The great difference between Jacob, the chosen of God, and Esau, his elder brother, as they grow up in the house of Isaac

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...

Genesis 27  (After the death of Sarah)

 

1-2 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.  And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

3-4 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah (Abraham's wife after Sarah's death.)

5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

(Isaac was the child of the promise.)

6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

 

Genesis 25:11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

 

 

💥💥💥

 

Isaac had two sons. Jacob was the child of God.  Jacob had a twin brother, Esau,  who was the elder. Even before the children were born, God chose Jacob, the younger son and later spoke to Jacob directly, identifying HIMSELF to Jacob.  

 

(Romans 9:10-13   And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;  11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of HIM that calleth;)  12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.)

 

Genesis 25:20-23   And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

 

Rebekah knew God had chosen her younger son, Jacob over Esau.

 

💥💥💥

 

Genesis 26

 

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

 

Genesis 27:46   And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

 

💥💥💥

 

Genesis 28

 

1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

 

Esau is going to try to please his mother and father by copying what Jacob, the elect of God, has done.

 

So Esau, thinking by his fleshly mind, goes to the granddaughter of Abraham to marry her, a granddaughter of Abraham, whose father was a son of Abraham, Ishmael.

 

(The natural man who tries to copy the elect of God is always off in his thinking, like a radio station which is a little off the center of the sound dial.)

6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;

7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;

8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

For Esau reasons this woman, the grandaughter of Abraham, will please his father Isaac and his mother Rebekah.  But Ishmael was not even allowed to continue in Abraham's household, so his daughter would not please Isaac and Rebekah.

 

Concerning Isaac and Ishmael ...

 

Genesis 21:8-12  And the child (Isaac) grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

So Ishmael, the son of Hagar, was cast out of Abraham house.  But Esau seems to miss this fact and he marries a daughter of Ishmael thinking this will please Isaac and Rebekah.

 

I Corinthians 2:14

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

Esau was "the natural man" and he could not please God.  Neither can we please God unless we are born again by God and given the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us and teach us for the Spirit of God searches the heart of God to reveal the will of God to us.  (I Cor. 2)  So when we hear from the Spirit of God and follow HIM, we please God.

 

John 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 

We cannot understand the things of God until we have been born again by God and created as a new creature who is led by the Holy Spirit of God who is given us by God.

 

II Corinthians 5:17   Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

When we are born again it is by the will of God and God speaks to us and reveals HIMSELF to us, changing us into new creatures who now have the Holy Spirit of God living in them to guide them in ways of God.

 

💥💥💥💥💥

 

* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog