Ge 26:1 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
6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
Moses here is showing his Israelite readers the need to stay in the land which God promised them. He was using the story of Isaac to encourage them to do so. He was like saying: "Even your father Isaac stayed in the land and did not return back to Egypt."
Just as Isaac was blessed in the Promise Land so God will bless Israel in the land. Although, at this point in time, the land (particularly in the area of Gerar) was occupied by the Philistines, a time will come when they will possess it.
Moses also encouraged his Israelites readers to obey God by showing them the example of Abraham.
Moses' point---stay in the land, obey God there and be blessed.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Ge 25:27 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.
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.
Moses is showing here the different ways of life and values between Esau and Jacob as the nations Edom and Israel will eventually be.
Their ways of life:
Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.
Their values:
Esau was poised and privileged to be next in line as far as the blessing of the birthright was concerned. He was Isaac's firstborn son and loved by him. The birthright carried with it both material and spiritual blessings.
But Esau did not value the blessings of the birthright. He gave it away casually in exchange for a stew. There are people who see no value in spiritual things. They are faithless and unbelieving people. Jacob, on the other hand, valued it and desired for it.
Moses here is explaining as to how Jacob and the nation that came out of him (Israel) possessed the blessings promised by God to Abraham and to Isaac.
28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
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.
Moses is showing here the different ways of life and values between Esau and Jacob as the nations Edom and Israel will eventually be.
Their ways of life:
Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.
Their values:
Esau was poised and privileged to be next in line as far as the blessing of the birthright was concerned. He was Isaac's firstborn son and loved by him. The birthright carried with it both material and spiritual blessings.
But Esau did not value the blessings of the birthright. He gave it away casually in exchange for a stew. There are people who see no value in spiritual things. They are faithless and unbelieving people. Jacob, on the other hand, valued it and desired for it.
Moses here is explaining as to how Jacob and the nation that came out of him (Israel) possessed the blessings promised by God to Abraham and to Isaac.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Ge 25:19 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."
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.
Moses' whole point here is to show his Israelite readers that their destiny as a nation was divinely arranged even from the birth of their father Jacob. God allowed Rebekah to be barren for twenty long years to demonstrate upon the miraculous conception and birth of both Esau and Jacob that the whole thing was supernaturally designed.
Moses is showing his Israelite readers that their destiny as a nation is that of greatness. "One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger."
He is also showing his Israelite readers here that their tension, conflict and struggle with the Edomites started all the way back in the womb of Rebekah. But they are destined to prevail over them.
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."
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.
Moses' whole point here is to show his Israelite readers that their destiny as a nation was divinely arranged even from the birth of their father Jacob. God allowed Rebekah to be barren for twenty long years to demonstrate upon the miraculous conception and birth of both Esau and Jacob that the whole thing was supernaturally designed.
Moses is showing his Israelite readers that their destiny as a nation is that of greatness. "One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger."
He is also showing his Israelite readers here that their tension, conflict and struggle with the Edomites started all the way back in the womb of Rebekah. But they are destined to prevail over them.
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