. The genealogies that point us to the Redeemer were and are of utmost importance.

In v.12-15 of today's passage we read, "12 Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. 13 And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah." 

This is now the seventh "genealogy" listed in the Bible. The Hebrew word toledot is most often translated "generations" or "genealogies." In this word, there can be one or two letters called a "vav," which is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Six is the number of man in the Bible, it is the number for incompleteness. Before the fall, the word toledot was spelled with 2 vavs while after the fall of man, all the way up to the time of King David, the toledot is never spelled with two vavs. The missing vav serves as a reminder of the fallen state of man. King David was the final piece of the Messianic puzzle in the Old Testament and so the second vav was reintroduced in his genealogy. Interestingly, there are only three times out of the 30 between the genealogy of the fall of man and the genealogy of King David that there was no vav included at all in the word translated genealogy. In the genealogy of Ishmael we discover the first. There is not even one vav in the genealogy of Ishmael which speaks to the dire situation that he left to his prodigy. The vav was omitted to point us to the fact that there was no one in Ishmael’s line who was recorded in the line of the Messiah. 

In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul shows us that Ishmael was a type or a picture of the law which destroys sinful man. The fact is the law could never make anyone right in the eyes of God. This meant there was no hope for the line of Ishmael because they were all held under the bondage of the law. To this day Ishmael's prodigy believe that we are made right before God through their good works. A person must move from Ishmael to Isaac, from the law to grace, from Adam to Christ in order to be forgiven and therefore made right in the eyes of God.

There was only one other line of people where there was no vav in their genealogy from Genesis to Ruth and it was in the line of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Israel. All of the others had a vav in their genealogy. Levi was listed twice in the Old Testament and both times there was missing a vav. This was so because Levi's line was the Levites who were priests and also pictures of the Lord Jesus Himself.

In v.16-18 of today's passage we read, "16 These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations. 17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren."

Ishmael, Levi, along with Levi’s son Amram, the father of Moses the Lawgiver, all died at the same age of 137. These were the only three mentioned in the Bible to die at this age. Ishmael, who pictured the law, and Levi and his son Amram, through whom came Moses and Aaron, all died at the same age. The point is that the law cannot save us and here God gave us a slight hint to that fact. 

This final verse in today's passage about Ishmael was given to remind us of when God spoke to Hagar in Genesis 16 about Ishmael. In Genesis 16:12 we read, "He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."

Although these details seem to be boring repetitions, they are actually exciting features of God’s transcendence and His sovereign work over the people of Israel over time. The words, "he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren," apply beautifully to the sons of Ishmael. Fittingly, Ishmael's descendants to this day live west of Israel, exactly as God told us they would. Here, we are some 4000 years later in time and the Bible is still being validated through the line of Ishmael.

As you know, Muslims regard Ishmael as a very important person because they trace their spiritual heritage back to Ishmael. Twelve times in the Koran Ishmael's name is mentioned. In fact, in the Koran Ishmael is identified as an apostle and a prophet. In Genesis 16 the Angel of the Lord said to Hagar, Ishmael's mom, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand." The word Muslim means one who submits. According to Islamic tradition, Abraham and Ishmael traveled to Mecca and there they built a shrine called the Ka'abah. The Ka'abah is the holy shrine in Mecca where people go every year and make their pilgrimage. They believe that Abraham and Ishmael are buried in Mecca, even though the Bible says Abraham is buried in Hebron in the cave of Machpelah with his wife Sarah. 

The Ka'abah was once a shrine that housed 360 different idols representing various gods that were worshiped by the Arab tribes in the region. Allah was one of those gods. Allah was the moon god. Mohammed took a special liking to Allah. And claimed that he was the one true god. And he wanted to unify all of the tribes; so, he squelched all of the other gods, killed those who did not submit, and Islam was established.

The lesson we learn from the life of Ishmael is that we can only find salvation in the God of the Bible, through faith in His goodness. Sinful man's attempts to adhere to the law to gain God's acceptance only separate us further from God. This is the big difference between Christianity and religions such as Islam. Religion calls us to earn God's favor whereas Christianity offers to man the gift of salvation. The law makes us aware of our sinful state, but if it does not usher us into a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, then we are destined for a painful eternity. The Lord Jesus alone fulfilled the law and now He offers to the willing of heart His free gift of forgiveness which precedes the application of His righteousness to those who really deserve Hell.