Having A Go At Genesis

Webers.Home · Aug 4, 2020

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● Gen 25:1 . . Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.

According to 1Chrn 1:32, Ms. Keturah wasn't really a full-fledged wife as
Sarah had been, but was a wife of a different color altogether. She was a
piylegesh (pee-leh'-ghesh) which means: a mistress or a paramour; viz: a
concubine. So that Gen 25:1 really should be translated: "Abraham took
another woman"

It was considered okay in those days for men to sire children by concubines
and nobody seemed to think much of it. But at Abraham's age!? Wow!
Earlier, at Gen 17:17, Abraham considered himself much to old to father a
child; and in truth, he was.

"By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-- and Sarah herself was
barren --was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful
who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as
dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as
countless as the sand on the seashore." (Heb 11:11-12)

Not only was Sarah miraculously made fertile in her old age, but so was her
husband Abraham. In fact his libido, and his fertility, were so well repaired
that the old boy couldn't leave the ladies alone even after he was more than
140 years old! So the comment at Gen 24:1 wasn't meant to convey the
idea that Abraham lacked vigor.

● Gen 25:2-4 . . She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and
Shuah. Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were
the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim. The descendants of Midian
were Ephah, Epher, Enoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of
Keturah.

According to a web site called Mr. Showbiz, Tony Randall, the Odd Couple
sitcom star, became a first-time father at age seventy-seven in May of 1997
when his wife, then twenty-seven-year-old Heather Harlan, gave birth to
their daughter Julia. A second baby came in June 98. Mr. Randall would have
been ninety-eight when the first one graduated from college in 2019 had he
lived.

Others have brought children into the world during their later years too--
e.g. Clint Eastwood, Charlie Chaplin, and Cary Grant. Anthony Quinn had his
thirteenth child at the age of eighty-one. Some men can father children late
in life; although it's very risky. The chances for schizophrenia and other birth
defects increase as men get older.

Keturah's age is uncertain. But she was obviously young enough to have
children; and in that day, women retained their strength pretty far up into
life. However, by the time Sarah was ninety, she was past menopause.

Where did Abraham find Keturah? Was she an Egyptian like Hagar? Was she
maybe a local Canaanite; possibly from Ephron's clan, the guy who sold
Abraham a plot for Sarah's cemetery? No. If Abraham wouldn't let Isaac
marry a women of Canaan, then he sure wasn't going to sleep with one
himself. Was she from Haran; Rebecca's home town? Nobody really knows
and it doesn't even matter anyway. None of Keturah's children would share
in the ownership of Eretz Israel-- only Isaac's progeny. It all went to him by
Divine fiat.

● Gen 25:5 . . Abraham willed all that he owned to Isaac;

Abraham had already willed all that he owned to Isaac even before any of
Keturah's boys were born. The servant told Becky's family so back in chapter
24. This verse is just to make sure nobody forgets that Isaac is the only son
that really matters.

● Gen 25:6a . . but to Abraham's sons by concubines Abraham gave gifts
while he was still living,

When Ishmael was cut loose back in chapter 21, there was no mention of
gifts. In fact, they left home with hardly anything at all. Apparently, later on,
Ishmael returned to visit his dad on occasion and Abraham eventually
compensated him for the loss of his firstborn rights. Abraham's generosity
towards his sons was a right thing to do.

"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his
immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel."
(1Tim 5:8)

Rather than stipulate his sons' inheritances in a written will, Abraham took
care of them all while he was still alive; probably to make sure there was no
squabbling over his estate in probate after he was dead and thereby possibly
jeopardizing Isaac's future.

● Gen 25:6b . . and he sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the
land of the East.

The "land of the East" is a general name for Arabia, which stretched away to
the southeast and east of the point where Abraham resided in the south of
Palestine. The northern part of Arabia, which lay due east of Palestine, was
formerly more fertile and populous than now.

Sending someone away is not really the same as driving them off; but more
like a send-off; viz: a bon voyage (e.g. Gen 24:59). It's far more likely
Abraham helped them all get settled outside of Canaan rather than leave
them to the whims of fate. Once settled into their own territories, the other
boys would be less inclined to muscle in on Isaac's turf or freeload off him in
the event they fell onto hard times.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 5, 2020

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● Gen 25:7 . .This was the total span of Abraham's life: one hundred and
seventy-five years.

Abraham resided in Canaan for 100 years; and outlived Sarah by 48. That's
not the way it usually happens here in modern America. Wives typically
outlive their husbands; and if you don't think that's true, just visit any one
of a number of retirement communities. Men over 80 who can still walk on
their own, and drive a car, are like the proverbial fox in a henhouse. As of
2009, the male/female ratio for people aged 85 and older was twice as many
women as men.

● Gen 25:8a . . And Abraham breathed his last,

Abraham lived to see Jacob's and Esau's fifteenth birthday. The twins were
born when Isaac was sixty. And Abraham died when Isaac was seventy-five.
So the boys got to know their grandpa pretty good before the old master
passed on.

Abraham lived a very brief life in comparison to his forbearers. From Noah's
point of view, who lived to 950, Abraham practically died as a child. Out
ahead in the new world, a man of a hundred years old will be considered just
a kid. (Isa 65;19-20)

The human life span has steadily declined since Noah's day, and now the
average American, even with all the food, and the most advanced medical
care in the world, only lives on average about 77 years or so.

● Gen 25:8b . . dying at a good age, old and contented;

Too many people die at a bad age; viz: too soon-- for example all the teens
who died in the Viet Nam war, and the ones currently being killed in
Afghanistan.

The word for "contented" is from sabea' saw-bay'-ah) which means:
satiated. In other words: Abraham didn't die unfulfilled; he lived a very
satisfying life: he touched all the bases.

Thoreau once said that the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
Well; that doesn't fit Abraham. He never wished his life had turned out
differently.

"Piety with contentment is great gain." (1Tim 6:9)
_

Webers.Home · Aug 6, 2020

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● Gen 25:8c . . and he was gathered to his kin.

Burials always follow the phrase "gathered to his kin". So the gathering
happens as soon as the person dies; and prior to their funeral. The
difference between gathering and burial is quite distinct in Jacob's case; who
was interred no less than forty days after his passing, yet was gathered to
his kin immediately upon expiring. (Gen 49:33-50:3)

It would seem, therefore, that the employment of this idiom-- like the
corresponding figure of speech: to lie down with one's fathers --refers to an
ancient belief that despite Man's mortality, he possesses a rather durable
component that survives beyond the death of his body. In other words:
assassins may terminate the life of a human body; but they cannot
terminate the life of a human soul. Not that it's impossible; it's just that only
man's maker has the power to pull that off.

"Don't be afraid of them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:
but rather be afraid of Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell." (Matt 10:28)

● Gen 25:9a . . His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him

Isaac and Ishmael were by far the oldest of all the boys. At the time, they
lived reasonably close to each other and I would not be surprised if Ishmael
came up to visit Abraham quite often and was always aware of his health.
Abraham was 86 years old when his first son was born; so Ishmael would be
going on 90 when his dad died. (cf. Gen 16:16, Gen 25:7)

Like Isaac, Ishmael was an only child; that is until Isaac came along. But at
first, he had Abraham all to himself for at least fifteen years.

Both of these guys were older and wiser men by this time. I'm sure Ishmael
understood that the loss of his birthright due to his mother's emancipation
wasn't Isaac's fault. And Isaac harbors no ill will towards his half-brother for
anything he may have done as a kid. After all, grown-ups are no longer the
kids they grew from. The kids they were are long gone. It's not a good thing
to hold grudges against people for the things they did when they were
underage and didn't know any better.

● Gen 25:9b-10 . . in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of
Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought from the
Hittites; there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.

No doubt when Abraham negotiated for this property, he anticipated his own
eventual interment. Well, this cave is big enough to become a family crypt.
Later, more of his progeny would follow him there.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 7, 2020

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● Gen 25:11a . . After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac.

With the death of Abraham, the covenant torch is passed on to the next
patriarch. The promises now shift into Isaac's possession and it becomes his
responsibility to take over as the family priest too.

● Gen 25:11b . . And Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi.

Everyone else from Abraham's camp settled there too now that Isaac is the
new godfather. All of Abraham's servants, all his livestock, all the camels, all
everything; the whole shebang is Isaac's and follows Isaac wherever Isaac
tells them to go. You know, it's very difficult to forget Hagar while the Bible
continues to mention a very sacred spot dear to her own heart. But this is
the very last mention of Beer-lahai-roi. It's as if Abraham's era is closing and
now we move forward into Isaac's.

● Gen 25:12 . .This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the
Egyptian, Sarah's slave, bore to Abraham.

Never once is Hagar listed as one of Abraham's wives. She was Sarah's
slave; and nothing more. Genesis gives Ishmael's line only passing mention
because the real focus lies along the covenant line. So we won't follow
Ishmael's exploits after listing his progeny.

● Gen 25:13-16 . .These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their
names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the first-born of Ishmael,
Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur,
Naphish, and Kedmah. These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their
names by their villages and by their encampments: twelve chieftains of as
many tribes.

Twelve tribes; just as God had foretold in Gen 17:20. These twelve
"encampments" were little more than nomadic tent communities as
compared to the more permanent fortified towns and hamlets that were
common in the Canaan of Isaac's day.

● Gen 25:17 . .These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and
thirty-seven years; then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to
his kin.

When Ishmael was "gathered to his kin" it wasn't to Abraham's clan but to
his own: the Ishmael line. However, Abraham remained Ishmael's biological
father whether Ishmael was legally his son or not. You can never change
who sired you. Your genetic origin is impossible to reverse or alter; though it
can be legally dissolved.

● Gen 25:18 . .They dwelt from Havilah, by Shur, which is close to Egypt, all
the way to Asshur; they camped alongside all their kinsmen.

The "they" in this verse are the kin of verse 17 unto whom Ishmael was
gathered.

Even though Ishmael's line isn't actually legal kin to Abraham's progeny, the
line is still related to the other boys by blood and therefore genetic kinsman.

The expression "all the way to Asshur" is probably better rendered "as you
go to Asshur" or "on the way to Asshur"-- ancient Assyria, now modern day
Iraq. The Ishmaelites lived along the main caravan route leading from Egypt
to Assyria; which would be very advantageous if you were into international
trading, which they were (cf. Gen 37:25-28).

The precise locations of the Havilah and Shur of verse 18 are unknown;
although it's fairly safe to assume that Havilah (sandy), and Shur delineated
a region stretching from portions of modern day Jordan and Saudi Arabia,
past Elat, across the northern Sinai Peninsula, and on over to Suez. In the
time of Saul, Ishmael's territory was controlled by a people called Amalekites
(1Sam 15:7).
_

Webers.Home · Aug 8, 2020

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● Gen 25:19 . .This is the story of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham begot
Isaac.

The word for "son" is ben (bane) and is used like American's use a middle
name. Isaac's whole name is: Isaac ben Abraham. It's a common idiom in
the Old Testament, and found in the New Testament too.

"They said: Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we
know? How can he now say? "I came down from heaven" (John 6:42)

The Lord's Greek name is lesous (ee-ay-souce') which is equivalent to the
Hebrew name Yehowshuwa' (yeh-ho-shoo'-ah) which means: Joshua.

His dad's name in Greek is loseph (ee-o-safe') which is equivalent to the
Hebrew name Yowceph (yo-safe') which means Joseph. So "Jesus, the son of
Joseph" in hybridized English and Hebrew: is Joshua ben Joseph.

NOTE: The English spelling of Hebrew words often disagree with the
spellings used by Orthodox Jews because there is no set standard for
rendering Hebrew words in English form as yet so it's not uncommon for
discrepancies to occur.

● Gen 25:20a . . Isaac was forty years old when he took to wife Rebecca,

Forty might seem a bit late in life to get married for the first time, but in
those days, a man that age was still quite young.

The life expectancy of the average US male born in 2007 is 75.4 years. Isaac
lived to 180; so one year of age in 2007 was about equal to 2.39 years of
Isaac's age. At 40, he would've been roughly equivalent to a 17 year old
teen-ager in 2007.

● Gen 25:20b . . daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of
Laban the Aramean.

The identity of Rebecca's mom remains a total mystery. By the time of
Moses, uncle Laban was a large figure in Jewish history and you can safely
bet the people of Israel were very familiar with that old rascal's ways. He
mistreated not only Jacob, but also Leah and Rachel too, so he's not too
popular with the people of Israel even today; seeing as how he was unkind
and dishonest with their sacred ancestors and all.

The holiday of Purim commemorates an Agagite named Haman, who tried to
exterminate the Jews in Esther's day. Maybe there should be a memorial for
Laban too. Although he wasn't a villain on the scale of Haman, he
nevertheless made ol' Jacob's life pretty miserable there for a while.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 9, 2020

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● Gen 25:21a . . Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because
she was barren;

Oh no. Not again! It seems like all the really attractive girls among Terah's
female grandchildren had some sort of infertility condition.

Supposing Isaac never prayed for Rebecca. Would she have children?
Absolutely! God gave his word to Abraham in Gen 17:19 that Isaac would
become a very numerous people. So Rebecca, Isaac's divinely selected wife,
was going to be a mommy; it was only a matter of time. But about one thing
I think we can be sure of: Isaac didn't want to wait until Rebecca was ninety
years old like his mom before having their first baby.

This is now the second time that the people of Israel were perpetuated by a
miracle-- proving they are no ordinary people, but a people who wouldn't
exist at all if God hadn't willed them into existence and into perpetuity.

● Gen 25:21b . . and the Lord responded to his plea, and his wife Rebecca
conceived.

The twins Jacob and Esau were born when Isaac was 60 years old. So Isaac
and Rebecca had been trying to have children for about 19 years. There is
no record that Abraham ever prayed concerning Sarah's infertility. He dealt
with the problem in another way.

Isaac, rather than follow the example of papa Abraham and sleep with one
of the maids; did the wise thing by electing to petition God to cure his wife
so they could have their own baby. There is of course no guarantee prayer
will work for everyone, but it was just the ticket for them.

Youngsters can learn from their parents mistakes. If there was one thing you
can bet Isaac did not want in his family, it was another Ishmael. Not that
Ishmael was a bad seed, but his place in Abraham's home was a catalyst in
generating much friction and rivalry, and also caused an inheritance problem
for Isaac; not to mention Abraham's eventual heartbreak of finally
emancipating Hagar and thus sending her and Ishmael off to fend for
themselves.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 10, 2020

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● Gen 25:22a . . But the children struggled in her womb,

The word for "struggled" is from ratsats (raw-tsats') which means: to crack
in pieces, literally or figuratively

Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw. Those little tiny babies were trying to bust each
other's skulls in there! The word ratsats is used just like that in a couple of
places. (e.g. Jgs 9:53, Ps 74:12-13)

But I think it is more likely that each wanted to dominate the other. A
common use of the word ratsats is oppression. (e.g. Deut 28:33-34, Jgs
10:6-8)

● Gen 25:22b . . and she said: If so, why do I exist?

That rendering is a bit murky. I think it would be better to paraphrase it: "If
this is the case; then what am I doing here?"

Although Genesis revealed in verse 22a that Rebecca was carrying more
than one child, and that the children were struggling for domination in the
womb, the author wrote from inspiration and hind sight while Rebecca
herself had no way of knowing what was going on at the time. It must have
appeared to her that she was having a difficult pregnancy and in grave
danger of dying in child birth.

That of course would make no sense at all to Rebecca because she was
chosen for Isaac's wife by Divine providence; and her pregnancy was the
result of Isaac's intercession. What was the point of going to all that trouble
if she was only going to die right along with their first baby? In her mind,
she certainly would have been much better off to have remained up north
with her family than leave home with the servant to marry Isaac and lose
her life bearing his child.

● Gen 25:22c . . She went to inquire of the Lord,

Went where? Well . . Isaac had settled near Beer-lahai-roi, the very water
source where Hagar met with God for her very first time. This record is the
very first time Rebecca met with God too, and she very likely met with God
right at the same place Hagar did.

Hagar gave that spring of water its name Beer-lahai-roi in honor of her new
best friend-- 'Ataah 'Eel R'iy --the god who was aware of her problems, and
who was also interested in helping her deal with them.

In the movie "Titanic" after looking at drawings a passenger made of some
unusual women in Paris, and listening to him relate intimate details about
them, the heroine turned and said: "You have a gift Jack. You see people."

Well, God sees people too. Beer-lahai-roi was Hagar's secret garden, and I
sometimes wonder if Isaac didn't settle there because of that. I believe that
is where Rebecca went to talk with God about her boys. And why not? That
spring had good karma. And if God was sympathetic with Hagar there, then
why wouldn't He be sympathetic with Rebecca there too? 'Ataah 'Eel R'iy is
the very best kind of god to have-- one who sees people.

But suppose Rebecca had instead opted to pray from inside her tent? Would
God have heard her from there? Yes, He would have heard (cf. Ps 139:7-12,
Matt 6:6). It isn't necessary to resort to a special sanctuary, or a shrine, or
take your case to a professional priesthood for mediation. People often pray
from very unusual places; and get good results. (e.g. Jonah 2:1-3)

If Jonah could pray and be heard from inside a smelly ol' fish's tummy, and
if God can be worshipped elsewhere than a church (John 4:21-24) then I
guess it should be okay if Rebecca prayed from inside her tent-- and it
should be okay if somebody prayed from their car, or bedroom, or in the
mountains on a hike, or even in the restroom at work.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 11, 2020

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● Gen 25:23a . . and the Lord answered her: Two nations are in your womb,
two separate peoples shall issue from your body;

The Hebrew word for "nations" is from gowy (go'-ee); or the short version
goy (go'-ee) which means: (in the sense of massing) a foreign nation;
hence, Gentiles; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts.

The words gowy and goy, are commonly used by modern Jews in referring to
people who aren't Jewish. But the words goyim and goy do not especially
mean non-Jews. Those words apply to all manner of people masses; both
Jew and Gentile. There are other Bible examples where those words
unmistakably apply to not only non Jews, but Jews too. For example:

"I will make of you a great nation" (Gen 12:2).

That promise was made to Abraham regarding his progeny. The word for
"nation" in that verse (which in this case clearly refers to the people of
Israel) is gowy, the same word describing both Jacob and Esau.

Another example is Gen 18:17-18 where both Hebrews and Gentiles are
referred to as goyyim:

"Now the Lord had said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations
of the earth are to bless themselves by him?"

In another instance; God gave His word that, while the universe exists, the
people of Israel would never cease to be goy.

"Thus said the Lord, Who established the sun for light by day, the laws of
moon and stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea into roaring waves,
Whose name is Lord of Hosts: If these laws should ever be annulled by Me--
declares the Lord-- only then would the offspring of Israel cease to be a
nation before Me for all time." (Jer 31:35-36)

So the people of Israel are still goy even to this very day.

Gen 25:23a is an interesting development. God chose Sarah to be the one
through whom Abraham's covenant would perpetuate-- likewise He chose
Rebecca for the same purpose. It was through her that the covenant would
perpetuate too. But Rebecca is somehow different. For reasons of His own,
God waited for her to come along before getting down to business
multiplying the seed promised in Gen 13:16.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 12, 2020

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● Gen 25:23b . . One people shall be mightier than the other, and the older
shall serve the younger.

Esau will come out first; therefore, chronologically, he's the eldest son.
However, the right of primogeniture was taken from him and given to Jacob.
That was God's sovereign prerogative as the paterfamilias of Moses' people.

Biblically, the firstborn son's birthright isn't inalienable; rather, quite
transferable to a younger sibling e.g. Rueben and Joseph (1Chrn 5:1),
Mannasah and Ephraim (Gen 48:13-19), and David and Jesus (Ps 101:1 cf.
Matt 22:42-45)

● Gen 25:24 . .When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in
her womb.

Multiple births in human beings arise either from the simultaneous
impregnation of more than one ovum or from the impregnation of a single
ovum that divides into two or more parts, each of which develops into a
distinct embryo. Plural offspring developing from a single egg are known as
"identical"-- they are always of the same gender, resemble one another very
closely, and have similar fingerprints and blood types.

Offspring produced from separate ova are "fraternal"-- not necessarily of the
same gender; they have the usual family resemblance of brothers and
sisters.

Precisely of which type Jacob and Esau were, is difficult to tell. However,
they are definitely not identical; either in physical appearance nor in
personality, nor in speech.

● Gen 25:25a . .The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over;

The word for "red" is 'admoniy (ad-mo-nee') which can refer to either red
hair or to a reddish, rosy complexion. In Esau's case, it's difficult to know for
certain which applied. That he was a hairy kid right from birth is
uncontested. However, to avoid the association with red hair; some feel that
the conjunction "and" should be inserted just after the comma, so that the
verse would read: The first one emerged red, and hairy all over like a
mantle.

Jacob looked like most babies do at birth: a little cherub; bald and smooth
skinned.

Esau, in contrast, was not only hairy, but because of his fur, he was rough to
the touch; sort of like a woolen G.I. blanket. Esau wasn't your typical cuddly
little tykester. When Rebecca held him, it wasn't like holding a little boy, it
was more like holding a grizzly bear cub, so to speak. Maybe that was a
contributing factor in Rebecca's favoritism of Jacob? How many mothers can
really warm up to a baby who looks like he'll morph into a werewolf any
second?

● Gen 25:25b . . they named him Esau.

The Hebrew word for Esau is from 'Esav (ay-sawv'); the meaning of which
isn't known for certain. Some say it means rough-- like rough to the touch.
Others think it might mean to cover, or envelop like a blanket --a distinct
possibility given Esau's appearance as one covered with hair all over his
body. (maybe even on his little tush too.)

● Gen 25:26a . .Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau;

Sibling rivalry between the two baby brothers was very intense. Jacob
undoubtedly held on to Esau's heel to slow him down so he wouldn't get too
far ahead-- and also an aggressive attempt to stop him from going first even
though Esau was legitimately first in line to be born.

● Gen 25:26b . . so they named him Jacob.

The Hebrew word for Jacob is from Ya' aqob (yah-ak-obe') which means:
heel-catcher.

Esau defined a heel-catcher like this:

"Esau said: Was he, then, named Jacob that he might supplant me these
two times? First he took away my birthright and now he has taken away my
blessing!" (Gen 27:36)

Supplanters take things by coup, usurping, artifice and/or treachery; e.g.
Ray Kroc and the McDonalds® fast food chain.

Right from the womb, Jacob desired supremacy over his brother Esau and
struggled to get out ahead of him. How male infants can be so competitive
at such an early age is a total mystery; but not impossible. Boys are
competitive by nature, and don't like to come in second place; especially
against a brother. For some strange reason, it is much easier for a boy to
suffer defeat by a non-kin male opponent than by his own sibling.

Jacob is one very Tricky Ricky who knows how to trip people up, and how to
keep them from getting ahead, and how to cleverly separate them from
what is rightfully theirs.

That boy was born way too soon. He should have been on Wall Street;
manipulating stocks, marketing derivatives, and raiding corporations. Jacob
isn't usually portrayed in Scripture as a man of muscle and brute strength,
but as a man of cunning and determination, a man who gets what he wants
by patience, stealth, intelligence, and/or trickery rather than by brute force.
Maybe he should have been a corporate lawyer?
_

Webers.Home · Aug 13, 2020

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● Gen 25:26c . . Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

Isaac married Rebecca at forty (Gen 25:20). If Becky was 18 at her
wedding, she would have been 38. Imagine waiting twenty years to have
your first child? Quite a few modern marriages end long before then.

● Gen 25:27a . .When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a
man of the outdoors;

Esau was the macho kind of boy dads are usually very proud of. He was a
rugged, athletic man who preferred to sleep on the ground, under the stars,
rather than between sheets. A real he-man; who, in our own day, would
very likely own several guns; some of which would be brutal calibers like a
.44 magnum revolver or a 10 ga. shotgun.

But Esau was totally physical. The poor lad had no brain at all. He was
brave, adventurous, and a natural at hunting, but that is about all you could
say for him-- kind of like professional sports stars who only got into college
because of their athletic ability, not especially for any academic
accomplishments.

Esau pegged the mark in virility; but at the same time rated a big fat zero in
sense and sensibility-- a Neanderthal knuckle-dragger kind of guy. There
was really no need for Esau to kill wildlife for fresh meat: as if the family
were desperate for food; after all, Isaac was very wealthy in livestock.

No. Esau hunted for sport, and his goal was not to help support the family,
but to show-off his prowess, and to impress himself, and those around him.

Esau excelled in outdoor survival skills: he was very definitely one-up on
Jacob in that sphere; plus it gained him a level of admiration from his dad
that exceeded the esteem Isaac held for Jacob.

But for all his natural athletic ability, Esau placed no importance whatsoever
upon things of eternal value. He was the classic man under the sun; viz:
earthly, secular to the bone, and his so-called "needs" took the highest
priority over everything. (cf. 1Cor 2:14)

"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of
bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there
be no immoral or impious person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a
single meal." (Heb 12:15-16)

● Gen 25:27b . . but Jacob was a mild man

What's Genesis saying? That Jacob was a wimp; some kind of a mommy's
boy? No. Far from it. The word for "mild" is from tam (tawm) which means:
gentle; viz: temperate.

The Bible's God holds gentleness in very high regard.

"For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently
consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth;
and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Ps 37:10-11)

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matt 5:5)

The koiné Greek word for "meek" in the third beatitude is praus (prah-ooce')
which means essentially the very same thing as tam; viz: temperate; mild.

Moses was meek (Num 12:3) and Christ was meek. (Matt 11:29, Matt 21:5)

Webster's defines mild as: gentle in nature or behavior; viz: temperate; in
other words: agreeable, approachable, reasonable, calm, mellow, and self
controlled.

Non-temperate people could be characterized as moody, grudging, irritable,
emotional, thin-skinned, unreasonable, irrational, reactive, defensive,
confrontational, assertive; and around whom one has to walk on egg shells
all the time.

A temperate person, though mellow in demeanor, should never be assumed
lacking in strength, courage, conviction, or self confidence. Anybody who's
studied the lives of Moses and Jesus can easily testify that neither of those
men were either timid, wimpy, or vacillating; no, they walked softly and
carried a big stick.

Jacob and his dad Isaac were temperate men; but could be assertive when
the situation called for it. Temperate people like Jacob and Isaac pick their
battles carefully, and avoid getting all riled up over trifles.

That's all saying Jacob was mature and sensible; in contrast to his brother
Esau who was carnal, immature, sensuous, and acted more like an
adolescent than a grown man. Mature men take their responsibilities
seriously, and their priorities are far different than a guy like Esau who just
wants to have fun and adventure all the time.

So anyway, in the economy of God, a person with tam is to be admired way
over and above a rugged athletic he-man. It's okay to be a rugged athletic
he-man. There's nothing eo ipso wrong in that. After all, David was a rugged
he-man himself. But it's not okay to be one without tam. Well, that was
Esau-- the picture of health and male virility, but he lacked tam. Esau was a
rude, lewd, crude bag of pre-chewed food dude.

Jacob was very different. It's true he was crafty, and maybe a bit dishonest
at times; but he was no wimp I can assure you; and, on the whole, a very
good man.

Jacob was mellow: he didn't need to show off and win the applause of the
crowd to feel good about himself. He was the strong silent type who enjoyed
home life and ranching. He was productive, and that's where he found the
most contentment in life.

Jacob had the qualities that many good women look for in a husband. He
was stable, enjoyed being at home with his family, worked an honest day's
work, loved his mom, had no issues with women, and appreciated the value
of religion.

Jacob wasn't a grand-stander, nor a narcissistic show-off; nor the kind of
guy to run off on adventures all the time or constantly move to where the
grass was greener. He didn't leave home till he was 75, and even then it was
only because he was on the lamb. Jacob was the kind of man who buys a
home and stays in the same neighborhood until his kids are out of school.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 14, 2020

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● Gen 25:27c . . who stayed in camp.

Does that mean Jacob never ventured outdoors? No. After all, his family was
pastoral; they lived in tents and spent their whole lives working outdoors.
Staying in camp only means Jacob would rather come on home when the
day was over, take a hot shower, eat dinner with his family, brush his teeth,
and sleep between clean sheets rather than needing a bath out under the
stars on the ground with creepy-crawlies.

Esau wasn't dependable; and probably off away from home on one safari
after another. But Jacob was always nearby, ready to lend a hand with the
chores, shear the sheep, mend the fences, and help his mom get in a load of
wood and water. He was like the ranchers in the movie Shane-- hard
working and dependable --very unlike his wild and wooly brother who very
likely scorned animal husbandry and thought of it as a life for losers.

Jacob was a lot like his mom Rebecca. Although she too came from a family
with servants, it wasn't below her to bring in the evening water when it was
time. Jacob could have kicked back and lived the life of a spoiled rich kid and
never lifted a finger to help out around the ranch, leaving it all up to the
servants. But he didn't do that. No. Jacob was a working rancher: he pitched
in wherever he could because it was his nature to make himself useful and
productive.

● Gen 25:28a . . Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for game;

The Hebrew word for "favored" is from 'ahab (aw-hab') or possibly 'aheb
(aw-habe') which mean: to have affection for.

Family counselors will tell you that favoritism is harmful: and who from a
large family doesn't already know that. But nevertheless it's just about near
impossible to prevent favoritism. People are only human after all.

Up to this point, Esau seems an okay kind of guy. No really serious faults are
readily apparent. And he seems affable enough. On the pages of Old
Testament Scripture, he isn't said to be a friendless loner, or an angry
sociopath; nor into bad habits like drinking, gambling, murder, robbery, lies,
laziness, fighting, disrespect for his parents, blasphemy, selfishness, foul
language, or anything else like that.

The only apparent difference between Esau and Jacob-- up to this point --is
Esau's preference for roaming the great outdoors instead of putting in a
day's work around the ranch. Jewish folklore lays some pretty heavy sins
upon Esau. but none of them are listed here in chapter 25.

For now, neither Isaac nor Rebecca have voiced any gripes against either
one of their boys. Isaac does favor Esau more, but only because of the
venison that he prepared for his dad on occasion-- which of course would
appeal to Isaac because it was wild game rather than the meat of domestic
animals. Guys sometimes feel more manly when they eat meat taken in
hunting rather than from a local super market. Isaac is one of those men for
whom this proverb rings true: The way to a man's heart is through this
stomach.

● Gen 25:28b . . but Rebecca favored Jacob.

Well, that's understandable. Jacob was religious, temperate, conscientious,
and helpful: attributes Rebecca would certainly value; whereas Esau was
secular, out hunting, and saw no value in his dad's religion whatsoever (Heb
12:15-17). And Jacob was very likely home a whole lot more than Esau; and
made good company too. Guys like Esau tend to be center-of-attention
addicts; and eclipse everyone else in the room to the point where you get
the feeling they believe themselves the only ones in the whole wide world
that count and the only justification for your existence is to be their
audience.

Rebecca was a no-nonsense kind of girl. I think she was very impressed by
Abraham's chief steward because he was serious about his business and got
right to it with no fooling around; plus he was a man of prayer too. I think
all of that had a great deal of influence on Rebecca's decision to leave home
with him.

I suspect Rebecca saw that very same kind of character in Jacob; and it had
more appeal to her than the swash buckling, great white hunter attitude that
compelled Esau to go off on safari so often. Not that an adventurer's nature
is bad or anything like that. But Rebecca preferred the company of
disciplined, level headed, temperate men who take care of their families and
put them first. The kind who take their responsibilities seriously and don't
shirk.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 15, 2020

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● Gen 25:29 . . Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from
the open, famished.

I guess Esau never heard of the Boy Scouts' motto: Be prepared. Well . .
next time, maybe he'll be a little more careful to fill his ALICE pack with
some LRRP rations before going out in the boonies.

The word for "stew" is from naziyd (naw-zeed') which means: something
boiled, e.g. soup. According to Gen 25:34, one of the ingredients in Jacob's
soup was lentils: a type of flat, round seed related to the pea and is eaten as
a vegetable.

● Gen 25:30a . . And Esau said to Jacob: Give me some of that red stuff to
gulp down, for I am famished

The word for "red" (stuff) is from 'adom (aw-dome') which means: rosy.

● Gen 25:30b . . which is why he was named Edom.

Edom is from 'Edom (ed-ome') or possibly 'Edowm (ed-ome') which mean:
red. 'Edom and 'Edowm are derived from 'adom; the word for rosy.

I actually knew a man when I was a kid whose nick-name was Rose; and
what die-hard football fan hasn't heard of Rosey Grier?

● Gen 25:31 . . Jacob said: First sell me your birthright.

The birthright consists of two distinct components. One is material, and the
other is spiritual. If Israel's covenanted law can be used as a guideline in this
instance, then the holder of the birthright (which is transferable) is entitled
to twice the amount of material inheritance given to his siblings. (Deut
21:15-17)

But Jacob isn't asking for Esau's material birthright; it's the spiritual one that
he's after. Jacob wanted very much to be the family's next patriarch; and no
doubt Rebecca wanted him too.

The position of patriarch carries heavy responsibilities. If Esau was to rule
over the family, then he would be responsible to provide for them both
materially and spiritually. Abraham was a very successful patriarch in both
respects, but most especially in the spiritual.

It was the patriarch's duty to build, and officiate at, the family's altar; just
as Abraham had done all those years (cf. Job 1:5). It was also the
patriarch's duty to dispense the knowledge God and make sure it was carried
forward in the family so as to prevent its loss to future generations (cf. Gen
18:19). I think what Jacob was really after was the inspiration that came
with being the spiritual patriarch. (cf. Gen 20:7)

As far as Esau was concerned, the material aspect of his birthright was all
that mattered. He was totally secular and cared nothing at all for his spiritual
birthright. On the other hand, Jacob dearly longed for the spiritual aspect—
the material part being only incidental. No doubt the two brothers had
discussed these very things over the years so that Jacob already knew
exactly how Esau felt about it. So that, half in jest, and probably half in
disgust, he proposed that Esau barter his spiritual birthright for food.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 16, 2020

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● Gen 25:32-33 . . And Esau said: I am at the point of death, so of what use
is my birthright to me? But Jacob said: Swear to me first. So he swore to
him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

It just amazes me how much faith the people of long ago put in oaths.
Nowadays nobody trusts an oath. You've got to sign your name on the
dotted line, preferably with a witness and/or a notary, because it would be
totally foolish to take anybody's word on anything; even if they swore to it.

Even if Isaac now gave the birthright to Esau, which he fully intended to do,
at least Jacob had the assurance that his brother wouldn't retain the spiritual
aspect. Isaac would never interfere with a contract between the two brothers
sealed by an oath. He would have to honor it. The spiritual birthright would
now go to Jacob, which, according to Gen 25:23, is exactly what the
supreme paterfamilias of Abraham's clan mandated in the first place.

● Gen 25:34 . . Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; he ate and
drank, and he rose and went away. Thus did Esau spurn the birthright.

Had Esau politely waived the birthright, that probably would've been okay
with God, and no hard feelings about it: after all; not everyone is cut out to
be a spiritual guru. But to merchandise something sacred to God was an
insult that must have cut Him deeply.

Ironically, the birthright wasn't Esau's to sell in the first place since God pre
destined it to Jacob before the boys were born (Rom 9:11-12). I can't help
but wonder what happened to the information that God passed on to
Rebecca back when. Did she keep it under her hat all those years? If so;
why?

Jacob and Rebecca no doubt both appreciated their association with Isaac,
and were grateful Yhvh was their god. But did Esau did appreciate it? No, he
didn't; nor did he see any advantage to it. He was truly a secular man: an
earthly dude through and through. He wasn't a heavenly man in any sense
of the word; no, far from it.

"A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are
foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually appraised." (1 Cor 2:14)
_

Webers.Home · Aug 17, 2020

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● Gen 26:1a . .There was a famine in the land-- aside from the previous
famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham

That previous famine occurred in chapter 12 before Isaac was born; even
before Ishmael was born. So many good, prosperous years have gone by
since the last famine. This may in fact have been the very first famine that
Isaac ever witnessed, and probably his last too.

The Hebrew word for "famine" is from ra' ab (raw-awb') which means:
hunger (more or less extensive)

People go hungry either because they can't buy the foods they need, or can't
grow it for lack of soil or water. In Isaac's case it was probably a lack of
water that made the difference. He had lots of money. But cattle can't live
on legal tender. Down in the lowlands there would very likely be plenty of
water in wells and springs that could be used for irrigation. So it's off to the
lowlands they go; herds and all.

● Gen 26:1b . . and Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in
Gerar.

This was very likely another Abimelech-- not the same man in chapter 20
whom Abraham knew. That Abimelech was very likely dead by now. The
name "Abimelech" is more like a title than a moniker; sort of like Czar,
Pharaoh, or Caesar.

Gerar hasn't been fully identified, but the site might be in one of the
branches of Wady Sheri'a, at a place called Um Jerrar, near the coast
southwest of Gaza and 9 miles from it. The site answers fairly well to the
statements of Eusebius and Jerome, that it was 25 (Roman) miles south of
Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin). It's actually 30 English miles, but distances
weren't very accurately determined in early times. Gerar was known in the
first 5th century CE, when it was the seat of a bishopric; and its bishop,
Marcian, attended the Council of Chalcedon 451 CE.

According to ERETZ Magazine, issue 64, Abimelech's land is an ample valley
with fertile land and numerous springs; a perfect place for a man with cattle
to weather out the drought.

Isaac's decision to investigate the possibility of living amongst Abimelech's
people was quite possibly influenced by Abraham's pact with them back in
chapter 20. Hopefully they would be inclined to honor his dad's relationship
with the previous Abimelech and let Isaac's community live down there at
least until it started raining again up in the highlands.

● Gen 26:2a . .The Lord had appeared to him

This is the very first recorded incident where God appeared especially for
Isaac. When he was offered as a burnt offering back in chapter 22, God
appeared to his dad while Isaac was with him. But God was not said to
appear to Isaac. This is the first time.

You know, probably nobody alive today will ever be honored by a divine
close encounter of a third kind. We will live out our pathetically boring little
lives always never quite sure if maybe we were hoodwinked-- hoping against
hope that the Bible is true. And wouldn't the joke be on us if it isn't? What a
bunch of gullible morons Christians would be if there is no Bible's God after
all.

● Gen 26:2b . . and said: Do not go down to Egypt;

Isaac may have been considering Egypt as plan B if Gerar didn't work out.

● Gen 26:2c . . stay in the land which I point out to you.

That had to be encouraging. Even if things looked bad in Gerar when Isaac
arrived, he could rest upon the fact that he was going in the right direction.

● Gen 26:3a . . Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless you;

Suppose it turned out Isaac didn't like the land God selected for him and
moved to another one? Well he could just forget about the promise: "I will
be with you and bless you" That promise was conditional. He had to live
where God directed him to live.

● Gen 26:3b-4 . . I will assign all these lands to you and to your heirs,
fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your heirs
as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to your heirs all these lands,
so that all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your heirs--

Although some translations render the word "heirs" plural, zera' is one of
those Hebrew words that can just as accurately be translated in the singular
as well the plural: like the words sheep, fish, and deer. In this case, it's
probably best to understand zera' in the singular because it most certainly
refers to Jacob rather than to both he and his brother Esau.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 18, 2020

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● Gen 26:5 . . inasmuch as Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge: My
commandments, My laws, and My teachings.

Some construe God's statement to indicate that Abraham was included in
the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God as per Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. But the statement below excludes
him.

"The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our
forefathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, we, all of whom
are here alive today." (Deut 5:2-3)

Were Abraham included in the Jews' covenant; God would have placed
Himself in a serious dilemma.

The problem is: Abraham was married to a half sister (Gen 20:12)

The covenant prohibits marrying, and/or sleeping with, one's half sister. (Lev
18:9, Lev 20:17)

Under the terms and conditions of the Jews' covenant; men who sleep with
their sisters are cursed the moment they do so because "cursed be he" is
grammatically present tense; no delay and no waiting period; viz: the curse
is immediate.

"Cursed be he who lies with his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's
daughter." (Deut 27:22)

Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah, to fulfill them.
(Deut 27:26)

Well; were God to slam Abraham with a curse for sleeping with his sister,
then God would be obligated to slam Himself with a curse in return.

"The one who curses you I will curse" (Gen 12:3)

Abraham enjoyed quite an advantage. He had a certain kind of immunity. In
other words, seeing as how Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
were instituted long after Abraham passed away; then none of the curses
listed at Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1-69 applied to him.

Abraham complied with God's requirements; His commands, His decrees and
His laws voluntarily rather than by compulsion because he wasn't in a
covenant with God that demanded him to do so like his posterity would be in
the days of Moses. (Deut 5:2-3)

The promises God made to Abraham as per Gen 12:2-3 and Gen 17:8 were
not sustained by Abraham's piety. In other words: once God made those
promises, neither Abraham nor his posterity can ever lose them because
they are unconditional

"The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant
previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the
inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has
granted it to Abraham by means of a promise." (Gal 3:17-18)

The "promise" in question reads like this:

"And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings,
the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them
for a god." (Gen 17:8)

That should be really good news to Abraham's posterity because although
the law has a marked effect upon their occupation of the land, it has no
effect upon their entitlement to it.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 19, 2020

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● Gen 26:6 . . So Isaac stayed in Gerar. When the men of the place asked
him about his wife, he said "She is my sister" for he was afraid to say "my
wife" thinking: The men of the place might kill me on account of Rebecca,
for she is beautiful.

NOTE: The thing about human beauty is that it's subjective, i.e. only
humans can appreciate it. A big ape like King Kong would not be attracted to
a cute blonde girl because his chemistry isn't mixed right. For example;
meerkat boys no doubt think that meerkat girls are alluring little hotties. But
I seriously doubt that meerkat boys feel the same way about human girls.

The Hebrew word for "sister" is 'achowth (aw-khoth') and has very wide
application. It can mean an actual biological sister of the same parents as
the brother, or it can just mean female kin, either near or far. I'm guessing
that Isaac and Rebecca were far enough apart in age that she could easily
pass for his niece.

'achowth is very much like the New Testament Greek word suggenes
(soong-ghen ace'). For example Luke 1:36, "Even Elizabeth your cousin is
going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in
her sixth month." The word "cousin" is an arbitrary choice of words.
Suggenes could just as easily been translated "aunt", or just simply "kin"
and/or "relative" and/or "sister".

NOTE: Translating suggenes as "cousin" in Mary and Elizabeth's case is
appropriate seeing as how both women were biologically related to Leah via
Judah and Levi.

Suggenes and 'achowth are ambiguous words, and unless there is some
additional clarification in the surrounding text, it is just about impossible to
know precisely in what manner the female kin is related; for example in Gen
24:59-60, Rebeca's family called her a sister.

Isaac's response was semantic double-speak. In other words: he didn't tell
an outright bald face lie; what he said was true; from a certain point of
view-- he and Rebecca were related. But nevertheless, his response was a
half truth meant to deceive.

I just have to wonder sometimes about the IQ of some of the patriarchs.
God had just reaffirmed Abraham's covenant with Isaac; guaranteeing He
would bless him on account of his father Abraham's righteousness (not
Isaac's righteousness). Yet now he's worried about being murdered in Gerar?
I'd hate to think that Isaac didn't believe God. I'd much rather reckon he
wasn't paying attention.

● Gen 26:8 . . When some time had passed, Abimelech king of the
Philistines, looking out of the window, saw Isaac sporting with his wife
Rebecca.

Sporting with one's wife is far and away different than sporting with one's
sister. The way those two were horsing around was unmistakably the
behavior of lovers.

● Gen 26:9-10 . . Abimelech sent for Isaac and said: So she is your wife!
Why then did you say "She is my sister". Isaac said to him: Because I
thought I might lose my life on account of her. Abimelech said: What have
you done to us! One of the people might have lain with your wife, and you
would have brought guilt upon us.

I'm not surprised that Abimelech was frightened. It hadn't been all that long
ago when his predecessor had a run-in with Isaac's god, That incident
involving Abraham undoubtedly went down in the castle records.

And to top it off, out there grazing on Gerar pastures was a special breed of
sheep that bore a witness for Abraham too (Gen 21:27-32) and their story
was very likely woven into Gerar folklore. Oh yes. They knew about Yhvh
alright; and they all knew what could happen to them if any of the local men
messed around with Rebecca, the wife of Abraham's son.

● Gen 26:11 . . Abimelech then charged all the people, saying: Anyone who
molests this man or his wife shall be put to death.

It is most encouraging to note that God is disposed to protect his own from
the perils they bring upon themselves by the stupid blunders of their own
self reliance. That's a tremendous advantage to have in life.

The Hebrew word for "molest" is from naga' (naw-gah') which means: to
touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a
woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently,
to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.)

NOTE: A popular euphemism in our day relative to men and women is so
and so are "sleeping together" which means of course that they do naughtier
stuff than merely slumber.

So Abimelech was not just talking about sexual molesting; but mandated
that his people not even so much as lay a finger upon Isaac and Rebecca in
any way at all. Isaac, of course, is getting by on his dad's influence. But
what the hey, it doesn't hurt to be connected.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 20, 2020

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● Gen 26:12-14a . . Isaac sowed in that land and reaped a hundredfold the
same year. The Lord blessed him, and the man grew richer and richer until
he was very wealthy: he acquired flocks and herds, and a large household,

Quite a bit of the land down around Gerar was public, sort of like our own
American frontier in the days of Lewis and Clark; and was up for grabs by
whoever had the wherewithal and the moxie to take it. In fact, the
Philistines really weren't even a country of their own at this time, but more
like a colony clinging to the sea coast of Palestine, with the majority of them
still living on the isle of Crete. They would migrate and settle en masse
centuries later.

Farming may seem like a switch from animal husbandry, but the
combination was common among pastoral peoples those days for two good
reasons. For one; Isaac's herds needed pasture. And two; man can't live on
meat alone; he needs fruits and vegetables too.

And Isaac needed bushels and bushels of those items to feed his immense
community. He inherited at least a thousand people from his dad. By now,
those have multiplied well beyond that. I think if you'd have encountered
Isaac's outfit in those days it would have resembled an Iowa town rather
than a simple camp of Bedouins.

Rates of increase varied from thirty to a hundred (cf. Matt 13:8, Matt
19:29). Sixtyfold is very good, and wasn't unusual in Palestine back in those
days. A hundredfold was rare, and occurred only in spots of extraordinary
fertility.

The region of Babylonia, however, yielded two-hundred and even three
hundredfold, according to Herodotus (I.193) and all without genetically
modified seeds. Just exactly what those fold numbers indicate is uncertain.
Perhaps they were similar to a modern term relative to bushels per acre.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 22, 2020

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● Gen 26:14b . . so that the Philistines envied him.

Envy is a normal human emotion that is typically blind to racial and ethnic
identities. Envy isn't restricted to anti-Semitism, nor does it serve to identify
it. Envy is a powerful passion; destroying friendships, fueling fierce rivalries,
generating strong desires for revenge, and fracturing solidarity.

NOTE: Madison Avenue typically combines envy with gloating; which
Webster's defines as to show in an improper or selfish way that you are
happy with your own success or another person's failure. Whenever
someone's goods and/or services in an ad are superior to others, there's
usually no sympathy shown by the one with the superior stuff; only gloating
over those less fortunate with no concern at all for their feelings. Thus
advertisers encourage consumer rivalry and smug satisfaction. It's very
common in TV ads.

Just watch the ads on TV, and the ones in magazines and you'll see. They
constantly provoke us to keep up with and/or surpass our peers in clothing,
cars, physical appearance, business success, and popularity. Envy is a
powerful, negative feeling that overwhelms us whenever others are doing
better than ourselves.

● Gen 26:15 . . And the Philistines stopped up all the wells which his father's
servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham, filling them with earth.

You would think the Philistines would value those wells and put the water to
use for themselves. But actually, there weren't really all that many
Philistines in the Gerar area at the time. They didn't need the water; and
they sure didn't want any squatters to discover the wells and thus be
encouraged to settle down in their region.

Abimelech forbade his citizens to harm Isaac; but that didn't preclude
harassing and annoying him. Cutting off his water supplies was very serious
because Isaac needed them to irrigate crops and water the livestock.
Without adequate water supplies, Isaac Enterprises was doomed. He had a
right to file a complaint. But Abimelech felt it best for all concerned to run
Isaac out of the country.

NOTE: I've a suspicion that the rural Philistines had become territorial; which
can be roughly defined as an assumed property right due to long-time
occupation; whether legal or otherwise. In other words; Isaac's rivals
probably felt that although they didn't actually own the countryside, they
had been there longer than Isaac so they had a preemptive right to dictate
its use. It's a Neanderthal's way of thinking, but goes on all the time;
commonly in work places where senior employees are inclined to dominate
new hires.

● Gen 26:16 . . And Abimelech said to Isaac: Go away from us, for you have
become far too big for us.

Just exactly what Abimelech meant by "far too big for us" is hard to know for
sure. But it looks suspiciously like a cowardly act of favoritism; pure and
simple. Instead of being fair and equitable with Isaac, Abimelech, like a
cheap politician, ignored the vandalism his citizens had done against Isaac
and made it look like this whole nasty business was his fault; vz: he was just
getting too greedy and beginning to crowd everybody else out.

Was this maybe the first antitrust suit in history? Antitrust laws, in reality,
put a limit on prosperity. They say that the principles of life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness are okay as long as you don't pursue them to an
extreme. People often believe in a free enterprise system; but typically only
up until somebody else's enterprise is having much better success at it than
theirs.

● Gen 26:17 . . So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the wadi of
Gerar, where he settled.

A wadi named Nahal Gerar is on modern maps of the Gaza region. Whether
or not that was Isaac's wadi I don't know. Wadis are basins in which brooks
flow, and therefore, were the well-watered and fertile parts of the country.
In times of scant rain up in the highlands, the brooks in many wadis dry up,
and then it becomes necessary to dig wells down into the subterranean
water table.

According to ERETZ magazine, issue 64, the Gerar river draws its waters
from tributaries that run along the slopes of the rain-swept Hebron
mountains. Enormous amounts of water flow through it in winter, flooding
the channel an average of seven times a year.

● Gen 26:18 . . Isaac dug anew the wells which had been dug in the days of
his father Abraham and which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham's
death; and he gave them the same names that his father had given them.

Those wells were dug nearly a hundred years prior to this event; and makes
one wonder how Isaac knew where they were and how he knew the names
his dad had named them. The Gerarians probably waited until Abraham was
dead to plug them up because they feared him. He had a reputation as a
military leader and he also had a pact with the king Abimelech of Abraham's
period.

● Gen 26:19-20 . . But when Isaac's servants, digging in the wadi, found
there a well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's
herdsmen, saying: The water is ours. He named that well Esek, because
they contended with him.

Isaac was much too affable. He didn't have to let those guys buffalo him;
after all, Isaac had a pretty good sized army of his own; left to him by his
dad. He could easily have posted an armed platoon by the well to keep the
local cowboys away from it. But no, he chose rather to condescend and let
them have their own way. Isaac was truly a "turn the other cheek" kind of
guy who was willing (maybe a bit too willing) to bend over backward to
accommodate people and prevent violence and ill will.

Esek was a new well; not one of Abraham's. The herdsmen were motivated
by envy so they were reluctant to share the regions resources with the likes
of Isaac because they hated his success. They didn't contest Isaac's access
to the water in Abraham's wells. They probably felt he had a right to use
those; but the men would not tolerate Isaac taking any more water than
that; and most especially water of this quality. It was literally living water
viz: artesian.

Urban dwellers really don't appreciate their water and typically haven't a
clue where it comes from nor how it gets into their homes. But in Isaac's
day, people couldn't live too far from a natural source of water. Many of the
ancient cities and communities were located adjacent to rivers for that very
reason.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 23, 2020

.
● Gen 26:21 . . And when they dug another well, they disputed over that
one also; so he named it Sitnah.

The Hebrew word for "Sitnah" is from sitnan (sit-naw') which is the very
same as sitnah (sit-naw') which means: opposition (by letter).

Apparently the herdsmen were filing formal complaints against Isaac like the
enemies of Ezra did when he was attempting to rebuild the temple in
Jerusalem. (Ezr 4:6-7)

Gerar County's Water Board must have ruled in favor of the herdsmen
because Isaac had to keep moving around until they finally left him alone.

● Gen 26:22 . . He moved from there and dug yet another well, and they did
not quarrel over it; so he called it Rehoboth, saying: Now at last the Lord
has granted us ample space to increase in the land.

Rehoboth first appeared in the Bible at Gen 10:11 as the name of an ancient
city. It appears two more times in the Bible after here as the name of a city
(Gen 36:37, 1Chrn 1:48) and means pretty much what Isaac said, i.e. lots
of room to maneuver and/or spread out.

The herdsmen had, by this time, probably pushed Isaac way out to land that
nobody wanted. But God was with Isaac. Even the deserts produce when His
hands are in it. (cf. Isa 35:1-4)

With those pesky herdsmen out of the way, the road, or rather, roads ahead
were wide and clear; and Isaac could put the pedal to the metal and go full
speed ahead and not worry about hitting an iceberg; viz: the sky was the
limit.

Isaac was a very patient man, and affable too. But push him too far, and he
might show his teeth. In a bit, Abimelech is coming calling and Isaac is going
to confront the obtuse monarch about the way he was treated by the County
Water Board.

Yes, Isaac Enterprises was a huge, going concern that spread over many
acres of land. But he didn't obtain his wealth by dishonest means. All of
Isaac's business was conducted legally and above board. And he complied
with all of the Gerar County rulings concerning disputes over the water
rights even though their rulings were undoubtedly biased in favor of Gerar
citizens. Isaac didn't deserve to be treated so unfairly.

● Gen 26:23 . . From there he went up to Beer-sheba.

Exactly where the boys Jacob and Esau were during this era in Isaac's life
isn't stated. They may have remained in the highlands to protect Isaac's
interests while he was out of town, but then again, they may have been with
him in Gerar: it's impossible to tell.

Genesis doesn't say exactly how long Isaac and Rebecca lived around Gaza.
Isaac's usual haunts were Beer-lahai-roi, about 50 miles further south. Beer
sheba was Abraham's zone on oath between him and an earlier Abimelech.
The Gerarians could be expected to leave Isaac alone there. The first night,
God showed up.

● Gen 26:24a . .That night the Lord appeared to him and said: I am the god
of your father Abraham.

In what manner, or by what method, God appeared to Isaac isn't stated. It
could have been in a dream, it could have been as a traveling man, or a
close encounter of a third kind: nobody knows for sure.

● Gen 26:24b . . Fear not, for I am with you,

It's reasonable to assume it was unnecessary for God to reassure Isaac, but
Abimelech is on the way. He won't come alone either. He was a king; and
kings travel with an armed retinue. So when news of this comes to Isaac, he
would have good cause to become alarmed. I think God is just giving him a
pep talk to prepare him for the meeting. Like they say: one with God is a
majority; and a man who fears God, has no man to fear.

● Gen 26:24c . . and I will bless you

Isn't that what He promised earlier, when Isaac moved down into Gerar?
Yes. And just in case Isaac thought that was a one time deal, and he would
never be blessed again, God reaffirms his commitment to blessing
Abraham's progeny.

NOTE: The Bible's readers aren't all that privy to what went on in the minds
of the patriarchs. It could be-- and this is only a guess --that Isaac was
feeling a bit guilty about his attempt to deceive Abimelech regarding the
nature of his relationship with Rebecca. Because of that; his humanistic
sense of justice may have suggested that his mistake cost him the previous
blessing: or possibly future ones.

● Gen 26:24d . . and increase your progeny for the sake of My servant
Abraham.

If I were a Hebrew man-- not a pseudo Jew like Gentiles who become Jews
by conversion --but a real Hebrew man by blood, I would make a point of
remembering that God will honor His commitment to Abraham. He hasn't
preserved the people of Israel because they are Jews nor because they are
so faithful to God. No, far from it. It's solely because of His personal
commitment to Abraham-- period. (cf. Ex 32:9-14)

● Gen 26:25 . . So he built an altar there and invoked the Lord by name.
Isaac pitched his tent there and his servants started digging a well.

Speaking to God by name is different than addressing Him officially as a
deity or a monarch. Not that there's anything wrong with addressing the
Bible's God officially as a deity or a monarch; but speaking to Him by name
implies familiarity; which is a lots cozier than official protocol.

For example: If I were to meet with America's current US President Donald
Trump, I would address him as Sir or Mr. President. It would be very
presumptuous and disrespectful of me to address him by his name Donald
because we have never associated on that level; nor do I expect to.
_

Webers.Home · Aug 24, 2020

.
● Gen 26:26 . . And Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his
councilor and Phicol chief of his troops.

Well, well, well; look what the cat dragged in. There were a whole lot more
than just those three men; you can bet on that. Phicol is the Army chief of
staff. There is no way he escorted the king of Gerar without bringing along a
fair-sized contingent of Gerar's trained fighting men as body guards.

But who is Ahuzzath?

The Hebrew word for "councilor" is from merea' (may-ray'-ah) which, in the
sense of companionship, means: a friend

An earlier Abimelech, back in Abraham's days, practically kidnapped Sarah
for his harem. But this one showed no interest at all in Rebecca, who was
just as much a stunning ten as Sarah. In point of fact, when Abimelech
complained that one of the people might have slept with Rebecca (Gen 26:9
10) he didn't complain that he himself might have.

Just between you and me: I suspect Mr. Ahussath was Abimelech's boy toy,
if you know what I mean. It really wasn't unusual for ancient monarchs to
have male lovers; and nobody thought too much of it at the time.

● Gen 26:27 . . Isaac said to them: Why have you come to me, seeing that
you have been hostile to me and have driven me away from you?

Normally, kings in that day did not call on people. If they wanted to see
somebody, they sent a summons to appear and dispatched an escort to
make sure you didn't refuse. Isaac knew something was up because 'ol
Abimelech was treating him as an equal; if not a superior. Isaac had by this
time become strong enough to crush Abimilech's community, and the old
boy very well knew it too.

I can't help but like a man like Isaac. He was so direct. Not really what one
might call an in-your-face kind of guy; but transparent and unequivocal.

● Gen 26:28a . . And they said: We now see plainly that Yhvh has been with
you,

As long as they thought Isaac was a nomadic farmer it was okay to dump on
him? And now that they know he's connected with a supernatural being,
they want to be his friend? But our man is cool. He won't let that get to him.
You know what's going on here? Abimelech is holding his hat in his hand.
And he is going to eat that hat too before it's over.

● Gen 26:28b-29a . . and we thought: Let there be a sworn treaty between
our two parties, between you and us. Let us make a pact with you that you
will not do us harm,

You know, it is just amazing how nice people can be when they realize
they've bitten off more than they can chew. The Gerarians had sorely
underestimated Isaac and thought they could push him around because he
was an affable immigrant. Big mistake.

As time went by, they perceived that his prosperity could only be explained
in a supernatural way. If it came to a fight, Isaac was allied with a powerful
spirit being whom they all knew for a certainty from past experiences could
not be defeated. Yes. Isaac was well able to totally clean their clocks and
nail their hides to the barn door. (Isaac was only just recently visited by that
Being back in verse 24 who encouraged Isaac to be brave, and also
promised Divine assistance.)

Isaac was holding all the aces and didn't have to make a pact with anybody.
He could have stood right up, lectured their derrieres soundly for the way he
was treated in their country, and ordered them out of the house. They really
had some chutzpah coming to him with a proposition like that. But Isaac was
indeed a peaceable man; well in control of his tongue, and of his passions. If
those crumbs were ready now to promise to leave him alone, well, then,
okay, he was for it.

● Gen 26:29b . . just as we have not molested you but have always dealt
kindly with you and sent you away in peace.

Was that true? Some of it. It's true the Federales didn't raid his camps, nor
plunder his goods, nor rough anybody up. He wasn't subjected to
unreasonable searches and seizures. And he wasn't forcibly deported like an
undesirable, or an enemy of the state, or a criminal.

But still; they didn't deal fairly with Isaac. He never trespassed on private
property, but dug his wells and settled on open range managed by the BLM;
viz: public lands. Yet the county water commission always ruled against him
even though his men dug those productive wells fair and square.

● Gen 26:29c . . From now on, be you blessed of Yhvh!

Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw! I just love it when the bad guys wish me the best
from my god. "God bless you" they say. Oh sure; God bless me. As if they
really give a hoot how the Bible's God feels about anybody.

● Gen 26:30 . .Then he made for them a feast, and they ate and drank.

The wicked often feel they won because their opponents are so civil and so
agreeable. Isaac had plenty of good reason to be indignant. But he held his
peace. That could be construed as weakness. Mistake! (on their part) You
think Isaac consented to their crappy defense? No way.

Isaac was a shrewd diplomat. He picked his battles. Some things merit
contention. But this incident didn't. Those guys were in his home with hat in
hand and he took advantage of it to secure a non-aggression pact that
benefited both communities: Isaac's and Abimelech's. If Isaac were to let his
passions dictate the terms, then he might jeopardize his family and his
servants. Isaac had his weak points, but political strategy wasn't one of
them.

There are those in life whom we appropriately label thin skinned, reactive,
and defensive. You know who they are. They sit still for nothing, take
nothing lying down: they're stand up fighters; always ready to give others a
piece of their mind and set them straight.

These contentious folk drain all the enjoyment out of social contact.
Everybody has to walk on egg shells and be careful what's said around them
so they don't explode. Too easily provoked, indignant and quarrelsome,
these people will be excluded from Messiah's kingdom because his domain is
characterized as a place of peace rather than strife.

"Give up anger, abandon fury, do not be vexed; it can only do harm. For evil
men will be cut off, but those who look to the Lord-- they shall inherit the
land. A little longer and there will be no wicked man; you will look at where
he was-- he will be gone. But the lowly shall inherit the land, and delight in
abundant well-being." (Ps 37:8-11)
_

Having A Go At Genesis

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