By Teman Knight
Adjunct Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
ISAAC AND REBEKAH: FAMILY FAVORITES
Genesis 25:24–28; 27:5–13
We are called to love God and each other. Loving one person does not impact our ability to love someone else. When our first grandchild was born, I thought I could never love any other child that much.
After five grandchildren, I still find that I have plenty of love in my heart for each of them. I tell my students that it is OK for their church members to love a former pastor because they can love them both. If the new pastor honors the former pastor, their people will love them both more because of it.
When Isaac was 40 years old, Abraham sent his servant to find Isaac a wife. With God’s help the servant was able to find Rebekah, and she and Isaac were married.
After 29 years of barrenness, Rebekah became pregnant with twins. God told her that she had two nations inside of her and the older one would serve the younger one. This foreshadowed the struggle that was to come.
Playing favorites is out of place in the family. (25:24–28)
The first son was born looking red and very hairy. He was named Esau, which means “hairy.” His descendants would become the nation of Edom, which means “red.” The younger son was born grasping his brother’s heel. He was named Jacob, which means “heel-catcher.” This term was used to convey the idea of a trickster or con man.
Esau grew up to be an outdoorsman and a hunter. His dad loved this because he enjoyed the taste of wild game. Jacob, on the other hand, was more of a stay-at-home person. He was described as a quiet man. The word in Hebrew is often translated as “complete” or “blameless” and is used in Job 1:8 to describe Job. Rebekah loved Jacob perhaps because he stayed home, or perhaps she was influenced by God’s words to her before they were born. Isaac and Rebekah each favoring one son over the other set up a family dynamic that led to heartache. Favoritism can be especially destructive when it finds its way into the church or family.
Deception is out of place in the family. (27:5–10)
The blessing of the birthright was extremely important. The birthright involved a double portion of the inheritance and leadership of the tribe, including spiritual leadership.
Esau demonstrated that he was unworthy of this position of leadership when he traded the birthright for a bowl of stew. Isaac was about 137 years old at this point, and although he lived to be 180, he acted like he would die very soon.
His impatience to give Esau the blessing suggests that he was following his own plans, not God’s will. Rebekah’s and Jacob’s impatience is demonstrated by their plotting and deception. God had promised that Jacob would lead, but they were unwilling to wait for God to orchestrate His plan.
Encouraging others to sin is out of place in the family. (11–13)
Jacob was concerned about the consequences if Isaac realized the deception. Rebekah was willing to take the blame if that happened, but we are not able to protect another from the consequences of sin. Rebekah’s sin cost her and Jacob when he followed her lead. This created division in the family and would force Jacob to flee and live away from her for the rest of her life.
EDITOR’S NOTE — The Sunday School lesson outlines are provided by Lifeway.
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