SERIES A --- YHVH’S PIONEERS --- LESSON 21

TWIN SONS

ESAU SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHT

From Genesis 25

Later Abraham married a woman named Keturah, and she had the following children by him: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan later had two sons named Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s sons were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. Midian had the following five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, but while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them eastward, where they would be far away from Isaac. Abraham lived to be a hundred and seventy-five. When he breathed his last, he was an old man who had enjoyed a long and satisfying life. Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. After Abraham’s death, YHVH’s blessings came upon Isaac, who had moved to Beer-lahai-roi. Meanwhile Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid, had twelve sons: Nebaioth, Kedar, Abdeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These twelve sons founded twelve tribes that bore the names of the twelve princes. Ishmael lived to be a hundred and thirty-seven before he died, and he was buried with his ancestors. His descendants lived throughout the country from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt as a caravan head toward Assyria, but they were always quarrelling with one another. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah. Because Rebekah could not have children, Isaac begged Adonai for a child. At last Rebekah conceived, but the children struggled within her. “If they are fighting inside me, why?” Rebekah wondered. She asked Adonai about it. Adonai told her: [Two sons struggle within you and two nations shall come forth; one will be stronger than the other and the older shall serve the younger.] At last, the twins were born. One was red and hairy, with skin like a coat of red hair, and they called him Esau. The other was born with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so they named him Jacob, which meant [Someone Who Takes Another’s Place.] Isaac was sixty at this time. As Esau and Jacob grew to be young men, Esau became a great hunter. Jacob preferred to stay around the tents, leading a more peaceful life. Isaac favoured Esau because he enjoyed the taste of the wild game Esau brought back. But Rebekah favoured Jacob. One time Jacob had cooked some stew when Esau came back hungry from a hunting trip. [I’m famished!] Esau said. [Give me some of that red stuff you’re cooking.] Because of his remark about [red stuff] he was nicknamed Edom, which meant -- Red. [I’ll trade some for your birth right,] Jacob answered. [What good is a birthright to me when I’m dying of hunger?] Esau replied. [Swear it to me first,] said Jacob. So, Esau swore this to Jacob and sold his birthright to him. Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew. When he ate and drank all he wanted, Esau went on his way. Thus, Esau showed how little he thought of his birthright.

COMMENTARY

THE FAMILY OF ABRAHAM

Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, named Esau and Jacob. At their birth YHVH announced that the younger Jacob would inherit the promises made to Abraham. We can perhaps see why in a story of Esau’s contempt for YHVH and His Promises. One day when hungry, Esau traded away his eldest-son birthright for a bowl of lentil stew! In the ancient Near East, members within a family often married. This kept property within the family and bound its members more closely together. Abraham’s marriage to his half sister Sarah was not an uncommon event. For many years Abraham and Sarah had no children. Believing she could not have a child of her own, Sarah gave her maid Hagar to Abraham as a wife. Although she bore Ishmael, he was not the child YHVH had promised. Isaac was the -- miracle-baby -- born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, and through him and his descendants YHVH created the nation of Israel. But the Jewish people were not the only nation to grow out of the family of Abraham. The Arab nations trace their origin to Abraham through Ishmael. The Midianites also descended from him through Keturah, Abraham’s wife after Sarah’s death.