“This is the family history of Isaac, Abraham” s son.' On the death of Ishmael Isaac becomes the eldest son of Abraham and accordingly takes responsibility for the family records and the recording of Ishmael's death.
ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 27:46).
After the heart warming record of the obtaining of a suitable wife for Isaac as a result of the direct activity of Yahweh little is told us about him. This is because during his lifetime important covenants and theophanies were few and therefore there was no recording in writing.
The family tribe over which he presided continued to be strong (Genesis 26:16) and he clashed with Abimelech at Gerar but that is almost all we know about him apart from the birth of his children and his part in the continuation of the chosen line. But he did continue Abraham's policy of allying his family with the family of Abraham's father Terah and was upset when Esau departed from it (Genesis 28:9). More dangerously (and with less justification) he also continued the policy of describing his wife as his sister. He seems to be a mirror image of his father but without his effectiveness and personality.
But his importance is that he was part of the fulfilling of God's purposes. He was not charismatic, he was not outstanding, but he was chosen by God and was a necessary part of the chain that led up to Moses, then to David and finally to Jesus Christ. What Abraham began he had to hold on to and continue. And this he did, without fuss and without bravado. He was there when God wanted him.
We too may feel that we are not important, but if we are His and responsive to His words we too are an important part of the chain that leads to the fulfilling of His purposes. Isaac should be an encouragement to us all.
However, Isaac is seen later as an important member of those to whom the covenant was given (2Ki 13:23; 1 Chronicles 6:16; Psalms 105:9). In Amos 7:9; Amos 7:16 Isaac is used as another name to designate Israel.
Isaac and Jacob - the Family History of Esau (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 36:1)
The family history of Esau takes us up to the death of Isaac (Genesis 35:29) and while doing so describes the covenants in which Isaac participated, and the finding of wives for Jacob and the birth of his twelve sons. As the senior male of the family he had the responsibility of maintaining and preserving the important family covenant records. However the work would be done by a tribal scribe and he may not even have known much about it.
‘Abraham begat Isaac.'
Abraham is possibly a catch word connecting with the final word in the previous colophon, and this brief heading is therefore the title of a new tablet. But while Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 36:1 may make up a tablet in themselves they incorporate records made at various times which were originally on their own, for once more each of them was the record of a covenant.
The Birth of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:19-26) - the Sale of the Birthright (Genesis 25:27-34).
This section Genesis 25:19-26 centres on Yahweh's covenant in Genesis 25:23, and this is followed by the record of the covenant between Esau and Jacob resulting in the exchanging of the birthright (25:27-34).
‘And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.'
Forty years is a round number. Thus the suggestion is that he was fully matured. The detail with which Rebekah is described demonstrates the importance placed on who she was.
If we take the age as roughly correct this was when Abraham was about one hundred and forty (see Genesis 20:5). So if Sarah had died by this time she was probably approximately ten or so years younger than Abraham (she died at one hundred and twenty seven - Genesis 23:1). Thus Abraham is still alive at this time, although feeling his age, and at the time of the births of Esau and Jacob when he is one hundred and sixty.
“Paddan-aram”. ‘The field or plain of Aram', that is the area around Haran in Upper Mesopotamia north of the junction of the rivers Habur and Euphrates.
‘And Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife because she was barren. And Yahweh was entreated of him.'
Quiet he may have been but one thing Isaac could do and that was pray. He knew how his father Abraham had had to pray in a similar way and he knew that because of the promises to Abraham a child would also be born to him. He had the quiet confidence that the Yahweh Who had found him a wife would now provide him with a child through that wife, for the one assumed the other.
So he prayed and his prayer was answered. We are given no detail of how he went about it, nor of what he prayed, for that was not considered important. The concentration is rather on the result of the prayer. And, as we are informed in Genesis 25:26, this was twenty years after the wedding. Thus Isaac too, like his father, has had to possess his soul in patience.
“Ten years” was the time Abraham spent in Canaan before Sarai lost courage and gave her maid Hagar to Abraham (Genesis 16:3). Thus Isaac and Rebekah, waiting for twenty years, are seen as very patient and we are intended to see in this his quiet confidence in Yahweh.
‘And Rebekah his wife conceived, and the children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why do I live?” And she went to enquire of Yahweh.'
Rebekah conceived, but the birth was to be a difficult one for she was having twins and she was aware that all was not right within. In those days death in child birth was a fairly common experience.
“The children struggled together within her.” She seems to have felt that death was near (‘why do I live?) and she goes to enquire of Yahweh. We are not told where she went, but it may well have been the cultic centre under the tamarisk tree at Beersheba (Genesis 21:33). And Abraham the prophet may well have been the one through whom she enquired. But concentration is now on Isaac, and Abraham has slipped into the background so that he is disregarded. This has never been the story of a man, it is the story of God's sovereign activity and covenants with man. The players, even Abraham, are secondary.
‘And Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be separated even from your bowels. And the one shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.” '
This theophany and covenant are the basis of this covenant record. In accordance with His promises to Abraham Yahweh now promises that from Isaac will come not one but two separate nations, clearly divided. The original promises do not need to be repeated. Isaac knows them by heart and they are a part of the tapestry of their lives.
But here there is a further twist. ‘The one shall be stronger than the other and the elder will serve the younger.' Ironically the one who will be the stronger will be the one who serves. The main point is that it is the younger who will carry on over the family tribe as the chosen of Yahweh. Yahweh is in control of events and He chooses whom He will.
The use of the word ‘rab' for ‘elder' is rare. It is a description which occurs elsewhere only in second millennium cuneiform texts.
Whether ‘the one who is stronger' is meant as Esau or Jacob depends on viewpoint. Esau was the efficient fighting man and leader of a powerful roving band, but in the end it was Jacob with his strength of purpose who prevailed to lead the tribe.
‘And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled behold there were twins in her womb. And the first came forth ruddy, all over like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau.'
Esau was very red when born and covered with a mat of hair. The red may refer to the colour of his skin or to his covering hair. The name Esau probably reflects ‘hairy' from the Arabic.
“Ruddy” ('athmonee). This connects with ‘Edom' ('ethom - from the root 'thm red), a name given to Esau - see Genesis 36:1; Genesis 36:8.
‘And after that came forth his brother and his hand had hold of Esau's heel, and his name was called Jacob.'
The name Jacob (ya‘aqov - in its lengthened form ya‘aqov-el) probably means ‘may God protect'. It was in frequent use among Semites. But by a play on words it relates to ‘eqeb (to clutch) thus signifying ‘the clutcher'.
The clutching of the heel was seen as significant in the light of the preceding prophecy. Even from the womb Jacob sought to supplant his brother.
‘And Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.'
Thus they had been married twenty years and Abraham was now approximately one hundred and sixty. All are certainly round numbers, the ‘twenty years' indicating twice ten years (compare on 16:3), an extended and weary wait.
This short record of God's covenant connected with the birth was probably written down immediately, as with all such covenants connected with a theophany, and later expanded to include the subsequent fulfilment now dealt with, which would also be a covenant record recording the covenant made between Esau and Jacob.