Brothers - What Are You Going To Do - Genesis 25:12-34

Good morning from the Panhandle. What a great Wednesday we had, Bible Club, Student Bible Study and then a potluck meal. A couple of weeks ago when we looked at Genesis we saw Abraham take a wife who bore him some more children. This week we look at His first and second son. Ismael was the son of Abraham and Sarah's servant Hagar. Abraham loved him dearly, but eventually had to send him and Hagar away. Abraham's second son was Isaac, his mother was Sarah. He was the promised child of Abraham and Sarah – from him would come many decedents, including the one who would be the savior of mankind.

II. He takes his leave of Ishmael, with a short account,

1. Of his children v. 12-16.

2. Of his age and death v. 17-18.

III. He enters upon the history of Isaac.

1. His prosperity v. 11.

2. The conception and birth of his two sons, with the oracle of God concerning them v. 19-26.

3. Their different characters v. 27-28.

4. Esau's selling his birthright to Jacob v. 29-34.

(From Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Genesis 25:12-18

12 Now these are the records of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham;

13 and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam

14 and Mishma and Dumah and Massa,

15 Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah.

16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages, and by their camps; twelve princes according to their tribes.

17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

18 They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives.

1. THE DESCENDANTS OF ISHMAEL (vv.12 – 18)

Ishmael had twelve sons, twelve princes they are called (v. 16), heads of families, which in process of time became nations, distinct tribes, numerous and very considerable. They Inhabited the land that lay between Egypt and Assyria, called Arabia. The names of his twelve sons are recorded. Midian and Kedar we often read of in scripture. And some very good expositors have taken notice of the significance of those three names which are put together (v. 14), as containing good advice to us all, Mishma, Dumah, and Massa, that is, hear, keep silence, and bear; we have them together in the same order, James 1:19, Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. (from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

The descendants of Ishmael had not only tents in the fields, where they grew rich in times of peace; they also had towns and castles (v. 16), in which they fortified themselves in time of war.

The number and strength of Ishmael's family were the fruit of the promise made to Hagar concerning Ishmael (Gen 16:10), and to Abraham, Gen 17:20 and 21:13.

Note: Many who are strangers to God's covenants of promise are still blessed with outward prosperity for the sake of their godly ancestors. This is the case with Abraham and Ishmael.

2. THE HISTORY OF ISAAC AND HIS SONS

THE BIRTH OF JACOB AND ESAU

The struggle within Rebekah’s womb foreshadowed the struggle between the two peoples (Edomites and Israelites) of which Esau and Jacob were the ancestor. We also see the younger brother would occupy the preeminent place that usually went to the firstborn. That is what we saw with Ishmael and Isaac also.

NOTE: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah were all barren, and therefore childless until late in life. It was a tragic experience for each of them. Isaac pleaded with the Lord on Rebekah's behalf. The Hebrew verb (` atar) means "to pray as a suppliant," "to entreat." When it is used in the passive sense, it indicates that the subject has been prevailed upon by means of the praying, and has been answered. Isaac prayed fervently for his barren wife, and God yielded to the prayers. Rebekah became fertile, and was able to conceived. God had honored prevailing prayer.

Esau became the hairy man of the field, with little appreciation of spiritual values. He plunged venturesomely along through life, only to find himself take advantage of by a cunning trickster (Jacob).

To Esau, the birthright, which involved both material and spiritual blessings, seemed of little value until he had bargained it away. This is similar to what happened in the Garden when Adam and Eve bargained away mankind's birthright for a piece of fruit.

The birthright was the possession of the first-born. It guaranteed him a more honorable position than his brother's, the best of the estate, and the richest land, as well as the covenant blessings God had promised to Abraham and to his descendants. The birthright was Esau's because God had allowed him to be born first.

Neither Esau nor Jacob showed any commendable interest in spiritual treasures. Both men were selfish and lacked understanding of their legacy and how closely it was tied to God.

Jacob was ambitious and wanted everything for himself, everything that is that would give him the preeminence. He had a long way to go to become the spiritual leader of those who would worship Jehovah. But God was patient; He was not in a hurry; He would train His leader.

Esau made his home in the rocky hills of Edom. Years later his descendants, the people of the nation he founded, would reveal the same type of thinking he had shown and the same profane disregard for the eternal plan of God. In spite of every discouraging incident, the kingdom of God would move forward toward the fuller realization of the divine purpose. (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)

There is an early proof of unwarrantable parental attachment to one child in preference to another. Isaac loved Esau, and Rebekah loved Jacob; and in consequence of this the interests of the family were divided, and the house set in opposition to itself. The fruits of this unreasonable and foolish attachment were later seen in a long list of both natural and moral evils among the descendants of both families.

(from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Biblesoft)

A characteristic incident in their early life is accompanied with very important consequences. "Jacob sod pottage." Esau came back to the tent after a morning spent in the fields hunting, tired and hungery. The sight and smell of Jacob's savory dish of lentile soup are very tempting to a hungry man. Esau said, "Let me feed now on that red, red broth." because he did not know to call the stew.

NOTE: The lentile is common in the country, and forms a cheap and palatable dish of a reddish brown color, with which bread seems to have been eaten.

The two brothers did not get along. Esau was no doubt occasionally rude and hasty. And it probably only got worse as he got older. Now the stew which Jacob was preparing for himself, took his fancy, and nothing would do until he had the stew. Had Jacob known that Esau would respond the way he did to the sight and smell of the stew? Had Jacob set up this moment to trick Esau? We can only wonder or speculate that it was so.

It is pretty certain that Esau would receive the secondary name of Edom, which ultimately became primary in point of use, from the red complexion of skin, even from his birth. But the exclamation "that red red," uttered on the occasion of a very important crisis in his history, renewed the name, and perhaps tended to make it take the place of Esau in the history of his race.

Jacob was no angle himself. The reference to him as the holder of the heel, came from the circumstances occurring at his birth. The buying of the birthright and the gaining of the blessing, were two occasions in his later life that merited the title of the “supplanter” or the holder by the heel (Gen 27:36). These instances prepare us to expect other examples of the same name being applied to the same object, for different reasons on different occasions.

"Sell me this day thy birthright." This takes the conflict between the brothers to a new level. Jacob was no doubt aware of the prediction communicated to his mother, that the older should serve the younger. Jacob was willing to purchase the birthright, as a most peaceful way of bringing about that supremacy which was destined for him. He was therefore cautious and prudent, some would say scheming and conniving. Even seeming willing to make peace in to get what he wanted.

Esau is strangely ready to dispose of his birthright for a trivial present gratification. He could have obtained other means of quenching his hunger, but instead he is willing to sacrifice anything for the desire of the moment. Any thought that he was prepared to sell his birthright so cheap seems to have escaped his thoughts at that moment, if it had ever occurred to him. Before we think, “Esau, you silly stupid guy,” we should stop and ask ourselves how many times have we done the same thing? We may not sell our Christian birthright out right, but how many times do we put ourselves in compromising situations for some little something or some kind of gratification? I would almost be willing to say all of us at one time or another have do that.

Another thought is that Esau didn't think that Jacob was serious. They were brothers and probably bantered back and forth all the time. So when Jacob said something that sounded so ridiculous, Esau could have easily thought he was not serious. Jacob, however, was very serious. He had Esau solemnly swear to the transfer of the birthright. Even this did not seem to startle Esau, maybe Jacob had done something like this before. There wasn't a word about the price. It is plain that Esau's thoughts were altogether on "the morsel of meat." He swears to Jacob. He then ate and drank, and rose up and went his way, with out as much as a second thought as to what he had just done. Apparently he despise his birthright or at least was indifferent about it. Or his mind did not register what he had just done or take serious the oath he had just sworn. Such was the boyhood of these twins.