Passing on the Covenant to the Next Generation

Action & Events (Genesis 23 - 25)

1. Sarah dies, Abraham purchases a tomb for her in Canaan
2. Abraham plans for family succession. He arranges for a suitable wife for the son who will carry forward the covenant. He does not want him to marry into the Canaanite people. He understands that God wants the descendants of the covenant to remain separate.
3. Abraham's servant goes back to the land they came from to find a wife from among the extended family. He returns with Rebecca.
4. Abraham dies, we get a wrap-up of all his descendants. But the only one we are hereafter concerned with is Isaac. God's blessing pass to Isaac.

Genesis 25:19-23 two sons are conceived and born into the covenant family. But the blessing of the covenant would only pass along to one of them. Why?

We know from later on in the record that Jacob has 12 sons. The blessings and promises of the covenant pass along to all of them. Why wouldn't both of Isaac's sons share in the covenant?

Answer: because one of them despised it. Despise: means to regard as unworthy of one's notice or consideration, to look upon with contempt, aversion, to consider worthless. It suggests an emotional response ranging from strong dislike to loathing.

God knew one son would grab hold of the blessings and promises of the covenant, and the other son would be indifferent. God didn't force the older son to feel that way. He just knew in advance that's how it would go.

Genesis 25:24-34 Esau didn't care about what he was born to, and what might have been his.

Hebrews 12:15-17 Esau was interested in hunting, fishing, chasing pretty women. He was a man's man, his dad loved him best, but that wasn’t what mattered to God.

Esau knew abut the birthright, the promises, the covenant... he offered them as payment for a bowl of soup. He knew the truth and he didn’t care. Esau made his own decision, he chose poorly.

Some people grow up knowing the truth, knowing God's plan, knowing our potential to have a place in it... and yet treat it as no big deal, they never really commit or buy in. I have watched many such people end up rejecting the truth, or resenting it because it interferes with the cares of  life they become attached to.

We’ll see that Esau wanted to settle down among the Canaanites. He didn’t want to stand apart from the world around him. He wanted to fit in, be one of them, and enjoy what life had to offer.

Action & Events (Genesis 26)

A famine hits the land. God talks Isaac into staying in the Gerar (Gaza) instead of Egypt Genesis 26:2-6. Isaac prospers but the people of the area get jealous and keep taking his wells forcing him to move from place to place.

Genesis 26:23-24 Isaac returns to Canaan and God reiterates the covenant promises.

Genesis 26:34-35 Abraham had been very concerned that his son not marry Canaanite women. He knew that if they went down that path they would become absorbed into the Canaanite people and cease to be a special and unique covenant people before God.

Hebrews 11:8-10, 13-16 God’s people must remain separate.  Which means you are going to stand out… people will think you are strange.

Esau's starts cavorting with Canaanite women. He ends up marrying not 1 but 2 of them. He seems unconcerned or outright rebelliousness toward the whole idea of living as a separate  covenant people. God’s prophecy is starting to unfold.

But, Isaac doesn’t want to face the facts. He is grieved by Esau’s actions but he still wants Esau to be the one to receive the covenant promises even though Esau has shown nothing but contempt for it. That’s not the sort of person God wants.

Genesis 27:1-13 Isaac's intentions are suspect... he appears to be side-stepping Esau's behavior and God's revelation!

In old testament times a dying man normally gathered ALL his sons around him to bless them publicly, and lay out the succession in an orderly manner.

Why does he want to only bless Esau and not Jacob?

Why does he appear to be doing it on the sly? Rebecca only finds out by spying on him...

Isaac knows Esau is flouting the families wishes regarding not intermarrying with the Canaanites. Why put the covenant at risk like this? Isaac knows the prophetic pronouncement about Esau. Surely that should have put him on alert regarding Esau's bad behavior and attitude regarding the covenant.

Why use vague language about his impending death (even though Isaac has decades left to live)... unless he's trying to do the deal ahead of time, sneak it in while no one is expecting it... so Jacob doesn't know.

Not only is Isaac physically blind he is blind to the heart of his own son… that he is unfit to be the one God’s promise can work.

Genesis 27:27-40 and so the covenant is passed along to Jacob. Isaac and Esau tried to pull a fast one on Jacob, in turn Jacob and Rebecca proved  even sneakier. Scripture doesn't explicitly condone or condemn what Jacob and Rebecca did. However they do reap as they have sown. Jacob must flee... Rebecca never sees her favorite son again... and soon Jacob the deceiver will himself be cruelly deceived.

What Was The Difference Between Jacob & Esau?

Both men had their sins… BUT, God can deal with sin, transgressions can be forgiven, consequences of sin can lead to repentance, lesson learned and growth in understanding. What God can’t work with is indifference. The idea that a person could have opportunity for great gifts and blessings and simply not care, not go for it, not lay hold of what is being offered.

Esau didn't care... that' why God didn't want him. Jacob cared, he was going to do what it took to lay hold of the blessings God had to offer. Jacob would make a lot of mistakes along the way... but Jacob wanted it. That's what God wants to see in the heart of a person Revelation 3:14-20 

Genesis 27:46-28:4 Jacob is sent out to find a suitable wife who is not a Canaanite, and to get away from Esau who wants to kill him.

Genesis 28:10-15 God confirms the succession of the covenant to Jacob... the man passionate enough to want it. Note: Jacob is willing to act. he vows to tithe as a way of acknowledging God, he is willing to travel to a foreign land to seek out a wife who is not a Canaanite.

Action & Events (Genesis 29-31)

1. Jacob meets Rachael and falls in love which is going to make what happens next extra painful!
2. Jacob the deceiver is deceived by Laban into marrying the older sister Leah first. Jacob then makes a deal to marry both women... again multiple wives is going to lead to lots of family tension and strife later on down the road, scripture does not condone or condemn the act, but clearly shows them reaping bad results.
3. Jacob fathers 12 sons over the years... and becomes very wealthy
4. Jacob realizes he needs to get away from Laban and return to the land God has promised
5. Jacob prepares to meet Esau after all these years and wonders what will happen

Jacob Heads Back To the Land of Promise

Genesis 32:1-12 Jacob never got the wealth from Isaac. He went out with nothing. But God blessed him with wealth and children. Nether Isaac's willfullness, Esau's anger, or Jacobs obvious shortcomings could render God's blessing and promise null and void. The covenant plan of God was about to get back on track

Genesis 32:22-30 we are all called to struggle with God and with man... and to overcome. Verse 28 is a key scripture for understanding what scripture tells us about Jacob. How God could work with such a deeply flawed person. Jacob was not perfect, but he wrestled with God, he was going to hold on no matter what until he got the blessing. God is pleased by that kind of attitude and desire for what He has to offer.

Sin can be dealt with. Indifference is a much more serious problem in God’s eyes. Jacob wanted the promises and blessings of God's covenant! How do you feel about the covenant God has made with you? That new covenant?

(don’t read )Genesis 33:1-5 Jacob finally meets and reconciles with Esau

(don’t read )Genesis 33:8-11 Jacob offers to restore to Esau the material blessings he took by deceit

(don’t read )Genesis 33:12-19 Esau offers to travel with Jacob... but Jacob diplomatically opts to stay separate and goes to set up his own place. Jacob wants to reconcile with Esau but not to take up his wayss and become one people with him.

Note: in the same way we should seek peace with the world as much as we can but not to embrace it.

Dinah & The Canaanites

This final episode in this record of Isaac's sons we see yet another situation arise where integration with the people of Canaan becomes an issue.

Dinah is one of the daughters of Jacob's wife Leah. She decides to go hang out with the Canaanite women in the area. Note: we shouldn't assume Dinah's intentions are pure here. She gets in over head and is raped by a local Canaanite man. Jacob and then his sons hear about it.

Genesis 34:8-10 The Canaanite ruler of the area says "my son loves this girl and wants to marry her, why don't you move into our town and we can all be one big happy family".

God does not want any of the covenant people to integrate with the Canaanites. The Canaanites are going to be punished and removed from the land and the land will go to the descendant of Abraham instead. A clean break with the abominations of Canaan are fundamental to the covenant of promise. God wants His covenant people to remain separate from the Canaanites.

The sons of Jacob deceitfully “ok, as long as you become circumcised”. Then when the men of Canaan are still recovering from the procedure and unable to fight, Dinah's full-blood brothers Simeon and Levi swoop in and kill the all Canaanite men.

They rescue Dinah who was being held, and they loot the town carrying off all sorts of plunder. The sons of Jacob don’t intend to integrate but Jacob is not pleased by how they are going about it.

Renewal of Worship & Purity

Genesis 35:1 God says leave this place and go back to the location where I first appeared to you when you were fleeing from Esau. Let's get back to basics.

Genesis 35:2-5 Jacob gets the message. There is going to be a renewal of worship and commitment to YHWH. We are going to get rid of all the idols and other junk we picked up from the Canaanites. We are going to declare a fresh start.

In the same way God wants all of you who partake of the new covenant to remain separate and get rid of all the debris from the world around you that you have picked up. Let’s use this year’s Passover remembrance stir us up to do just this!

Genesis 35:6-13 this rededication to the covenant by Jacob and his family is followed by a reaffirmation that the promises and blessings granted to Abraham are indeed passed along to his grandson Jacob.

AND, Jacob's name is changed... Jacob which means the grabber and deceiver is now to be called Israel which means he who struggles with God.

Conclusion

Desire and contend for the promises of God. Grab hold of what is offered to you in your covenant with God and don’t let go.

Maintain purity - do not become absorbed into the world around you. Remain separate and remain a special people called by God for His purpose.