Genesis 25:23
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.” (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Genesis 25:19-34, Malachi 1:1-5 and Romans 9:10-16
I am always trying to make these Bible stories as real to me as possible. We are reading actual historical events so it’s easy sometimes to lose the fact that these people are real everyday people like you and me. They have lives that are filled with stress and emotions just like we do. One way for me to step back and see things in context is by paying attention to ages and locations.
So when we get to the account of Jacob and Esau, we see that Isaac is forty years old when he marries Rebekah (his second cousin) and is sixty years old when Jacob and Esau were born. That’s a long twenty years to be trying to have a baby with no results! I would assume that Issac and Rebekah had lots of emotions surrounding their marriage during this time. I also find it interesting that Isaac finally prayed to God for a baby after twenty years. I guess he’d finally reached the end of his rope!
But let’s focus on Jacob for a few days. Jacob’s life is full of prophecy and symbols that we can see now that we are on this side of history. In our passage today in Genesis 25, we see that God tells Rebekah that she is carrying two nations in her womb. One will be stronger than the other but the older will serve the younger. This will come true as we will see in the next few days. But there’s something to learn from this that Paul doesn’t want us to miss as he writes in his letter to the Romans.
Paul writes in Romans 9, “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls.” This is a similar theme that we saw two days ago with the birth of Isaac and Ishmael. One child was promised by God and the other was born by the works of man. One child represents grace under the new covenant and the other represents works under the old covenant.
This symbolism repeats itself in Jacob and Esau but in a slightly different form. Whereas Isaac and Ishmael were born from two different women, Jacob and Esau were twins. But in order to show that God chooses to bless those who are blessed, God chose to bless Jacob – the younger brother. Esau was rightfully owed the blessing as the firstborn. But God gives it to Jacob. Romans 9 says, ““I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
One of my favorite lyrics of all time is from the Newsboys song Stay Strong where it asks, “Did you forget whose trip you’re on?” This won’t be the only time I use lyrics from that song! But Paul reminds us that we are on God’s trip. He planned it, He’s in charge and He’s paying for it. So He gets to choose who He gives mercy and compassion. That’s a hard teaching! But if you want to call the shots then go create your own universe.
It could also be said that Esau represents the flesh and Jacob represents the spirit. Esau was to be the stronger of the two but would be subservient to Jacob. We are to do the same. In the prior chapter of Romans 8, Paul tells us in verse 13, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” We are to make the flesh serve the Spirit.
Jesus was the ultimate example of flesh serving the Spirit. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” And just like Jesus and Jacob, we are chosen. Chosen by God to be adopted into His family. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb 4:16)
Christ in the Old Testament 
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