GOD’S PLAN FOR REBEKAH’S TWIN SONS
Genesis 25:19-34
The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” (23)
chapter 25
19. This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac,
20. and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.
21. Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
22. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23. The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."
24. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.
25. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.
26. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
27. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.
28. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29. Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.
30. He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.)
31. Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."
32. "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"
33. But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.
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1. Isaac was forty when God blessed him with Rebekah as a wife. Likely remembering his own heritage, he prayed on behalf of his wife, who was childless, and God answered his prayer. Isaac prayed for twenty years (26b)! Let’s learn patient, long-term prayer as we intercede for others.
2. Rebekah, suffering in pregnancy, engages in spiritual dialogue with God (22). God reveals to her his plan for her twin sons: they will separate into two nations, with the older serving the younger (23). Before they were born God had chosen Jacob as the spiritual heir (Ro 9:10-12). From their birth into young adulthood, the characters of these two boys are revealed: Esau, the oldest, is hairy and physical, a man ruled by his stomach. Jacob, the younger, is a devious and ambitious home body, who manipulates his brother to receive the birthright. Both have character flaws. Instead of praying and talking together about their boys, Isaac and Rebekah played favorites (28). This will have long term implications for their family.
3. As we pray for our children, grandchildren, and Bible students to know and carry out God’s plan for their lives, it will require both struggle with God in prayer and struggle together in community.
Prayer: Father, help me to pray and struggle with you and work together with others to raise disciples in my family and in your world.
One Word: Find prayer partners for disciple raising