Gm – Two Nations, One Womb 25: 19-26

Two Nations, One Womb
25: 19-26

Two nations, one womb DIG: How long did Isaac and Rebekah pray for a son? What did ADONAI prophecy to Rebekah about the twins even before they were born? Who would serve who? What do the names of the boys mean? Why should Jacob’s name never be translated deceiver? Why is that important?

REFLECT: What have you been praying for? Is waiting on the Lord difficult for you? Is ADONAI’s timing perfect, or have you taken matters into your own hands? Can you let God be God?

Parashah 6: Tol’dot (History) 25:19-28:9
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People include Jacob, Isaac, Rebecca, Esau, Abimelech king of the Philistines, daughters of Het, Laban, and more wives for Esau.

The Scenes include Gerar, Beersheba, Isaac’s three wells, Shibah, and Paddan Aram.

The Main Events include ADONAI speaking to Rebecca, the birth of two nations, the birthright traded for some stew, famine, prosperity in Gerar, Isaac’s blessing for Jacob when tricked by hairy skin, the blessing reaffirmed, Jacob sent to Laban to avoid the wrath of Esau, and to get a wife, and Isaac bestowing the Abrahamic blessing on Jacob – the next generation to receive divine favor.

It is easy to read through the accounts about the patriarchs and get lost in the detail. When we examine the passages closely it seems that all we see are human decisions, human error, and human strength or weakness. It is like standing very close to an oil painting where we can see each brush stroke clearly but can miss the overall theme of the painting. The same peril might await us in our Torah studies if we do not take the time to step back a little from the text in order to see the big picture that the Holy One is unfolding before us.

Parashah Tol’dot is a good example of this. Here we vividly witness human dealings, deceptions, conflict, and even hatred. Let we lost in the mire of biased human reactions and dealings; we must analyze these actions through the sovereign eyes of God. Thus, we will study this parashah to see what we can learn about divine sovereignty. The sovereignty of God is a recurrent theme throughout the Torah. For example, it will surface again in the story of Joseph (to see link click Iw – The Written Account of the Generations of Jacob). The repetition of this theme in the Torah means, among other things, that the LORD wants us to keep it fresh in our minds. ADONAI wants to encourage and strengthen us with this revelation of Himself.

This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac, and what became of Isaac was Esau and Jacob. Abraham became the father of Isaac (Hebrew: Yitz’chak), and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from the plain of Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean (25:19-20). Aram was the son of Shem, so the Arameans were Semites. Parashah Tol’dot tells the story of the birth of Jacob and Esau. It was only in the previous chapter that we learned about the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. Now the progressively unfolding story of redemption in Genesis introduces the next main character, Jacob. This is the line through which the Seed of the woman (3:15), or the Messiah, comes, so this is the Seed son.

As Isaac grew up, his mother Sarah and his father Abraham told him the story of his miraculous birth. They told him how much they longed for him and how much they prayed, year after year, that ADONAI would send him to them. Sarah was barren, but they prayed. An act of God brought Rebekah and Isaac together. Like his father Abraham, Isaac was faced with a marriage which we barren of children. Now it would take another act of God to overcome Rebekah’s barrenness. Isaac had learned from his parents that he was the son of promise, and that it would be through him and his descendants that the Messiah would come. He had learned from his father the pain of trying to give the LORD a helping hand by having a child with his handmaiden, and he had vowed within himself that he would never repeat that mistake. What was left for him to do? Yitz’chak then prayed to ADONAI on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And, just as Sarah and Abraham had waited twenty-five years before Isaac was born, Rebekah and Isaac also waited twenty.⁴⁰⁴  But then the LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant (25:21).

Waiting on ADONAI is an act of faith, the greatest thing ever required of us humans. Not faith in the outcome we are dictating to God, but faith in His character, faith in Himself. It is resting in perfect confidence that He will guide in the right way, at the right time. He will supply our need. He will fulfill His written Word. He will give us the very best if we trust, believe and have faith in Him.⁴⁰⁵

During Rebekah’s difficult pregnancy the babies jostled each other within her. Did this ever prove to be a prophetic jostling! The twins have been fighting ever since. She asked herself, “Why is this happening to me?” The struggle of these two boys, which began before their birth, represents the struggle that still goes on today. There is a struggle between light and darkness, between good and evil, between the Spirit and the flesh that Paul sets before us (see the commentary on Romans Cc – The Reality of the Inner Conflict).⁴⁰⁶

God’s sovereign hand is also demonstrated in the actual birth of the twins, Jacob and Esau. The first evidence of this is in the prophecy that He gave to reassure Rebekah. So she went to inquire of ADONAI (25:22) and He prophesied to her. The content of the prophecy is in the form of Hebrew poetry, which is not based upon rhythm or rhyme, but it is based upon parallelism.The first line is: Two nations are in your womb. The Hebrew word for nations is goyim, which means both Jewish and Gentile nations. The Jewish nation of Isra’el will be from Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov), and the Gentile nation will be from Esau (later the nation of Edom). In Hebrew poetry the second line either completes the thought of the first line, or says the same thing in different words. Therefore, the second line is: and two peoples from within you will be separated. Then comes line number three: One people will be stronger than the other, because Isra’el will be stronger than Edom. And then the fourth line completes the thought of the third: and the older will serve the younger (Second Samuel 8:12-14), because Edom would be enslaved to Isra’el (25:23). The struggle which begun in her womb would continue throughout their lives and throughout the history of their respective nations. This is a very important part of the prophecy because it will reveal the godly motivation behind Sarah and Jacob’s actions regarding the blessing the would be needed to carry on the line of the coming Messiah.

Romans 9:10-12 emphasizes the importance of ADONAI’s statement to Rebekah (see the commentary on Romans Cq – The Explanation of Isra’el’s Past Paradox). Before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose in election might stand, she was told that the older will serve the younger. The LORD’s choice of Jacob, the younger, to inherit his covenant promise was made before the boys were even born. This showed that the choice did not depend on what either did. God is free to choose as He wills. The fact that Esav proved to be uninterested in spiritual things shows how wise His choices are.⁴⁰⁷

I am sure that she treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart, just as Mary would do in the future (Luke 2:19). But should she do more than that? Surely she should tell her husband? But what about the boys? Would there be any problems if she told them? Should she let the LORD work it out and not say anything? Or should she get involved?

Scripture has already provided two instances of fraternal rivalry: Cain and Abel, and Ishmael and Isaac. Both times the elder brother emerges in a less than desirable light. The case is no different with Esau and Jacob.⁴⁰⁸ This prophecy hardly brought any comfort to Rebekah. It explained her pain, but it raised more questions than it answered. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb (25:24). They came from the same womb, but they were worlds apart.

The first to come out was red or the Hebrew word admoni which means ruddy or reddishness, and that became the basis for the name of his nation edom, meaning red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau, which means hairy (25:25). So his personal name was because he was born hairy, and the name of his nation was based on the color of his hair.

After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esav’s heel. The Hebrew word for heel is akeiv, which is also seen in the words of the prophet Hosea when he said: In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel (Hosea 12:3). And just as Esau was named by his appearance, Jacob was named by his action, so he was named Ya’akov, which is the same root word for heel. The primary meaning of his name is the one who takes by the heel, or heel holder. And there is no negative connotation here. But the secondary meaning of his name is supplanter, which is a neutral term to be determined by the context (Genesis 27:36; Jeremiah 9:4). His name should never be translated deceiver. In the LORD’s perfect timing, Yitz’chak was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them (25:26).

By giving Jacob a name from a Hebrew root which means heel, his parents were unwittingly contributing an important part toward the fulfillment of the prophecy given by YHVH earlier in Genesis (see Be – He Will Crush Your Head, and You Will Strike His Heel). This was the first messianic prophecy, which would ultimately take place between Messiah and Satan. The Messiah, however, will be from Jacob, the heel. In addition, as the people of God chosen to bring light and salvation into the world, which is totally contrary to Satan’s purposes, the people of the heel (Irsra’el) would suffer. But, we also know from both the prophecy above and in other parts of Scripture, that Messiah and the remnant of Isra’el will be victorious.

Did Isaac and Rebekah know all of this, of course not. But like so many of us, they were being used without being aware of it – as instruments of the sovereignty of God to help carry our His unfolding plan of redemption. In the end, they named their second twin the name which the Eternal One had decided in all eternity past that He should have Jacob (later called Isra’el) the heel.

All the mothers of the nation of Isra’el were not able to conceive and have children naturally. All were barren. Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Hannah all had to have a miracle to give birth to their children. But why? ADONAI wanted to be clearly seen in the births of the major historical heroes in the path to our salvation. Of course, the most out of the ordinary was the birth of Yeshua our Messiah that is not a birth given by a barren woman, but a birth given by a woman who knew no man!