This week we will focus on Genesis chapters 25-26, and the passing of the Covenant Promise to Isaac. This Promise is the unfolding of the Genesis 3 Promise, and as we study we will see that the promise of a Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus, was there in the beginning, and can be found all throughout the Old Testament, connecting to the reason we have for sharing the Gospel Message today!

This study will help us understand the history and importance of not only the faithfulness of God through His Covenant Promise, but the love He has for His people as seen in His sovereignty over all things! We can take comfort in the fact that God never makes a mistake, and all things work together for good, for those who trust in Him! Defending our faith and developing a Biblical worldview based on our understanding of God’s Word takes time and practice, and must be part of a lifetime commitment we make to the LORD. It should form our purpose and identity in everyday life as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, modeling Him to our family, friends and neighbors.

As Christians, it is more important than ever to know what we believe, and why we believe it, and then apply that to who we are on a consistent basis, and this can only be done if we know Jesus and what His Word teaches. All class sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, a presentation, and a Bible study section. You will find the presentation overview and Bible study questions below, with basic answers for your review and, or to use as a leader’s guide.

Watch this week’s presentation: 

Presentation

Foundations Bible study
Genesis chapters 25-26

Introduction and Review

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class.

Review of Focus Verses:

Focus verses
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT Goes to Isaac

“2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 

3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring[a] all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.”  Genesis 26:(2)3-5 (NIV)

Three Parts of the Covenant:

1. Land
2. Nation
3. Blessing – The Seed Promise: Jesus is the Blessing to come!

God’s Covenant Promise of Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus

Following the Seed Promise of Messiah:

1.Genesis 3:15 – The Adamic Covenant (The Seed Promise begins the scarlet thread)

2.Genesis 6:18 – Noahic Covenant (the Seed Promise carried through the Great Flood, and also affirmed in the “Rainbow Promise” of Genesis 9:8-17)

3.Genesis 12:1-3 – Abrahamic Covenant (Unfolds the Seed Promise with the blessing to come)

4.Genesis 26:3-5 – Promise goes through Isaac (the Abrahamic Covenant passed on to this son of promise)

5.Genesis 28:13-15 – Promise goes on through Jacob/Israel (Seed promise expanded to a Nation)

6.Genesis 49:8-12 – Promise will come through the tribe of Judah (Seed will have the Scepter forever)

7.2 Samuel 7:12-16/1 Chronicles 17:11-14 – Davidic Covenant (The Seed Promise will be a King forever from the line of David)

8.Jeremiah 31:31-34 – The Promise of a New Covenant to come (Seed Promise to be fulfilled)

9.Luke 22:14-20 – Fulfillment of the New Covenant by Jesus (Seed Promise fulfilled in Jesus)

10.1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – The New Covenant repeated and confirmed by the Apostles and early believers

11.Hebrews 9:15 – The reason Jesus is the fulfilment of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8-10 for a deeper study on Jesus’ fulfillment of all that was promised concerning Messiah/Seed Promise)

12.Revelation 1:7 – “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

The Importance of Bible Study
Practicing Hermeneutics

Homework Review

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context
– What does it say?

*A lot of names…

Chapter 25

Abraham’s death and his descendants

25:1-6*

7-11

The generations of Ishmael

12-18*

The birth of Esau and Jacob

19-23

24-27

Esau sells his birthright

29-34

Discuss (summarize) the chapter

Going Deeper Questions for Step #4:  Interpretation

Chapter 25

(Genesis 25:1-6) Abraham remarried after the death of Sarah. Who was Abraham’s new wife, what do we know about the children they had, Specifically Midian? why did Abraham differentiate between them and Isaac concerning the inheritance?

25 Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. ² She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. ³ Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. ⁵ Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; ⁶ but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.

From biblegateway.com: https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Midian-Midianites

• Abraham took another wife whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (Gen 25:1; 1 Chron 1:32).
• The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah (Gen 25:4, 1 Chron 1:33) and the name of the country and the people who comprised it come from a forefather named Midian.
• The land of Midian played an important part in the life of Moses as he fled there from Pharaoh (Exod 2:15), and he met and eventually was employed by Reuel (or Jethro), a priest of Midian who had seven daughters (2:16-22); one of these Midianite girls, Zipporah, became his wife.
• It was while Moses was watching Jethro’s flocks that he came to Horeb, the mountain of God (3:1).
• Although the Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his wife Keturah, they never were considered part of the covenant people of God.
• The hospitality of Jethro to Moses is commendable, but beyond that the Midianites were a people hostile to Israel.

Why did Abraham differentiate between them and Isaac concerning the inheritance?

• Abraham had to send away Ishmael earlier because he was the oldest and poised the greatest threat to Isaac’s inheritance of the Promise Covenant [seed promise].
• These other children were younger and therefore would not have a reason, or way, to fight against Isaac’s birthright.
• Abraham also confirmed this in verses 5 and 6 – “Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.”
• This action would further confirm the “Land Promise” would be passed on to Isaac only; and “sending away” shows that they were not considered part of the promise.

(Genesis 25:7-18) How old was Abraham when he died; where was he buried and who was present at his burial? How old was Ismael when he died, and how many sons did he have? Going deeper: What are some things we know historically about the descendants of Ishmael and their relationship to Israel?

⁷ These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. ⁸ Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. ⁹ Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, ¹⁰ the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife. ¹¹ It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.

Descendants of Ishmael

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.

• Abraham was 175 years old when he died, and Isaac and Ishmael both buried him in the cave of Machpelah he bought for Sarah – “He was gathered to his people.”
• Ishmael was 137 years old when he died – he had twelve sons who became twelve princes according to their tribes.
• Going Deeper: History will report that the sons of Ishmael are the patriarchs of the Arab people – notice that in verse 18 it says: “They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes to Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives.”
• Back in 21:16-21 God promised Hagar that he would take care of Ishmael and would make a great Nation out of him – it is fulfilled here in this chapter.
• The Arab Nation has been in conflict with Israel ever since, and we still see it in the Middle East conflicts today.

(Genesis 25:19-23) In the second half of this chapter, after 20 years, Isaac and Rebekah finally have children. What happened between the children while they were still in the womb, and what did God tell Rebekah about the children before they were born?

¹⁹ Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham the father of Isaac; ²⁰ 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. ²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²² But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. ²³ The Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.”

• Important point: Verse 22 tells us that the children struggled together within her; … “So she went to inquire of the LORD” she asked the LORD (YHWH), and this is big because she came from a Pagan Nation and did not know the one true God – but through the example of the Servant, Isaac and his father Abraham, she had learned this importance of asking the LORD.
• God told Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.” Note: Rebekah now knew that Jacob would be the one to carry the Promise of the Covenant, not Esau.

(Genesis 25:24-34) Discuss: What were the boys’ names and what do they mean? What happened between the boys when they were older, and what is the significance for the future.

²⁴ When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵ Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. ²⁶ Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. ²⁷ When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. ²⁸ Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. ²⁹ When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; ³⁰ and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. ³¹ But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” ³² Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” ³³ And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Discussion:

Jacob = “Heel catcher” (supplanter) or figuratively it means “he deceives”

Esau = “Hairy” – later known as Edom = “red”

• Esau seemed to live in the moment, giving no thought to what was important; and He was so hungry that he agreed to sell his birthright to his brother Jacob for stew, regardless of the consequence to his agreement.
• A birthright was a special honor given to the firstborn son – It included a double portion of the family inheritance along with the honor of one day becoming the family leader.
• The text says “Esau despised his birthright” which means he had no regard for it and consequently the father’s blessing, which would come later, and he would lose that as well.
• Esau becomes the father of the Edomite Nation who will be at odds with Israel throughout their history.
• Note: In the Gospels we find that King Herod is half Jewish, half Edomite, from Idumea.

Step #5: Application for chapter 25
– How do I use what I have learned?

Answers will vary…

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context
– What does it say?

Chapter 26

God’s promise to Isaac

26:1-5

Isaac and Abimelech (Isaac copies his parents)

26:6-11

26:12-16

Isaac settles in the Valley of Gerar

26:17-22

The LORD appears again to Isaac in Beersheba

26:23-25

Abimelech makes a treaty with Isaac

26:26-33

Esau marries against the will of his parents

26:34-35

Discuss (summarize) the chapter… 

Going Deeper Questions for Step #4:  Interpretation

(Genesis 26:1-17) In this chapter we get a repeat of what Abraham and Sarah had previously done (Note: this is not the same Abimelech as before; it may have been a title/family name). How is Isaac and Rebekah’s story different in this case? Going Deeper: What did God say to Isaac in verses 2-5, and again in verses 23-24, and why is this important?

26 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. ² The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. ³ Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. ⁴ I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; ⁵ because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”

⁶ So Isaac lived in Gerar. ⁷ When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife,” thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful.” ⁸ It came about, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebekah. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘I might die on account of her.’” ¹⁰ Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” ¹¹ So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

¹² Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him, ¹³ and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; ¹⁴ for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. ¹⁵ Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with earth. ¹⁶ Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” ¹⁷ And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.

Differences from Abraham’s encounter:

• God appears to Isaac and tells him to stay in that area and not to go down to Egypt
• God establishes the Covenant with Isaac at this same time
• The men of Gerar/the Philistines, did not take Rebekah, she stayed with Isaac
• Abimelech saw them together, there was no plague put on his people

Similarly, they lied to Abimelech the way Abraham did saying they were siblings; they also were scolded by Abimelech in the same way, but allowed to stay in the land. Eventually Abimelech sends him further away so as not to be near the people of Philistia as he grew too powerful.

Going Deeper:

Reinforcing the Covenant Promise with Isaac is extremely important because this confirms that God was passing it on to, and through Isaac [seed promise]. God does this twice, making it sure that Isaac knew he would be the one. We will see this continue on through Jacob, Isaac’s son.

(Genesis 26:18-35) What happened between Isaac’s men and the men of Gerar?

¹⁸ Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them. ¹⁹ But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, ²⁰ the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. ²² He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.” ²³ Then he went up from there to Beersheba. ²⁴ The Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham.” ²⁵ So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Covenant with Abimelech

²⁶ Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath and Phicol the commander of his army. ²⁷ Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” ²⁸ They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you; so we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, ²⁹ that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.’” ³⁰ Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. ³¹ In the morning they arose early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace. ³² Now it came about on the same day, that Isaac’s servants came in and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” ³³ So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; ³⁵ and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Isaac’s men and the men of Gerar:

• Isaac’s men opened up wells previously dug by Abraham’s men, later filled up by the men of Gerar.
• He had so many flocks, herds and servants that the Philistines envied him, and the way God had blessed him.
• Abraham had also lived in the land of Gerar for many years, and his men must have dug many wells during that time. Isaac is simply reclaiming old territories where his father once lived, but he is not just reclaiming old territories and old wells, he is also preparing new ones, helping fulfill God’s Covenant now through him.
• After quarreling over two wells, on the third try Isaac’s men were able to keep that well and this is where they settled – notice they never fought, they just moved on until successful.
• We can see God’s extreme blessing actually resulting in jealousy and conflict, and this continues throughout history with the Nation of Israel, even today.

Discuss: At the end of the chapter, what did Esau do that made his parents unhappy, and why? How might Esau’s decision-making ability reflect on his character and family future?

Esau:

• Esau married two Hittite girls (Canaanites) and this upset his parents because they were pagans and not from their own clan or countrymen.
• This goes back to the curse of Noah on Ham through his son Canaan, and it will continue to play out through the Old Testament.

Discussion:

Answers will vary, but might include…

• Esau’s poor decision-making ability is seen throughout the story, from selling his birthright to threatening to kill his brother, to his bad choices in marriage.
• All of his actions point to someone who is impulsive, self- centered and reflects a person who does not think through the consequences of his actions – the results of which forever hurt his family, including his own ability to lead (thus the reason for the loss of both birthright and blessing).
• None of Esau’s decision-making ever included consulting God (as his parents did).

Step #5: Application for chapter 26
– How do I use what I have learned?

Answers will vary…

A Few Apologetic Questions to Answer:

The Religion of Islam

1. When did it start, who was its founder, and what is his story?
2. Who is the Muslim god as compared to Christianity?
3. Who do Muslims say Jesus is?
4. What is the Muslim’s “holy book” and how does it compare to our Bible?
5. How does Islam qualify as false teaching, and how does it compare to other false teachings such as Mormonism?

The apologetic’s presentation will continue next week…

HOMEWORK

Read Genesis Chapters 27-28 (for step 3 context), then answer the questions (for step 4 interpretation):

Chapter 27 and 28:

1. (Genesis 27:1-41) In this chapter, we find the story of Jacob and his mom, Rebekah, deceiving Isaac. What did Rebekah do, and why (cross-reference clue: go back to chapter 25:22-23)? What was the blessing that Isaac gave Jacob; how did Esau respond when he discovered what had happened, and how did his father Isaac answer him?

Going Deeper: Culturally speaking, what was the importance of the blessing, and how is it different from the “birthright” Jacob also stole earlier (see chapter 25:30-34)?

2. (Genesis 27:42 through 28:9) In this section Jacob is sent away. Where was Jacob sent, and why? Isaac blessed Jacob before he left – What part of the Abrahamic Covenant did Isaac emphasize (focus on 28:3-4)? Going Deeper: Esau had previously married some of the “daughters of Canaan;” after this happened with Jacob, who else did he marry, and what is the implication for the future?
3. (Genesis 28:10-22) In this section Jacob begins his journey to Haran. Describe Jacob’s dream and what he saw (focus on verses 12-13)? Cross-reference with John 1:48-51 – who does the “Ladder” picture? What parts of the Abrahamic Covenant did God promise Jacob, and what did Jacob do and say after God spoke to him?
4. Application for chapters 27-28
   – How do I use what I have learned?

Please continue to join us each week as we study about, and through, God’s Word!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15