Genesis Series #49 June 02, 2002
Title: Four Lesson From Four People’s Lives
Email: pastorsarver@yahoo.com
Website: www.newlifeinchrist.info
Welcome to New life in Christ. Today we continue with message #49 in our verse-by-verse study of the Book of Genesis.
Read Genesis 25:19-34
Opening Prayer
Romans 15:4 says, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us...” This Scripture is referring to the Old Testament narratives, teachings, Psalms, prophecies, etc. All of these things were written down and kept through the ages, so that Christians today could be instructed on living the Christian Life. In some cases, the narrative passages I have taught in this message series from Genesis have been primarily about one particular subject or topic, such as: “How to receive guidance from God.” At other times the passage we are studying doesn’t seem to focus on one main lesson, but on several important lessons for the Christian. This is the case with today’s passage. I do not see any one subject that linked all the verses together, but I do see several lessons for us to learn from the four people’s lives. With that note of at explanation, let us look at verses 19-21.
Read Verse 19-21
"This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac..." (Vs. 19) This is the beginning of another unit or section in the Book of Genesis. Genesis is divided into ten units or sections, each section beginning with the word “account.” When we see these units we know that there is a shift of focus from one person’s life to another’s. For your information, Abraham’s was about 100 years of age when Isaac was born, 140 when Isaac married Rebekah, 160 when his grandchildren (Jacob/Esau) were born, and 175 when he died.
In verse 21 we learn that Rebekah was barren, unable to conceive and have children. This is the same problem that Sarah, the wife of Abraham, had encountered. I do not believe that this is coincidental, but rather God ordained both women’s barrenness for a good purpose, one of the good and necessary purposes being to encourage Israel (God’s people) and to instruct us. The nation of Israel could look back and see that their existence as a nation was not the result of man’s planning or natural events, but was rather the result of divine intervention. This would have been encouraging to the people because if they were the result of God’s supernatural plan and work than they could count on God to complete his plan of bringing them into the Promised Land. In a similar way, Christian’s can see that our existence as God’s people is not the result of human ability. As it says in John 1:13, “(We are children of God) born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband’s will, but born of God.” We are the result of God’s supernatural intervention, so we also can depend on God to complete what he has begun and bring us to heaven.
“Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife.” Now God’s Covenant Promise to Abraham and his descendants included a multitude of offspring, so clearly Isaac had a promise from God for children. Two things I want you to notice from this example. First, having a promise from God does not mean that the promise comes immediately or easily. It certainly did not in Isaac’s case, for he was 60 years old before he had the children that God promised. Second, Isaac prayed for the promise of God! This is an example to God’s people today. God has given us many promises (victory over sin, peace in troubling times, provision for our daily needs, etc) but we still need to pray to the Lord for the promises, especially when we encounter obstacles, defeat or failure. Too often we miss the promises of God because we do not really pray! Praying to the Lord is not a waste of time or a mere religious exercise to earn spiritual brownie points. Prayer is a means of appropriating God’s promises. God answers prayer, as we see in verse 21, which says, “The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”
1. The lesson we learn from Isaac: When God’s people are in need they should pray.
Read Verses 22-26
“The baby jostled each other within her...” The Hebrew word for “jostled” is a strong word that is sometimes translated as “crush” or “bruised”, which tells us something tumultuous was happening in Rebekah’s womb. This wasn’t just active babies kicking within the mother’s womb. She could tell that this was indicative of some kind of problem. This shows us that even answers to our prayers do not come without some problems and hindrances.
When I have had need of transportation and been unable to purchase a car, I have prayed for God’s provision and he has graciously provided, but even those cars, which are in answer to prayer, still break down. Life will not be perfect until we get to heaven; no matter what we pray for or what promises we receive.
Rebekah is in turmoil and is confused so she wonders, “Why is this happening to me?” I bet you have asked that question before! Have you asked the right person? Usually people ask that question rhetorically speaking to themselves, or they ask other people like a pastor, friend, or relative. Why not go to the One Person who truly knows the answer? That’s what Rebekah did. She was in turmoil and confused “so she went to inquire of the Lord.” From Isaac we learn that when God’s people are in need they should pray. From a Rebekah we learn that when God’s people are in turmoil or confused they should pray. We may not always receive as direct and clear an answer as she did, but we can expect God to hear us and respond. His response may be to tell us to keep walking by faith without clarifying why we are going through a particular circumstance. So far we’ve learned two lessons from two people’s lives.
1. The lesson we learn from Isaac: When God’s people are in need they should pray.
2. The lesson we learn from Rebekah: When God’s people are in turmoil or confused they should pray.
In verse 23 the Lord tells Rebekah that the turmoil within her womb is a preview of the struggle to come between the twins and their descendants. The Lord says, "Two nations are in your womb...” From latter parts of Genesis we know that those two nations are the Israelites, who descended from Jacob, and the Edomites, who descended from Esau. These two people groups were mortal enemies for most of biblical history. The Edomites ceased to assist as a separate people in the first century AD.
God had a predetermined plan for these two people groups. He purposed that even though Esau was the firstborn, Jacob and his descendants would receive the blessings and the benefits of being the firstborn. This is what is meant when the Lord says, “the older will serve (be subservient) to the younger.” In doing this, God shows us that his blessings and callings are not based on merit (see Romans 9:10-12), or on the customs of man, which would have given the blessings to the first-born Esau.
3. The lesson we learn from Jacob: God’s choices about our blessings and callings in life are not based on merit.
It would be going beyond what is written to say that this text indicates that God chooses some people to be saved and some not to be saved. This text deals only with God’s right to choose people and people groups for certain earthly destinies, positions or responsibilities without regard to merit.
For instance, God chose me to be a pastor but I cannot boast about that because God’s choice is not based merit. God chose another person to be a pastor of a church ten times as large as mine, but I cannot complain that I should have that position because I work harder our deserve it more. Why not? Because God’s choices are according to his perfect will and not man’s merit. None of us have reason to boast or a right to complain. Many in the nation of Israel missed the significance of God’s choice of Jacob prior to his birth. They became proud because they thought God’s choosing of them meant that they were more righteous or deserving that other peoples, but the timing of the announcement in verse 23 makes clear that God’s choices have nothing to do with merit!
The birth took place just as God said with Esau being born first and with Jacob already figuratively trying to gain the upper hand (Vs. 26) Esau (was also called Edom) received this name because he was very hairy. Jacob’s name means “one who grasped the heel.” In other words, one who tries to trip up people, i.e deceive. This was a very fitting name for Jacob because most of his life he tries to get things through deception. It should be noted that when Isaac and Rebekah named Jacob they were probably just referring to his grabbing of Esau’s heel. They were not assuming or predicting that Jacob would be deceptive.
So far in these verses we’ve seen three lessons for us.
1. The lesson we learn from Isaac: When God’s people are in need they should pray.
2. The lesson we learn from Rebekah: When God’s people are in turmoil or confused they should pray.
3. The lesson we learn from Jacob: God’s choices about our blessings and callings in life are not based on merit.
These verses seem to be the main focus of the text. The main emphasis seems to be on how a person can lose spiritual blessings to foolish thinking and actions. We will see how and why Esau was foolish and what lessons we can receive for ourselves as we look at this passage verse by verse.
In verse 27 we learn that as adults Esau was “a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, but Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents.” The point of this verse is not to infer that being a “manly man”, outdoor type leads to foolish choices while being a “home body” leads to receiving the blessings of the Lord. Jacob was no “mamma’s boy.” In a later story, Jacob lifts the lid off a well that would normally take several men to lift! The point of this verse seems to be how their life interest reflected their character. Esau was a hunter of wild game and animals and in many ways he was like an unreasoning animal himself. He acted on instinct and impulse without regard to the consequences in the future. Jacob was a “quiet man.” The word translated as “quiet” can also be translated as “complete” or “blameless” but you can understand why these words would not be fitting for Jacob. In this context perhaps this word means “self-controlled” or it could also mean “contemplative”, which characteristics Jacob did seem to exhibit, albeit for selfish motives.
In verse 28 we learn that the parents each had a favorite child for different reasons. Isaac like the food Esau supplied, but Rebekah love for Jacob seems to be based on God’s promise that he would receive the covenant blessings. Whatever the motivations, this favoritism in a family is harmful and sometimes disastrous. Other stories in Genesis will emphasize this point, such as Jacob’s favoritism among his wives and of his son Joseph above the other sons.
In verses 29-34 we see that Jacob made a deal with Esau. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red stew. Birthright in this case included the future promises of God and covenant blessings that had been promised to Abraham’s. This was a foolish act and one we are to learn from, so that we do not make the same mistake. In fact in Hebrews 12:16 we are specifically told, “do not be godless like Esau, who for single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son...” What was Esau’s downfall? Esau lived for instant gratification. According to verse 32 Esau could only think about his current hunger, so distant future blessings seemed a little value to him. He did not think the promises of God were worth waiting for. In other words “Esau despised his birthright.” (Vs. 34)
4. The lesson we learn from Esau: Spiritual blessings can be lost by living for the moment.
We must be careful not to let satisfying the desires we have today rob us of spiritual blessings tomorrow. We must not be focused on earthly pleasures but on eternal treasures! “If it feels good, do it” is the philosophy of this world, but Christians must make their choices with eternity in mind.
Every one of us will be offered the opportunity to live for the moment or to live for eternity. It may be an occasion to cheat on your spouse, make a lot of money in a wicked way, indulge fleshly desires, receive a promotion or position in an illegitimate way, or to become popular in ungodly manner, etc.
Watch out and remember: Spiritual blessings can be lost by living for the moment.
Esau made the foolish decision to take the immediate “payoff” of what he could see, touch, taste, and smell over the much greater blessings in the future. Many people still do that today. Their whole lives are focused on what they can get now and they end up missing the blessings of tomorrow. Speaking of such people the Apostle Paul said, “their destiny is destruction (because) their God is their stomach (physical pleasures)... Their minds are own earthly things but our citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippines 3:19)
In verse 34 we see that Esau “ate and drink, and then got up and left.” He went on with life as usual, oblivious to the consequences of this one choice. The consequences of living for the moment were not immediate but they did come ultimately. When they came Esau begged and pleaded for the blessings of God but was unable to obtain them. (Hebrews 12:17 Genesis 27:34) Keep this in mind next time you’re tempted to forget about the consequences and live for moment.
Conclusion: In these few verses we’ve learned at least 4 valuable lessons.
1. The lesson we learn from Isaac: When God’s people are in need they should pray.
2. The lesson we learn from Rebekah: When God’s people are in turmoil or confused they should pray.
3. The lesson we learn from Jacob: God’s choices about our blessings and callings in life are not based on merit.
4. The lesson we learn from Esau: Spiritual blessings can be lost by living for the moment.
These lessons are only good if we apply them to our own lives! I hope you will do so.
Closing prayer.
