Toldot – “Generations”

The name of this week’s Parasha is Toldot, which means “generations” and covers Genesis 25:19-28:9.  Isaac’s family is listed in Genesis 25 with Abraham as Isaac’s father and Rebecca as Isaac’s wife.  Isaac prayed to Adonai for Rebecca to bear children and his request was granted.  During Rebecca’s pregnancy, the children were struggling inside of her and she asked Adonai why this was happening.  Adonai stated that 2 nations were inside of her, with one more powerful than the other and the older child will serve the younger.   Rebecca gave birth to twin boys and named the first son Esau, because of his red and hairy appearance.  The second son was named Jacob, due to his grasping of Esau’s heel as he was born.

As the boys grew up, Esau was known as an excellent hunter while Jacob was known as a quiet man who dwelled in tents.  Isaac preferred Esau because he ate what Esau hunted, but Rebecca preferred Jacob.  After hunting one day, Esau asked Jacob for some of the red stew he was cooking.  Jacob told Esau to sell his birthright for the stew and Esau agreed, thereby transferring his birthright to Jacob.

In chapter 26, Isaac traveled to Gerar to see Abimelech, who was king of the Philistines.  However, Adonai told Isaac to stay in Gerar and not go into Egypt, so that Adonai would bless Isaac according to the oath He swore with Abraham in Genesis 22.  Isaac obeyed Adonai, but told the men of Gerar that Rebecca was his sister because he was afraid they would kill him if they knew she was his wife.  When Abimelech saw Isaac caressing Rebecca, he confronted Isaac and Isaac replied that he was afraid someone would kill him for Rebecca.  Abimelech ordered that Isaac and Rebecca were to be left alone, or those who bothered them would die.

During his stay with the Philistines, Isaac was blessed by Adonai with so many animals and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.  Abimelech told Isaac to leave because Isaac was much stronger than the Philistines. Isaac left the Philistines and went to the valley of Gerar.  When Isaac arrived there, he re-dug the wells dug by Abraham’s servants that were filled by the Philistines after Abraham’s death, and gave the wells the same names given by Abraham.

However, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac over the new well dug by Isaac’s servants.  Because of this strife, Isaac named this well Esek, or contention, and dug another well.  The herdsmen of Gerar also quarreled with Isaac over this well, which he named Sitnah, or enmity, and moved away from that well.  Isaac then dug a 3rd well and was not bothered by the herdsmen of Gerar, so he named this well Rehoboth, or broad places.  Isaac stated that Adonai had made room here for him and those with him, and they will prosper.

When Abimelech visited Isaac with his advisor and military commander, Isaac asked why they had come after their previous hostility.  They replied that they saw Adonai was with Isaac and offered to make a covenant of peace with him.  Isaac then made them a feast and swore oaths with them the next morning before they left Isaac in peace.  His servants dug another well, which he named Shibah, or oath.  This meaning of the city of Beersheba’s name, which also means well of the oath, is significant as the same location where Abraham swore oaths with the Philistines in Genesis 21.  Esau married two Hittite women and these women caused his parents grief.

Isaac is aging and losing his eyesight in chapter 27.  He asked Esau to hunt some food for him to eat, so that he would bless Esau before he died.  Rebecca overheard this and told Jacob to make Isaac some food by taking 2 young goats, which she would prepare, and serve them to Isaac so that he would bless Jacob.  Jacob mentioned that this might bring a curse from Isaac on him, since he was smooth-skinned and Esau was harry.  Rebecca replied that she would take his curse and Jacob did as she asked.  She prepared the food, dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and placed the goat skins on his arms and neck.

Jacob took the food to Isaac and identified himself as Esau when Isaac asked who he was.  Isaac asked to feel Jacob to see if he was Esau or not and Jacob obeyed; however, Isaac was not convinced because Jacob sounded like Jacob, but felt like Esau.  After being convinced that Jacob was Esau, Isaac asked him for the food.  When Isaac finished eating, he asked Jacob to kiss him and when Jacob kissed him, Isaac smelled his clothes and identified an outdoor smell.  Isaac blessed Jacob with material blessings, power over other nations and his relatives, and repeated part of Adonai’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 to curse those who curse him, and to bless those who bless him.

Esau then arrived immediately after Jacob left, bringing Isaac food that he had hunted and asked for a blessing.  Isaac asked who he was and when Esau replied that he was Esau, Isaac was shocked and said that he had blessed someone else.  Esau also begged for a blessing, but Isaac said Jacob had taken his blessing.  Esau bitterly replied that Jacob’s deception fit his name.  Isaac blessed Esau with a blessing of violence and service to his brother.

Esau plotted to kill Jacob after Isaac’s death, but Rebecca heard Esau’s plan and told Jacob to live with her brother Laban.  After Rebecca told Isaac of the irritation Esau’s Hittite wives are causing her, he told Jacob to avoid marrying Canaanite women in chapter 28.  Isaac told Jacob to marry one of Laban’s daughters and the blessings given to Abraham by God Almighty in Genesis 17 and 15 would be Jacob’s.  Jacob left to live with Laban and the parasha ends with Esau marrying an Ishmaelite woman.

There are several principles in this parasha that we can apply to our lives.  First, Adonai will provide to us according to His plan and will.  We must not expect that things will always be done according to human convention.  An example of this is Jacob receiving the blessing of the firstborn from Isaac instead of Esau.  We see a similar situation in Genesis 48, where Ephraim was given the greater blessing than his older brother Manasseh.  Even though these reversal blessings were in contrast to the accepted practice of this time in blessing the eldest son with the greater blessing, they were done according to Adonai’s plan and purpose.

Another principle is that our behavior has consequences, so we must think and act wisely.  Our behavior and thoughts show where our hearts are, so we need to ensure our actions are pleasing to Adonai.  Let’s strive to resist the temptation to do things by our own strength without seeking Adonai’s will.  When we sin, it doesn’t mean Adonai can’t use us for His purposes, but rebellion that is continuous and deliberate will result in our misery and separation from Adonai.

Esau consistently displayed foolish and impulsive behavior, including despising his birthright, losing his blessing and marrying women from nations that didn’t obey Adonai.  The linking of Esau with the Hebrew word for red in chapter 25 is why his descendants were called Edom, and was meant to depict the Edomites as impatient and spiritually ignorant.  Esau’s sad legacy is shown in the Edomites’ terrible treatment of the Jewish people, resulting in the prophet Obadiah proclaiming Adonai’s judgment against them.

Even though we learn that Jacob was chosen by Adonai to have the firstborn’s birthright in Romans 9, his actions caused pain, hostility and forced him to leave his family due to Esau’s anger.  Adonai certainly didn’t need Jacob’s help in obtaining his birthright-had Jacob chosen to wait on Adonai’s timing, he would have eventually received what Adonai had intended to give him without the need for any trickery or deception.

However, we also learn that Adonai loved Jacob over Esau in Malachi 1 and Romans 9.  Jacob eventually obeyed Adonai and through his son Judah’s descendants came the Holy One of Israel-Messiah Yeshua!  As an indicator of his faith in Adonai, Jacob’s name was later changed to Yisrael and his new name signified that he once fought with Adonai and people, but now Adonai will fight for him.

Despite his shortcomings, Jacob was used by Adonai as part of His plan to bring salvation to those who accept Yeshua as Lord and Savior.  So, don’t let your past define you, but make the needed changes in your life ASAP to serve Adonai through faith in Yeshua!