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Genesis 24.62-end – 25.1-26
February 12th 2023
(PreRecorded)
Okay we left off with verse 61 where we read:
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
Let’s finish the chapter by continuing to read at verse 62
62 And Isaac came from the way of the well (BEER-ARACH-HEE-ROW-EE) Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Alright back to verse 62
62 And Isaac came from the way of the well (Beer-arock-hee-row-ee) Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.
It seems that Isaac was either living near this well, which is mentioned in Genesis 16:13 but it also appears that he was now going to visit his father Abraham at Beersheba in anticipation of receiving his new bride.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
The word mediate is sooahk and means to muse and mull over something. I think, because of Eastern influence, Christians have distanced themselves from the act of mediation but it is a standard among the Jews and should be considered by those inclined.
To think. To ponder. Pray. Consider. Chew on. Take to God and work something out that troubles us.
We don’t know what Isaac was mediating about but I suspect it may have included some desires he had for this bride he was about to be given.
In any case, while there the camels appear to him. Verse 64
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
The Hebrew word used for vail is used the first time here and they were used by woman to show modesty and chastity in that day.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
With Sarah now being dead, her tent became now appropriated to the use of Rebekah. Again we see the biblical definition of marriage Isaac brought her into a tent and took her, and she became his wife.
I have to laugh at the fear that overtakes some Bible commentators when confronted with this passage.
They get all freaked out with the line, “and he took her,” and say things like
“After what form this was done we are not told. Perhaps this was the wedding ceremony they performed.”
It was exactly what tents, men and women imply, guys. This is the biblical definition of marriage.
So, Rebekah has been taken and Isaac took responsibility for her in and through this union.
On to chapter 25 WHICH . . . is the halfway point through the whole book of Genesis!
Let’s read from verse 1
Genesis 25:1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
3 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.
5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
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.
7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.
19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac:
20 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.
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26 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 bare them.
Alright, back to verse 1 and we are confronted with the same phrase used to describe Isaac taking Rebekah – ready?
Genesis 25:1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
When this happened we cannot say as some suggest that Sarah was alive and others say not because of the word, “Then,” as in, “Then again Abraham took a wife.”
Some suggest that it would be unlikely that Abraham was breeding these children as a 100 year old man inspite of the fact that Isaac was conceived this way, but we really don’t know.
Because Paul wrote in Romans 4:19 that prior to fathering Isaac with Sarah Abraham considered his that
Abraham considered his own body NOW DEAD,” that both he and Sarah’s bodies were incapable of procreation so therefore some say this is hearkening backward to an earlier day.
Perhaps Abraham’s body, however, was dead, but once he fathered Isaac it remained alive and once Sarah died the man still sought more female companionship.
Whether Moses introduces this account to us anachronistically or not, we will take the information as having happened and move on from there.
Just as an FYI, some Jewish scholars say that Abraham took Keturah as a wife nine years after Sarah passed.
Others say that Hagar and Keturah are the same woman! Don’t think so. In any case we now read the names of the children born to Keturah through Abraham
2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
Zimran and Jokshan appear to have contributed to the Arab nations. Medan is probably the father of the people in the part of Arabia near Moab. A brook is named after Ishbak, and Shuah is apparently the or a Father of the Sacceans along with the idea that “Bildad the Shuhite,” one of Job’s friends, is supposed to have descended from this son of Abraham.
All of the following are deemed merchant tent-dwellers
3 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.
Got nothing. But in the face of all of these names we now read the important point
5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
So, lots of children and offspring but either all (like the passages says) or the majority of Abraham flocks, and especially his right to the land of Canaan, was passed to Isaac his promised Son.
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.
And from this passage we come into a textual problem. What is it? That the scripture refers to Keturah as both a wife and a concubine? (they are two different Hebrew words, BTW)
Critics of scripture maintain that this is an error. Perhaps we are missing something? The implication that only Isaac was born to Abrahams wife (Sarah) and the other children were born through His concubines (Hagar and Keturah) suggests that the scripture is mistaken.
However, the scripture is clear that both Hagar and Keturah were wives (by the Hebrew title Issa) therefore, we might see them being distinguished as concubines only in terms of the children that they bore Abraham and Sarah as his only wife relative to the same.
We might also solve the problem by seeing the women, especially Keturah as starting as a concubine and later ending up as a wife – but this seems off because relative to her children she was only seen as a concubine?
Not a easy fix but not a hill to die on either. Whatever the reality, abraham only gave gifts to the children from the woman but the Son of Promise got it all.
And then Abraham sent them away (meaning, while he was still alive) so as to avoid any misinterpreting his wishes once He was dead among the children).
It would sort of be like Abraham living in a mansion with all of these kids but he wants to make sure that there is no question who gets the mansion at his death (with the mansion being the Promised Land) so he sends all of the children away before He dies and leaves only Isaac remaining in the house promised to Him. (verse 7)
7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
Okay, words matter.
And readers of the KJV might see a phrase here that makes sense and is familiar – that Abraham “gave up the Ghost.”
We have a few examples of this phrase being assigned to others in addition to Abraham in scripture.
Ishamael
Isaac
Priests and elders (Lamentations)
Ananias and even Herod
Of course, we also have the phrase applied to Jesus four times in the Gospel accounts.
Why even mention it?
Because words matter. Plus, King James onliests never see any issue with their pet translation and this is one I think is important.
See, there are words that mean to expire, breath out, give up the last breath. Our English term, Ghost, signifies more than our breath but speaks to the inner soul of a person.
In all of the cases where gave up the ghost is used, except in the case of Jesus, the language speaks to breath, expiring, or exhaling the last breath dying. And while doing this is certainly tied to death and dying, it does not mean that ANYONE literally surrendered their lives up not Abraham, not Isaac, not Jacob, not Ananias and not Herod – except one – Jesus.
He is the only one in the world to ever ever ever surrender His life up and give His soul up willingness. All the rest, living under the cloud of sin, died but only Jesus, who did not deserve to die actually gave up his soul on our behalf!
That is why I do not like the phrase used here.
Remember what Jesus said in John 10:17-18
No man, taketh it-my life, from me, but I lay it down of myself; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again: therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again.
Therefore when we read that Jesus gave up the ghost we read gave up His soul, spirit, pneuma and it does not just refer to expires or dies but His willingly surrendering His very life up.
So, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Ananias, Sapphira, and Herod all breathed their last breath but nobody ever willingly gave up the ghost but Jesus Christ.
Abraham was 175 when he expired his last breath, and years is not included in the mss. Evidence.
“An old man being full of days,”
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
Even though Ishamael and his mother were driven away they appear to have had enough respect for their shared father to put away their differences and unite in the burial of their father. Where? Verse 10
10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.
It seems that the very same blessings that God poured out on His father were now being poured out on His Son of Promise.
Interestingly, we read very little about Isaac in terms of acts of faith, hope and love. But He was the Son of Promise and on we go.
Verse 12 – more genealogy
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
Not gonna try and describe the conjecture on who these were nor what became of them. Same with verse 14
14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
Interestingly, though, these three names have become something of a proverb among the Jews as these names respectively mean HEARING, SILENCE; and PATIENCE.
And from them comes the phrase, “Hear much, say little, and bear much,” which is echoed in the words of the Stoics who said, “Sustain and abstain.” Verse 15
15 Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
Again, not gonna even try (verse 16)
16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
In other words, these are their names and from them were their towns and buildings referred.
17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he (KJV gave up the ghost) other better translations, breathed his last breath and died; and was gathered unto his people.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.
The descendants of Ishmael possessed all that country which extends from east to west, from Havilah on the Euphrates, near its junction with the Tigris, to the desert of Shur eastward of Egypt; and which extends along the isthmus of Suez, which separates the Red Sea from the Mediterranean.
I have no actual understanding of what that paragraph really means. Where it says, that “he died in the presence of all his brethren,”
The original is questionable, and the better reading would be that he expired and all of his people then gathered around him.
Then to Isaac and his generation at verse 19
19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac:
20 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.
By this time Isaac and Rebekah were sort of facing the same issue his father and mother faced – they had lived by this time for nineteen years without having a child.
According to Genesis 25:20 Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, and he was threescore years of age when Jacob and Esau were born (according to verse 26).
Therefore, it’s pretty clear that they had lived nineteen years together without having a child.
We now read that Isaac appeals or approaches YHWH on behalf of Rebekah for his wife.
The Hebrews say that this describes “Isaac and Rebekah going to Mount Moriah, where he had been bound, and prayed together there that they might have a son.”
And that God was pleased to exercise the faith of Isaac previous to the birth of Jacob, as he had exercised that of Abraham previous to his own birth.
Can’t say. All we can say is she conceived and verse 22
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.
The term struggled together within her literally means that they “dashed against or bruised each other in violent agitation.”
And what did she do in the face of this? She inquired of the Lord!
What did she say?
What the heck is going on? Verse 23
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.
Two nations are in thy womb! I mean, look out!
And God here seems to mean that these two babies would be the start of two nations that would war against each other – even though they warred against each other individually as well.
From Esau we will get a group called the Edomites and of course through Jacob we will get the Children of Israel.
Of course, only God could know the outcome of the lives of these two.
The Edomites and Israelites have been from the beginning two such different people in their manners, customs, and religion that the natural result would be that they warred with each other beginning in the womb and carrying out into the future.
We will see that Esau will become a cunning hunter, and delighted in the sports of the field; Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents while minding sheep and cattle.
And while the religion of those from Jacob will be well known we aren’t really sure of the religious history of the Edomites and can only really say that in the end they will become idolators.
We will read them in II Kings
But here God says to Rebekah
“The one people shall be stronger than the other people.”
This speaks to the physical strength of both Esau and the Edomites that followed-in initially as they had kings and leaders well before the COI but it was through the faith in both Jacob and the COI that allowed them to ultimately overcome the Edomite nation when King David and his captains had an entire conquest over them.
There is an entire history involved in the wars, overthrows the submission and conversion the Edomites had by the hands of the Jews but I am not going to cover it today.
Then we also read, “The elder shall serve the younger.”
Now, in Romans chapter 9 Paul refers to this line and I think its important to understand what he means. We will open next weeks teaching up so as to rightly confront Romans 9 because upon it so many people have been wrongly persuaded.
For the time being, let’s continue to move forward on the Genesis text and wrap today up.
And so we read
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
This simply means that he was covered all over with red hair or down; and this will be an important description later on in the story of him and His brother.
So Esau was born first which has big implications in that world.
26 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 bare them.
Yaccob means to defraud, deceive, to supplant, hence to overthrow a person by tripping up his heels. The name was given to Jacob because it was found he had laid hold on his brother’s heel, which was emblematical of his early attempts at supplanting Esau and is later played out when he seeks to defraud him of his birthright.
We will continue on with this narrative next week. Let’s pray.
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