The Birth of Esau and Jacob: Genesis 25.19-28
Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah.
How simple it seems: Genesis 25.21 reads, "Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. The problem of a barren matriarch, which takes up so much space in the Abraham narrative, is resolved in a single verse in the Isaac narrative. Twenty years pass between the time Isaac and Rebekah are married and Rebekah gives birth, but the length of time is de-emphasized to focus instead on Isaac's prayer easily being answered. As I wrote yesterday, Isaac often has it easy.
Rebekah, on the other hand, has two children struggling within her. The distress is so great that she asks the Lord why shed does not simply die. The Lord replies: "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25.23). The sons will represent two different nations, one stronger than the other, with the elder serving the elder. Sounds a bit like the Ishmael/Isaac story, no? Again there is a split in lineage, with the good guys going one way and the bad guys going the other.
Esau is born first. He comes out red and hairy, his heel gripped by his brother, who is aptly named Jacob ("He takes by the heel" or "He supplants"). Esau turns out to be a skilled hunter, whereas Jacob is "a quiet man, living in tents" (Gen. 25.27). Isaac loves Esau, but Rebekah loves Jacob. It is the matriarch that favors the greater man.
Esau Sells His Birthright: Genesis 25.29-34
One day Jacob is cooking a stew when his brother comes in. The inarticulate Esau asks for "some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Gen. 25.30). Jacob offers it to Esau in exchange for his birthright. "I am about to die;" Esau says, "of what use is a birthright to me?" (Gen. 25.32). Jacob makes him swear. He does, and Jacob gives his brother bread and lentil stew. "Thus Esau despised his birthright" (Gen. 25.34).
Esau is a bit of an exaggerator. Jacob is a bit of a trickster. Esau is identified with masculine themes, Jacob with feminine themes. Jacob cooks a meal, which his brother takes in exchange for a birthright. Come on! That is just ridiculous for both of them. Why would Esau give away his birthright for a meal? Why would Jacob think to demand such a thing?
Jacob's place as the second son means he must fight for everything, especially the birthright and - later - his father's blessing. If he can gain these, it will be his line that is blessed, rather than his brother's. Still, there is something disconcerting about a nation built on what might be seen by some as ill-gotten gains. The Isaac narrative shows that seemingly intangible things like a birthright and blessing actually have meaning and value.
Sister Act...3?: Genesis 26.1-22
This is a J-source story with remarkable ties to the "matriarch=sister trick" in Genesis 20.1-18 and Genesis 12.10-20.
"Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; settle in the land that I shall show you'" (Gen. 26.1-2). There are quite a few cross-references. Isaac, like his father, travels due to a famine. But he is warned not to go to Egypt, as his father did. Rather, he must go to Gerar, where Abraham went and also tricked King Abimelech. Clearly this sort of narrative is important in the story of the patriarchs. It has the patriarchs interacting with other people, and though they are afraid of the king of the land, the king always defers to them and the patriarch ends up wealthy.
The Lord tells Isaac to remain in this land, so that the oath with Abraham may be honored. The Lord makes the three-fold promise of land, progeny and blessings, based on Abraham's fulfilling the Lord's commandments.
Isaac settles in Gerar, telling people that Rebekah is his sister, for he fears being killed by Philistine men. After a long time, "King Abimelech of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw him fondling his wife Rebekah" (Gen. 26.8). The Hebrew reads yitschaq metsacheq, meaning "Isaac playing," but there is a definite sexual connotation. Abimelech confronts the would-be incestuous Isaac, learns the truth, rebukes Isaac that he put the Philistines in danger, and warns the Philistines that whoever touches Isaac or Rebekah will be put to death (by Abimelech, not the Lord).
Well Well: Genesis 26.23-33
Isaac sows seed, reaping an astounding hundred fold. With the blessing of the Lord, Isaac becomes rich and prospers. Abimelech tells him to leave; Isaac is too powerful.
During this time the Philistines had filled up the wells that Abraham's servants dug. Isaac has his servants dig them again, quarreling over two of three. He then heads to Beer-Sheba, which he re-founds by digging and adding an altar after receiving a promise of offspring.
Abimelech comes to Gerar with his entourage and tells Isaac, "We see plainly that the Lord has been with you; so we say, let there be an oath between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you so that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord" (Gen. 26.28-29).
Isaac follows in his father's footsteps of digging and naming the well after a covenant with Abimelech. Here, however, Abimelech makes a much grander promise than he does in Genesis 21.
Digression - Esau's Hittite Wives: Genesis 26.34-35
This little digression demonstrates the nature of biblical narrative. This two-verse piece tells us simply that Esau marries Judith and Basemath, both Hittites, and that they make life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah, presumably because they are foreigners. The story seems to lack context, but this piece of information will be important in tomorrow's reading.
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