the line of/ the story of (Isaac)

This (last) week's reading was from Genesis 25:19-28:9.

The summary:

Chapter 25:
Isaac is 40 years old marrying Rebekah.
Rebekah was barren but conceives after Isaac prays to the LoRD.
The babies wrestled within Rebekah, Yahweh tells her two nations struggle within, and the elder shall serve the younger.

Chapter 26:
Famine takes Isaac to Gerar in Philistine.
Yahweh appears and confirms promise.
Isaac claims Rebekah as his sister.
Found by king Abimelech, Isaac admits his wrong.
Yahweh blesses Isaac, but he is unwanted by the Philistines.
Strifes at wells: Yahweh provides room for Isaac at Rehoboth.
-
At Beersheba, Yahweh appears again to confirm promise.
Isaac builds altar, pitches tent, and has his servants dig a well.
Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol goes to Isaac to make a peace covenant.
Isaac's servants dig a well, Shebah, so the place is named Beersheba.
-
Esau takes two wives, Judith, Beeri's daughter, and Bashemath, Elon's daughter, both Hittites, they were a grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Chapter 27:
Esau is told to hunt and cook venison to be blessed by Isaac.
Rebekah schemes for Jacob to be blessed.
Jacob is afraid, but Rebekah is bold.
Jacob gives Isaac the food Rebekah made.
Although suspicious, Isaac blesses Jacob nonetheless after the meal.
Esau returns just afterwards.
Isaac realizes the truth and trembles.
Esau mourns loudly, and his consolation: killing Jacob.
Rebekah, aware of Esau's plot, sends Jacob to Laban;
Rebekah complains about Esau's wives to Isaac.

Chapter 28:
Isaac instructs Jacob to find a wife from Laban's daughters in Canaan.
Isaac sends out Jacob to Laban, Bethuel's son, Rebekah's brother, with a blessing.
Esau, seeing his parents' unhappiness of his wives and the obedience of Jacob, takes a Ishmaelite wife, Mahalath, Nebajoth's sister.



Jacob totally steals the show here (pardon the lame pun), twice from the view of Esau. However, in fact, as we can see from the text:

1. Esau, the son that originally had the blessing, took for granted his birthright, at the price of his own gratification.

2. Rebekah did pretty much all of the stealing, or the redemption of the blessing; that is, claiming the blessing for the beloved (25:27) at the willingness of taking on the father's curse.

*. Jacob, although not perfect according to the law, because of the obedience to the voice of his parent, obtained the blessing.



Of course, the veteran believers can easily spot Jesus and the Father, along with us beneficiaries of the blessings in the above illustration.

So how about Esau?
As I imagine, Esau could depict any numerous figures of beings that are ungodly and have no regard for blessings that initially belonged to them but does not any more.

If the reader would grant me an extra measure of conjecturing, I would venture that it could be Lucifer/Satan, the one, of all of God's "sons" or created beings, that had the most promise. (see Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7, Ezekiel 28:12-19). This is probably a good time to review my first post.


All of this exercising one's mind in God's Word really doesn't seem to affect the price of gas in any one of our neighborhoods. In fact, too much knowledge only yields an inflated head, along with all the temptations of where pride and arrogance leads, which is exactly what happened to Esau, along with Lucifer/Satan.

So the application is precisely walking in humility, not at all taking for granted what has been given to us (Romans 11:19-25), exercising our faith by working out our salvation (Phil 2:12, it's a "therefore" verse, so it would be good to read v.1-11 to see what it's "there for")


I could continue to steer the flow of the entry so that I could end this in my usual way, but I'll stop, so that you (the reader) could possibly say,


God is good.


--