Genesis 25:19-28
These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the Aramean of Padamaren, the sister of Laban, the Aramean, to be his wife. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, If it is thus, why is this happening to me? So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided. The one shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.
When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterwards his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them, and when the boys grew up Esau was a skillful hunter and a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man dwelling in the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
The Continuity of God's Promise
Our passage here opens with a simple genealogy. Isaac is the son of Abram, Rebekah is the daughter of Bethuel and the sister of Laban. So here we see the continuity of God's promise through this ordinary family line. But the very next line reminds us that Isaac's wife was barren. So the son of the promise, Isaac, faced the same problem that his parents faced.
Isaac, however, didn't do what his father did and he doesn't resort to human schemes. He brings the problem to the Lord. The Faithlife Study Bible points out that Isaac considered fertility to be in God's hands and that the conception of the birth of his sons would be possible only through divine help. So Isaac's prayer is really a picture of a kind of faithful dependence on the Lord.
When faced with the barrenness, whether it's literal like it is in this story, or it's the barren seasons of our lives where things are not going the way we would want them to or don't feel fruitful, this passage invites us to pray and to wait on the Lord's timing and to trust that the Lord has it within His hands.
A Tumultuous Pregnancy and Divine Prophecy
And so what happens is that Rebecca conceives, but her pregnancy itself is tumultuous. The children jostle within her, they fight within her, and she asks, why is this happening to me? And what does she do? Well, like her husband, she goes and inquires of the Lord. She seeks the Lord and God gives her this vision, this prophecy. She hears him speaking to her and he says to her, two nations are in your womb. They will be divided. The one will be stronger, but the older will serve the younger.
And so God's sovereign choice is again introduced here. God here does not choose based on birth order or on human merit, but he chooses, he elects according to his purposes. Paul uses this very same story in Romans chapter 9 to illustrate that God's purpose in election stands not because of works, not because of what we've done, but because of him who calls, that is God himself.
So this passage pushes us to really marvel at God's sovereignty and his will for us and his grace in election. None of us who believe in Jesus earn God's favor. We receive it. We receive it as a gift because he's merciful.
The Meaning Behind Names
And so when the twins are born, their physical characteristics and names carry meaning. Often in the Hebrew times, in the Old Testament times, names carried particular weight and they served as a kind of prophecy about what a person's life would be like.
So first one comes out and he's red and hairy and so he's called Esau. The second one comes out having grasped his brother's heel and he's named Jacob. So the New International Commentary of the Old Testament notes that the name Jacob comes from the root meaning heal. So that even here in the womb, this divine plan of God is at work. The infant, the baby Jacob, is already acting out the prophecy that God had given to Rebekah, that the older will serve the younger.
The commentators go on to explain that Jacob may also be a kind of abbreviated form of the word Jacob-el, meaning that God, or it's a prayer, that may God protect him. And so this shows us that God's hand is already upon Jacob from that time.
Brothers in Contrast
Then in verse 27, we jump a whole bunch of years and Esau becomes a skillful hunter. He's a man of the field. Jacob, however, is a quiet man dwelling in the tents. Now, the commentary notes that scripture has already provided two instances of brothers fighting each other. There was Cain and Abel. There was Ishmael and Isaac. And in each case, the older brother comes out in the less good light.
And so here again, these two brothers couldn't be more different. Esau is the outdoors man. He's impulsive. He's strong. Jacob is the quiet man. The Hebrew term could mean blameless or complete, but really it probably means domesticated. He's a homebody. This is an early picture of Jacob, the man that is content to stay near home, living a quiet life. Of course, later we'll realize that Jacob's character is one that's defined by trickery, but that's not introduced here when Jacob is born.
The Problem of Parental Favoritism
And so then moving to verse 28, we see a flaw in Isaac and Rebekah. Esau's and Jacob's rivalry is inflamed by their parental favoritism. Isaac loves Esau because he likes the food that Esau provides. Rebekah, however, loved Jacob. Now whatever the reason was for the parents' favoritism, their divided affections really start sowing seeds of conflict.
Now that means that we need to learn from this. You know, as parents, as mentors, as friends, we really should be wary of showing partiality and favoritism. Favoritism always harms a relationship and blinds us to God's larger purpose with a relationship.
What This Means for Us Today
God's Sovereignty in Election and Salvation
Now why does this matter to us? Well, this story underscores, first of all, God's sovereignty in election and salvation. Before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, God declared that the older will serve the younger. So God's grace is not a reward for performance. He doesn't give us goodies because we've done well. No, God's grace always shapes our lives. It comes before our faith.
Esau, the firstborn, ultimately sells his birthright for a bowl of stew, and we'll look at that a little bit later. He values immediate gratification. He wants food now over long-term inheritance that he would have received from his father. But Jacob grasps the heel and then later schemes to obtain the blessing. In fact, neither brother is worthy of God's grace. They both have severe character flaws. But God's promise was made. And so God's promise continues through Jacob because God chooses to show mercy.
Pointing Forward to Jesus
This ultimately points us forward to Jesus. He is going to be the promised seed through whom all the nations are going to be blessed. He will come from Jacob's line as the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham. He is the firstborn who willingly became a servant so that we, the undeserving younger siblings, might inherit the blessing.
Here in Genesis 25 we get a hint of that, that the older Christ serves the younger, us, giving up his birthright and dying in our place so that we can become co-heirs with him.
Three Key Applications
This passage invites us to pray. Isaac faithfully trusted God when faced with barrenness and God heard. You know, like his father, Abraham, we're often tempted to take matters into our own hands when problems come. But instead, we should bring our needs to God our Father, trusting that He cares for us and that His timing is perfect.
Secondly, this passage calls us to appreciate and to really thank God for His election of us as His adopted children. We have done nothing good to deserve God's love for us, and yet nevertheless, He still gives it.
And thirdly, I think this passage shows us that we should guard against partiality. Isaac and Rebecca's favoritism ultimately provided fuel to the fire of the division that existed between their children. Whether it is in our families or in our churches, we really should cultivate an impartial love and cherish each person as a gift from God.
Now let's pray.
Lord God, we thank you for this story of Isaac and Rebekah. And already we see seated within this passage this hint of danger coming, that Rebekah loved Jacob more than Isaac did. And we see ultimately that this causes division within their family and problems down the line. We pray that you will help us to not act like that, to follow in Christ's footsteps who came to not to be served but to serve and to give himself up as a ransom for many. Thank you for your election of us as your adopted children. Help us to never lose sight of what that cost you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.