Wayfinding Bible - Flipbook - Page 47
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Genesis 27
OBSERVATION POINT
Receiving a father’s blessing was believed to bring
prosperity to the recipient: health and vitality, long
life, fertility, and progeny. Jacob had already gained
Esau’s birthright, which normally ensured that the
oldest son would receive double what a younger
son would. Now Isaac wanted to salvage what he
could by blessing Esau to make him prosperous.
With wealth on the line, both Jacob and Esau were
willing to compete for their father’s blessing, even
resorting to deception.
grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep
and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that
the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the
Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with
dirt. These were the wells that had been dug
by the servants of his father, Abraham.
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Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave
the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said,
“for you have become too powerful for us.”
17
So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley,
where he set up their tents and settled down.
18
He reopened the wells his father had dug,
which the Philistines had filled in after Abra
ham’s death. Isaac also restored the names
Abraham had given them.
19
Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley
and discovered a well of fresh water. 20 But then
the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed
the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and
they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen.
So Isaac named the well Esek (which means
“argument”). 21 Isaac’s men then dug another
well, but again there was a dispute over it. So
Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”). 22 Abandoning that one, Isaac moved
on and dug another well. This time there was
no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place
Rehoboth (which means “open space”), for
he said, “At last the Lord has created enough
space for us to prosper in this land.”
23
From there Isaac moved to Beersheba,
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where the Lord appeared to him on the
night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid,
for I am with you and will bless you. I will
multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of
my promise to Abraham, my servant.” 25 Then
Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the
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EXPLORATION POINT
Rebekah might have thought she had won by fooling
Isaac, but in the end she lost out: Esau was a disappointment, and his wives drove her crazy. Jacob, her
favored son, had to run away to save himself from his
brother’s vengeance. Rebekah succeeded at manipulating her husband, but she still failed to get what
she wanted. She would have been better off leaving
things in God’s hands.
Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his
servants dug another well.
ISAAC’S COVENANT WITH ABIMELECH
One day King Abimelech came from Gerar
with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol,
his army commander. 27 “Why have you come
here?” Isaac asked. “You obviously hate me,
since you kicked me off your land.”
28
They replied, “We can plainly see that the
Lord is with you. So we want to enter into a
sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant.
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Swear that you will not harm us, just as we
have never troubled you. We have always
treated you well, and we sent you away from
us in peace. And now look how the Lord has
blessed you!”
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So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to
celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank
together. 31 Early the next morning, they each
took a solemn oath not to interfere with each
other. Then I saac sent them home again, and
they left him in peace.
32
That very day Isaac’s servants came and
told him about a new well they had dug.
“We’ve found water!” they exclaimed. 33 So
Isaac named the well Shibah (which means
“oath”). And to this day the town that grew up
there is called Beersheba (which means “well
of the oath”).
34
At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite
wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Base
math, the daughter of Elon. 35 But Esau’s wives
made life miserable for I saac and Rebekah.
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JACOB STEALS ESAU’S BLESSING
27
One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older
son, and said, “My son.”
“Yes, Father?” Esau replied.
