The Journey of Faith Continues

Jacob #1—Foreshadow of Future Conflicts and God’s Promised Presence amidst the Conflicts

Gen 25:16–26:33

Expectations:

  1. The goal of any meditation in the word is to know God more, understand who you are in relationship to Him, and understand His plan. Pray and ask God to help you know Him through His word.
  1. Spend approximately one hour reading this lesson and meditating on its questions. Group leaders should not “teach” through the lesson during small group but simply facilitate group discussion about the lesson.
  1. The last instruction of the lesson will be to record what has been helpful to you and how it applies to you. Every group participant should come ready to share his/her insights.

Introduction:

Genesis is structured around genealogies. This is significant because of God’s promise in Gen 3:15 to establish His reign through a descendant of Adam and Eve. This seed would reverse the curse and crush the kingdom of sin and Satan. Genesis traces God’s elect/chosen lineage (in bold, in the table below) that would culminate in the promised Savior, Jesus Christ. Genesis also traces the non-elect lineages (non-bold in the table below).

Overall in Genesis please remember that

  • The stories are NOT the framework for Genesis!
  • The genealogies are!
  • The stories detail foundational truth about God, mankind, and His redemptive plan through the chosen seed!

The account of Terah’s descendants details God’s dealing with Abraham who would become the example of beginning, growing and mature faith for God’s people.

“Primeval Narratives” Gen 1-11 / “Patriarchal Narratives” 12-50
Prologue (1:1-2:3)
The Account of the Heavens and the Earth (2:4-4:26)
The Account of Adam’s Descendants through Seth (5:1-6:8)
The Account of Noah and His Family (6:9-9:29)
The Account of Shem, Ham, Japheth and their Descendants (10:1-11:9)
The Account of Shem’s Descendants (11:10-26) / The Account of Terah’s Descendants (11:27-25:11)
The Account of Ishmael’s Descendants (25:12-18)
The Account of Isaac’s Descendants (25:19-35:29)
The Account of Esau’s Descendants (36:1-37:1)
The Account of Jacob’s Descendants (37:2-50:26)

In the Abraham narrative (Gen 11:27–25:11), God calls a barren (“barrenness” is sign of the curse in a world that was supposed to be “fruitful”), landless, tribal-based, idolatrous wanderer who tended to be a nuisance to his neighbors with his flocks to leave…

  • His way of life
  • His tribe
  • His dead idols
  • His geographical location

In order to receive God’s promises of …

  • Land for a landless wanderer
  • A child to multiply into a nation for a childless couple
  • A life-giving relationship with God in place of a dead relationship with idols
  • A purpose of being blessing to the nations instead of a nuisance

The promises of “land,” “relationship with God,” “procreation,” and “purpose” all echo the original creation mandate to Adam and Eve. God, in a sense, is re-creating a people for His very own possession for His Kingdom. He wants to fill the earth with His image-bearers who have a relationship with Him.

God took Abraham on a journey of faith in which God showed Abraham ultimately that the creator God was the God of life. Thus He could fulfill all of His promises to bring a new blessed order to a curse-plagued, death-filled world.

This study now turns to the bible’s account of the elect seed, Jacob, of Abraham’s elect son, Isaac.

Ponder: With the fulfillment of the “seed” promise, what “flash points” might arise in subsequent generations of Abraham’s seed?

Ponder:At the closing of the Abraham narratives,Abraham only has one child of the promise—he is not a nation. Abraham owns one well, Beersheva, and one piece of property for his dead wife’s grave—he does not possess the land God promised. Abraham has been a blessing to a few—not to the world. What do you anticipate might be subsequent developments of the promises of God in the chapters to come?What do you anticipate might be “threats” to God’s promises of nationhood, full possession of the land, and blessing to the nations? LOOK FOR THESE IN YOUR READING!

An outline of the story of the chosen offspring, Jacob, is given below. This lesson focuses on the highlighted portion.

Jacob Cycle (Gen 25-35)

A. Births and genealogy:rivalry in the family, Jacob born (25:19-34)

B. Digression:Rebekah in foreign palace, pact with foreigners (26:1-33)

C. Jacob steals Esau’s blessing (26:34-28:9)

[Covenant blessing on Jacob and his exile (28:10-32:22)]

1. Encounter with angel at Bethel (28:10-22)

2. Arrival at Haran and conflict with Laban (29:1-30)

***Gen 30: 1-24Rachel and Leah:Birth of Tribal Fathers; “God Remembered Rachel,” Joseph born

2’. Jacob’s prosperity and flight from Laban (30:25-31:55)

1’. Encounter with angels at Mahanaim and Peniel (32:1-32)

C’. Esau’s reconciliation with homeward-bound Jacob (33:1-17)

B’ Digression:Dinah in foreign palace, pact with foreigners (33:18-34:31)

A’ Births and deaths (35:1-29)

Note on the Ages of the Patriarchs:

  • Abraham was 75 years oldwhen the first promise of God came to him. At 100 years old Isaac was born. Abraham died at 175 years old (25:7).
  • Isaac was 40 when he married Rebecca (25:21).
  • Isaac was 60 years old when he had Jacob and Esau (25:26).
  • The twins. Jacob and Esau were 15 years old when Abraham died….they had time to hear of the promises directly through Abraham’s mouth.

Genesis 25:19-34—Foreshadows of Conflict and Tension among the Promised Seed

19 Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: [Notice the “generations” formula—this is the story of the “offspring” of the chosen seed Isaac who will be Jacob and Esau. Jacob will be the chosen seed through which the promises continue.) Abraham became the father of Isaac;20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Ponder:Great pains had been taken to provide and secure the right wife for Isaac in Gen 24, the child of promise, and now barrenness?Why?What is this teaching you about God’s ways?

ANS:Each generation has to learn to trust God in the midst of the sin cursed world—barrenness is one fruit of the curse. And, each generation needed to understand the nature of God being the giver of life from deadness, blessing from cursing, supernatural birth. Furthermore, the promises of God HAD to be transferred through each generation because the ULTIMATE SEED was coming.

Ponder:What observations do you make about this child of the promise, Isaac, praying to the Lord of the Abrahamic covenant on behalf of Rebecca?

ANS: This time, Isaac (unlike Abraham, initially) understands that the Lord opens and closes wombs. Isaac, himself, was a result of the life giving action of God in Sarah’s dead womb. He apparently also understands that the promise of God means the “seed” must continue. He turns to the Lord of the Abrahamic Covenant and prays—which is what children of the covenant should do.

Ponder: What do you notice that was absent during these years in comparison to the life of Abraham?

ANS:We do not have evidence of Isaac attempting to “work” out in his own wisdom the barren situation. Also, Isaac was the only monogamous patriarch. In this case, Isaac will have different challenges of faith in showing partiality to his children.

22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.23 And the Lord said to her,“Two nations are in your womb;And two peoples shall be separated from your body;And one people shall be stronger than the other;And the older shall serve the younger.”

Note on Birthright:It was the custom of the culture that the honorable birthright would go to the first-born male. Birthright meant that the firstborn son would inherit a double portion of the inheritance left by the father. For example, if a father had 5 sons, the first-born would receive 2/5thsand the remaining 4 sons would split 3/5th. If there are only two sons, the firstborn receives everything. The custom also meant that along with the inheritance, the first-born was to be the leader, and family protector, and had the right of succession. Jacob and Esau are twins…. only 1 of them will “get” the inheritance/birthright/blessing.

Ponder:God chooses differently than the cultural “birthright.” What does this indicate about God(cf. Rom 9:10-13)?

Romans 9:10And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;11for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,12it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”13Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!15For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”16So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimedthroughout the whole earth.”18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

ANS:God is working out His purposes to display His glory in both vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath.

Ponder:How is it that God’s election offers hope?

ANS: We are not fated to the way the world presently selects its “winners.” The ancient cultural traditions of “firstborn rights” did not limit God. Today the cultural traditions of dynasty, famous people, the top 1%, etc., do not limit God. That means we are not bound by societies strait jackets. By God’s promise He is free to work His will in any way He chooses despite human structures or definitions of privilege. GOD SELECTS THE UNEXPECTED FROM THE WORLD’s point of view. The earthly first shall be last. The earthly humble shall be exalted. The earthly greatest shall be the least. The earthly least shall be the greatest.

24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau[meaning “red/hairy”].26 And afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob [heel catcher/trickster]; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

27 When the boys grew up [Ponder:How old were Jacob and Esau when Abraham died? 15 years—they knew about the promises of God to Abraham and the covenant.], Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob

Ponder:What is introduced here as a potential threat to God’s promise that the older would serve the younger?

ANS: Isaac’s partiality to Esau because of Isaac’s love for food.

Ponder:What will Isaac’s lust for food lead to later?

ANS:Him being tricked with food by his own son Jacob.

Ponder:What would Rebekah’s partiality lead to later?

ANS: Her participating in deception.

29 And when Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished;30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.”[Ponder: How is Esau portrayed?] Therefore his name was called Edom[meaning “red”, Esau becomes the father of the Edomites that would be a thorn in Israel’s side. Also, in Jesus’ time, King Herod is an Edomite who tries to kill Jacob’s offspring—Jesus].31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.”32 And Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?”33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Ponder:What contrasting characterizations are presented with Esau and Jacob in regard to their heritage?

ANS:

  • Jacob has an understanding of the birthright and heritage.
  • Esau lives for the immediate pleasures of this world.

Ponder:What is Jacob’s attitude toward the Abrahamic promise and birthright?What is his method of obtaining it?

ANS: He lusts after it (probably the promise of being powerful) and desires to get it with trickery.

Ponder:What should have been Esau’s attitude toward the destiny mentioned at birth?

ANS: I humbly accept God’s choice and will cling to God’s chosen seed—my younger brother!

Ponder:What do Jacob’s character, Esau’s character, and even Isaac’s character demonstrate about the lineage of the “victorious seed of woman” promised back in Genesis 3:15?

ANS: The lineage is permeated with unrighteousness. Each new character seems to pose its own threats to God’s promise. This is creating a sense of “WHO CAN BE THE PROMISED SEED.”WE NEED SOMEONE GREATER!

Ponder: How does God work to accomplish His plan of the younger obtaining the “birthright” according to God’s foreordained plan?

ANS: Theoretically, Isaac and Rebecca should have participated in God’s prophecy and simply “ordained” what would happen. However, Isaac wants Esau to thrive and Rebecca wants the seed to be Jacob. Rebecca and Jacob will obtain it through “trickery.” God will work through human sin to accomplish His good purposes.

Genesis 26:1-35—Foreshadows of continued land problems with God’s promises, yet God is WITH HIS chosen seed

1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines.2 The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you.3 “Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.4 “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;5 because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”6 So Isaac lived in Gerar.

7 When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife,” thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful.”8 It came about, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebekah.9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘I might die on account of her.’”10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”11 So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

12 Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him,13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy;14 for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.15 Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with earth.[What was the motivation for this?] 16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.”17And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.

18 Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them.19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water,20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah.22 He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba.24 The Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham.”25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.