Genesis 33

Study Guide 7: Genesis 25-36 ISAAC AND JACOB Overview Isaac and Jacob, Abraham’ s son and grandson, are significant men. This is not so much because of any contribution their lives make to us, but because they are links in the line through which the covenant promises of God are passed on. The genealogical record proves the right of Israel to special relationship with God and to the land promised to Abraham. BIRTHRIGHT. The birthright was the extra portion of a father’ s goods which ancient custom dictated must go to the eldest son. In these chapters of Genesis, the birthright which Esau despised and Jacob valued was the covenant promise of God.

Commentary These chapters are almost a rest, or a pause, in the dramatic stories told in Genesis. They report the lives of the son and the grandson of Abraham, men to whom the covenant promises were confirmed, and through whom the line is traced. But their lives mark a pause in the development of the divine purpose. No great and single message shines through these chapters, as it did through early Genesis. In Abraham God introduced the covenant theme which dominates the Old Testament. And in the man Abraham God illustrates the nature of faith, and the role faith will always play in man’ s relationship with God. But Isaac and Jacob are lesser men, and consequently play less significant roles. Yet, like all “ less significant” people, they are easy for you and me to identify with. In God’ s dealings with them, we can find much to enrich our own lives.

Studying the Old Testament There are many approaches to take in studying Scripture. Each has its role and function. Each is appropriate; each gives us insight into the meaning and the message of the sacred text. Among the ways we might study Genesis 25-36 are these: the archeological, the theological, and the devotional, and what we might call the comparative; looking at the rest of Scripture to see what God seeks to emphasize. The archeological. This approach involves examining the customs and folkways of Bible times to help us understand actions reported in the Bible. This method is helpful on two counts. First, we’ re kept from reading motives and causes into the actions of Bible characters which really are not there. For instance, in Genesis 31:1-55 we read that Rachel, Jacob’ s wife, stole her father’ s household gods (idols). The immediate reaction might be, “ Ah ha! The family is involved in pagan worship, and Rachel wants to hold on to her religion. The family may go back to Palestine, but Rachel will keep on being pagan.” I’ m sure sermons must even have been preached on this text, on the danger of bringing along our old “ gods” when we turn to Jesus and journey toward our own “ promised land.” There’ s only one thing wrong with such an application. The interpretation of Rachel’ s action is in error. In those days the household gods were a symbol of family headship. The heir was the one to possess the household gods. When Jacob fled with his family, Rachel’ s theft was her way of laying claim for her husband and children to all her father had. It’ s possible this theft and the claim it implies were major factors leading Laban and his sons to pursue Jacob so far. Archeology also gives us insight into Jacob’ s “ gift” to Esau when he sent herds of animals on ahead to his brother (Gen. 32-33). When the two brothers met, Esau at first politely protested that he had plenty and did not need the gifts. Jacob urged him to accept. This urging was not from mere politeness, nor even a salve to a guilty conscience. In Jacob’ s time, to refuse such a gift would have meant that Esau was declaring himself to still be an enemy. Acceptance of the gift bound Esau to friendship. It was a visible sign to all that the rift between the two brothers was healed. Without some knowledge of the customs of Bible times, it is dangerous to make hasty judgments about the meaning or application of such incidents. We’ re too inclined to read into them meanings that are not there. The second value of the archeological approach to the study of a passage is found in the way the biblical record is confirmed. The customs are those of Palestine or Egypt, or wherever the location is, and at just the time when the events were supposed to take place. We are compelled to believe that, whatever else the Bible may be, it is an accurate record. It is a historical document in which we can have full confidence. The theological. When we look at a portion of Scripture from a theological perspective, we’ re concerned about what it reveals of God and/or of His ways. If we look at Genesis 25-36 this way, our attention is drawn at once to the centrality of the covenant. After Abraham died, God spoke to Isaac. He told Isaac to stay in Palestine and promised to fulfill the oath which He swore to Isaac’ s father (Genesis 26:3). The obedience of faith had kept Abraham in the place of blessing; now Isaac was exhorted to trust and obey, and assured that through his line the original promise would be kept. An express personal promise is communicated as well. God promised to be with this man, Isaac, to bless him (Genesis 26:3). God was not making a new covenant. The covenant had already been established with Abraham. Abraham’ s descendants were simply invited to participate in it; there was no need to constantly renew a promise once given. It’ s the same with Jacob. Isaac, Jacob’ s father, blessed him as inheritor of the covenant. (Note: Archeological discoveries indicate that a father’ s deathbed blessing had the force of a will in patriarchal times.) Then God appeared to Jacob, identifying Himself as “ the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac” (Genesis 28:13). In this appearance God told Jacob that the promises were now given to him; he was the heir and inheritor. Then, while returning to the Promised Land after being away 20 years, Jacob called on God as the covenant-keeping God (Genesis 32:9-13), and God appeared to him, reconfirming again the promises. These repeated affirmations of the covenant promise to Isaac and Jacob make it clear that the announced purpose of God will be fulfilled through the family line, a line that has its source in Abraham both as its physical progenitor and as an example of faith. In these passages we see that God is working out His promises. The purpose is sure, restated to each generation of patriarchs. The land, the special relationship with God, the blessing, and being a blessing are the very root of each generation’ s sense of identity. These are a people chosen “ for the sake of My servant [your father] Abraham” (Genesis 26:24). The theological approach, then, allows us to keep the main emphasis of a section of Scripture in view. It lets us trace what God is doing and what He views as important by noting the repeated concepts and the personal interventions of God, which give us our clues. The comparative. In this approach to studying a section of Scripture, we look at other parts of the Bible to find some divine commentary. What application has the Holy Spirit made of incidents recorded here? Both direct and indirect application are made in the Old and New Testaments of earlier incidents. The main theme of a passage may be directly commented on, as in Romans 4:1-25 where Paul examines the meaning of Abraham’ s experience with God, exploring what it is that makes him the father of all who believe. At times, incidents may be pointed out simply as illustrations of principles which are not themselves the central message of the earlier passage. This is an indirect application. For instance, in Romans 9:1-33 Paul looks back to the patriarchs to demonstrate a point he is arguing. It seems that some Jewish people in Paul’ s time had looked at Christianity as an implicit rejection of the covenant and the covenant people. They could not believe that God would abandon His promises, and so they rejected this new faith in Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. In answer, Paul pointed out that not every Hebrew is a spiritual descendant of Abraham, even though he may be able to trace his physical descent to him. Isaac and Ishmael were both Abraham’ s children, but God said the covenant promise applied only to Isaac’ s seed. A reader may object at this point. Ishmael was also the son of a slave! But Paul goes on to point out that Isaac fathered and Rebekah bore twins: Jacob and Esau. Yet God chose Jacob and rejected Esau, even before the boys were born. The point is made. God has freedom to choose some as recipients of the covenant blessings while rejecting others. And this choice does not in any way indicate a repudiation of the covenant. Nor does God’ s decision to extend the benefits of the covenant to Gentiles repudiate the promise to Abraham. The Gentiles who believe in God find a relationship with God through faith just as Abraham did, thus fulfilling the intention of God that in Abraham all the nations of the earth should share in the blessings. This then is an indirect use of the Old Testament. The main message of the Genesis record is not that God is free to choose those who will benefit under the covenant. But the historical events do demonstrate that God makes just this kind of choice, and that the covenant itself is not violated by the selection of some but not all of Abraham’ s descendants as benefactors. The covenant was made with Abraham. Those who, like Abraham, have faith are invited to share its blessings. Even an entire generation’ s unbelief could never invalidate the promise and the purpose of the Lord.

Devotional Study This is a very important and helpful approach to Bible study, one we all need to learn. In a way, it builds on the comparative approach we’ ve just seen. In Romans 9:1-33 Paul goes back to Genesis and focuses on two incidents that illustrate how God deals with people. In devotional study we do something very similar. We fix on an incident, and think about it. We ask, “ What can I learn here about God’ s ways of working in my life?” This is what sets the devotional approach apart from others. Our primary concern is personal application. We want to enter into the experiences of men and women of the past, to see mirrored in their experiences with the Lord God’ s ways with us. We hear warnings in their faults, encouragement in their faith, and hope in God’ s faithfulness to them. As all of these experiences are applied to our daily lives, our own lives are enriched and our confidence in God grows. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Your group can quickly learn the devotional method for their own Bible study. Duplicate for each person the following guide. Then select several incidents from these Genesis chapters. Have teams do 20-minute devotional studies, following the guide step by step. Then let each group share applications with the rest of the group. Devotional Study Guide I. ObservationLook for significant features. What’ s the background of the incident? Who is involved? What are the relationships between people? What is happening? Why are particular choices made or actions taken? II. InterpretationWhy did these events happen? What are the cause-effect relationships? What were the results? What does this passage reveal about God and His ways? What is the primary message of the passage? III. ApplicationHow am I like the people here? What experiences of mine are parallel? When do I have similar feelings, face similar situations? How can I profit from or be guided by what is recorded? Let’ s look then at several incidents in these chapters to see how they might be approached devotionally. Esau’ s hunger (Genesis 25:29-34). Esau was the oldest son of Isaac and, according to law and custom, was in line to inherit a double portion of Isaac’ s possessions, including the covenant promise of God. This was his birthright: his right by birth. But one day after a hunting trip Esau came home hungry. Jacob was boiling a stew of lentils, and Esau asked for some. Seeing his chance, and knowing his brother well, Jacob demanded Esau’ s birthright in return. The Bible tells us that Esau “ despised” his birthright and swore it to Jacob as the price of the pottage. What a picture! Esau weighed the promise of God’ s continual presence and blessing against a bowl of soup — and valued the soup more highly. What a revelation of Esau’ s character. He was a man who valued the present rather than the future, the material rather than the invisible. The momentary satisfaction of physical desires seemed more important to him than the approval of God. The body, not the spirit, dominated his scale of values. I can look at Esau’ s act and be amazed by it. But what I need to realize is that this act of selling the birthright was an action that is in character, not out of character. It was the result of a long process of character formation, a long history of choice after choice which shaped Esau’ s personality. Right now I may look at Esau with wonder and say, “ I’ d never do that.” Instead I ought to look at the action as an expression of character, and wonder: In what direction are my daily choices leading me? Do I so value my present experiences that I fail to discipline myself to wait when waiting is best? Do I have to have the pleasures of eating despite the fact that I’ m overweight? Is God high enough on my priority list to cause me to spend time with Him, or do other things push Him out of my thoughts? I can shake my head in wonder at Esau, but I had better realize that unless I make a daily habit of rejecting Esau’ s values, I might someday be faced with a similar choice — and make the wrong one! The stolen blessing (Genesis 27:1-46). Rebekah, and Jacob her son, plotted to deceive Isaac and get the blessing for Jacob that Isaac wanted to go to his oldest son, Esau. Disguised to fool the now-blind Isaac, Jacob stood before his father and lied, “ I am Esau your firstborn” (Genesis 27:19). How completely unnecessary! At the brothers’ births God had told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). Yet as the critical time drew closer and closer, mother and son felt impelled to “ help God out.” What was the result? Jacob did receive the blessing — which he would have received anyway. Bitterness was heightened between the brothers, and Esau’ s hatred became so intense that he planned to kill Jacob after their father died. Rebekah, who had plotted to help her favorite son, was forced to send him away for 20 years, and did not live to see him return. True, it worked out in the end. But the anger, the fear, the separation — all these might have been avoided had Jacob and Rebekah simply trusted God and rejected deceit. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Play a game of “ Might Have Been” with your group. Let teams of three imagine how God might have given the promise to Jacob as He intended, but without the stress and pain that lying and deceit brought. Let your imaginations soar on this one — be creative and have fun. Afterward, sum up by noting that though Rebekah and Jacob made bad choices, God worked despite their mistrust and blessed Jacob, giving him a large family, riches, and the new name Israel. How clearly the story illustrates the reality of Romans 8:28! Then play the game again, using personal experiences. Tell of a time when you made a bad choice (or ask a volunteer to share). Let the group brainstorm. What might you or the volunteer have done differently? When the brainstorming is over, share how God has used even your mistakes to teach, correct, or enrich you. The purpose of this exercise is not to assure people that they can do wrong, and good will come. The purpose is to help each member realize that God intends good for us. How much better to simply obey His will, and receive the good without all the pain that actions like those of Jacob bring. There are two important lessons in the story of Jacob and Esau. I don’ t have to take Jacob’ s road to blessing. Instead, I can trust God and commit myself to do the right thing at all times. Truth, not lies, will serve me far better. God’ s will still will be done, and I’ ll be able to live in harmony with those around me. How great it is to shrug off all sense of pressure and to commit my way to God, confident that as I daily do His will, His good purposes will be performed. Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-15). Afraid that his brother would kill him, Jacob fled to his mother’ s relatives in Haran. On the way, alone and at night, he lay down in the dirt with only a stone for a pillow. How Jacob must have missed his family then. How alone and frightened he must have felt. But there God appeared to him, and confirmed the transmission of the covenant promises. And God added a personal word for Jacob: “ I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN This is a wonderful story for children. They can identify with the feelings of Jacob as he is alone in the dark, worried, and afraid. But they may need help in their own times of anxiety and fear to remember God’ s presence. After telling this Bible story and talking about God’ s promise to be with us too (cf. Hebrews 13:5), do what Jacob did. Make a pile of smaller rocks to bring to class. Give each child a “ with you” rock to carry in his or her pocket, or put by the bed at night. Encourage your children when they feel afraid or lonely to grip the rock tight, and repeat the promise God gives to all His children: “ I am with you and will watch over you.” Jacob’ s prayer (Genesis 32:9-12). After 20 years with his father-in-law, Laban, Jacob took his wives and children and flocks to return to the Promised Land. God told him to return, but Jacob was frightened. The remembrance of the wrong he’ d done Esau 20 years before as well as of Esau’ s hatred combined to produce guilt and terror. Now Jacob was about to meet his brother. Driven to the Lord, he prayed the longest recorded prayer up to this time. It’ s fascinating to see what Jacob said. He reminded God of His covenant promise (Genesis 32:9). Then he denied any personal merit as a possible basis for God’ s favor and reminded God (and himself) of the blessings from God he had enjoyed (Genesis 32:10). Then he honestly admitted his fear of Esau and begged God’ s help (Genesis 32:11). Finally Jacob reminded God of His personal promise to him that his descendants would be the chosen people (Genesis 32:12). In many ways this prayer of Jacob’ s is a model for us. We have to give up all notion of personal merit as a basis for claiming God’ s favor. We can and must rely on the character of God as a covenant-keeping God, one who keeps all His promises to His people. We need to be honest in expressing our fears and doubts and uncertainties to God, to face our own deep need of Him and Him alone for strength and provision. Also we need to remember God’ s personal promises as one of the “ whosoever” for whom Christ died. Because in Jesus God has freely given all things, we can know that He seeks only to do us good. Because of who God is, we can abandon everything to Him, and rest. The wound of grace (Genesis 32:24-32). On the night Jacob prayed, he went out to plan his own way to gain Esau’ s favor. He prepared a number of gifts for his brother and sent them on ahead. He trusted God — and then took out insurance. That night a “ Man” whom Jacob assumed to be an angel or theophany (a preincarnate appearance of God in human form, Genesis 32:30) wrestled with him. In the struggle the Man touched the back of Jacob’ s thigh. Some commentators feel the ball and socket there were thrown out of joint. Others say that a ligament (sinew, or tendon) was torn. Jacob was left with a permanent limp. Sometimes a wound is a very special act of God’ s grace. Jacob struggled to hold onto the man, for after suffering the wound he must have realized how much more powerful this Visitor was than he himself, and he wanted His blessing. How often we need to be wounded for the same reason! It’ s easy for us to trust our own skills and abilities. But sometimes a wound (physically, or in a broken relationship, or in the failure of a much-loved plan) will remind us to cling to God again, totally dependent on Him for blessing. How good it is that God doesn’ t hold back from hurting us — for our own good. In this experience Jacob received a new name: Israel, “ he who strives with God.” Jacob had struggled with God, refusing to give up until God blessed him. That name may well represent the transformation of character that had begun in Jacob. But now the wound remained, a constant reminder of Jacob’ s need for God. A Jacob wholly dependent on God can become an Israel. What can we become if we let each wound draw us closer to the Lord and make us more dependent on Him?

Teaching Guide Prepare Select an incident from Genesis 25-26, and use the devotional method outlined above to study and apply it to your own life.

Explore

1. Give a minilecture on the four methods of studying the Old Testament discussed in this unit. Illustrate each as the text does.
2. Select four or five incidents from these chapters. Tell each story briefly, and ask every group member to write down one lesson he or she can apply to his personal experience.

Expand

1. Give out Devotional Study Guide sheets. Let each group member pick one of the stories you told in explore (2) to study more carefully. Those who pick a particular story can meet together as a study team. Follow the process outlined in “ link-to-life” above.
2. Try the “ might have been” game approach with your group. See “ link-to-life” above.

Apply Sometimes physical reminders of spiritual truths are valuable to adults as well as to children. So why not pass around “ with you” rocks to each member of your group to carry that week as reminders of the promise of God’ s presence.