Fresh Start Mondays

Genesis 28:16-22     The dream was God’s way of reaching out to Jacob. God’s spirit woke Jacob to his presence, and indeed in any relationship with God, it is God who calls, and we, his creatures respond to that call, either positively or negatively. Jacob responds positively and took the dream to heart and his fear was his sense of acknowledging that indeed it was God who appeared to him. He made a marker to remind him of the place – a pillar, because he God appeared to him there, and was convinced that it was the house of God, for it was there that the gate of heaven appeared.  Its so easy for us to connect God to our way of thinking. Jacob thought God was at that place, not realizing that he was limiting God to one specific place. So in that place he planned to build a house for God. Why did he even think that God needed a house? The ways and culture of the people he grew up with must have influenced him to think this way, for there were many other gods that were worshipped at that time and place.  Nevertheless, Jacob didn’t commit right there and then – he gave conditions to God, that if they were fulfilled, the Lord will be his God. Isnt this so true? We are only convinced when we meet God in our lives. No matter how much we listen or read, there remains that doubt that never goes away, until we experience him, until we see his hands at work, until we just know deep in our hearts, God truly exists and loves us.  The conditions set by Jacob were basic to his needs for survival. Food, clothes, and for him to return safely to Isaac’s house. How likely were these provisions going to happen without Jacob asking for them? If we think about it, it was a long journey, and anything could happen to him along the way. So there were reasons for him to be afraid, and so setting these conditions were his topmost concerns.  Is it right for us to set conditions before believing in God? This ought not be the case because God had already revealed his mystery through Jesus Christ. At the time of Jacob, there was no Christ, no cross, no resurrection. Jacob had a dream and a promise within that dream. Seems to me that the steps taken by Jacob are redundant today because the gospel has been revealed through the scriptures. And yet – we do not believe. We doubt, we hold back, and like Jacob, we want to set up conditions before we fully believe. This mindset prevents us from having faith, which is the ingredient for salvation.  So each time we find ourselves talking like Jacob, lets be reminded that God doesn’t owe us anything to fulfill our conditions because he already showed his mercy when he died on the cross on our behalf. And our response can only be thankfulness and joy for the hope that he has given us. Don’t let the troubles of this life cloud the important truth. That the cross is the whole meaning of life, and not our cares and sorrows, because at the cross, Christ melts all those away as he makes us into new creatures, free and saved from our guilt, sin and shame. Lets stop in our tracks when we hear ourselves bargaining with God like Jacob – God if you do this, I will do that, and remember the cross. Because the cross is the ultimate that we can ask of our God – there is no other thing that we can ever ask for. 

Genesis 28:12-15   In this short 4 verses, we see Jacob encounter God in a dream. It was all God talking and doing – Jacob was the passive participant in this narrative. It was a clear message from God that he was to take to heart.   A stairway reaching to the heaven with angels of God ascending and descending on it. And there above it stood the Lord.  A stairway is something that connects an otherwise disconnected spaces. Here we have heaven and earth, initially disconnected with no way to reach the other side. But then we see a stairway – a means of travelling to the otherside. And on top of it, is the Lord. The symbolism cannot be ignored. In John 14:6, Jesus says he is the only way to life. The only way to reach heaven, and even here in Genesis, the idea of someone as the way was already revealed to Jacob. At that time, Jacob did not have the knowledge of Jesus Christ. So when jews in the time of Jesus heard Jesus proclaim that he is the way, they should have tied it with this particular scene revealed to Jacob. There is a way to heaven provided by the Lord – and that way is a staircase, and that staircase is Jesus himself who laid down his life for us so that we may, through the staircase, have access to heaven. How could the jews have missed this parallelism? They were so blind. And yet, who am I to blame them when people in our age today, when the mystery has already been revealed, still refuse to believe that God himself has provided a way – he became that very staircase when he sacrificed his life on the cross to pay for our sins. We should be the ones trodden by the guilt of our sins, instead he allows us to walk freely to him, without the penalty that should have been ours in the first place.  The message of God to Jacob is clear. That he is the God of Abraham and Isaac. Apparently Jacob did not know God yet at this point because God had to introduce himself to Jacob. In the same way to us today, we cannot know God through our grandparents and parents. God reveals himself to each person in a very personal way, such that even with Jacob, a patriarch, a grandson of Abraham, had to encounter God in a personal way. Don’t ever think that just because your parents are religions, that your parents are saved, and because you have been going along with them to church that you too are saved! Look at Jacob. He had to encounter God all over again. Our personal God doesn’t apply to mass marketing. His way is bespoke, unique and personal. Just like the way Jacob encountered him, in his very own dream, just him and God.  Then God blesses Jacob. Wait a minute, didn’t Isaac already blessed Jacob? Yes, but that was father to son. This time, its God to man. This one counts so much more, after all, what can be more powerful than God’s blessings? And indeed, God blessed Jacob with the same blessing that he had given Abraham and Isaac. That the land will belong to him and his descendants, that his descendants will be as numerous as the sand, that peoples on earth will be blessed through him and his offspring.  Finally, the reassurance that every person needs, not just a patriarch – that God will be with Jacob, he will watch over him, and that he will not leave Jacob until he has done what he has promised. That right there my friend is the very basis of our faith. That God will not leave us until he has done what he has promised. That God will not leave the earth until he has done what he has promised. How can we be confident with this? Because it is God who has spoken, and there is no higher authority on earth, under the earth or in heaven than him. Let this be the basis of your faith this new year. That God will not leave us until he has done what he has promised.  

Genesis 28:10-11   Jacob after rousing the anger of Esau ran away from home. In spite of getting the blessing and the support of his mother, he was now at a rather uncomfortable situation. Alone, and travelling through harsh and probably dangerous country. He was removed from his comfort zone and is now in unfamiliar territory and circumstance.  What laid before him? He must have wondered – what have I done? Maybe he replayed the scenes that had transpired and thought about them deeply, for what else was there to do on his solo journey? We can feel the discomfort of Jacob when he lays down to rest that night, taking a stone and using it as a pillow, just so he could get some rest.    The setting in these 2 verses sets the tone of what is to transpire. If this were a play, we have moved on to a different chapter – for the climax had just occurred when Jacob fooled both his father and brother. How would this story be resolved? Unlike man made tales, this story still had an important character who would show himself – and that is God. But the setting tells us that Jacob was about to taste some harsh suffering that he was never subjected to in his home. Afterall he was the son with the birthright. Now, he was a nobody – he had to seek for food and shelter and that night all he had was a stone for a pillow.    Did God orchestrate everything? It was Jacob agreed to fool Isaac, God had no hand in that, and yet – something happened after that. The circumstances that Jacob found himself in was how God intervened. Afterall, he had chosen Jacob to bless the descendants of Abraham. But we see that Jacob wasn’t ready – his spirit and his person had to be broken and what a way to break Jacob – harsh? Yes indeed it does look rather harsh but God knew faith wouldn’t grow otherwise. And in the next verses we see how God shows himself to Jacob. God had not forgotten Jacob, because he had plans for Jacob and God’s sovereign will will come to pass. 

In this passage, which is right after Jacob deceiving his way to get his father’s blessing, Isaac calls for Jacob. Isaac had somehow come to accept the situation and was no longer angry at Jacob or Rebekah because he agreed with Rebekah’s plan for Jacob to go to Paddan Aram, to the place where Rebekah had come from to take a wife. Maybe he knew the plan to Esau wanting to murder Jacob or maybe he realized that he was trying to go against the plan of God but didn’t succeed. In any case, Isaac didn’t just send Jacob off to Paddan Aram to his uncle Laban. Isaac blessed Jacob first before sending him off. Didn’t Jacob already received Isaac’s blessing, albeit in deceit? Apparently Isaac didn’t deem it sufficient because he once again blessed Jacob, this time proclaiming the promise of God on Abraham to his son Jacob. Isaac realized that it was going to be through Jacob that God’s promise would be fulfilled and he now blessed Jacob that he will be fruitful and his people will increase in number until he becomes a community of peoples, and that he take possession of the land God had given to Abraham. This should have been the blessing that Isaac had given to Jacob in the first place. If Isaac followed the prophecy given by God, he would not have needed to separate his two sons for fear of retaliation. But no, Isaac’s affection for his favorite son got the better of him and so this complex situation arose.  But even after the misdeed of Isaac, he was still commended for his faith in Hebrews 11 – for blessing Jacob and Esau. Indeed, Isaac blessed his two sons in accordance with God’s plan although he would have wanted it to favor Esau instead of Jacob. But Isaac relented and gave in – for this he was commended as faithful. What a gracious God. The retraction of Isaac was good enough to grant him a commendation of faithfulness. What a merciful and forgiving father we have!  On the otherhand, we see Esau trying to do something right, but fails. When he realized how his parents were displeased with his Canaanite wives, he sought a wife from his uncle, Ishamel. But this didn’t solve the problem for Esau, although he tried. The blessing still went to Jacob and his family. As prophesied by God, it would be Jacob who would be blessed by God. Is God fair? If he were merely a judge pronouncing sentences, I would say he is not fair, but we have to realize that he is not merely the judge but he is also the creator, plus the sustainer. Seen in this light, who are we to say God is not fair? All creatures owe our existence to him, who are we to question him? If we want him to act in a fair manner, then we are doomed because the only thing we deserve is death and condemnation. Mercy is not required in the arena of justice, in fact it puts away justice, so if we realize just how much we are in need of God’s mercy, we will stop crying out for justice. Whatever situation we are in right now, poverty, loneliness, sickness, never cry for justice, but cry for God’s mercy. Because the first is terrifying but the second is where we find comfort and grace. 

Chapter 27 of Genesis shows us how Isaac wen against the prophesy of God – I would say in outright defiance, because he had been told that it was going to be Jacob who would rule over his brothers, not Esau, and yet Isaac wanted to bless Esau. So he plans an elaborate ceremony, complete with a feast to celebrate the occasion. He thought his plans would surely come to pass? And yet – right under his nose, Jacob steals the blessing Isaac had intended for Esau in outright deviation from the plan of Isaac. What can we say? That man may plan but it’s the Lord’s will that will be followed. We have to realize this early in life so that we don’t suffer regrets. Our plans will only be fulfilled if the Lord wills it. When we look at Isaac’s plan – it seemed almost fool proof, for who would have thought that Rebekah would devise a scheme to get Isaac’s blessing for Jacob? Who would have thought that Isaac would be fooled into thinking that Jacob was his favorite son, Esau? But it happened – and the plan of Isaac to bless Esau failed and instead, he blesses Jacob. In accordance to the prophecy and will of God.  We need to accept God’s will – His will as revealed in the bible. His will as to how we should live, His will for our lives, that we are to be his servants, and He our Lord. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we will have peace, and not only peace, but Hope. That God is in control – that we are under His mercy.  I wonder how Isaac felt when he had blessed the wrong son? We are told that he shivered. He must have realized the hand of God at work in the situation and realized God was showing himself in the situation and the early he accepts it, the better. And indeed he does because he didn’t give Esau a similar blessing. In fact, Esau’s blessing was the opposite of what he gave Jacob.  What was Isaac thinking when he planned to give his blessing to Esau? Did he think he was going against the prophecy of God? Or was he thinking God would work out His prophecy in another way and his blessing Esau would not matter? Out of his love for his first born, Isaac wanted to bless Esau, after all, it was a father’s right to bless his son. But we see that God worked through the situation and through the most unlikely way, His will came to pass.  The providence of God is a very difficult concept to grasp, It becomes even more difficult when we somehow think that like Isaac, we can plan things and that our plans will somehow be fulfilled. But God’s providence is always in every situation – his control over everything that happens is perfect, and we see it in this story.  We may not see God’s hand as perfectly as we see it from the story of Esau and Jacob, but we need to put the story to heart – what happened then still happens today. God is in control and that’s why He is God, not Isaac, and not us. I take comfort in that because I know He is a good and loving God and only wants what’s best for me – so when he commands, I obey. Yes it doesn’t come easy. In fact, the struggle will always be there but each time we go to him, he comforts us and guides us to walk with Him and never against Him.   

In this passage, we see the reaction of Esau and Isaac when they learned that they have been deceived by Jacob. In obedience to his father’s request for wild game, Esau hunted and prepared tasty food for his father. However, he soon learns from Isaac that Jacob had stolen his blessing from Isaac.  Foreseeably, Isaac was shocked and he trembled violently, asking who it was whom he had blessed – for indeed he will be blessed. But they both knew it was none other than the deceitful Jacob who stole Esau’s blessing. Esau, not fully understanding what had happened, insisted that his father bless him as well. After all, isn’t blessing a mere pronouncement of words goodness to someone? Obviously Esau did not understand this – he was too preoccupied with his hunting as he was a man of action without fully comprehending the ways of God and even the ways of living. In short, he lacked wisdom. When he said, bless me too, my father – it shows his ignorance on  how blessings cannot be given to two different people, otherwise, the blessing would conflict and would no longer be trustworthy. But Isaac fully understood what had transpired, and knew that he could not bless Esau in the same way as he had blessed Jacob.  The reaction of Esau when he learns that Isaac can no longer give him a similar blessing is classically defensive of his own person and action. He blames Jacob for taking advantage of him a second time. First with the birthright and now with the blessing. Now wait a minute, did Jacob take advantage of Esau, or was Esau to blame for selling his birthright for a bowl of soup? Esau was in his full capacity to enter into agreement with Jacob, save for being famished, and that does not reduce a person’s capacity to make a contract. Esau had only himself to blame because he could not control his hunger and his weakness of the flesh led him to a decision that he later regrets. We remember that Jacob made Esau swear an oath when Esau agreed to sell his birthright. It was a solemn oath and Esau was not fooled into doing so. But here Esau claims that he was taken advantage of by Jacob – which I beg to disagree. Esau couldn’t accept that he was foolish in exchanging his birthright for a bowl of stew and blames Jacob for taking advantage of him. This happens all the time – we often fail to accept that many of the wrongs we encounter have only ourselves to blame. What we do is we catapult the blame onto others, claiming innocence and that another person is fully responsible for the wrong we experience.  However, I need to agree that this time, Jacob did steal Esau’s blessing from Isaac. So Esau was right to feel taken advantage of this time. So he asked for some reserved blessing for himself from Isaac, and Isaac, did bless him – but not with goodness, but with burden and hardship.  I wonder if it would have been better for Esau not to insist on being blessed? After all, who would want to be blessed with being away from richness and heaven’s dew? To live by the sword and to serve Jacob? He was a cry baby when he insisted on being blessed, and see where it got him? Curses, instead of blessings.  Esau – the obstinate man never see any of his circumstance as a result of his own actions and planned to kill Jacob after the death and mourning period for Isaac is over. Here we see cold hearted Esau even looking forward to the death of his own father – who loved him. What kind of a man was Esau? Unfortunately – we have an Esau in us. Have you ever experienced thinking – if only that person is no longer alive, I will do this and that. The sinfulness of Esau is not unique to him. That is why – we are said to be slaves to sin but when we declare Jesus as Lord – sin no longer has power over us. Romans chapter 6 v 6-7 says …  6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[

This passage doesn’t seem to be one from the bible but from a Netflix mini series. Deceptions and lies! Here we read how Rebekah masterminded a scheme to deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing that he had intended to give to Esau, his favorite son.  How can this happen in a family that belongs to one of the patriarch? God’s chosen family line to bless a certain people and the whole world through an offspring from this line? But it happens! Rebekah, who loved Jacob wanted to secure to Jacob what was meant for Esau. Maybe she thought God needed help, after all, God had prophesied that Jacob would rule over his brother. So when Isaac was about to give his blessing to Esau, she needed to divert the blessing the Jacob, after all he was God’s intended leader.  But did God really need Rebekah to deceive Isaac? Couldn’t God make his prophesy come to pass even without the scheme of Rebekah? Or did God know that this was how his prophesy will come to pass? In this narrative we see the sovereignty of God – how His will always comes to pass and how it comes to pass through the actions and deeds of people. Some of the deeds, like this one, is even through deceit!  So what happened was Rebekah, on hearing that Isaac was going to give Esau his blessing, quickly told Jacob to get meat from their flock so that she could cook Isaac his favorite stew, and she had Jacob dress in the clothing of Esau, and even had some animal skin wrapped on his arms so that he would feel hairy, just like Esau.  So while Esau was busy hunting for game, Isaac was deceived into blessing Jacob. Rebekah and Jacob’s lies were successful and they fooled Isaac into believing that Jacob was Esau, and Isaac gave his blessing to Jacob. The blessing fulfilled God’s prophesy that Jacob, the younger, would Lord it over his brother, which includes the elder brother, Esau. Thus fulfilling God’s prophesy.  I am quite sure Rebekah justified her actions by thinking that she was just fulfilling God’s prophecy! But we know that God was not pleased with the deception that transpired, even if it meant that His prophesy would be fulfilled. In the same way, we are so eager to do God’s work, sometimes we forget that the means of achieving the ends do not please Him. We need to be careful and mindful of our actions, specially when we think we are only doing so for the advancement of God’s kingdom. On the other hand, God’s hand through this episode is so apparent. His sovereignty and will are not empty words or empty orders because things always work out in accordance with his plan and will. And they work out through humans, who are free agents and not under God’s total control. How does one explain this? I refuse to think we are mere puppets of God, but how is it that eventually His will always come to pass? And that is why when we worship God, it always includes worshipping his wisdom and how his invisible hands are always at work in and through the deeds and actions of individuals. This is when we need to bow down and say indeed God is God and there is no one like Him.  Isaac’s family was not perfect. We can see conflict and favoritism in the parents that we still see today. But God is merciful, because even after participating in this deceit, God still blessed Jacob as he had promised. His promise to Abraham did not change or waver. It just needed time to be fulfilled and that time included a time of deception where I am sure contained a lesson not only for Jacob but for Rebekah and Isaac as well.  Don’t despair when you see a hopeless word going nowhere. Remember, God is at work even in this dire circumstances that we are in and His will will one day come to pass. 

In this passage we see how the family of Isaac all participated in deceit and thereby may seem to have thwarted God’s plan, but nevertheless, God still succeeds in the end. Isaac being now a blind old man, wants to bless Esau, his favorite son. Knowing that Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob, Isaac was probably thinking that at least, he can have his blessing. We realize from reading this account that blessings are important and not merely words uttered in prayer. In fact, it was so important that Isaac could not pronounce the same blessings to his 2 sons. The blessing, once given, could not be given to the other son – so that’s why we see a scheme from Rebekah and Jacob to steal Esau’s blessing.  But Isaac could just have blessed his son without satisfying his craving for choice meat – a physical weakness of his that once again leads to him being deceive. On the other hand, Esau, the proud hunter, could not resists showing his prowess through hunting, gladly agreed to the plan of Isaac.  The crafty Rebekah however, had a better plan and through deceit, managed to steal the blessing intended for Esau and gave it to Jacob. Why would she do this? Did she want to assist God in fulfilling His plan that Jacob would rule over Esau? Didn’t she know that she didn’t have to help God fulfill his promise? Or maybe she thought it was going to achieve the plan of God, so a little deceit would do no harm? But we know her actions did not please God because it violated his laws. And Jacob, once he heard the plan of his mother, went right along! He was only concerned that Isaac would detect the deceit before he goes on to bless Jacob, and may end up being cursed. But Rebekah assures her son that she had a plan and to trust her for it.  Its so easy to justify a wrong by the result that it would produce. We always seem to overlook that God is not pleased even when the wrong would produce a right, and may even be for the ministry. Why cant we just let God be God and abide by His rules even when we cant see How things would work out? Because, like Rebekah, we are impatient and we think God needs our help for his will to be done. We think that a little deceit will not displease God. But deep in our hearts, we know this to be a lie because the Holy God cannot tolerate sin. Being a person who like Rebekah likes to take things into her own hands, I find it difficult to truthfully apply this in my life. Life is so complicated and the struggle to do what is right seems to make life so difficult, specially in instances when nobody is harmed, and there will even be people who will benefit through it. Indeed, its convenient to be a utilitarian once there is reason to be.  But we know better. A holy God requires a holy people who do his will, and his will is to do what is right.  Let us pray- Lord I pray that in every believer’s heart listening today, that there will be a conviction to worship you not only in words but through the deeds that we do. Let all walk the talk because that is the only way that you will be glorified in our lives. Let us not take matters into our own hands whenever situations are difficult, or when we are attracted to do things the simpler way. Remind us and give us the will to do what is right, because you are our Lord, to whom we bow down and obey. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

In this chapter we see a glimpse of the character of Isaac. Difficult circumstances always bring out the character of a person, and this time, there was another drought. The gracious Lord, maybe knowing the heart of Isaac, appeared to him and instructed Isaac specifically not to go to Egypt, which was at that time a strong and prosperous nation, where food and harvest was probably plentiful, attracting people from various drought-stricken land. The Lord instructed Isaac to stay in the land and he will be blessed, reaffirming to Isaac what He had promised to Abraham, that the land will be given to him and his descendants, and that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky because of Abraham’s obedience to God. Isaac obeyed and stayed in Gerar.  Unfortunately, Isaac commits the same lie as Abraham had earlier committed. Isaac claimed Rebekah to be his wife for fear of his life, as did Abraham. Fortunately for Isaac, Abimelek the King found out and rebuked Isaac, and at the same time ordered his people not to harm Isaac or his wife, and nothing came out of this incident. However, we wonder why Isaac committed the same mistake as Abraham. Didn’t Abraham narrate his story to Isaac, and instructed him not to do likewise? Maybe not – and so often, we are more eager to hide our mistakes from others for fear of being shamed, but in reality, mistakes honestly opened up make strong guiding principles specially for children to do what is right. On the other hand, Abraham, the father of faith, wasn’t a perfect father, and did not produce a perfect son. Who are we to expect perfect fathers and perfect children? We need to accept our relatives, especially our parents and children with grace, just as God accepts us by grace.    The story went on to talk about how God had blessed Isaac so much so that the Philistines began to envy him and in their envy filled up the wells that Abraham had dug. Upon the advice of Abimelek, Isaac moved out for he had become too powerful and too wealthy. Instead of insisting on his right to stay on the land, Isaac dutifully moves out. Intending to relocate somewhere else with a fresh source of water, Isaac had to dig wells. But twice, after finding water, there arose disputes for the people in the area claimed the water to be theirs and twice Isaac moved out in peace. Finally, he was able to peacefully dig and claim a well as his own, and settled in Beersheba.  What a man of peace Isaac was – each time he was confronted with a possible conflict, he relocates, valuing peace more than his rights. Didn’t he have confidence that the Lord would defend him in case of a war that would ensue? But no, Isaac gracefully surrenders the wells he had dug and finds other wells, in spite of his power and wealth. We see Isaac’s humility standing out in these events, when he could have taken a tougher stand, he doesn’t.  In pursuing peace, Isaac eventually got his peace because Abimelek sought to enter a peace treaty with Isaac. Abimelek must have known that if forced to a war, Isaac had a good chance of winning, thus, knowing this, he enters into a treaty instead. And knowing the peace loving Isaac, he knew his chances of entering a treaty would be welcomed, and indeed it was – so a peace accord was entered into by the two men. Isaac’s decision to value peace paid off.  Applying this to our lives, our decisions and actions to pursue our rights or peace leads to different consequences. Sometimes pursuing peace brings in more than the natural consequence of that decision because the reputation of a peaceful man will resound in the community. On the other hand, a person insisting on his rights all the time is sometimes feared and will even be avoided by some. And it takes wisdom and the spirit of God at work in a man’s heart to know what is the right thing to do. Backing off is not always wrong, as seen in this passage.  In the concludi

God’s prophecy and will unfolds in this passage. God had prophesied to Rebekah that Jacob will rule over Esau and we see how, through the people involved, the prophesy foretold slowly comes to reality. The twin boys grew up with very different dispositions. We are told that Esau was a man of action. He was the macho man – skillful hunter who loves the open country. And because Issac had a preference for wild game, he loved Esau. On the other hand, Jacob was more refined, preferring to stay home, and was probably good in the kitchen as well. And Rebekah loved Jacob, who after all, displayed more feminine traits than his macho brother.  So one day, when Esau, after again going out in the open country, came home famished. We can imagine that he had hiked out and probably went hunting and of course when he came home, he was famished. And at that time, it so happened that Jacob was cooking some stew. (and he was probably a good cook, and when Esau smelled the stew, he became even more hungry). So Esau, in his state of hunger and probably tiredness, told Esau to quickly let him some of the red stew because he was famished. Note Esau wanted the stew right away, quickly, he said. We see his impatience creeping in and his inability to control his desire for food, which quickly resulted in a great loss for him.  Jacob on the otherhand, was probably relaxed and thinking of his brother – how he had the rights of a firstborn just because he came out a little earlier than him, after all they were twins! So Jacob negotiated for the birthright of Esau in exchange for a bowl of red stew. And Jacob even sealed the deal by asking Esau to swear an oath to him that for a bowl of stew, Esau sold his birthright. It was a valid exchange and formalized by an oath. No one would have challenged the sale!  Was Esau so hungry that he had no other option but to sell his birthright? No, he could have waited a few more minutes. Maybe there was another reason? In verse 34, it is recorded that Esau despised his birthright. So he did not value his right as a first born. Coupled with his hunger and impatience, he sold it to Jacob.  And God’s prophecy slowly comes to place, for after all, God had said that it was going to be Jacob who will rule over his older brother, and it starts with the transfer of birthright. Was God at work? Or was it all due to the will of Esau? We cant say that God had nothing to do with it, because God always works through the actions of men. God weaves his will right into our situation and in the end, it is always his will that comes to pass. We are still active participants of God’s plan for us and for the world. The choices we make and the desires we have always result in God’s will coming to pass. So we need to be sensitive to His will, which starts with knowing His will. How will we know if we don’t study? So we study his word to Know His will. Then we are better able to see the hands of God moving in and through people for the fulfillment of His will. 

In this passage we learn of the family line of Isaac. Since Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, and Issac was born when Abraham was 100, it would be highly possible that Abraham was still alive when Rebekah gave birth to Esau and Jacob, since he died at 175 years of age.    We are told that Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. So we learn that the life of faith of Abraham passed on down to his son. Abraham must have told Issac about how he and Sarah waited on the Lord for him to be born, and for Isaac not to lose hope because God will fulfill his promise of giving them descendants as numerous as the stars in the night sky. In fact Isaac was a living testimony of God’s faithfulness, and so with this, Isaac too prays for his childless wife.    In the 2 verses of Genesis 25 where Isaac prays and the Lord answering, we again learn of how God works through His people. God’s plan was to give Abraham descendants but Abraham had a childless wife, but God showed his faithfulness through Abraham when he was a 100 and Sarah gives birth to Isaac. Once again, Isaac had a childless wife and He prays to God, who faithfully answers.    The thing is, God could have short circuited the process and just made Sarah and Rebekah both fertile women who give birth to numerous offsprings, but no, both were initially barren, and Sarah gave birth to only 1 son, while Rebekah to twins. Again, we cant possibly see and know how God’s plan will unfold, but we are merely told of the final outcome. The process of getting from here to there will not be done through the wade of a magic wand, but through his people and it involves prayer and waiting for God, just like in the lives of Abraham and Isaac.    We are not told how long Rebekah had to wait, but the prayer must have involved waiting for God to answer, and in the process, we know that both Isaac and Rebekah were transformed by the strengthening of their faith when God finally blessed them with twins. Rebekah could have stayed in the background of this story, afterall she was a woman, and was represented by her husband, Isaac. But the bible doesn’t relegate her to a less important role, in fact, her anguish over her pregnancy is recorded and she directly went to inquire of the Lord. Going to inquire was an act she personally made, and the Lord answers her directly. What a beautiful example of how the Lord regard his creation with significance, whether male or female. She wasn’t disregarded by God when she went to Him, for God could have answered through Isaac, her husband. But it was Rebekah who went to the Lord, and the Lord answered Rebekah.    As a woman, I am comforted by this act of God. It reassures me that God cares for me as an individual and not as a person under the care of my husband. Indeed, as a married woman, I need to abide by and respect the leadership of my husband, but it doesn’t make me a second class citizen in the eyes of God. He cares for me equally, and will answer me directly, just like in the case of Rebekah, who had a personal matter which she brings before God.  Indeed, it was about her pregnancy that she inquires of with the Lord, for her twins were working out too much inside her belly, and she couldn’t understand how a baby can make so much commotion. And the Lord answers by revealing that she will have twins. Today we have ultra sound machines to tell us of twin pregnancy, but of course, not back then. So the Lord prophesied of his twins, that two peoples will come from her womb and the older will serve the younger.    The description of the twins when they were born is given importance in the narrative. The firstborn, Esau, is described as red and had a whole body of hair. The second, Jacob came out grasping Esau’s heels, already showing that he was going to be stronger and rule ove

Genesis 25:1-18

Genesis 24:28-51

Genesis 24:15-17

Genesis 24:28-51

Genesis 24:1-14

Genesis 22:1-10

Abraham readies to sacrifice Isaac but God provides.

God blesses Abraham 

Sarah's death