(Genesis) Genesis 25:19-26

Then we come in verse 19, and we have here, "...and these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son, Abraham begat Isaac." Now, this is the line we're going to follow, and you will find this in the first chapter of the book of Genesis. Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob. Each one of these had other sons, as we've seen.

Abraham had quite a few sons here, but they're not mentioned, that is, the genealogy of these men's not followed at all. Only the genealogy of Isaac is followed. And now we read in verse 20, we're following Isaac from now on.

You can forget Ishmael, and you can forget Midian and Medan. Now, they'll cross the path of the sons of Abraham through Isaac time and again. Now, Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel, the Syrian of Paddan-Aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Now, this girl Rebekah is barren. Now, Isaac beseeches the Lord, and she now is going to give birth to twins.

Verse 22, "...and the children struggled together within her." And that is a very interesting statement. In fact, it's so interesting that you can follow it right on through the scripture. This is the struggle.

You find that that is the struggle that goes on today in the world. There is a struggle between light and darkness, between good and evil, between the spirit and the flesh. And every child of God knows something of that struggle.

It's what's set before us in the 7th of Romans. "...and the children struggled together within her. And she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord.

She didn't quite understand. And now," verse 23, "...and the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy being. And the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger." Now, this is the statement that God makes to her, the elder is to serve the younger.

Now, she should have believed it, and also her son that was the younger should have believed it, because God says that the elder shall serve the younger. Now, verse 24, "...and when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau." That means red, by the way.

He came out red, earth-colored. He's the eldest, but the eldest to serve the younger. "...And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel, and his name was called Jacob.

And Isaac was threescore years old when she buried them." Actually, they'd been married there for about 20 years before the children were born. These two boys, and the oldest is Esau. He's all red, if you please, earth-colored.

And Jacob, they called him that, a usurper. "...And he took hold on Esau's heel." And he's trying to become the elder or take his place, but God's already promised that to him, and he should have believed God. Now, we look at these two boys as they grow up in this home.

"...And the boys grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter and a man of the field, and Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents." Now, here are the two boys, they're twins, but no two boys were ever as different as these two are. They not only struggled in the womb, but they are against each other from here on out. They just absolutely have different viewpoints, a different philosophy of life, their thinking is different, their attitude is different.

Now, at the very beginning, I must confess that Esau is more attractive than Jacob is. But you see, you can't always judge by the outward sign. You have to judge by what takes place on the inside.

Frankly, you need to see that in this particular case here.