Toldot - "Generations"

Today's Reading from Toldot:
Genesis 25:19-26:12

Perhaps an appropriate heading for today's reading would be "Everything Old is New Again." Now we begin the story of Isaac, the promised heir of Abraham. Like Sarah before her, Rebekah is barren - she cannot conceive a child. In Genesis 25:21, Isaac demonstrates faith in the G-d of his father by asking Him to help Rebekah to conceive, and G-d subsequently blesses the couple with twins. For her part, Rebekah also demonstrates faith in the G-d of Abraham. When she notices the babies appear to be struggling within her she asks the L-rd about it. G-d then gives her an explanation and a prophecy in verse 23:

23 The LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.”

Rebekah does indeed have twins, whom the parents name Esau and Jacob. It is interesting to note the comment at the end of verse 26 that Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah had the twins. As Abraham's promised heir, Isaac surely knew all that G-d had promised Abraham and that those promises were to be fulfilled through Isaac. Yet Isaac himself had to wait until he was 60 years of age to see his hope for the promise to become a great nation. Once again the L-rd chooses to cause His servant to wait on the promise in order to build his faith.

It is important to note, however, that Isaac deviates from his father's ways in one very important respect. While Abraham and Sarah tried to help G-d's plan by having Abraham conceive a child through Hagar, Isaac went directly to the L-rd to ask for a child. Perhaps, after seeing what happened with Ishmael and Hagar, Isaac learned that it is best to wait for the L-rd to answer in His timing.

In Genesis 25:31-34, we fast-forward to the now grown Jacob and Esau and the story of Esau selling his birthright. We may be tempted to feel a great deal of sympathy for Esau in this instance. However, as is often the case, there is more to the story than appears on the surface. The IVP Bible Background Commentary explains that the birthright was the material inheritance of the firstborn. The birthright of the oldest son was to receive a double portion of the material possessions of the parents. So Esau's choice to satisfy his immediate appetite with a bowl of stew by forsaking his birthright shows his cavalier attitude toward his status and rights as firstborn.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary goes on to explain that while Jacob may not have shown the strictest moral standards in the way he gained Esau's birthright, he was not deceptive in the matter either. He openly (most likely in the presence of others) declared that he would give Esau a bowl of stew if Esau promised to give Jacob his birthright. Esau's gives quite an exaggerated response in verse 32:

32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to
me?”

Now we know from the earlier portion of the passage that Esau was not literally starving to death. He had simply been out hunting all day and was extremely hungry.
New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ge 25:32). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.


New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ge 25:23). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.