Daily Devotions
Genesis
"By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You." Psalm 71:6
Text: Genesis 25:1-34
THE GIFT OF LIFE
Life is a precious gift from God. A little baby is a wonderful gift of life from the Lord! When children are given by the Lord, every effort must be made to love them dearly and instruct them concerning faith in God.
Isaac had prayed earnestly to the Lord because Rebekah was barren. God graciously answered and she conceived. During her pregnancy, Rebekah sought the Lord especially, and once again the Lord answered her prayer. He gave her a special revelatory word concerning the twins she was bearing.
ON DANGEROUS GROUNDS
When the twins were babies, there is every reason to think they were well and equally loved. However, as children grow up, sometimes parents have a hard time growing a heart of love large enough to love the children fairly and equally! This problem afflicted Isaac and Rebekah markedly.
“So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter,
a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling
in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game,
but Rebekah loved Jacob.”GENESIS 25:27-28
1. Unequal Love
It is not easy to have “equal love”. It would take a great deal of effort from parents to be able to give “equal love” to the children. More often than not, parents tend to favour one child more than another.
2. Isaac’s Favourite
Isaac was inclined to love Esau! The reason given showed Isaac up! He loved Esau because this son of his displayed qualities that he obviously liked.
a) Esau was an outdoor man.
b) He was a skilled hunter.
It is fairly safe to say that these qualities appealed to Isaac because he did not possess them. He was happy that one of his sons had these qualities.
3. Rebekah’s Favourite
The natural maternal instinct that Rebekah possessed caused her to love Jacob. Jacob seemed to have been the neglected one, in her esteem. She determined that she would attempt to compensate him for the lack of love and attention from Isaac.
TROUBLE AFOOT
The scenario was set for trouble between the siblings! The polarization within the family ranks spelt serious trouble! Isaac and Rebekah obviously had not been careful to maintain their walk with the Lord! The carnal nature soon overwhelmed all in the family.