GENESIS 25
19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered 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 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you
shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. – Genesis 25:19-26
GENESIS 25 THE BIRTH OF JACOB & ESAU
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
When Isaac took Rebekah as his wife, he was forty years old
Rebekah couldn’t get pregnant so Isaac prayed and pleaded God
Then the Lord God heard Isaac, so Rebekah became pregnant
It was a difficult conception since she felt two babies in her womb
The Lord told her that there were two nations divided inside her
When they were born, Jacob’s hand was holding Esau’s heel.
It is amazing how God answered Isaac’s prayer. It seems like Sarah’s barrenness was a repeat to Rebekah. She was a lot younger than when Rebekah conceived Isaac. I think that the Lord delayed the many offspring coming from Abraham to Isaac because they will be the lineage of royalty where kings will spring from and his heir of the covenant promise would come from. It may seem that God was biased towards Jacob, but that is his choice, since he alone knows what the plan was for man’s salvation. What is interesting here is that God gave Rebekah a glimpse of the two fighting nations inside her womb. This must have been the reason why Jacob will be Rebekah’s favorite. She knew.
REFLECTION
- Why do you think God said “the older shall serve the younger” to Rebekah?
