The Blessing - Genesis 48:15-16

And he blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Joseph was expecting his father, Jacob, to bless his two sons when he put his hands on their head, but instead, the text says, “he blessed Joseph”.  I like that.  I understand it.  The love and blessings that my aged father bestowed on my children were indeed a blessing to me.  And so it should be.  We are to view the continuum of family through adjacent generations and beyond as a gift from God.  This is reinforced when Jacob talks about his “fathers Abraham and Isaac” seemingly describing them as belonging to one and the same category, “my fathers”.

The joy of remembering one’s fathers or ancestors is multiplied when we can say like Jacob, that they walked before God.  And it is exponentially increased when we can honestly declare that this same God has been and still is the “shepherd of my life”.  Jacob was able to do just that.  I can only say this about my father; I do not know of my grandfather’s faith.  It is my desire that my son and daughters can say it about their “fathers”.  That would be a great delight for any man or woman.  Some are blessed with the knowledge of that assurance for even more generations.  Others will never share that joy.  Their only recourse at this point, is through their own faith, they see to it that their children get a chance to say that about their ‘father’.  Whatever your situation is, you can resolve to walk before God and cling to Him as your shepherd.

And Jacob’s blessing, interestingly enough, seems to suggest how we can do just that. It includes the fact that it was God who had “redeemed (him) from all evil.”  Even in the Old Testament, before the human birth of our Redeemer Jesus Christ, God Himself could redeem us.  Jacob had given his life to obeying God and God redeemed him.  It is the same for us today.  We obey God when we accept His Son as our Savior.  At that point we are saved. We then continue to serve Him throughout our lives.

And with that saving God as his Redeemer, Jacob blesses his son Joseph and Joseph’s sons.  The blessing that Jacob bestows on Ephraim and Manasseh is twofold.

First, it is his desire that the boys keep the memory of their grandfather (Jacob himself), their great-grandfather (Isaac) and their great-great-grandfather (Abraham) alive, as they live.  This is, first and foremost, a human attempt at what most of mankind pursues – the desire to be remembered after one is gone.  My dad would often respond to my question, “Dad, why are you doing that for the kids? They have enough; they don’t need it,” by simply saying, “Because I want them to remember me.”  Almost everything he did for his grandchildren was with that sole purpose in mind.  I see that same attitude popping up occasionally in my own dealings with my grandchildren.  It is natural.

In Jacob’s case, however, his desire to be remembered was also expressed on behalf of his own father and grandfather.  Thus, I am led to believe that it was more of the honorable desire to keep alive their memory with respect to how they “walked with God”.  Jacob believed that God’s promise to his grandfather was dependent on the children of Israel continuing their walk with God.  He wanted to do all he could to ensure that would happen.  That is a very normal desire.  As Christian parents and grandparents, we so much want our children and grandchildren to walk with God throughout their lives because we know from experience that the alternative leads to either emptiness or destruction, or both.

Before we leave this section, we would be amiss not to mention the great commentator Matthew Henry’s take on this verse.  He writes: “Though they were born in Egypt, and their father was then separated from his brethren, which might seem to have cut them off from the heritage of the Lord, yet Jacob takes them in, and owns them . . .” Henry continues, “It is as if he were saying ‘Let them not succeed their father in his power and grandeur here in Egypt, but let them succeed me in the inheritance of the promise made to Abraham.’” Henry believed that Jacob looked upon that promise as much more valuable and honorable, and would have his grandchildren to prize and covet it accordingly. Henry writes: “Thus the aged dying patriarch teaches these young persons, now that they were of age . . . not to look upon Egypt as their home, nor to incorporate themselves with the Egyptians, but to take their lot with the people of God . . . Jacob will have Ephraim and Manasseh to believe that it is better to be low and in the church than high and out of it, to be called by the name of poor Jacob than to be called by the name of rich Joseph.”  I will leave it up to you to settle for yourself as to how much of this Jacob actually thought out.  Personally, I do believe that as grandparents we often look at what our own children have aspired to and accomplished, sometimes without the help of God and sometimes allowed by God, and we feel that their priorities were, in our estimation, a little off.  And we pray that things won’t get even further off kilter with their children, our grandchildren.  We pray that they will arise above the seduction of the physical world and move even closer towards God.  My wife’s mother expressed that sentiment just this week as we were talking about success and one’s income.  She was right in suggesting that while we need funds to live, money is not the purpose of our living.  Jacob wanted his grandchildren to understand that.

The second thrust of his blessing on Joseph’s sons had to do with their growing and multiplying on the earth.  That was partly for them and partly for the part that they would play in the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.  What we do note is that although Israel went to the extra trouble of crossing his arms over so that Ephraim would get blessed with his right hand, the blessing to both of his grandchildren was identical.  What remains to be seen is how Joseph reacted to what had just taken place.  We discover that in the next few verses of this chapter.

[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

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The Relating of the Promise Is Altered and Why God’s Exact Words Matter - Genesis 48:3-4 (part 2)

Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’

As we look closely at this section of scripture again, it is important that we stop and realize its significance in the big picture so far.  Jacob is now relating to Joseph his own personal experience at Luz, which is another name for Bethel, in the land of Canaan, where Jacob had his encounter with God.

You will remember that God, first to Abraham, then to Isaac, and then to Jacob, personally spoke the covenant He made to the Israelites.  In reality God’s promise only needed to be made once, as He did to Abraham.  He is God and does not need to repeat Himself especially when making a promise.  He may do so for our benefit, but not out of necessity.  His speaking to Isaac and Jacob after that was mere confirmation of that original promise.  But nevertheless God spoke to directly to all three generations.

Now Jacob’s son, Joseph, is hearing of the promise – not from God, but from his earthly father.  And Jacob is very careful to use the same words that God used with him so that the promise is clearly understood exactly as God meant it.  God used similar words that He had used with Isaac before that, and then with Abraham before him.  The exact words of God are very important.  They are important in passing on divine teaching.  They are not to be added to or subtracted from.  Doing so, leads us, and those that we teach, into errant doctrine.

The exact words of God are also important as we try to interpret and match what we see unfolding before us in world history to what the Bible says.  This is especially true both with respect to the minds and evils of man in the end times before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as in the matter of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians today.  As the hired vendors say at major events often held in sports stadiums or in large theatres these days, “you can’t tell the players without a program”.  We are fortunate enough to have the program written by the Master Manager and Playwright Himself.  He’s got it right and He shares it with us.  Many world leaders would do well to merely recognize His existence.  Many would do much better to heed His words when it comes to these matters.

Finally, the exact words of God matter when we, as mere humans will ultimately do, come up against matters on which we disagree.  We need to get back to the exact words of God.  If it is critical to life, God has addressed it in His word.  If it is not in His word, or can be clearly traced and attached without doubt to something He has spoken on, then it should not be cause for division.  We should agree to disagree and for the sake of the Gospel being shared with others, stop pushing our own perspective exclusively.  When will Christians, especially those in a local church, learn that people do not want to join a divisive group?  They have enough strife in their personal lives.  They are looking for peace and solace as they seek to adopt a faith that gives them comfort and hope.

And if God has addressed a matter in His word, we need to agree to what is there, not what we want it to say, hope it means, interpret to mean, and so on.  With our God-given ability to think and reason, we should be able to agree on what is clear and adhere to those principles, promises, and instructions.  Failure to do so is not the fault of God or His word.  It is clearly our human stubbornness and dare I say pride, either which can be interpreted as sin.

Jacob was sharing this promise of God with his son Joseph so that the younger man may be encouraged in his life.  Jacob’s two grandsons, perhaps hearing this promise for the first time, may well have been perplexed, depending on their ages.  Here they were living in Egypt, with an Egyptian mother, and their father second in command in all of Egypt, and now they hear their grandfather talking about a promise God made to their father’s people, the Israelites, about a land in Canaan.  I am sure Joseph had some explaining to do before they all returned home.  And can you imagine the surprise of Joseph’s wife when she heard the account from her sons later?

Jacob’s intent here was clear.  As the commentator Robert Jamieson puts it, Jacob wanted “to engage Joseph’s interest and preserve his continued connection with the people of God, rather than with the Egyptians.”  Any immigrant, who has moved his or her family to a new land, knows that challenge that Jacob faced.  As I grew up in Canada, I could always sense the daily challenges we faced as to whether or not we would do something the Canadian way, or the way my parents did it back in Greece.  Would we associate with more Canadians, or try to find the other Greeks that immigrated to Canada like us?  We spoke Greek in the home so that I would not forget it (for which I am thankful) and left the English-speaking for school and the playground.  In my particular case, the challenge was complicated as we were clearly a Protestant family while all our Greek friends were Greek Orthodox and at all social events it was assumed we were too.  Jacob was trying to make it clear to his son and his grandsons that their true heritage was that of the people of God.  And perhaps that is the lesson for us as well.  It is not so much about where we live, but it is more about ‘to Whom we belong’.  I trust understanding that and living by it ourselves as models and examples will be our true legacy to the generations that follow us.

Relaying this promise of God to his son Joseph, Jacob commenced a very critical tradition and necessary practice for the Jewish people which, if followed, would enable them to survive all they had to go through for thousands of years before the promise could be fulfilled in its entirely.  Without it, the Israelites would have disappeared over time.

It would also be remiss of me not to mention that all do not interpret this promise the same way.  For some, these words are to be considered in a limited sense, that is, applying only to the immediate few centuries that followed when the Jews did occupy the Holy Land.  Others attribute an understanding to this promise as speaking ultimately about all the Jews of the diaspora (the scattered tribes) being reinstated in the land God promised them as an “everlasting possession”.  Some within this latter group accept the formation of the accepted State of Israel in 1948 as the fulfillment of that promise and that all the conflict since then is simply one of maintaining that land as their own.  Still others within this second group hold to the view that the “everlasting” aspect of the possession promise is yet to be fulfilled when Israel regains full control of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and re-establishes a holy temple on the site.  All we can do is wait with anticipation to see how God intended to fully seal the delivery of His promise.  In the meantime, we read the “program” and try to follow it as closely as possible.  But for starters, we know the words do say, “everlasting possession”.  Politicians, who claim as many do during election years that they are ‘God-believing’, never mind ‘God-fearing’, should remember that.

 [Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

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Joseph Sent To Find His Brothers - Genesis 37:12-17

Then his brothers went to pasture their father's flock in Shechem. Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "I will go." Then he said to him, "Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me." So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" He said, "I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock." Then the man said, "They have moved from here; for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

Joseph and his father Jacob (also known as Israel) are in Hebron. The older brothers have taken their sheep to Shechem and it is possible that Jacob has not heard from them or about them for some time. So, he decides to send Joseph to find them.

Joseph being both the adventurer and the obedient favored son that he is immediately says he will go. In addition, this was obedience at its best. It was this kind of obedience that served Joseph well later in life in obeying God as we will see soon enough.

The question may well be asked, "was Jacob concerned about his sons or his flocks, or was it both?" Well, I believe the answer is indeed both. We have to remember Jacob’s history as someone who could take a bad business situation and turn it around into a spectacular success. Yet, he also very much loved his family. The text also seems to be pointing towards the ‘both’ option as it clearly states he is concerned almost equally (although the order is important) for the ‘welfare’ of both his sons and his flock. Jacob was indeed a good manager, a person who delegates well, and he wanted word back.

So Joseph leaves Jacob in Hebron and heads to Shechem to find his brothers. Commentators estimate the distance to be about fifty miles. We can assume that this would take even young Joseph several days to accomplish. We do not know where he stayed overnight or how he traveled. Was it by foot or on an animal (horse or camel perhaps)? Jacob I am sure gave him sufficient food and drink for his journey, in the tradition of his father and grandfather. We also do not know if he sent him alone or with servants, although we have no reason to believe anyone else went with him.

When Joseph got to Shechem, instead of finding his brothers, an unnamed man who offered his help found him. Joseph told the man he was looking for his brothers and asked politely for further help in pinpointing their exact location. The man indicated that he had heard them talk about going to Dothan. We read next that Joseph went after his brothers and did indeed find them there.

Now there are a number of things we should note here. First of all, when God sends His people on a mission He does not always tell them exactly where they will end up. He may send you to your “Shechem” but when you get there, you'd better be prepared to go to the “Dothan” He has chosen for you. I started this year by agreeing to go on an educational trip to Israel, but God also had plans for me to go to Africa – all in the same year with just a ten-day break in between. Now that trip has resulted in a whole new ministry that may very well take me to even more places I never planned to go. We must always be ready to respond to God’s true calls. But here’s the important part. I won’t share with you all the details here, but I truly believe I could not have accomplished in Kenya what God wanted me to do without having been to Israel just prior. Kenya without Israel would have been possible but not optimum for the Kingdom. Israel without Kenya would have meant more training and less implementing, also not optimum for the Kingdom.

Secondly, we notice that when we get to a point where we’re supposed to be and the answer we’re looking for isn’t there and we don’t know where to turn, God always sends someone. or something to show us the next move. And often, it is someone that we do not know or ever will get to know. We need to be sensitive to who God is sending our way for guidance and direction on the journey with Him. The man, woman, or child you ‘bump’ into today may have been put there by God just for you.

Thirdly, did you notice how Joseph did not hesitate at all in getting help from others? He sought the man’s assistance with any information he could offer with respect to where his brothers might be. God does not want us to take this journey alone. So many Christians want to walk the long journey of life by themselves, when they can do it so much better and easier with the help and love of other brothers and sisters.

Finally, we have no word that indicates Joseph was discouraged at all at the news that his brothers had moved on to Dothan. He was on a mission for his father and he was determined to accomplish it. How much further from Shechem was Dothan? Some commentators estimate an additional thirteen miles, perhaps another day’s journey. But Joseph goes after them and this portion of scripture ends by telling us he found them there. Joseph accomplished the first part of his task – to find his brothers. What was left was to report back to his father. But God . . . . well, we’ll soon see what His plans for Joseph were.

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The Death of Isaac - Genesis 35:28-29

Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. And Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Scripture records that Isaac lived 180 years and then simply breathed his last. We can return to our chronological timeline that we last updated in Genesis 31:41. But to relate the timeline to Isaac’s life we have to go back and add the timeline we developed when we were studying Genesis 25:26.

• 3331 Isaac, at age 60, becomes father to Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:26)
• 3371 Esau at age 40 marries Judith and Basemath (Genesis 26:34)
• At least: 3391 Jacob and his family leave Laban’s home (Genesis 31:41)
• 3394 The death of Ishmael (based on his birth in 3257 and Genesis 25:17)
• 3451 The death of Isaac at age 180 (Genesis 35:28,29)

Can you imagine living to be 180 years old today? The world would have changed so drastically. I am not sure that my mind would be able to fathom it. Recently my wife and I returned from a trip to Kenya, one of the more advanced countries in Africa by some accounts, yet the difference between the lives of our new friends there and our lives here is incredible. Perhaps the difference is due to a century of cultural change or modernization. But can you image almost twice that and at today’s exponential rate of change? I for one am happy with our current life spans that we enjoy. When the time comes, I hope I go simply having “breathed my last”.

The text makes reference to Isaac being “an old man of ripe age”. You will remember that in the earlier years of mankind’s history and in the generations that closely followed that of Adam, men did live for several centuries, some most notably lived well into their tenth century. But after that God seemed to have reduced the normal lifespan to a much shorter period of time, estimated at about 120 years. Isaac then, under those terms, could well have been thought of to have lived to a “ripe age” and have been an “old man”. These days when one lives into his or her nineties, we consider that being a “ripe age” and one living for a century is considered very rare. It is interesting that we use the word ‘ripe’ to refer to an advanced age. I cannot help but think that funny. We usually talk of food or fruit being ‘ripe’ – that is the perfect time to enjoy them. They have the most to offer when they are perfectly ripe. I think we need to view our seniors in the same way. But at the same time, it is a sad fact that ripe fruit or food, not properly kept or enjoyed, very quickly decays into something that is no longer desirable. Yes, our seniors sometimes lose their minds or their physical abilities. But it is a known fact that they do so much more slowly if they are given the proper care, attention, and love they deserve. And the rest of us get to enjoy their flavor much longer.

The phrase “gathered to his people” used here for Isaac and meaning to have been buried with his family, relatives, or kin, was previously used in the case of his father Abraham (Genesis 25:8) and also his half-brother Ishmael (Genesis 25:17). The exact meaning is not clear. One can assume that indeed his remains were delegated to join the remains of those among his predecessors that had died before him. And one would assume that his soul would have joined the souls of others whom God would have blessed with eternal life before him. Death has a way of doing just that. It gathers us to our people – those we have loved or known before, depending on whether they and/or we were children of God or not. One way or another, we’ll be joining others.

Finally, I think it is important to note that the death of one often brings others together. We know that Jacob and Esau, Isaac’s sons, had had their differences. We know that even prior to Jacob arriving at Isaac’s place, the two brothers had met en route and worked these differences out. Yet, we have no record of their relations since that point in time. The quarrel they had may have been set aside, but there is no evidence that a strong brotherly friendship had begun and that their families were enjoying each other’s company. But here at their father’s death, we see Esau and Jacob working together as brothers to bury their beloved father. We continue to see that in our funerals today. People who have not seen each other for decades or spoken to each other for years, often set everything aside and unite, even momentarily, in order to deal with their loss. Can you imagine what could be accomplished in our families and circles of friends if somehow we had the ability to bring those people together prior to, and without, our death? Now, that is worth living for.

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Jacob Meets Rachel and Kisses Her -- Genesis 29:9-12

While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept. Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father.

As Jacob is continuing his conversation with the local shepherds, Rachel arrives at the well. The scripture says she was a shepherdess. And here all along some of us thought this was man’s work years ago. Surprise, the owner of the flock probably picked his own family member to look after his interests, especially when it came to being present at the opening of his well each day. For those of you who know the story that is still to come, Rachel plays a significant role for several more chapters in the Bible and then is referred to later on in the Old Testament and again early in the New Testament. And to think she was simply a shepherd girl. More early proof that God can, and does use, people from all walks of life to accomplish His plan for humanity.

Now notice the sequence of what happened next: first Jacob sees Rachel, the daughter of his uncle (his mother’s brother) and thus his cousin; second he immediately goes to the stone at the mouth of the well and rolls it away single-handedly; third, he waters Laban’s flock; fourth, he kisses Rachel; fifth, he lifts up his voice; sixth, he weeps; and finally seventh, he tells Rachel who he is at which news she runs off to tell her father Laban.

Can you imagine the emotion Jacob was experiencing? He had left home initially to escape the wrath of his older brother and partially to find himself a wife from his mother’s family and then he sees his cousin Rachel. Somehow all that energized him to be able to move, all by himself, the stone that the shepherds could not move without considerable help from others. Was he showing off, helping the other shepherds water their sheep so they would leave him alone with Rachel, or just generally interested in getting things going so that he can return to Laban’s house with Rachel? Scripture does not tell us and neither should we surmise.

He takes care to water Laban’s flock. That could well have been an act of kindness to his uncle’s family or it could have been an act of chivalry (long before the word was invented during medieval times) sparing the young woman from having to water her flock.

And then he kisses her. Now one may argue that this kiss was simply a way to greet a close relative or cousin in this case, seeing them anew after a real long interval or as in Jacob’s case, seeing a kin person for the first time. We have no way of knowing exactly how the kiss played out or what the motivation behind it was. However, if we accept the order of events as outlined above, it is hard to believe that the ‘long lost distant relative greeting’ would wait until after steps two and three above were accomplished. No, that greeting would have occurred after step one. When we meet a relative at the airport, we don’t see them, go and find their bags, get them a bite to eat, and then welcome them with a kiss. We kiss them as soon as we get near them, everything else can wait. I am more inclined to believe that Jacob’s kiss for Rachel was indeed a romantic one planned carefully during the rolling of the stone and the watering of the flock. In fact, he also made sure that they had not even exchanged words between them. Nothing could have stopped him from doing what he had planned to do.

Having kissed her, Jacob fully satisfied that his quest was about to be accomplished and only the details had to be worked out between himself and Laban, he lifts his voice out of sheer joy to God with thanksgiving and he weeps from gladness. God had indeed been with him and blessed him on the outward-bound part of his journey. Having kissed her and thanking God for making it all happen, what finally remains was to simply tell her who he was. And then, reminiscent of exactly what Jacob’s mother Rebekah did after she heard Abraham’s servant praise the Lord for blessing his journey, Rachel runs off to tell her family. The stories have an incredible similarity for God is a God of order and pattern, in nature as well as in the life of His people.

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Rebekah Shares Her Disappointment in Life -- Genesis 27:46

And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

Rebekah had just finished orchestrating the loss of her eldest son’s parental blessing and as a result caused her younger son Jacob to flee for his life. Prior to this, she had been unhappy that Esau, who had seemingly rebelled and married daughters of Heth against her will, was going to get a better deal than Jacob when it came to inheritance. Now, with that taken care of through her manipulation, she appears to need another cause for her unhappiness.

Rebekah indicates she is “tired of living”. Have you ever known anyone that has felt “tired of living”? Most people wishing God would allow them to die are usually quite old and feel they have seen enough of this world. At their age they feel they are without the ability to do anything about what they see. Or perhaps they have a terminal illness that they just cannot do anything about. When someone is “tired of living” because of circumstances outside of themselves, such as disappointment in the choices that others make about their own lives, then something else is at work. In most cases, that individual is either prone to unhappiness by their personality or they choose to use unhappiness as a tool to get what they want. Neither scenario is healthy for one’s well-being or for any relationship, including spousal, which they may hope to have. In fact, their approach to life actually makes relationships much worse.

Rebekah finds herself being “tired of living” because of Esau’s wives and she fears that if Jacob were to marry from the same local daughters of Heth, that would finish her off. Or least, she would feel there is no point to go on living whatsoever. What a sad state to be in. Can you imagine what the Christian church would look like if every mother or father of someone who had a bad marriage today decided life would not be worth living any longer? What would that mean to the spouse left or the married child, who doing their best in a bad situation, was counting on the moral, and other, support of the parent. As importantly, what Christian influence would remain to influence the moral compass of any grandchildren that a child’s bad marriage would produce? I do not believe any of those choices are in line with God’s intention for our lives, no matter what the circumstances. Our reason and passion for life must not depend on what others, including our own family and that includes our spouse and children, have done or are doing, in their lives. As harsh as it may sound, and as difficult as it may seem, our reason and passion for life must come from our personal relationship with our Maker.

But let us look a little closer to what else Rebekah may have had in mind as she utters these words to Isaac. Is it possible that she is simply just finding a way to express to her husband an excuse as to why Jacob should go to her brother Laban’s place at this time? You will remember that Isaac was old and he needed his sons around to take care of him in one manner or another. We’ll find the answer to that question in the verses that follow.

You will note however that Rebekah does not tell Isaac about Esau’s intentions to kill Jacob in order to spare him grief. That act in itself seems strange, considering she thought little about the grief she herself caused Isaac in bringing about the deception concerning the blessing. Instead she plays on Isaac’s own disappointment about Esau being married to two Hittite women, knowing he would not want that for Jacob. This way she can gain Isaac’s support for letting Jacob go. It was now all to be about Jacob marrying within the faith and within the family. How could Isaac object?

From our continuous timeline study we knew from Genesis 25:26 that Isaac was 60 years of age when he became the father of Esau and Jacob. And using that in conjunction with Genesis 26:34, we can calculate that Jacob was 40 years old when he married Judith and Basemath, the daughters of Heth. We do not know at this point in Scripture how many years later the event of the parental blessing mix-up occurred but clearly Esau and Jacob were well beyond 40 years of age. All this to point out that Jacob was not fleeing to Haran as a young teenager who was in trouble at home. He too was on in his years.

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A Closer Look At Deception -- Genesis 27:18-29

Then he came to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me." Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because the LORD your God caused {it} to happen to me." Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him. And he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" And he said, "I am." So he said, "Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son's game, that I may bless you." And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, "Please come close and kiss me, my son." So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed; Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you."

Let’s follow as this plot unfolds. Jacob, posing as Esau, goes to Isaac his old, fairly blind father to steal his brother’s blessing. He calls to Isaac saying, “My father” in a way that implies ‘may I come in?’ Isaac answers him and asks him to clarify whether he is Esau or Jacob. And Jacob lies saying, “I am Esau your firstborn.” I find that to be an interesting choice of words. Would not the simple lie, “I am Esau” have been enough? Why add “your firstborn”? Isaac was old and quite blind, but not necessarily senile so he would not remember that Esau was indeed his firstborn. But Jacob had a purpose for going there and it all related to him passing off as the firstborn.

Jacob wants to get on with scheme. He tells Isaac that he has done as he had requested and now it was time for Isaac, who had likely been lying down due to his old age, to get up, sit properly and eat the game dish that Jacob, posing as Esau, had apparently hunted and prepared. Everything aimed to getting Isaac to bless Jacob. All the deception and all the interest in having Isaac eat a hearty meal was about getting the firstborn’s blessings and very little to do with showing love and care for his aged father. Sometimes we behave exactly the same way to others or to God Himself. We serve them or Him out of a personal goal we have in mind. We deceive them about our real love and concern so that we may accomplish what we want, or worse still, how we may appear to others. But neither people (as Isaac in this case) nor God in our own lives, are easily fooled.

Issac asks, “How did you catch and prepare the game so quickly, my son?” And then Jacob utters one of the most serious lies he or us could ever utter. He says, “God did it!” In fact, he implies ‘God helped me’ and in this case, he tells Isaac that it was ‘his God indeed’. We so often make the mistake of associating God with our own choices, doings or misdoings. While we can and must recognize God’s active role in our lives and give Him the credit for all that we accomplish, we cannot and must not attribute to Him what is done in disobedience or under conditions of sin. Jacob took that one step further and intentionally told his father that God was with him in what he was doing, when in actual fact he was participating in an out and out deceptive lie.

It appears that Isaac was not swallowing Jacob’s explanation that he was able to do this so quickly simply because God wanted it to be like that. So, he requests that Jacob gets down close to him so that he could feel him and verify that indeed he was Esau as he claimed to be. Rebekah must have known her husband well to have heeded Jacob’s concern about not being hairy like Esau, and to give him the goatskins as sensual camouflage to deceive Isaac. Even after feeling Jacob, Isaac said, “it sounds like Jacob, but he feels like Esau” and based on that, Isaac blessed Jacob who was posing as Esau. In fact, he still asked Jacob, “Are you really my son Esau?” Even after touching him and having decided to bless him, he still had doubt. When Jacob lied again stating he was indeed Esau, Isaac completes the process by asking for the food Jacob had prepared.

I have often wondered as to whether or not one could blame Isaac in this whole situation? If there was any doubt whatsoever, why did he not want more verification concerning who was standing before him? But isn’t that just what we humans resort to so easily – trying to assign blame? Does it really matter? The fact is both Jacob and Rebekeh deceived Isaac. He took the dish that Rebekeh had prepared, believing it was from the game that his eldest son Esau had caught, that Esau himself had prepared, and that Esau himself was giving to him. He ate the meal and drank the wine that Jacob also offered him. Perhaps it was customary to drink wine with every meal or perhaps there was an intention to detrimentally impact Isaac’s senses even more in hopes that Jacob would not be discovered as the imposter that he was.

Isaac doubts it is Esau, feels him, decides it is, asks for the food and eats then, and then with some doubt still in his mind asks Jacob posing as Esau to come close to him so that he can kiss him as he continues the blessing he is to bestow upon him. Jacob obliges and Isaac smells his garments eliminating any doubt in his mind as he reflects that the smell of Jacob’s clothes had the smell of a field (where Esau the hunter hung around most of the day). And with that as more evidence, Isaac blesses Jacob.

As I consider the concept of parental blessing, I realize that the majority who still believe in it see the words themselves as simply an expressed desire or powerful influence on what a child’s future may be. Because of the bond between parent and child, it is hoped that the child will do all he or she can to bring about the predicted circumstances of his or her parent’s blessing. Others, including myself, are more prone to see a parental blessing as a prayer to God imploring Him to bring about the expressed desires of the blessing in the life of one’s child. I have taken that approach in describing Isaac’s blessing of Jacob below.

He asks God to give Jacob the greatest prosperity possible as implied by that which comes as a result of morning dew falling on the crops. He also asks that Jacob be blessed with wealth through the ownership of cattle, along with an abundance of grain and wine that grew well in those areas. All of this stemming from the rain that God provided from the heavens. He asks God to bless Jacob as a leader of others and in particular that many peoples of the earth may serve him and his people, some in subjection to him. Following that, he tells Jacob to be a master over his brothers, implying not only Esau but also those that came afterwards from his family.

The blessing concludes with Isaac asking God to bless Jacob in a unique way that involved all others that would interact with him. Jacob asks God to curse his enemies and bless those that bless Jacob. This request is indeed based on God’s own blessing of Isaac’s own father, Abram as we read in Genesis 12:3. It is indeed necessary for us as parents who may give our children a parental blessing that we ensure our prayer for them is in keeping with what God wants for them.


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“We see the Lord has been with you!” -- Genesis 26:26-33

Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath and Phicol the commander of his army. Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?" They said, "We see plainly that the LORD has been with you; so we said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, even between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.' " Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. In the morning they arose early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace. Now it came about on the same day, that Isaac's servants came in and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water." So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

Even though Isaac has resettled in Beersheba, Abimelech apparently kept a close watch on his progress. Eventually, he makes a trip to Beersheba from Gerar to see Isaac, and he brings along two of his key people, an adviser named Ahuzzath and his army commander, Phicol. You may remember the proper noun Phicol from Genesis 21:22,32. As the chances of this being the same person from the days of Abraham is not likely, we can assume that Phicol is most probably, like Abimelech, a title given to all army commanders of the Philistines. The word used for advisor, merea, is translated as a companion or confidential friend, yet the actual word Ahuzzath is translated as ‘possession’. One could suppose that the king’s friends were indeed his possessions. To this point in scripture, the word used here for commander, sar, is translated as either commander or in the case of Genesis 12:15 as ‘official(s)’. In either case, it is one or more people assigned to be close to the king and to represent sources of strength, force, or protection, as required.

When they reach Isaac, he meets them head on with a most fitting question – “Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and had sent me away?” I am not sure if Abimelech’s entourage was prepared for that, but they certainly responded in a most interesting manner. In simple terms, these men were saying, “Isaac, we can see now that the Lord has been with you, and if that’s the case, we can’t afford to be at odds with you. If you ever decide to come after us, with God on your side, we don’t stand a chance. So let’s be allies. Let’s swear an oath and make a covenant between us that you won’t hurt us just as we didn’t hurt you when we sent you away. You are now blessed of God an we can’t deny that or fight it.”

What was Isaac’s biggest secret to his success? Simply this – he allowed God to deal with his enemies, choosing not to fight, but to always seeking peace, and if necessary, moving on. When one would expect Abimelech and the world to view such action as a weak defensive retreat, God saw to it that Isaac became the one to fear and the oppressors sought a treaty with him. Some of you may have experienced something similar in your own life. People that once fought you tooth and nail, and who you released from you life long ago, somehow come back to ask for your help and friendship – either because the chips were down for them or because they realized God was on your side.

At this very juncture in time, Isaac has a choice to make (as we all do when this happens to us). Does he extend a hand of agreement or does he send them back without it? The Bible says, “he made them a feast, and they ate and drank” and spent the night within his dwellings. Not only did he agree to the covenant but celebrated with them and accepted them into his household. That is a beautiful picture of what true reconciliation should look like – both between non-believers and us and between believers themselves. Oftentimes, when members of a local church are at odds with each other, they pay lip service to a treaty or they accept an apology, but are never really prepared to “celebrate” it and act accordingly as Isaac did here with Abimelech. With very rare exceptions (one example of which follows), it behooves us to go that extra step.

There are times, however, that one can accept the apologies of another party (and extend apologies in return) as to the hurt that has been caused, but may believe it is inappropriate to continue the relationship. One such example is two partners going into business together and one hurts the other or both hurt one another. Apologies are extended and accepted by both parties. One wants to continue working together; the other does not because it is now clear the approach of the parties to both business and relationships are indeed very different and incongruent. There would be no point in working together from then on. It is sufficient to make peace, bless each other, and go your separate ways.

The last part of this small portion of scripture is also of interest with respect to its timing. It says “the same day” that Abimelech and his party left Isaac’s household having made a peace covenant with him, Isaac’s people reported finding water from the well that they had dug earlier. Do the right thing and the blessing of God may well be instant – if not materially, certainly within your spirit. There is great joy and often tangible blessings as well in being a peacemaker.

Isaac then names that well Shibah, meaning ‘an oath’ and to this day the place is called Beersheba, meaning ‘the well of the oath’. Some may feel there is a conflict at this point with the content of Genesis 21:31 where Abraham names this location Beersheba as well many decades earlier. Remember that we are talking about a small town, later city, that was built around a well and in this case a well named because of an oath that had been made there. The fact remains that in Genesis 21:31, Abraham and a previous Abimelech had indeed made an oath at that very well. And yes, Abraham named the place Beersheba. The Philistines fill the well up and it dries. Decades later Isaac’s men re-dig the well while a later Abimelech and Isaac are making another covenant. The men then find water from this well (God allowed it to flow again) and Isaac also names the well Shibah and renames the town that has grown around it Beersheba. There is a great parallel here between the life of Abraham and the life of Isaac, his son. The latter is certainly very conscious of honoring the actions of his father by keeping the names Abraham had assigned years earlier.

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Meeting God at Beersheba -- Genesis 26:23-25

Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 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." 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.

As I read this Scripture portion, I understand it to say Isaac had moved to Gerar (Genesis 26:1), then moved to the valley of Gerar (26:17) and then moved within that valley again (26:22). Now in verse 23 we read that Isaac goes from ‘there’ to Beersheba.

Beersheba you will remember is where Hagar went after Abraham and Sarah had sent her away (Genesis 21:14). In Genesis 21:33 we learned that Abraham had planted a grove there and had called on the name of the Lord there. In Genesis 22:19 we read that this is where Abraham went to and dwelt after Isaac was spared by God from being sacrificed. And now here in Genesis 26:23 Isaac comes to Beersheba once again. Why he went there and exactly how far Beersheba was from where he last dwelt, is not clear. We do know that Beersheba was at one end of the country in Biblical times, the southernmost part. Given how God had used Beersheba in the past for Hagar and then Abraham, perhaps God wanted to take Isaac there, as a means of Isaac reconnecting with the Almighty as we see in this section. Sometimes God, even though we may feel ‘we’re finally home’ as Isaac did in verse 22, wants us to be totally reliant on Him and thus He moves us again and meets us where He takes us. The secret of a victorious life under His care is to be ready to pack up just when you think He’s allowed you to settle.

What happens at Beersheba? God does indeed meet there with him too -- just as the angel of God called to Hagar there when she was desperate and fearing that Ishmael was dying and just as God met there with Abraham his father. In many respects, Beersheba becomes the place where Abraham’s family meets alone with God.

Notice the text says the “Lord appeared to him the same night”. Those of us that are Type A personalities are often teased and sometimes ridiculed because of our “action- and goal-oriented” approach to life. Yet, throughout Scripture, I detect incidents where God acts very much like a Type A. This is one of them. He didn’t give Isaac a chance to settle in and get comfortable in Beersheba. That same night Isaac arrives there, God appears and tells him who He is. He assures Isaac of His presence with him and thus no need to fear. And He goes further, assuring him of being blessed and that his own descendants would be multiplied. But again, as we noted earlier, God is doing all of this for the sake of His servant Abraham. Never underestimate what God will do for your family and your descendants – grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and beyond – because of your relationship with Him. As I live my life and watch my grandchildren mature, this very thought of a blessing for them from God alone is, admittedly, a major driver in my desire to have a close and Holy relationship with God. I pray it may it be yours as well.

Isaac accepts the words of the Lord and in response he builds an altar there and he too calls upon the name of the Lord, just like his father did. Then he pitched his tent to stay there awhile, long enough that it was necessary for his servants to dig a well for them to have water. When God comes and meets us somewhere, we need to recognize His visit. Somehow, we need to establish a means whereby we give Him praise for that and then we need to stay awhile and cherish His words given to us there. We don’t build altars today as they did in Bible days, but we can identify a locale or a specific item in that vicinity that we will always remember as the place where God spoke to us, and we’ll want to visit there often. We’ll want to share that place with our children and grandchildren so they know that God had met us there and be open to His calling them, perhaps in the same spot.


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Letting Go and Starting All Over -- Genesis 26:18-22

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. But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, 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. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. 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."

In his new location, Isaac found the wells that had been dug when his father Abraham inhabited the area. After Abraham had died, the Philistines had made them non-functional, likely by filling them in. Perhaps this was for purposes of safety or in order to save the underground water allowing it to flow more readily towards their own wells. Isaac’s servants dug the wells again and he named them by the same names that his father had used. What an act of respect and honor to his father’s memory and to the family history.

My wife and I, along with my second daughter, her husband, and three children just moved in to our new combined house on the very property where my father and mother’s home was built in 1953. Almost fifty-six years later, I find myself looking out on views I used to see when I was five years old. I can still picture in my mind my father and mother working around the house and in their huge vegetable garden. I can see my father climbing the fruit trees to prune them. I can see my mother hanging out the washed clothes to dry (something we would not think of doing with today’s modern clothes dryers). As a family, we are doing what we can to keep the memory of my parents alive for us their children, and for their grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Isaac was doing likewise.

So Isaac’s men are digging out the old wells and perhaps some new ones. In the process, they find a strong-flowing artesian well. The well’s potential was soon realized by the herdsmen of the area and they fought with Isaac’s people for possession, claiming the well and its water as theirs. Because of this argument, Isaac names this well Esek, transliterated as Eseq in the Hebrew and translated to mean ‘contention’ in English.

Although the text at this very point does not say so, it appears from verse 22 that Isaac would rather ‘switch than fight’ and he had his men dig a second well, conceding the one named Esek over to the Philistine herdsmen. But they did not seem to be satisfied, arguing over the second well as well. As a result, Isaac calls this well Sitnah, translated from the Hebrew to mean ‘strife’.

There come times in our lives when we do experience both contention and strife even though we are doing what we believe is well within our understanding of what we can and are indeed to do as we follow and serve God. Unfortunately, others will not always see it that way, or even care about our desire to serve Him. So, contention and strife arises. Sometimes, it is necessary for us to do what Isaac did – to move away from the situation. Sometimes we need to put the quarreling behind us, let the issue go, and move on. Isaac moves away from that area of the valley and he starts all over again, digging yet another well. This is very similar to how his father Abraham dealt with the issue that arose between him and Lot. Abraham was always a peacemaker, not a compromiser. And Isaac followed that model. There were no quarrels over this third well. He named it Rehoboth (Rechobowth in Hebrew), meaning “wide places or streets”.

Isaac had finally got the desired freedom he had sought. God had finally made room for him and his household, providing him with a large expanse of land in which he could be successful. That should be the dream of every believer – not so much that we should own land necessarily, but that we should be free to succeed in our service and life for God. Admittedly, that can look very different for each of us. For some of our brothers and sisters, that could mean having great wealth and power and influence. For others, it could mean spending years in prison for their belief in God. What really matters is what we do with what God blesses us with.

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Dealing with the Envy of Others -- Genesis 26:15-17

Genesis 26:15-17: 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. Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.

The opening of this small section of scripture seems to answer a question we had raised earlier with respect to how Isaac got the land he farmed in Gerar. Here we learn it was indeed the same land that his father Abraham had settled in when Abimelech let him choose whatever land he wanted. In fact, the Philistines had now plugged up the wells that his father’s servants had dug. This was envy acted out. The only way they could stop Isaac’s success was to cut off the source of water for his flocks, herds, and household.

This is an excellent picture of man in his true nature. When someone else is doing well, we try to knock him down rather than aspire to climb up to where he may be. It is easier to destroy the works of others than to work hard to achieve similar things ourselves. That was human nature in the days of Isaac and it has not changed at all, for most, right up to today. Man not only reacts this way to man, but if we watch carefully, we see human nature reacting this way towards God. We criticize His world, His achievement, and even His gift to mankind. We blame Him for all our woes. And many in the world today try to do whatever they can to “plug up God’s wells of living water”. They block prayers in the schools, they stop preachers from telling the truth about things God does not condone, and prohibit the teaching of anything that looks like or sounds like creationism, and so on. In fact, they pursue the ultimate act of saying they too can be gods and that God Himself is nothing special – nothing man cannot be.

Now here’s the next interesting thing that occurs in this story. Abimelech, the King, sides with his own people against Isaac and chooses to send him away. The reason? Well, the King says, “you are much mightier than us”. Perhaps this meant they could not defeat him because of how big his household was or they could not compete with him in day-to-day commerce. It is also possible that they may have seen God’s blessing on him and they started to fear for their own position. Perhaps God could bless him enough to make him able to take over the ruling of the Philistines and Abimelech would lose his influence, power, and means of wealth. One would think one would want people who had received the blessing of God around, for some of it might well rub off on them. But when evil and fear and jealousy or envy gets in the way, we cannot expect people to be thinking straight. Let us hope that we ourselves do not succumb to such feelings lest our thinking go astray.

Verse 17 tells us that Isaac departed from where he dwell and camped in the valley of Gerar. Two points worthy of mention. First, Isaac did not argue for his rights. You will remember that this same Abimelech that was sending him away was the same one who in verse 11 of this same chapter charged all the people that they were not to touch this man (Isaac) or his wife, for if they did they would be put to death. Isaac had the law of the King behind him. He could have used that in his defense but chose not to. Instead he put his rights aside and moved away from the area that he had cultivated and developed, likely close to where the King himself lived, and had to settle in another, perhaps less fruitful part of the country the Bible refers to as the “valley of Gerar” as compared to Gerar itself. Not only did he not stand up for his rights, but he was willing to give up his comfort also to avoid a fight or argument. What is the lesson for us?

Earlier this morning I spoke with a pastor who believes he was truly wronged by his staff, his church board, and his superintendent. The ramifications are significant on many counts -- ministry calling, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial. His legal advisors indicated he has sufficient evidence to pursue large damage claims. He does not want that, preferring instead to do everything in accordance with New Testament teaching. My dilemma as a counselor is how exactly to help him and his family heal, and to be reconciled with his church so that the work of the Lord may continue and be flourished there. We are both concerned about the possibility of this type of hurt, interference, and lack of support be repeated over and over again with other pastors in that particular denomination. In that instance, I believed that he had a responsibility to find a way by which he could lovingly and openly share his side of the story and then leave it totally up to God to work out all things for God’s own glory. In Isaac’s case there was likely no point in doing that perhaps. And that may also be the case most of the times when we are wronged. We must simply move on and trust God to replenish our loss a hundredfold. But I believe there are situations when we must have the courage, often at a great cost, to stand up meekly and without malice, state our position, and entrust the matter to God.

Second, one can, (whether one should or not I will not debate here) ask the question as to whether or not Isaac should have left. After all, in verse 2 of this chapter, God had very clearly stated, “stay in the land of which I shall tell you.” And between verses 2 and 17, there is no reference to God telling him to move on out. Only Abimelech told him to do that. I only point this out for as we study scripture together we learn from what has gone on ahead. Earlier in Genesis we were made aware of disobedience to God’s exact instructions and the consequences thereof. Simply put, Isaac obeyed Abimelech and not God at this juncture of our study. Our knowing of whether or not the consequences will be significant will have to wait for a point later in our study.

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Isaac in Gerar -- Genesis 26:1-6

Genesis 26:1-6: 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. The LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. 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. 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; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws." So Isaac lived in Gerar.

In this section we read of a famine in the land where Isaac and his family lived. The Bible is very careful to point out that this had happened before in the times of Abraham partly to distinguish the current famine from that one and perhaps partly to set the stage for Isaac’s actions that were in some ways learned from his father’s experience. In Genesis 12:10 we read about Abraham going down to Egypt in order to escape the famine in his own country. Likewise, Isaac goes to Gerar. This is a lodging place or town south of Gaza. Gerar, a Philistine town, had been mentioned previously in Scripture. In Genesis 10:19 we learn that this was were the Canaanites settled, Canaan being the son of Ham who was the son of Noah. In Genesis 20:1 we learn of Abraham and Sarah lying to Abimelech, the king at Gerar, about their relationship.

So Isaac journeys there and the land is still ruled by an Abimelech. This title implying “father king” was a common title given to the kings of the Philistines over a considerable period of time. Thus we do not know for certain from this passage that his father had dealt with the same identical person although that is a real possibility. It was there that the Lord appears to Isaac and tells him not to go to Egypt but instead to remain in a place that God will tell him. And then God proceeds to tell him to stay in Gerar and that God would be there with him and bless him. In fact, God, for the first time, goes so far as to share His covenant to Abraham with Isaac, personally. He tells him that He will give all these lands to him and his descendants. God restates His promise to Abraham and tells Isaac that He’ll bring it about for him. He reiterates the details of the Covenant He made with Abraham.

But most importantly, God explains why He will do all this for Isaac and his descendants. God lays it out very clearly, “…because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.” Perhaps the only word that may need some explaining is the word ‘charge’ or in Hebrew mishmereth, which is translated as guard, function, obligation, service, watch; a keeping or preserving; an office or ceremonial function (as in the priesthood).

It seems to me that this is the foundational formula for success in the life of any child of God’s. We are to obey Him, serve Him by looking after what He has entrusted to us, and keeping His commandments, statutes, and laws that are still applicable to us in accordance with the work accomplished by His Son, Jesus Christ. That is a pretty complete formula in that it entails all of what we are to do.

The section ends by simply telling us that Isaac dwelled in Gerar. He could count on God to “establish” His oath that was made with his father. What a joy that must have been to realize that God’s favor on one’s life is partially due to the relationship that one’s father had with God. What an incentive that is for us who are parents as we live our lives today. The very thought of knowing that God may very well bless my daughters and son and my grandchildren partially on the basis of how well I obey Him, serve Him, and keep His commandments, is reason enough to do so. Finally, what a reason that provides for us to lead our children to a personal relationship with God in order that this blessing will continue in the generations that come after them. Besides our personal relationship with God, that is the greatest responsibility of any parent.

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Isaac and Rebekah Had Favorites Genesis 25:27-28

When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

As one may have thought, given Esau’s ruddy and robust appearance when he was born, he took a fancy to hunting and became very proficient in it. The Hebrew text yada implies that not only was he good at this but that he had studied and came to know it inside out, having perceived all aspects of it. Today, he probably would have hosted his own hunting show on television although the focus of the program would have been hunting for food rather than pleasure. He was likely the means by which the family was able to enjoy many good meals of game. The use of the word ‘field’ here may have one of at least four possible meanings, only one of which implies a ‘cultivated land’. The Hebrew word sadeh is also used to mean ‘a land that is a home to wild beasts’ and even a ‘plain type of land as opposed to mountains’.

Jacob on the other hand is reported to be a ‘peaceful’ man who lived in tents. It is not clear whether or not the text intended to imply that Esau was not peaceful. I think we can take it to mean that Esau was most restless and had to be out and about all the time, while Jacob was more content to stay at home, perhaps reflecting on life, listening to stories told by his elders, or helping his mother with the affairs of the home. Some Bible versions use the word ‘plain’ for the Hebrew tam rather than translate it ‘peaceful’. In either case, the word not only means an ordinary, quiet sort of man, but also implies a complete or perfect being, one who lacks nothing in physical strength, beauty, etc. It is used with reference to someone who is sound and wholesome, morally innocent, with integrity, and ethically pure.

Clearly these two twins were very different. We could safely assume that the phrase ‘kindred spirits’ could not be applied to them. And their parents noted their differences. Unfortunately, these differences formed the basis by which their parents identified preferences for one over the other. Isaac ‘loved’ Esau simply because he was more into hunting which we assume Isaac himself enjoyed. Today this could be equated to a parent who favors one male son over another if the former has a knack for hockey or some other sport while the other one is more comfortable with writing, music, or other art. Rebekah on the other hand, the text says, ‘loved’ Jacob.

The use of the word ‘loved’ to describe the feelings of both parents to their respective preferred child is most interesting. That a parent should love their child is natural and healthy and desirable. That a parent should love one child more than the other, as the context seems to imply, is none of those. In my own mind I have tried to explain this verse in some other way, but I cannot. Isaac’s choice was based primarily on the fact that his son Esau often satisfied his hunger for venison. Rebekah on the other hand may well have made her choice based on what God had told her about the youngest child’s future. In general, though, favoritism towards one child over another is not a way to parent properly. If one feels they must make such a choice, for whatever reason, it should reflect the choice we believe to the best of our ability God would have made (although I would never purport to assume we could think in any equivalent manner with God).

I also want to distinguish between loving someone and condoning their behavior. There comes a time when a child makes decisions and/or exhibits behaviors that are not in keeping with God’s desire for his/her life. When we detect evidence of this, it is appropriate for us not to condone their actions. We should, however, make that decision not based not on what we as parents think is right, but on what the Word of God clearly and unequivocally says. This is not an area where we disagree on matters of interpretation or cultural practices, but rather where there is clear-cut sin involved. In circumstances like that, I believe it is appropriate to indicate that we oppose such behavior. I am not convinced, however, that we can ever, even under those circumstances, stop loving our child. If that were the case, God would have stopped loving many of us years ago. We still have a responsibility to make countless efforts to help them get back on the right track, and at the very least, always keep the door unlocked for them to return.

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