Last week we looked at how events in the life of Abraham’s son Isaac gives us a picture, or foreshadow, of Jesus. As we continue our case for the Old Testament, following the narrative in Genesis, we find God’s Promise to Abraham being passed on to his son Isaac (not Ishmael as some would claim today), and not by Abraham, but by God Himself. Why does God do it this way? Let’s review because the answer is in the big picture:
- God creates us to be in relationship with Him (Genesis 1-2)
- Humans lose that relationship at “the Fall” when they disobey God’s only command (Genesis 3)
- God immediately promises a way of salvation through the “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15) and this is the protected seed that is passed down through the lineage of Adam – Noah – Abraham – Isaac – Jacob – Judah and traces on to Jesus, the promised Messiah.
- God begins to work that promise plan out in “Covenants” that unfold throughout the Old Testament—giving encouragement, warning and hope (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 12:2-3; Genesis 15:5-19; Genesis 26:3-5; Genesis 28:10-15; Genesis 49:9-12; Exodus 12-15; 19-20; 2 Samuel 7:5-17; Jeremiah 31:31).
- Every book (39), story, and event contains a picture, foreshadow, or prophecy of Jesus (who He would be and what He would do)—the Scarlet Thread of the Old Testament.
- The Nation of Israel was chosen to be God’s people and role-model to the other nations (they failed all the time) showing the need for a Savior, and it would be through this Nation that Messiah would come.
As we study the Old Testament it is also important to keep our reading and study focused on the following elements, in light of this big picture, that will help us understand the narrative and why things occur the way they do:
- God’s Sovereignty as Creator (His supreme power and authority over all things) and His Hesed (His unconditional forgiveness, grace and love for us that passes all human understanding).
- The Scarlet Thread of Jesus: Typologies in the stories, that foreshadow or picture who Christ would be and what He would do in the New Testament.
- The importance of the Nation of Israel (Even though they made many mistakes God will use them to fulfill His Promise and Plan).
- Satan’s attempt to Crush the Righteous Seed (throughout history Satan puts up road-blocks in an attempt to thwart God’s Promise and Plan).
- Obedience vs. disobedience (When the people follow God they are blessed and protected as part of the Covenant; when they disobey God the result is seen in the suffering of consequences).
Watch this short interview of Stephen Armstrong as he explains the importance of the “Big Picture” and “Context” as we read and study Scripture:
Study Points:
Genesis Chapters 25-26
Major Historical Players:
Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob
Chapter 25: Abraham remarries, after the death of Sarah, to Keturah who gives him more children and Abraham dies at 175 (notices ages continue to drop from here on).
We also get a short lineage of Ishmael, notice the last part of verse 25:18 “And they lived in hostility toward their brothers” – we see this still happening today.
In this chapter we find Isaac at 60 years of age and they were barren (they had waited on the LORD 20 years for children). Then Isaac prayed to the LORD and He opened Rebekah’s womb and she had twins. Notice the theme of “miraculous births” throughout the Bible, especially here in Genesis – it is a picture or foreshadow of something else to come: THE VIRGIN BIRTH!
Esau was the first born (his name means harry, later he is called Edom (which means red) and he is the father of the Edomite Nation. Jacob was born second, but grabbed his brother’s foot on the way out (his name means heal catcher). This is the first sign that there would be struggle between these two brothers. Rebekah asked the LORD why they were struggling while still in her womb, and the LORD answered her: The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Genesis 25:23
Esau became a skilled hunter, Jacob was a quiet man staying among the tents. This did not necessarily mean that he was weak or soft as many portray, it most likely meant that he was a shepherd and that living in the tents meant he moved around with the flocks. The first sign of Jacob’s deceptive nature comes here as he deals his brother out of his birthright for some stew. By swearing to Jacob, Esau basically sold his birthright which was the blessing that God had given Abraham and Isaac. It would latter include any inheritance that he would receive when his father Isaac died. So Esau despised his birthright, he didn’t care about it, in fact he hated it. This attitude shows that Esau was not “God fearing,” nor did he care about the family history and what his grandfather and father had been through, because the heart of the birthright was the passing of the Covenant promise from God.
Chapter 26: We now find God giving the Covenant Promise specifically to Isaac:
The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. 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. 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; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”
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.”Genesis 26:2-5; 24
This chapter also contains an interlude where Isaac appears to follow in the footsteps of his father Abraham by lying about Rebekah being his sister, not his wife. This narrative gives emphasis to the fact that the LORD is protecting the righteous seed by not allowing Abimelech or his men to touch Rebekah. The difference here is that neither Abimelech nor anyone actually took her as they did with Sarah. Isaac had followed God’s request to stay in that land and not to go down to Egypt.
Note: Abimelech is a title name or family name, not the same individual of Abraham’s story, and these people are the forerunners to the Phillistines who will bring trouble to the people of Israel in the future.
Watch this sermon by Jeff Gill on Isaac, the Child of Promise:
At this point the narrative will shift its focus from Isaac to Jacob whom God will also bless with the Covenant Promise, but it will not be as easy because Jacob is a tough character. God’s sovereignty and hesed love will be apparent in the life of Jacob because there will be many twists and turns to get there.
Join us next week as we continue our “Case for the Old Testament” and look at the life of Jacob, the expansion of the Covenant, and the beginning of the tribe of Israel!
Bible Study:
Read Genesis chapters 25-26
- What did Abraham give to his other children as compared to what he gave to Isaac and why? (Gen. Ch. 25:1-6)
- What did God tell Rebekah when she asked Him why the children inside her struggled? (Gen. Ch. 25:21-23) Knowing this, how do you think it might have affected Rebekah’s relationship and decision-making concerning her children later on?
- What happened between Isaac and Abimelech’s people and why? How many wells did Isaac dig before he was able to keep one and where did he finally settle? (Gen. Ch. 26:12-32)
- Why do you think Esau’s wives grieved Issac and Rebekah? (Gen. 26:34) – Hint: Think about the Covenant Promise and Noah’s curse on Canaan.
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Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15
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