This post and the next few will be all written today, but done in segments. I am trying to write as I read and think so that my thoughts are clear, and not all thrown into a huge "pot" if you will. I like focusing on each individual segment of the stories. I am about 16 chapters from where I last wrote! So, we ended on Isaac and Rebekah meeting and marrying. Later Abraham dies, and there is an account of Ishmael's family line. In Genesis 25, Rebekah is pregnant. Something that interested me what that Rebekah inquired about what was going on in her womb. Nowadays we rely on doctors and ultrasounds and vitamins to know what is going on. I know that the last 2 times I was pregnant, I never asked to be informed by God. Simeon and I prayed over each Nathaniel and Hezekiah (especially Hezekiah), but we just "left" it in God's hands. Now, I am not saying that there is anything wrong with modern medicine and vitamins, but I am saying, that if I were to inquire God what was going on, if He would have responded to me. By it's very definition, "inquire" means to 'Ask about the health and well-being of someone'. Not that I am blaming myself for any of this, but perhaps, God would have prepared me more for loss if only I would have inquired about these children instead of just 'giving it to Him'. That is a really tricky balance, to be informed, but to still trust the Creator no matter what.
"The Lord said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb,and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." (Gen 25:23)
Something that struck me about this, is that God knew what was going to happen. Now, that isn't a big deal, we all know that. I then began to wonder, however, if that is why Rachel loved Jacob more, because she knew that Esau would serve Jacob.
This is also the chapter where Jacob cons Esau out of his birthright. I began to wonder what a birthright really is. I have always figured it was basically a will, but it is more than that. Whoever the birthright went to assumed their father's responsibilities and authority. It usually went to the firstborn son, no matter how many wives the father had. Also, whoever inherited the birthright, received twice as much as any other sibling. I have always wondered why Esau was so mad, but if you think about how much Issac inherited from his father, not to mention all he had gained, that's a pretty good reason to be angry at your little bro and your foolish self. Can you imagine...all that over a bowl of soup!
In Genesis 26, Isaac moves to King Abimelek's land because of a famine. And guess what he does, he lies about who his wife is to the same king his father did!!! To my knowledge, this is the first recorded generational sin that I have read in the Bible. It's kind of dumbfounding, because father's rarely tell their children where they were wrong. So I doubt that Isaac had any idea that he had done the same thing. So interesting.
I guess what is even more interesting to me, is that in both Abraham's and Isaac's cases, the Lord blessed them abundantly. It doesn't even say in the Bible that either one is apologetic towards God for their actions, or repentant. Why would God bless them so abundantly? I mean, God blessed Isaac so abundantly that the king of the Philistines, was afraid of Isaac! To reach others? I honestly don't understand this part at all.
So, I have also started to find out what each name means. Did you know that Sarai means "My Princess" while Sarah means "Princess"? God was claiming Sarah as His princess from birth, protecting her, then allowed her to be turned into a 'princess' with many future descendants. Maybe I am reading into it too much, but it is interesting that her name and name change work with each part of her life....
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