F. Genesis 25:24– And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb.
G. Genesis 25:25– And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
1. Esau - עשו `Esav, "hairy"
2. Red is an indication that the baby is in good health
3. Not too many babies are born with hair all over their bodies like a hairy garment.
H. Genesis 25:26– 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.
1. Jacob - יעקב Ya`aqob, "heel holder" or "supplanter"
2. Prophetic in that Jacob wanted the birthright and fought for it
3. Hosea 12:3a – He took his brother by the heel in the womb…
4. Psalm 47:4 – He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
I. Genesis 25:27– And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob [was] a plain man, dwelling in tents.
1. Plain - תם tam, perfect, complete
II. Esau Sells His Birthright (Genesis 25:28-34)
A. Genesis 25:28– And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of [his] venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
1. Here is an example of how not to parent, both Isaac and Rebekah are showing favoritism creating a culture of friction within the household
2. Isaac preferred Esau for selfish reasons, for bringing him wild game
3. No reason is given here why Rebekah favors Jacob, but we will see later that Jacob has an adventurous streak and a sense of urgency much like we saw in Rebekah back in Haran
· We also know from verse 23 that God spoke to her when saying that the older would be subservient to the younger, her favoritism may stem from this personal message from the Lord.
4. Note that Rebakah’s name means ensnarer and Jacob’s means supplanter so we can see some similarities in their names.
B. Genesis 25:29– And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he [was] faint:
1. Sod -זוד zuwd, verb, to boil, boil up, seethe, act proudly, act presumptuously, act rebelliously, be presumptuous, be arrogant, be rebelliously proud
2. Pottage - נזיד naziyd, boiled food, soup, pottage, thing sodden or boiled
3. Must not have been a very successful hunt, if Esau was a great hunter there may have been a divine hand in the matter that prevented him from making a kill, setting up this fateful encounter with Jacob.
· We are also told in the next chapter that there is a famine in the land
C. Genesis 25:30– And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage]; for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom
1. Red - אדם 'adom, adjective, red, ruddy (of man, horse, heifer, garment, water, lentils)
2. Pottage was added here
3. The Hebrew having no superlative, doubles the adjective red, red, i.e this very red or this deliciously red food. Figures of Speeches Used in the Bible, E.W. Bullinger
4. Edom Edom
· Edomite, Idumean - descendants of Esau
· Note the theme of red…Esau was red when he was born, The food Jacob traded him was red, Edom
· Rouge
5. We can see some similarities here between Esau and Adam; Adam too had a birthright that he gave up in order to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Likewise we see Esau giving up his birthright for something to eat.
D. Genesis 25:31– And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
1. Birthright – right of firstborn to take precedence over siblings
2. What did the birthright include (4 things)?
· The father’s blessing and supremacy (Ch.27, 49:8, 1 Chron. 5:1,2)
o Went to Judah
o Genesis 49:8 - Judah
o Because the Messiah would come through his blood line
· A double portion (Chapter 48, 1 Chron. 5:1,2)
o Went to Joseph
o 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 – Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel Israel Judah
o We then see that Joseph’s sons Manessah and Ephraim were given equal portions to the other 11 brothers making Joseph’s portion a double blessing.
· Head of the domestic priesthood (Numbers 3:6,12 and Numbers 16:1-3)
o Went to Levi
o Numbers 3:6 – Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
o Numbers 3:12 – And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel Israel
® Just as the birthright gives one the office of domestic priesthood, God chose the Levites to fulfill the office of priesthood for His people.
· Inheritance of whatever honorable title and judicial or royal authority the father had
o Went to Joseph’s sons
o Genesis 48:16 - The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
3. Loss of birthright usually involves a major offense
· Seems as though once the firstborn loses the birthright it does not automatically pass to the second son, but to any one of the father’s sons
E. Genesis 25:32– And Esau said, Behold, I [am] at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
1. Contrast this with Christ who refused to give up His birthright when tempted by Satan though He was very hungry
2. Esau saw the birthright as something to benefit himself, Christ retained His birthright that He might set free those who receive Him
3. Christ went beyond the point of death, He physically did die preserving His birthright at His resurrection.
F. Genesis 25:33– And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
1. Esau treated his birthright as currency for merchandise, putting a limited price on something he should have rendered priceless
2. We see no deception here on Jacob’s part, he made an offer to Esau who could have refused. Instead Esau chose to trade something of significant importance (not necessarily monetary value) for something of temporal satisfaction.
G. Genesis 25:34– Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised [his] birthright.
1. Hebrews 12:16 -17 - Lest there [be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
· Morsel of Meat - βρῶσις brōsis, that which is eaten, food, aliment
· No specifics as to what it was that Esau ate other than it was red.
· Here our attention is drawn to the deliberateness of Esau’s action. There is no haste in the words, as there was none in Esau’s deed. Each part of it is minutely pointed out, and dwelt upon, as showing that Esau did not fall under some sudden temptation, but that he deliberately and willfully “despised his birthright.” Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, E.W. Bullinger
I. Famine and Isaac’s Journey to Gerar (Genesis 26:1-6)
A. Genesis 26:1 – And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
1. This famine was likely the reason behind Esau’s foolish decision
· Speaking of Esau, Jacob and Esau are conspicuously absent during Isaac’s stint in Gerar
2. 2nd Encounter with Abimelech, 1st for Isaac likely not the same man that Abraham encountered over 75-100 years earlier, Abimelech was a title
· Abimelech - אבימלך ‘Abiymelek, “Melek is father” or “my father is king”
o אב ‘ab – father, ancestor, ruler, chief
o מלך melek - king
3. Isaac returning to the same place his father went
4. “beside the first famine” – The second of 13 famines recorded in scripture, the first being Genesis 12:10 in which Abraham traveled to Egypt
B. Genesis 26:2 – And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt
1. We see God immediately instructing Isaac not to go to Egypt
C. Genesis 26:3 – Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
1. “Sojourn in this land” – They were in Gerar, this is the land from the previous verse “which I shall tell thee of”
2. This is the land that had been promised to Abraham
D. Genesis 26:4 – And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
1. Officially transferring the promise from Abraham to Isaac
E. Genesis 26:5 – Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
1. Why? Because of Abraham, not because of anything Isaac did
2. The same for us today under the new covenant, we receive the promise not because of anything we have done, but through the obedience of Jesus Christ
3. What statutes and laws are God referring to, He has not yet delivered the law to Moses
· God’s laws were written upon Abraham’s heart.
· Matthew 22:36-40 - Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
F. Genesis 26:6 – And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
1. Isaac demonstrates his obedience
II. Isaac and Abimelech (Genesis 26:7-11)
G. Genesis 26:7 – And the men of the place asked [him] of his wife; and he said, She [is] my sister: for he feared to say, [She is] my wife; lest, [said he], the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she [was] fair to look upon.
1. Where Isaac excels in obedience he lacks in truthfulness
2. Unlike Abraham, he is not his wife’s brother so this is a lie
3. Fear leads to sin, fearing anything more than God subordinates God to that which we fear, thus fear can be considered a form of idolatry.
· 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
· One might understand the deception by Abraham, but Isaac has inherited Abraham’s entire household and carries his reputation, there should be no need for him to have any fear.
H. Genesis 26:8 – And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac [was] sporting with Rebekah his wife.
1. Sporting - צחק tsachaq, to sport, play, make sport, toy with, make a toy of
· Similar to Isaac’s name - יצחק Yitschaq, laughter
2. Must have been living in close proximity to Abimelech
I. Genesis 26:9 – And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she [is] thy wife: and how saidst thou, She [is] my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
J. Genesis 26:10 – And Abimelech said, What [is] this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
K. Genesis 26:11 – And Abimelech charged all [his] people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
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