The Births of Esau and Jacob
A clear display of God’s sovereignty.
Genesis 25:19-26 (NLT)
The Births of Esau and Jacob
19 This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.
23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”
24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. 26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.
Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 25:19-34 (NLT)
The Births of Esau and Jacob
19 This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
- Part of God’s sovereign plan was for Isaac to marry Rebekah. (Romans 9:7-12 clearly supports this bullet point.)
Refer to Family Tree
Genesis 24:15 (NLT)
Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.
Near Haran
Terah, Abraham’s father died in Haran.
21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children.
Rebekah was barren for 20 years.
Genesis 25:20 (NLT)
When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah …
Genesis 25:26 (NLT)
…. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.
- Isaac’s wife, Rebecca, was barren for twenty years.
- Unlike Abraham, Isaac pleaded with the Lordon behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children.
Remember the Promise:
Genesis 12:1-2 (NLT)
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
Genesis 15:3-5 (NLT)
3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
Genesis 22:17 (NLT)
I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.
The Pattern:
Genesis 16:1 (NLT)
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him.
Genesis 25:21 (NLT)
Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife (Rebekah), because she was unable to have children.
Genesis 29:31 (NLT)
Jacob’s Many Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.
- Sarai, Abram’s wife, Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, and Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were all unable to have children.
- God’s sovereignty supersedes physical limitations.
The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.
Compare Isaac and Rebekah’s behavior to Abraham and Sarah’s behavior. Abraham and Sarah tried to work out God’s plan on their own. Isaac and Rebekah took their concerns to the Lord.
- The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer and Rebekah became pregnant.
22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it.
Like Isaac, Rebekah took her concerns to the Lord.
“Why is this happening to me?” she asked.
Hosea 12:3 (NLT)
Even in the womb,
Jacob struggled with his brother;
when he became a man,
he even fought with God.
Why is this happening?
- God chooses people according to his own purposes;he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.
Romans 9:7-13 (NLT)
7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too.8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”
- God sets individuals apart and appoints them to specific callings.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NLT)
4 The Lord gave me (Jeremiah) this message:
5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
Galatians 1:15-16 (NLT)
15 But even before I (Paul) was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
Psalm 139:16 (NLT)
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
- God’s plans began in eternity past and will be accomplished and completed in eternity future. (Human understanding cannot accurately capture this thought.)
23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals.
Israelites vs. Edomites
One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”
The older serving the younger was not the natural order.
God decides when nations rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
Acts 17:26 (NLT)
From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
Psalm 22:27-28 (NLT)
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28 For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.
Job 12:23 (NLT)
He builds up nations, and he destroys them.
He expands nations, and he abandons them.
Psalm 66:7 (NLT)
For by his great power he rules forever.
He watches every movement of the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance.
- Power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations.
- God’s sovereignty supersedes tradition and culture.
24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau.
Hairy
(red-see verse 30)
The red man
26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob.
To watch from behind
One who grabs the heel
One who trips up
He whom God protect
Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.
