Genesis 23-25 Haggling for a Grave, a Wife, and a Birthright

Psalm 5:5-12 Trusting in God's Protection

5:1 For the Chief Musician, with the flutes. A Psalm by David “Give ear to my words, Yahweh. Consider my meditation. 2 Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God; for to You do I pray. 3 Yahweh, in the morning You shall hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before You, and will watch expectantly. 4 For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness. Evil can’t dwell with You. 5 The arrogant shall not stand in Your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You will destroy those who speak lies. Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7 But as for me, in the abundance of Your hesed/loyal covenantal love I will come into Your house. I will bow toward Your holy temple in fear of You. 8 Lead me, Yahweh, in Your righteousness because of my enemies. Make Your way straight before my face. 9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue. 10 Hold them guilty, God. Let them fall by their own counsels; Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You. 11 But let all those who take refuge in You rejoice, Let them always shout for joy, because You defend them. Let them also who love Your name be joyful in You. 12 For You will bless the righteous. Yahweh, You will surround him with favor as with a shield."

Observations: 5:1-12 David laments the deceitful people who are making life difficult for him. He calls to God for help in the morning, and then looks to see how God will answer. He then reflects on the fact that God hates the deceitful and asks Him to get rid of them. He asks God to make the path David should take straight and plain before Him, because he also knows that God has hesed (loyal covenantal love) toward those who fear Him (careful to do what is right in His sight) and trust in Him. They are the ones who will rejoice in God's deliverance.

Application: When afflicted by difficult and deceitful people, ask God for help, trust in His hesed; make sure that you are responding righteously, and then wait for God to respond with blessing, in which you will rejoice.

Prayer: God, help me do the right thing, and come to my aid against the deceitful liars; I will trust You and rejoice in Your blessing. Thanks. Amen.

Proverbs 2:1-8 Key to Having God Guide and Guard Us

2:1 “My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you; 2 So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures: 5 then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. 7 He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity; 8 that He may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of His saints.

Observations: 2:1-5 Accepting and applying ourselves to understanding God's revelation is the prerequisite to understanding Him. If we don't grasp the fear of God, we don't know Him.

2:7-8 Applying wisdom (choice of right objectives and the right means of obtaining them) in the fear of God is the key to being upright and walking in integrity. Then we can experience the benefits of having God guide and guard us, His saints (holy ones).

Application: We can't understand God without working to understand what He's revealed. We won't reap His blessings unless we work at applying His wisdom. Lazy people remain clueless.

Prayer: God, may I please You by working to know and do Your will, however difficult that might be. Amen.

Genesis 23-25 Haggling for a Grave, a Wife, and a Birthright

Genesis 23 Abraham Pays Retail

23:2 "Sarah died...4 “I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead...” 5 The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.” 8 ...entreat for me Ephron 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me among you for a possession of a burying-place.” 13 He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.” 20 The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth."

Observations: Abraham buys a piece of the land God promised to give him, at full price. He is demonstrating faith that God will give it to him, rather than returning to Mesopotamia, his ancestral land, for the burial, as was the custom.

Genesis 24 Isaac Gets a Wife

24:1 "Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things. 3 I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall NOT take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. 4 But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

7 Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your seed*.’ He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

10 The servant took ten camels...and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.12 He said, “Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.14 Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master...” 45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink....51 Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has spoken.” 52 It happened that when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to 57 They said, “We will call the young lady, and ask her.” 58 They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.”

Observations: The deaths of Sarah (previous chapter) and Abraham (next chapter) barely get a paragraph. But here we have sixty-seven verses, emphasizing to the Exodus generation the need to keep separate from the pagan nations around them. Intermarriage with idolaters enticed Israel away from God. Kindness is hesed, God is being loyal to meet Abraham's need. We can't know God's subjective will (which one?) unless we are doing His objectively revealed will (stay clear of the wrong ones).

Application: God leads and guides as we seek to do His will. Always offer to water the camels.

Prayer: God of Heaven and Earth, You know what's best for me, guide Me to Your perfect will. Amen.

Genesis 25 Sibling Rivalry and Stew

25:8 "Abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.9 Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah...with Sarah, his wife. 11 It happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.

21 Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it be so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh.23 Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.” 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. 26 After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright."

Observations: The blessing continues through Isaac as promised.

25:23 Note that God is choosing to bless one nation/people over another (not individuals).

25:28 When parents play favorites, disunity ensues.

25:32 Maybe Esau never learned how to control his passions and appetites, but he clearly lived for immediate gratification rather than better delayed blessings.

Hebrews 12:14 "Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, 15 looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it; 16 lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. 17 For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears."

Application: We do what we want. Want the right things.

Prayer: God who Sovereignly Blesses, help me desire Your eternal blessing more than a bowl of beans. Amen.

Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: He blesses all, but chooses to bless some more than others. He leads us to pray, and answers prayer according to His will.

Us in a nutshell: We can choose to seek His will and reap the benefits, or not.

Where to Go for More:

Worldlings Do Not Inherit Heavenly Blessings on Truthbase.net