Our study of the life of Isaac, as that pertains to the promises the Lord had given to Abraham, begins with: “And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son…” (Genesis 25:19). In other words, this is the beginning of a new record, which Moses used to compile with other records, and all those records, taken together, make up the Book of Genesis. I mentioned these records earlier in the study of this book,[1] and they are usually identified with the words: these are the generations of… At this particular time, we are beginning the sixth such account, which Moses combined with the other five to make up the current extent of the Book of Genesis. The records are called books in Genesis 5:1, but they can hardly be termed in this manner, if we understand the word as we do today. The word rendered book there in Genesis 5:1 can also be translated register, writing or a letter/scroll of evidence, and should be understood in this manner.
The record commences with Isaac having already begun his sojourning in the Land of Promise. He was 40 years of age, when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:19-20; cp. 24:67), whom the text identifies as the daughter of Bethuel, the Syrian of Padanaram, vis-à-vis the field of Aram, the fifth son of Shem (Genesis 10:22-23), which was actually the country of Haran (Genesis 11:32; cp. 28:2-5). However, this particular record in Genesis actually begins 19 years after Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah (Genesis 25:20, 26).
Rebekah had been barren for many years, but Isaac prayed to the Lord, asking him to remove the problem of conception, and God honored Isaac’s request, and Rebekah conceived (Genesis 25:21). It is interesting that both Sarah (Genesis 11:30) and Rebekah had problems conceiving (Genesis 25:21), as was also true of Rachel (Genesis 29:31), Jacob’s favorite wife. The implication seems to be that God promises, but man is unable or make God’s promises successful. Abraham tried to enable the Lord to bless him and the result was Ishmael, whose descendants only troubled the children of Israel (cp. Genesis 16:12). While the Lord can be entreated to do as he promised to do, the promises are not to be considered automatic. Therefore, at least in the case of Isaac,[2] the text implies that he not only prayed for the Lord’s intervention, but he prayed consistently over the 19 years that Rebekah was barren (cp. Luke 18:1).
While Rebekah did, in fact, conceive, she had a very troubled pregnancy. She had become very concerned and uneasy over the commotion within her womb. While the Lord did allow both Sarah and Rebekah to conceive, they had only one pregnancy. Rachel, on the other hand, had two pregnancies and died giving birth to her second child. Therefore, Rebekah had reason to be concerned over the trouble she was having to endure, so she placed her concerns before the Lord. In so doing, the Lord replied to say that her troubled pregnancy was due to the fact she would bring two nations into the world. They would oppose one another, and the elder would be forced to serve the younger (Genesis 25:22-23).[3]
When her time had come, Rebekah brought twins into the world, first was Esau and the second was Jacob. Esau was reddish and hairy, and Jacob came out of the womb holding onto Esau’s heel. Isaac was 60 years old at the time of their births (Genesis 25:24-26). The children grew up with different dispositions. Esau was a rugged man of the field, a cunning hunter and able to live off the land. However, Jacob was a plain man, pleased to dwell in tents. Isaac was pleased with Esau’s ability to bring home the venison and favored him, but Rebekah, remembering the word of the Lord (Genesis 25:23) favored Jacob (Genesis 25:27-28).[4]
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[1] See my studies: The So-Called Righteous Line, and When Man Became a Living Soul!
[2] Abraham seems to have thought it was up to himself to produce a son. The idea that the Lord controlled such matters as conception and birth may have been completely foreign to him (cp. my earlier study: Abram Believed God! and How Will I Know?). Therefore, Abraham’s faith was tested against matters that he did know to be true (cp. Genesis 22:1). Isaac, however, knew that the Lord did, in fact, control such matters as conception and birth, because his was the miracle birth of a woman with a dead womb. Therefore, Isaac prayed for Rebekah to give birth, while the text never reveals that Abraham prayed for Sarah to become pregnant.
[3] We are neither told how Rebekah inquired of the Lord, nor are we privy to how the Lord made his reply known to her. Such things were usually done through the sacrificial system of worship, but it seems more likely that Rebekah simply spoke to the Lord in prayer.
[4] No doubt Rebekah informed Isaac of what the Lord had told her, but apparently, as custom would have it, women weren’t taken seriously in such matters.
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