Reflections on Genesis 25

Genesis 25 (Contemporary English Version)
1. Abraham married Keturah,
   
2. and they had six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
   
3. Later, Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan, and when Dedan grew up, he had three sons: Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
   
4. Midian also had five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.
   
5. While Abraham was still alive, he gave gifts to the sons of Hagar and Keturah. He also sent their sons to live in the east far from his son Isaac, and when Abraham died, he left everything to Isaac.
   
6. (SEE 25:5)
   
7. Abraham died at the ripe old age of one hundred seventy-five.
   
8. (SEE 25:7)
   
9. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him east of Hebron in Machpelah Cave that was part of the field Abraham had bought from Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. Abraham was buried there beside his wife Sarah.
   
10. (SEE 25:9)
    
11. God blessed Isaac after this, and Isaac moved to a place called "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."
    
12. Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, the slave woman of Sarah.
    
13. Ishmael had twelve sons, in this order: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
    
14. Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
    
15. Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
    
16. Each of Ishmael's sons was a tribal chief, and a village was named after each of them.
    
17. Ishmael had settled in the land east of his brothers, and his sons settled everywhere from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt on the way to Asshur. Ishmael was one hundred thirty-seven when he died.
    
18. (SEE 25:17)
    
19. Isaac was the son of Abraham,
    
20. and he was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean from northern Syria. Almost twenty years later,
    
21. Rebekah still had no children. So Isaac asked the LORD to let her have a child, and the LORD answered his prayer.
    
22. Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, "Why is this happening to me?" Finally, she asked the LORD why her twins were fighting,
    
23. and he told her: "Your two sons will become two separate nations. The younger of the two will be stronger, and the older son will be his servant."
    
24. When Rebekah gave birth,
    
25. the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau.
    
26. The second baby grabbed on to his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
    
27. As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob settled down and became a shepherd.
    
28. Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, and so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.
    
29. One day, Jacob was cooking some stew, when Esau came home hungry
    
30. and said, "I'm starving to death! Give me some of that red stew right now!" That's how Esau got the name "Edom."
    
31. Jacob replied, "Sell me your rights as the first-born son."
    
32. "I'm about to die," Esau answered. "What good will those rights do me?"
    
33. But Jacob said, "Promise me your birthrights, here and now!" And that's what Esau did.
    
34. Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the first-born.
    
    

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    The first portion of this chapter (verses 1-18) serves as a historical footnote, providing an account of the roots of other people groups that entered into the life of the nation Israel. The Midianites, descendants of Keturah's son Midian, are one example. Also mentioned in this footnote is Ishmael to whom God told his mother that 12 sons would be born. These sons are listed in this footnote. Following this brief sidetrack, the narrative picks up again with the account of the covenantal lineage through Isaac.
    
    Isaac's experience was similar to his father's in that his wife was for many years barren. God had made a promise of many descendants of Abraham through Isaac who was considered the "only son" of Abraham in terms of the covenant. The question must have arisen in Isaac's mind as to whether God had forgotten His promise. Whereas Abraham made a plan of his own to have children, Isaac prayed for God to provide them. God answered this prayer and gave not one, but two sons to Isaac and his wife Rebekah. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah and 60 when these sons were born. Because of the activity of these children in her womb, Rebekah inquired of the Lord as to what was happening in her. God told her what was to be: "Two nations are in your womb; two people will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." (25:23)
    
    So Jacob, the supplanter, and Esau, the hairy one, were born to Isaac and Rebekah. The one who did not have the birthright, by right of birth, valued it, and the one to whom it belonged did not. The writer of Hebrews considered this to stem from an immoral and irreverent character. Though God foretold that Esau would serve his brother, it was Esau who was born first and thus had the birthright. Had God not given him this gift of the birthright? And, did not Esau place more value on a bowl of stew than on the gift God had given him? We can debate the issue of God's election of one over the other, but the responsibility of choice was still there for these two brothers. Did not Esau have the option to choose differently than he did? And could not history have turned out differently had he done so? If truly we have a God-given freedom of choice, then it seems the answer to both question should be "yes." But it is not, in my mind, an issue of having the right to choose my own way that is of greatest importance, but to choose the way God desires for me. I am thankful for this freedom of choice God has given me and am convinced that the best choices I can make are those that are discerned through seeking God's council.