| Subject: Genesis 25 vss. 19-26 Post 130 |
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Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 20:41:00 05/07/10 Fri
Genesis 25:19-26 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. 24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
The passage is rich with information. We are seeing the beginnings of the great "fathers" and "patriarchs". Notice first of all Isaac is called Abraham's son. This is the true relationship but the verse has special meaning since God recognized Isaac as Abraham's only son. Genesis 22:2 And he (God) said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. This verse sets the stage for Isaac to be a great type of Christ in his submission to be sacrificed by his father Abraham. Isaac therefore is recognized as Abraham's only son. Notice next that Isaac does not marry until he is 40 years old. This would be approximately 7-10 years after his being offered on Moriah. Jesus takes a bride (the Church) after His death burial and resurrection. The Church does not exist outside of Christ until after the resurrection. Isaac's sacrifice was a type of death and resurrection. The number forty in the Bible is a number that denotes testing of patience and probation. The rain was 40 days and forty nights for the flood. Jesus was tested on the mount for 40 days and 40 nights (Matt. 4:2). Moses was on the Mt. Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Ex. 24:18). He did this twice as he had to go back up because of breaking the first tablets. (Deut. 9:18) The spies of Israel spied out the promised land for 40 days before reporting back to Moses. (Nu. 13:25) 40 years was the time Israel was to wander in the wilderness for not going up to take the land. (Num 14:34). Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days before David shows up. (1 Sam. 17:16). Elijah goes 40 days and 40 nights to the mountain of God on the strength received from the food the angel brought to him. (1 Kings 19:8). God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to cry against it for he would destroy it in 40 days.(Jonah 3:4). Jesus was on the earth 40 days after his resurrection before His ascension.
You can see by these references that the number 40 is important to God so when Isaac marries Rebekah at 40 you can see it is by God's design that this takes place. Isaac has become full ready to assume marriage. He has fulfilled his typology of Christ. In verse 21 we see another case of a barren womb. Sarah was barren until God, in His time, opened her womb. We now have Rebekah barren and in the future we will see that Rachel will remain barren until God is ready to give her children. It should be remembered that God is molding and shaping the events leading up to the founding of the nation Israel through this protected genealogy. God makes Isaac and Rebekah wait 20 more years before she bears children thus making Isaac 60 years old when Esau and Jacob are born.
The "competition" between Esau and Jacob started in the womb and the contention was so great that Rebekah has to go to the Lord and enquire as to what is going on. She was evidently having a rough time of it.
It is through God answering this prayer that Rebekah finds out that she is going to have twins. and notice in verse 23 the prophecy of Jacob winning out over his older brother. The prophecy is of two separate nations and two different kinds of people. One (Esau) will be stronger than the other (Jacob) yet it is the older who will serve the younger. Actually I believe the service of the older to the younger should be understood as the nations that spring from them. As we shall see it was Jacob who fled from Esau and greatly feared Esau. It was Jacob that paid tribute to Esau and not the other way round.
This is all about "election". Whom God chooses. God chose Jacob over Esau before the twins were born. Romans 9:11-13 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Election in it's simplest biblical meaning is when God sets aside the first and establishes the second. This is a thread that runs through the entire Bible. Adam the first and Jesus is the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45). Adam is the 1st man and Jesus is the 2nd man (1 Cor. 15:47). The first heaven and earth will burn up (2 Pet. 3:10-12) but the New Heavens and Earth will be eternal.(Rev. 21:1) Old Testament and Covenant replaced with the New Testament and Covenant. Animal sacrifice replaced by the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. Law supplanted by Grace. etc, etc.
When God speaks of hating Esau He is not speaking of the person Esau. Esau is Edom (Gen. 25:30, 36:1) and the Edomites fell into idolatry and were enemies of Israel and God. (2 Chron. 25:14,15). Verses 12 and 13 of Romans 9 are separated by many years. This is made plain in Malachi 1:2-4 I have loved you, (Israel/Jacob) saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
What God hated was Esau's heritage and not Esau the man. God also may have hated what Esau the man became but He certainly did not hate Esau from the womb and predestine him to hell. Going back up to Gen. 25:23 let's look again at what is said keeping in mind these verses from Malachi and Romans: " And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
The twins are born and Esau is very different from Jacob. Esau is "red, all over like an hairy garment;" and is promptly named Esau which means hairy. I have seen what I thought were hairy babies but the hair was confined to their heads. Esau was evidently hairy all over. I would call that strange.
Jacob is apparently quite normal but as he is delivered after Esau he grabs hold of Esau's heel and won't let go. He is therefore named Jacob which means supplanter. From the beginning he was out to receive that which should by birthright go to Esau as the eldest
As we shall see in future studies there was great rivalry between Esau and Jacob. This rivalry was also imparted to Isaac and Rebekah as they "chose sides" between the two boys. God works in mysterious ways and it is through what transpires within this fractious family that God moves stealthily and steadily to bring about His chosen people.
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