But really, Genesis 25.....Abraham died...only after he remarried...I don't think I knew that before reading this. And he had about 6 other kids....but of all of them....he left everything he had to Isaac. It does say he gave gifts to the sons.....but just as he gave them gifts...he sent them away from Isaac. Isaac was to be the true and sole heir. Ol' Abe lived 175 years!!! He was buried with Sarah and "God blessed his son Isaac" ( 25:11). Then we have a few verses about Ishmael (who Hagar bore--she was Sarah's maidservant who Sarah told to sleep with Abraham--never thwart God's plan....what did Judge Wappner say, "never take matters into your own hands!" :)
Verse 19 is about Jacob and Esau.....twins born from Rebekah and Isaac. She knew she was having twins for she asked the Lord what the tumbling and fighting was all about inside her womb, "why is this happening to me?" I can tell you....when I had JJ...I thought there were twins...he jumped around in there enough for 2 of them....thank God for unanswered prayers! Twins?? No thanks. :) One at a time. But Jacob and Esau were in conflict with each other from the beginning and couldn't have been greater opposites. Esau was the hunter and the first borne while Jacob was the quiet one..."staying close to the tents." In verse 23 it says that "the older will serve the younger." That is because Jacob was bold enough to ask Esau to sell him his birthright. So, Esau gave it up. It was no big deal to him, while on the other hand...Jacob was dying to have the birthright and got it! We'll see how this plays out.......
Genesis 26......Isaac had another visit from the Lord.....when you read this in your own Bible, notice how many times the Lord uses the word "will..." as in "I will...." the Lord says, and the Lord does! Amen? Amen!
But what I liked about this....he planted crops! Oh....JJ's kindred spirit is Isaac! :) Out in the fields...planting corn........on his tractor...JJ would love this verse! Abimelech (just call him Abby) was king of where they were living. He was threatend by Isaac and his wealth and all people envied him (v. 14). So King Abby asked him to "move away from us...you have become too powerful." Can you even believe how much like real life and soap opera-ish the Bible is?? This could be so modern day.......! I love it! So, Isaac moved away and found old water wells that he could reopen...and he did and he flourished. He dug and dug and dug and dug and dug. And can you believe it.....old King Abby came back, asked Isaac not to harm them because NOW they realize that the Lord is with Isaac. He has been so greatly blessed that the people, even the king, must acknowledge that all of his blessings and fortune and wealth and good life, are the work of the Lord!!! Isaac was gracious to him, gave him a feast and sent the king on his way "in peace."
Chapter 26 ends with a disappointment and "source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah." Esau makes a bad choice in the wife he chooses. He married outside of their religion and culture; something unheard of in those days!
Lessons learned today: don't let the other team catch an interception, be gracious like Isaac to those who envy you or feel threatened by you, and realize that all good that you have comes from God....not from your own doings!
Thy will be done.
test
ReplyDeleteThis could be a story of today..except we don't live that long...too much junk in our diet probably. It's at least like a soap opera, but more interesting. We want to know the ending. And we want His will to be done...unlike in the soaps. And what an ending for the Sooners. Oh no! That was sad too. Poor Sam.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving this! Thanks for sharing. I'm not always good about commenting, but I am reading and enjoying your thoughts on God's word
ReplyDelete