Genesis 25.19-34

19 וְאֵ֛לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֥ת יִצְחָ֖ק בֶּן ־ אַבְרָהָ֑ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת ־ יִצְחָֽק ׃ 20 וַיְהִ֤י יִצְחָק֙ בֶּן ־ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּקַחְתּ֣וֹ אֶת ־ רִבְקָ֗ה בַּת ־ בְּתוּאֵל֙ הָֽאֲרַמִּ֔י מִפַּדַּ֖ן אֲרָ֑ם אֲח֛וֹת לָבָ֥ן הָאֲרַמִּ֖י ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה ׃ 21 וַיֶּעְתַּ֨ר יִצְחָ֤ק לַֽיהוָה֙ לְנֹ֣כַח אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ כִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה הִ֑וא וַיֵּעָ֤תֶר לוֹ֙ יְהוָ֔ה וַתַּ֖הַר רִבְקָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ ׃ 22 וַיִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִם ־ כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה אָנֹ֑כִי וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְרֹ֥שׁ אֶת ־ יְהוָֽה ׃ 23 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה לָ֗הּ שְׁנֵ֤י גיים 1 בְּבִטְנֵ֔ךְ וּשְׁנֵ֣י לְאֻמִּ֔ים מִמֵּעַ֖יִךְ יִפָּרֵ֑דוּ וּלְאֹם֙ מִלְאֹ֣ם יֶֽאֱמָ֔ץ וְרַ֖ב יַעֲבֹ֥ד צָעִֽיר ׃ 24 וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ יָמֶ֖יהָ לָלֶ֑דֶת וְהִנֵּ֥ה תוֹמִ֖ם בְּבִטְנָֽהּ ׃ 25 וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ אַדְמוֹנִ֔י כֻּלּ֖וֹ כְּאַדֶּ֣רֶת שֵׂעָ֑ר וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ שְׁמ֖וֹ עֵשָֽׂו ׃ 26 וְאַֽחֲרֵי ־ כֵ֞ן יָצָ֣א אָחִ֗יו וְיָד֤וֹ אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ בַּעֲקֵ֣ב עֵשָׂ֔ו וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְיִצְחָ֛ק בֶּן ־ שִׁשִּׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה בְּלֶ֥דֶת אֹתָֽם ׃ 27 וַֽיִּגְדְּלוּ֙ הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וַיְהִ֣י עֵשָׂ֗ו אִ֛ישׁ יֹדֵ֥עַ צַ֖יִד אִ֣ישׁ שָׂדֶ֑ה וְיַעֲקֹב֙ אִ֣ישׁ תָּ֔ם יֹשֵׁ֖ב אֹהָלִֽים ׃ 28 וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב יִצְחָ֛ק אֶת ־ עֵשָׂ֖ו כִּי ־ צַ֣יִד בְּפִ֑יו וְרִבְקָ֖ה אֹהֶ֥בֶת אֶֽת ־ יַעֲקֹֽב ׃ 29 וַיָּ֥זֶד יַעֲקֹ֖ב נָזִ֑יד וַיָּבֹ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו מִן ־ הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וְה֥וּא עָיֵֽף ׃ 30 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו אֶֽל ־ יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַלְעִיטֵ֤נִי נָא֙ מִן ־ הָאָדֹ֤ם הָאָדֹם֙ הַזֶּ֔ה כִּ֥י עָיֵ֖ף אָנֹ֑כִי עַל ־ כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא ־ שְׁמ֖וֹ אֱדֽוֹם ׃ 31 וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֑ב מִכְרָ֥ה כַיּ֛וֹם אֶת ־ בְּכֹֽרָתְךָ֖ לִֽי ׃ 32 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר עֵשָׂ֔ו הִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י הוֹלֵ֖ךְ לָמ֑וּת וְלָמָּה ־ זֶּ֥ה לִ֖י בְּכֹרָֽה ׃ 33 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֗ב הִשָּׁ֤בְעָה לִּי֙ כַּיּ֔וֹם 1 וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע ל֑וֹ וַיִּמְכֹּ֥ר אֶת ־ בְּכֹרָת֖וֹ לְיַעֲקֹֽב ׃ 34 וְיַעֲקֹ֞ב נָתַ֣ן לְעֵשָׂ֗ו לֶ֚חֶם וּנְזִ֣יד עֲדָשִׁ֔ים וַיֹּ֣אכַל וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וַיָּ֖קָם וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ וַיִּ֥בֶז עֵשָׂ֖ו אֶת ־ הַבְּכֹרָֽה ׃ ס

Genesis 25:19-34

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The Birth of Esau and Jacob 19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: e Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, f the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of g Paddan-aram, h the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And i the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” 1 So she went j to inquire of the Lord . 23 And the Lord said to her, k “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you 1 shall be divided; l the one shall be stronger than the other, m the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, n all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with o his hand holding Esau’s heel, so p his name was called Jacob. 1 Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau was q a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, r dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because s he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Esau Sells His Birthright 29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom. 1 ) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and t sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

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Notes

Jacob manipulates Esau Introduction 'Manipulates' - tricks, deceives We have left Abraham now and focus on Isaac, who really sets us up for Jacob, the main focus. Jacob the manipulator; he too will need to learn that the benevolence of God is so very good he can be trusted completely to do what he has promised. His life defined by conflict. But through conflict he learns the fear of the LORD. With his brother, and then again, and with Laban, and with God himself. 1. Isaac and Rebekah have twins (v19-26) Another long wait, like his dad. 20 years. Isaac intercedes for his wife. Godly husbands pray for their wives. Significance of God 'choosing'; the older shall serve the younger etc. I.e., it's not about rights and ethnic privilege, but about the sovereign mercies of God (cf Romans 9 ). God continually overturns and surprises. This is good news for us far-off Gentiles. Esau, like Ishmael - hunter. The 'other' son. Nation of Edom. Holding the heel - significant; metaphorical in Hebrew of deception or betrayal ('lifted up his heel against me') 2. Jacob gets the birthright (v27-34) What is a 'birthright'. The significance of despising his birthright. There's an echo of Gen 3 as Jacob manipulates Esau, who passively goes along with it and 'eats'. Despise - either to treat outright with contempt, or simply to undervalue something. Not to appreciate value. 'Privilege' as theme. Esau despises it. Jacob will abuse to get it. What you don't value until it's gone. What you see in others and wish you had. God's glory : faithfulness again; he grants children. His sovereign mercy in placing blessing upon, rather than it being about pedigree or right (cf 1 Samuel, or ultimately Romans 9). FCF : Trickster/deceiver to get something of value. or, despising something of value because of temporary appetite/distraction. Two ways of living in the world with ourselves at the centre. One, control and trick others. The other, follow your immediate wants. Fear of man leads to manipulation and abuse of others, since we do not trust God to be good. Jacob wants to get the birthright, and then the blessing, in scheming ways. Mistrust ultimately of God. We become scheming manipulators because we fear man rather than God. Jacob will learn to fear God rather than man. Jacob will become 'Israel'. We don't need pagan manipulation of our circumstances; underhandedness, cloak and dagger, and machiavellianism. We need to trust God and walk blamelessly. Person of Jesus: The honest, straightforward, blameless one. The one who sees things for what they are, the true value. Not a hint of manipulation or fear of man. Even before terrifying power his trust is in God. The silence before the High Priest is because the lawsuit has already been stated to the full (eg Matthew 23). Work of Jesus . He is despised at the cross. Through trickery they try to get rid of him. They kill him because of fear of man; jealous rage at what his claims threaten. But he becomes the firstborn from the dead, the firstfruits of the new creation. He receives all blessing from the LORD, and shares this with his people. Union with Jesus . Every spiritual blessing won by his blood. Fear of God in him, not man. Repent of trying to manipulate others because you basically do not trust God (cf Gen 3). Trust : even and especially for the things you really really want. That God is good and he calls his people to walk blamelessly. Wrap-up: We can relate to Jacob the manipulator; he too will need to learn that the benevolence of God is so very good he can be trusted completely to do what he has promised. Through Jesus' gospel we are learning to live trusting in the utter benevolence of God.

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