Basic Bible

Isaac and Rebekah

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When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . .

We continue along in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. If you’ll recall, God promised Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age, whom they named Isaac. You would think God’s direct intervention in your family’s lives would mean that everyone would be happy and carefree, but such was not the case—a lot of dysfunction going on, in these early Bible families.

Isaac married beautiful Rebekah, and they had twin boys—Esau and Jacob. (Gen 25:19) Esau was the elder—described as an outdoorsy hunter, and Jacob was the younger—described as more of a stay-at-home introvert. Their parents did exactly what you are not supposed to do and favored one child over the other—Isaac favored Esau, and Rebekah favored Jacob; favored him so much that she schemed with her younger son to cheat her older son out of his birthright.

In the meantime, Isaac became so prosperous that the local authorities kicked him out, saying he was using-up too many resources.  (Gen 26:16.)  Isaac then had to move his people three different times, because each time he settled in a likely area and dug the necessary wells, the locals would show up to claim the land and the wells as their own. Was this fair? Not at all.  Did Isaac go to war? No. Did he even complain? No; he simply moved on, and left the strife behind him. Eventually he wound-up in a place superior to all the others, and—seeing God’s grace upon him—his enemies decided to make peace, so that everyone dwelt in harmony. (Gen 26:12-22)

As Isaac lay on his deathbed, he called for Esau because it was customary for the father to bestow a special blessing on his heir. However, Isaac’s eyesight was failing and so Rebecca and Jacob fooled the old man by substituting Jacob for Isaac. (Gen. 27:6-29)

Rebekah may have been a schemer, but despite the fact it was customary to have multiple wives and concubines at the time, it is believed that Isaac remained monogamous and devoted to her throughout his life.

When Esau discovered Jacob’s deception, he vowed to kill his younger brother and so Rebecca sent Jacob off to live with her brother Laban until things cooled off.  But Uncle Laban—as we will discover—was something of a schemer himself, and Jacob will soon learn how it feels when the tables are turned.