1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: And Jacob said, swear to me this day, and he 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: swear unto him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob 3 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: Genesis twenty five thirty three. Dear Lord, through the eyes 4 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: of this text, thank you for opening my eyes to 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: ways of being that could derail my future. I declare 6 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: that I will be mindful, to cherish and to honor 7 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,319 Speaker 1: the inheritance you have for me as your child. I 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: decree that I will not settle and sell myself short 9 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: for the things in life that offer temporary pleasure and relief. 10 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: Like Esau, help me, Lord to stay mindful and sober 11 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: when it comes to the schemes of the enemy. I 12 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: will guard my future and my promise with wisdom and 13 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: wise counsel. I will not compromise my stance or my 14 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: values when opportunity is within each. Instead, I will hold 15 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: fast to that which belongs to me, for I know 16 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: that you are my provider, Heavenly Father, man can only 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: give what you allow. From this moment on, I guard 18 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: what's mine. I stay alert at all times, and I 19 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: wait for my promise to come to pass. In Jesus name. Amen, 20 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer or priority in your life to 21 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: hear the Bible Come to Life. Stay tuned for the 22 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: Bible in a Year, brought to you by Bible in 23 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: a Year dot com Esau's Birthright before this story, we 24 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: learned about Sarah passing away and God's faithfulness to continue 25 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: his promises through Isaac. He provided Isaac with a wife, Rebecca, 26 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: and the two loved one another deeply. Now we will 27 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: learn about the passing of Abraham and Isaac and Rebecca's sons, 28 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: Jacob and Esau as inspired by the Book of Genesis. Hello, 29 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible 30 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: in a Year podcast. In our previous passage, we learned 31 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,079 Speaker 1: of Sarah's passing in Abraham's quest to find a wife 32 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: for Isaac, his son, a woman to help him carry 33 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: on the family line and fulfill God's prophecy regarding Abraham's descendants. 34 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: Today we come to the end of Abraham's life. Far 35 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: from being a perfect man, he was full of contradictions, 36 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: faith and failing's trust and trepidation. God has been with 37 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: him through it all, however, never wavering in his promise. 38 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: Now his legacy is established, Abraham is ready to go 39 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: to the Heavenly Father. Notice, how as he knows his 40 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: time is nearing. Abraham continues to lead his family, seeking 41 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: to establish for them a future and a fulfillment of 42 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: God's plan. You'll hear how two brothers, Isaac and Ishmael, 43 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: come together for the sake of honoring their father. We'll 44 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: then hear about Isaac and Rebecca and a story that 45 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: in many ways echoes that of Isaac's father and mother. 46 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: The struggle to bear children, the patient waiting on God 47 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: until finally God grants their greatest desire. But not just 48 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: one child. God gave them twin boys. And as you 49 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: probably have come to expect by now, when brothers are involved, 50 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: strife is not far behind. Today's passage is no different. 51 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: But listen as the struggles start before Rebecca even gives birth. 52 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: This will not be a harmonious relationship, but it is 53 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: made even worse by the parents who each choose a favorite. 54 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: The seeds are being sown early for a difficult relationship 55 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: and a conflict that divides a family. This theme of 56 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: close family conflict is one that keeps getting repeated, and 57 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: it's one that many of us know all too well 58 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: from personal experience. What can we learn from this story 59 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: to help us in our own situations, with our own 60 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: families less listened to today's passage and see. In the 61 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: last years of Abraham's life, he was married to a 62 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: woman named Katura, a young woman who bore him six sons. 63 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 1: Abraham was blessed in his final years, getting to see 64 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: more of God's promises unfold before his eyes. When he 65 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: knew the time was near, he gathered gifts for his 66 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: wife and sons and commissioned them to the east to 67 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: be fruitful and start their own families. Yet Isaac was 68 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: to remain in his land with Rebecca. Abraham, the father 69 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: of nations and God's chosen inheritor of the Covenant, departed 70 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: from the earth at age one hundred seventy five. His 71 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: life was filled with riches and wolves, peaks and valleys, 72 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: faith and failure. His life was a beacon of hope 73 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: to all those who follow God, and proof that the 74 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 1: Lord keeps his promises despite our foolishness. After Abraham had passed, 75 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: Ishmael returned to his brother Isaac, and the two buried 76 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: him together beside Sarah. The God of Abraham looked to 77 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: Isaac and became the God of Isaac. The promised covenant 78 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: given to Abraham was passed to Isaac, and he would 79 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: bless Isaac and his descendants as he did with his father. 80 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: Twenty years of marriage had passed for Isaac and Rebeccah. 81 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: The two lived in the love of the Lord and 82 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: one another, expanding their land and influence. Yet Rebeccah, in 83 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: twenty years, was unable to have children. The two found 84 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: themselves in a similar situation as Abraham and Sarah once did. 85 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: Yet they waited on the Lord and trusted in him 86 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: to provide. They came before God daily, waiting for him 87 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: to move. They knew he would, and he did. When 88 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 1: Isaac and his wife Rebecca had reached twenty years of marriage, 89 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: Isaac prayed to God that she would become pregnant because 90 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: she was unable to bear children. God blessed Rebecca and 91 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: answered Isaac's prayer. That is when Rebecca became pregnant with 92 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: twin boys. Lord, what is happening to me, she prayed. 93 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: The Lord responded, you have the makings of two nations 94 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: inside you. Two people groups will come from the children 95 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: in your womb. One will be stronger and the older 96 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 1: will serve the younger. As the Lord had promised, Rebecca 97 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: became pregnant. A few months into pregnancy, Rebecca felt a 98 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: wrestling in her womb. Concerned, she asked the Lord what 99 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: was happening to her. The Lord prophesied over her and 100 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: told her that she was having twins. He said, you 101 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: have the makings of two nations inside you, two people 102 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: groups that will be divided. One shall be stronger than 103 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: the other, and the older will serve the younger. Rebecca 104 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: kept these things close to her heart, for she would 105 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: watch them unfold as her children grew older. When Rebecca 106 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: came to term and gave birth to her twins, she 107 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: was surprised to see the oldest baby was read and 108 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: his whole body was covered in hair. She named him Esau. 109 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: The second child came out grasping the heel of his 110 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: brother Esau. They named him Jacob, which means heel grabber. 111 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: Isaac was sixty years old when Esau and Jacob were born, 112 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: and the two children grew up together in the promises 113 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: of God. Esau grew up to be a skilled hunter. 114 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: He was a man of the field, strong and filled 115 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: with dignity. He often left for weeks to find meat 116 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: for the family and became skilled in the craft of 117 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: hunting and killing. Jacob grew up to be a mild 118 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: and quiet man, spending most of his time with his 119 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: mother among the tents away from the elements. Esaw was 120 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: loved by his father because he was a provider and 121 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: hunted wild agame, and the first born son. Therefore he 122 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: was the inheritor of Isaac's birthright. Jacob was loved by 123 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: his mother. Yet Jacob's mildness was not to be mistaken 124 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: for weakness. Jacob was a man of ambition and wit. 125 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: His clever tongue and opportunistic attitude would be overlooked by 126 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: his father and brother, to both their humiliation. Esaw once 127 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: returned from weeks out in the wilderness. He was hunting, traveling, 128 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:56,199 Speaker 1: and running towards the point of exhaustion. Starvation had led 129 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: him back home and near the point of death. He 130 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: stumbled his back to camp. Jacob was awaiting his brother 131 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: with a fresh pot of stew simmering on the fire. Esaw, 132 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: gasping out of starvation, groveled towards Jacob, saying, let me 133 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted. 134 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 1: Jacob with a sly grin that can barely be seen 135 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: through the smoke of the fire, said sell me your birthright. 136 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: Confused and exhausted, Esau said, what use is a birthright 137 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: to me? If I am about to die, swear it 138 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: to me, Jacob said swiftly. So Esau swore over his 139 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: birthright to Jacob and ate of the stew. Jacob prepared ravenously, 140 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: devouring the red stew. Esau was the first victim of 141 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: Jacob's ambition. He ate and drank, and then went his way. 142 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 1: Ever since, Esau despised his place in life, and bitterness 143 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: would be the bond between Esau and Jacob for ye 144 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:07,359 Speaker 1: years after. We opened the story today with Abraham remarrying 145 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: his wife, giving him more sons. These will not be 146 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: the men who will make up the great nation of Israel, 147 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: but as sons they would be blessed and fruitful. Before 148 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: we move on to their story, I want to point 149 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: out something that happens. When Abraham dies, Isaac does not 150 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: bury his father alone. He is joined by a familiar 151 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: character who we last saw wandering in the wilderness with 152 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: his mother after he mocked a young Isaac in jealousy. 153 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:40,359 Speaker 1: Ishmael returns and, together with Isaac buried their father. This relationship, 154 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: which was so strained beyond repair, really is at the 155 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: very least able to be reconciled for a time to 156 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: lay their father to rest. You may be living through 157 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: a very difficult situation today, or having experienced one where 158 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: it seems there is no reconciliation possible. But with God, 159 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: all things are possible. And today we see these two 160 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: brothers who you may never have expected to speak again, 161 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,439 Speaker 1: coming together to honor their father, Righteous Abraham, a man 162 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: who left each with a powerful legacy of faith in God. 163 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: And then there is this Isaac and Rebecca. Like Abraham 164 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: and Sarah, must wait for many years for a child, 165 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: but they remain faithful, and after twenty years, Isaac goes 166 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: to God and ask him to give Rebecca a child, 167 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: and the Lord answers, so she becomes pregnant with twins. 168 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: Earliest obvious that the brothers will be at odds. Even 169 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: in the womb they wrestle with one another. They couldn't 170 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: be more different, he saw. The oldest is a powerful hunter, 171 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: a man of the land. Jacob is mild and peaceful, 172 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: not made for outdoor living. He is also cunning and 173 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: sharp witted. But the real problems arise because of the 174 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: attitude of the parents. Listen to what Genesis twenty twenty 175 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: eight says. Now, Isaac loved Esau because he had a 176 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 1: taste for game, but Rebecca loved Jacob. Sibling rivalries are 177 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: common and maybe even expected, but when parents play favorites, 178 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: the results are disastrous. You shouldn't be surprised to see 179 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: now that Jacob tricks Esau, his brother, to give up 180 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: his birthright for a bowl of stew. This birthright would 181 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: have given Esau claim to a much larger portion of 182 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 1: his father's estate. This was his right as the firstborn son. 183 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: But in his hunger and exhaustion, and in his inattention, 184 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: and in his self indulgence, he gave it all away 185 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: for something that lasted no more than a day, a 186 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: bowl of food. We should be very careful not to 187 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: give up the treasures of God for the pleasures of man. 188 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: Jacob took advantage of his brother, and his own selfish 189 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: ambition took hold in his heart. This was the first, 190 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: but certainly the last, of his injuries to Isaac. As 191 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: the story goes on, these brothers would, just as God 192 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 1: told Rebecca, being a lifelong struggle with each other. It 193 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: was a struggle with no real winners, and at the 194 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: center of this our two parents who chose to pick 195 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: a side and choose a child that they love more 196 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: than the other. We will continue to see the downward 197 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: spiral of this relationship and the explosive consequence of Jacob's 198 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: deceit in our next passage. Dear Lord, thank you for 199 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: this story that shows us how we can men relationships 200 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: as in the case of Isaac and Ishmael. And thank 201 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: you for the story of Jacob and Esau because it 202 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: teaches us how we can avoid the danger of favoritism 203 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: among parents and the destructive effects of unresolved conflicts among siblings. 204 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: Help us to apply these lessons to our own lives 205 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:57,959 Speaker 1: and relationships. In Jesus name, Amen, thank you for listening 206 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack 207 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,959 Speaker 1: Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Prey dot Com app 208 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: and make prayer a priority in your life. And if 209 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: you have enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you 210 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: love because sharing this podcast can make a difference in 211 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: someone's life. And if you want more resources on how 212 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: to tap into God's power for your life, be sure 213 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: to visit Jack Graham dot org. This episode is sponsored 214 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: by Medicshare, an innovative healthcare solution for Christians to save 215 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: money without sacrificing quality