The Bible set out for family reading by Isaac and Jacob. Isaac and Rebekah - biblical story Biblical character son of Isaac Rebekah
Isaac had two sons: Esau and Jacob. Esau was a skilled trapper (hunter) and often lived in the fields. Jacob was meek and quiet, living in tents with his father and mother. Isaac loved Esau more, who pleased him with game food, and Rebekah loved Jacob more. Esau, as the eldest son, had the birthright, that is, the advantage over Jacob in blessing from his father.
But then one day Esau returned from the field tired and hungry. At this time, Jacob was cooking himself some lentil stew. And Esau said to him: “Give me something to eat.” Jacob said: “Sell me your birthright,” because he really wanted the blessing given by God to Abraham to apply to him, and thereby zealously serve God. Esau replied: “Here I am dying of hunger, what is this birthright to me?” With this answer, Esau showed his disdain for the blessing of God. Jacob said, “Swear.” Esau swore an oath and sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of lentils.
When Isaac grew old and blind, then, feeling that his life was coming to an end, he wanted to bless Esau as his eldest son. But, thanks to a trick arranged by Rebekah, he blessed Jacob instead of Esau. Isaac soon learned his mistake, and, despite this, he still confirmed his blessing for Jacob. For this, Esau hated his brother and even wanted to kill him, so Jacob had to leave his family. On the advice of his parents, he went to his mother’s homeland in Mesopotamia, in the land of Babylon, to her brother Laban, to live with him until Esau’s anger passed, and at the same time to marry one of Laban’s daughters.
Jacob came to Haran to Laban, his mother's brother. Jacob told Laban everything and stayed to live and work with him. Laban asked Jacob what kind of payment he wanted for his work. Jacob agreed to work for Laban for seven years for his daughter, Rachel, so that he could later marry her, since he fell in love with her. But when the deadline was fulfilled, Laban cunningly gave Jacob not Rachel as his wife, but his eldest daughter, Leah, justifying himself by saying that this was the local law, so as not to give the youngest daughter before the eldest. Then the deceived Jacob agreed to work for another seven years for Rachel.
Twenty years later, Jacob safely returned to his father, to the land of Canaan, with a large family and property. Esau, who had not seen his brother for a long time, joyfully met Jacob on the way.
The Lord, under special mysterious circumstances, having tested the strength of Jacob, gave him a new name Israel, which means “seer of God.” And Jacob became the ancestor of the people of Israel, or, what is the same, the Jewish people.
NOTE: See Gen. 23-28, 10-22; 29-35.
Jacob, aka Israel, is the second son of the Jewish patriarch Isaac from Rebekah. The children of the patriarch Isaac - the twins Esau and Jacob - are the resolution of their mother's nineteen-year infertility. The second was born immediately after the first, as if holding on to his heel, which is why he was called “Jacob”, i.e. “the stutterer” (). The dissimilarity of the twins' character was revealed to Rebekah by God even before they were born. When they grew up, the children discovered the complete opposite in their views and habits. Esau did not like the peaceful shepherd life and modest life established in the tents of his parents. Esau’s strong and courageous nature was more attracted to the life of a trapper, with its adventures and dangers: “and Esau became a man of the fields.” Jacob, on the contrary, was distinguished by a restrained, calm character, homeliness, loyalty to the family way of life and family traditions: and “Jacob was a meek man, living in tents” (). Whether due to the law of opposites, or for some other reason, the meek Isaac became attached to Esau, and the energetic, lively Rebekah became attached to Jacob (). Further events in the life of the twin brothers: Esau’s sale to Jacob of the benefits of his birthright (double part of the inheritance, religious and social representation of the clan, succession of great promises), the first’s ill-considered marriage to two pagan Hittite women, who fully corresponded to the character and inclinations of Esau, but no longer at all who fit into the structure of the home life of Isaac and Rebekah (), clearly found out that a frivolous trapper-hunter could not become a direct successor and continuer of the great mission of the patriarchs of the Jewish people; the latter demanded from its representative respect for tradition, a clear and calm mind for the perception and assimilation of divine promises and teachings, moral stability for their preservation in themselves and others. This is exactly what Isaac’s second son, Jacob, was, although some of the most pronounced negative aspects of his character still required significant influence of providential influences on him.
The complete confirmation of the rights and benefits of the birthright to Jacob took place at the bedside of his decrepit father. The resourceful Rebekah managed to arrange it in such a way that instead of the unbridled “man of the fields,” Jacob, tied to the tents of his parents, received the dying paternal blessing of the birthright. Only after leaving his father’s tent did Esau feel the unrewarding nature of his loss. “And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart: The days of mourning for my father are approaching, (after which I will kill Jacob my brother with impunity). And the words of Esau were retold to Rebekah” ().
To protect Jacob from the revenge of his older brother, his parents decide to send him to the Mesopotamian city of Harrgin, to Jacob’s uncle (Rebekah’s brother) Laban. There he had to find himself a wife from his family, worthy of the future patriarch (). The blessing given by Isaac during the departure of Jacob () testifies that the patriarch had already reconciled in his soul with the change that had occurred in the position of his sons, seeing in it the will of God. Having accepted the blessing, Jacob left the tents of his parents. His state of mind was far from calm. Accustomed to the comforts of a family environment, and now alone, persecuted and homeless, walking through terrain completely unknown to him, he was exposed to the possibility of various adventures. The traveler’s anxious mood could not help but increase at the thought of what awaited him in the future: how his relatives would treat him, how his own relationship with his older brother would subsequently develop, etc. Of course, with the blessing and promises of the birthright, he could reinforce himself with hope for God's help, but this hope could be significantly weakened by the consciousness of the manner in which this birthright was acquired. A wonderful dream that visited Jacob in Luz put an end to his anxiety. Seeing the ladder and the Angels, Jacob felt that he was not alone on earth: the protective hand of Jehovah extended over him; and having heard the voice of divine blessing and promise addressed to him, he calmed down about what happened at the bedside of the elderly Isaac: it was not Jacob or Rebekah, but providence itself that wished that Esau should not become the firstborn. But, along with this calming thought, another one had to enter Jacob’s consciousness. The extraordinary acquisition of primogeniture obliged him to be worthy of his position to a much greater extent than if he had been the firstborn in the ordinary order of things. To commemorate the miraculous vision, a stone was erected with a libation of sacrificial oil on it. The town of Luz received a new name - Beth-El (Bethel), that is, the house of God. “And Jacob made a vow, saying: If the Lord will be with me and will keep me on this way that I am going, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I will return in peace to my father’s house, and the Lord will be my God, - then this stone, which I erected as a monument, will be the house of God for me; and of everything that You, God, give me, I will give You a tenth ().
From further biblical text we learn that Jacob arrived safely in Haran, settled with Laban, and took an active part in overseeing his uncle’s flocks. Jacob's love for Laban's youngest daughter Rachel served as joy and encouragement to Jacob in his labors. Having nothing at his disposal that could serve as a material marriage vein for Laban, Jacob offered to serve for seven years. Laban agreed. “And Jacob served for Rachel seven years. And they appeared to him in a few days, because he loved her.” When, at the end of the specified period, his uncle gave his nephew not Rachel, but her older sister, Leah, who was ill with eyes (justifying the Eastern custom of giving the eldest daughter in marriage first), Jacob decided to work for his uncle for another seven years in order to have the one he loved in marriage. ().
From Leah Jacob had sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and a daughter, Dinah. From Rachel: (in the house of Laban) Joseph and (later, on the way to Canaan) Benjamin. From Leah's maid Zilpah: Gad, Asher. From Rachel's handmaid Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali (). Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jacob turned to his father-in-law with the following request: “For fourteen years I have worked enough for you. The Lord apparently blessed you with my arrival. Let me now take my wives and children and return to my homeland. After all, it’s time to work for your own home.” The blessing of God that visited Laban’s house with the arrival of Jacob was, indeed, too obvious” (). But it also seemed obvious to Laban at that moment that letting go of a worker like Jacob meant doing his household a disservice. To detain his son-in-law, Laban asked the latter if he would be willing to stay in his house for a certain fee. Having reasoned, Jacob answered: “I’m staying, but don’t give me anything. Just do what I ask you to do. In our free time we will walk through the herds and separate the spotted cattle from the smooth ones. The smooth cattle, as well as all the motley offspring from them, will be mine.” Laban agreed, not suggesting that smooth cattle could produce large offspring of spotted ones. However, thanks to the resourcefulness of Jacob (), this is exactly what happened. The condition was changed several times, and the matter always turned in favor of Jacob. In a relatively short time (at the age of 6) Jacob became the owner of significant herds (). Such a quick enrichment of Jacob to the detriment of Laban’s property could not, of course, please the latter’s family. Laban's children did not hesitate to express their displeasure out loud. Laban himself changed in his attitude towards Jacob ().
The Patriarch realized that the exit from Harran could not be delayed. Taking advantage of the absence of his father-in-law and his sons while shearing sheep, Jacob took his wives, children, male and female servants, livestock and property and moved towards Canaan. The slightly superstitious Rachel, secretly from Jacob, took with her her father’s home teraphim (amulets), hoping, perhaps, to bring happiness to her future family life. It is not difficult to imagine the surprise of Laban and his sons when they returned home. Laban rushed after his son-in-law and caught up with him in Gilead, north of Damascus. Here a major conversation took place between the relatives. “What have you done? Laban shouted at Jacob. “You deceived me - you took my daughters away as captives, without giving me the opportunity to even say goodbye to them and their children.” Jacob answered that he did not steal any gods. Laban walked around the tents, but did not find anything that he could call his own. Then Jacob became angry. He expressed everything that had accumulated in his heart against his father-in-law. To make amends for what had happened, Laban invited Jacob to conclude a peace treaty between them, according to which neither one nor the other should henceforth harbor any evil intentions towards each other. The agreement was concluded, and the relatives separated: one returned to Harran, the other continued his journey towards Canaan ().
The fear of Laban's pursuit was replaced in Jacob's soul by the fear of meeting his brother. If it was convenient and easy to avoid revenge on a lonely person, then it was almost impossible to do this now, with a large caravan and herds. The "host" of Angels, seen by Jacob on the borders of Canaan ("Mahanaim":), must have encouraged the patriarch to some extent. But even after this vision, his embarrassment still remained very significant. A propitiatory embassy was sent to Esau with the words: “So tell my master Esau: this is what your servant Jacob says: I lived with my uncle Laban and have lived with him until now. I have oxen, donkeys, small livestock, male and female slaves. I am sending information about myself to my master Esau, so that I may gain favor with your servant in your sight.” Having returned, the ambassadors said: “We went to your brother Esau, but here he himself is coming to meet you, and with him 400 (armed) people.” Jacob's heart trembled. In order to save at least part of his people and property from death, he divided the camp into two halves, hoping that while one half was being destroyed, the other could escape. But the alarming awareness of the unreliability of these measures turns the patriarch’s thought to the One who alone could protect man (). Having strengthened himself with prayer, Jacob continues the orders he had begun. Having separated from the herds 200 goats and sheep, 2 20 goats and rams, 30 milking camels, 40 cows, 20 donkeys, 10 donkeys and oxen, he formed from them several small herds located at a certain distance from one another. Their shepherds were punished: “If my brother Esau meets you and asks: whose are you, where are you going, whose flock is this? then answer: your servant Jacob. This is a gift sent to my lord Esau. So he himself is following us.” “I will appease him with the gifts that go before me (Jacob thought), and then I will see his face: perhaps he will accept me.” “And the gifts went before him, and he stayed that night in the camp.” But sleep apparently fled from his eyes. Not trusting the effectiveness of the gifts, Jacob stood up and ordered that part of the camp in which he spent the night to be transported to the opposite bank of the Jabbok River. When everyone had settled down in their places and the camp had again fallen into the night's slumber, the patriarch stood up, left the tent and headed into the field. The mysterious struggle between Jacob and God that took place here significantly strengthened the patriarch. “The more you become stronger if you are with God (his mysterious fighter noted to him), then you will be strong with people. No one will call your name Jacob, but Israel (God-fighter). And Jacob called the name of that place Penuel (Face of God), for,” he said, “I saw God face to face, and my soul was preserved.” And the sun rose as he passed Penuel; and he limped on his hip. Therefore even to this day the children of Israel do not eat the sinew (ntrvus ischiadicus) which is on the joint of the thigh, because the wrestler touched the sinew on the joint of Jacob’s thigh.” Seeing the approach of Esau, and with him a large squad of armed men, Jacob placed his family in this order: in front he placed Bilhah and Zilpah with Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher; behind them Leah with Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebul, Dinah; Rachel and Joseph are behind everyone. When Esau was already close, Jacob approached him and bowed down to the ground seven times. Seeing Jacob, Esau hurried to meet him, hugged him, kissed him and cried. “And who is this?” - he asked. “The children that you gave to your servant,” Jacob answered. Then the maids with the children came up and bowed; Leah and the children came up behind them and also bowed; Rachel and Joseph finally did the same. Having watched the latter go by, Esau turned to his brother: “Why do you have the many herds that I met along the way?” “In order that your servant may find favor in the sight of my master,” Jacob answered. “I have a lot of my own, brother,” said Esau. “Let yours remain with you!” “No, if I have found favor in your sight,” Jacob insisted, “accept my gift from my hand, for I have seen your face, as if someone has seen the face of God. And you were kind to me! Accept my blessing that I brought to you, because God has given me all this. Esau agreed. The spontaneous nature of the “man of the fields” could not restrain himself. Having given himself up to complacency, Esau wanted to see it through to the end. When the time came to set off, he suggested to his brother: “Let's get up and go! I will go before you for your safety. But Jacob could not like such a proposal: with all the friendliness of his brother, the prolonged presence of the latter with a large armed retinue would ultimately turn out to be embarrassing for the patriarch. And so he answered: “My lord knows that children are gentle, and my flocks and herds are milkable. If you drive him for even one day the way my master is used to walking, he will die. I have all my cattle. Let sir. mine will go ahead, and I will walk slowly behind, depending on how the cattle are able to move and how the children go. And I will come to my master in Seir (Idumea).” “In that case, shouldn’t you leave a few warriors behind?” - asked Esau. “No, what is this for? If only I could maintain favor in the eyes of my master! “- Jacob declined: Esau did not insist, and on the same day he headed to Seir. Jacob moved to Succoth, located near the confluence of the Jabbok stream into the Jordan River ().
Fatigue from the long journey, anxiety, meeting with his father-in-law and brother forced the patriarch to stop in Succoth for quite a long time, sufficient to calmly, without interference with movement, surrender to the inner experience of what happened. Impartial self-analysis could not help but suggest to Jacob many things that were to be of decisive importance in the further formation of his character. The Patriarch could not help but realize that his natural gifts: intelligence, resourcefulness, tact, had not always manifested themselves in impeccable form until now. At the same time, he could not help but notice the fact that the property acquired by human effort was far from distinguished by the absolute strength that he, perhaps, ascribed to it, if Laban and Esau with one blow could deprive him of everything that he had acquired with enormous diligence. The theoretical conviction that Jehovah alone is the unconditional source and protector of human goods begins to practically strengthen in the patriarch. The unfortunate events that happened in his life after Jacob entered Canaan: the dishonor of his daughter Dinah by Prince Shechem; a quarrel over this with the Shechemites; the violent self-will of Simeon and Levi, who punished the Shechemites with treacherous beatings; hasty flight from the environs of Shechem (); death, near Bethlehem, of Rachel's beloved wife (); incest of the firstborn Reuben, near the tower of Gader, with his father’s concubine Bilhah (); as well as all the later trials associated with the name of Jacob’s beloved son, Joseph (see Art. Joseph), were to have final significance in the course of the moral transformation and consolidation of the character of the patriarch. If Jacob in the first half of his life sometimes makes one doubt the complete moral approval of some of his actions, then Jacob in the second half of his life represents a complete type of the Old Testament righteous patriarch. The God of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac calls Himself the God of the patriarch Jacob (. . . . Acts 3, etc.).
Having reached Hebron, Jacob found his father Isaac still alive. After the death of the latter (13 years after his son’s arrival), Jacob remained in place, continuing the semi-sedentary, nomadic-agricultural () life that his father led. The shock he experienced upon receiving the news of the (imaginary) death of Joseph (almost similar to what Patriarch Abraham experienced in the decline of his life:) was the last difficult test in the life of the patriarch. A joyful ray that illuminated the decline of the long-suffering man’s life was his meeting with his beloved son Joseph and his relocation to the fertile lands of the Egyptian district of Goshen, in the neighborhood and under the protection of Joseph ().
Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years. Feeling the approach of death, the patriarch prophetically blessed his sons, as well as the sons of Joseph (from the daughter of the Iliopolis priest Asenath:) Manasseh and Ephraim. Judas received the blessing and the promises of the birthright. Addressing him, the patriarch said: “Judas, your brothers will praise you. Your hand is on the backbone of your enemies. The sons of your father will bow down to you. The young lion Judah, my son, rises from his prey. He bowed down and lay down like a lion and like a lioness. Who will lift it? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until the Reconciler comes, and to Him is the submission of the nations (according to the glory: and that is the hope of the tongues).” Reuben, Simeon, Levi were deprived of the blessing of the firstborn: the first - for incest, the second and third - for treachery towards the Shechemites (). Zebulun was predicted that he would settle by the sea and enjoy all the advantages of seaside life; Issachar, Asher, Naphtali - earthly contentment; To Dan, Gad, Benjamin - success among one’s own and enemies; To Joseph - strength and wealth of offspring. The sons of Joseph receive the blessing along with the sons of the patriarch himself. “And now,” says Patriarch Yosnfu, “your two sons, who were born to you in Egypt before my arrival, are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, like Reuben and Simeon. The children who are born from you after them will be yours. They will be listed in their inheritance under the name of their brothers (Ephraim and Manasseh)” (). According to his expressed will (), the body of the deceased (147 years old) patriarch was taken out of Egypt and buried in the Canaanite family crypt Machpelah ().
The Hebron tomb of the patriarchs of Machpelah is currently located in the fence of the Turkish Garet el-Haram mosque. Gareth el-Haram is a tall quadrangular building, built of huge square stones, of very ancient construction. Originally the Haram had no entrance holes. And only later (I assume - during the time of King Hezekiah) were doors made with external staircases leading to them. In the Byzantine era and during the Crusaders, porticoes and a basilica-church were added to the building. The Arabs turned the latter into a mosque, revered as a great shrine, inaccessible to non-believers. Recently, several exceptions have been made, but only in relation to persons of the reigning families and their retinue. In 1862, the Prince of Wales received permission to examine the mysterious mosque; in 1869 - Crown Princess of Prussia; in the eighties of the 19th century - two sons of the Prince of Wales, etc. Upon inspection, it turned out that the inside of the building was divided into three rooms of unequal size. There are six large tombs on the floor of the mosque and adjacent buildings. Each of the tombs is located inside a separate kiosk, closed with bronze doors; all are richly decorated with silk curtains and expensive fabric canopies. What is known as the Cave of Machpelah is hidden under the floor of the mosque: there are the authentic tombs of the patriarchs and their wives; the upper tombs indicate only the place where the Old Testament righteous rest under them. No Sultan's firman can allow infidels to invade this thrice-holy Muslim place. The last Christian visitor to this cave was Benjamin of Tudela (Spanish rabbi of the 12th century: see Enz. III), who examined it in 1163 during the occupation of Palestine by the Crusaders. Benjamin of Tudela says: “The Turks erected six tombs in the mosque, which (as Christian pilgrims usually say) represent the tombs of three Jewish patriarchs and their wives. But it is not exactly. The tombs themselves are placed below, under the floor. For payment of money, Jews are allowed to examine them. Equipped with candles, they go (through the iron door) into the first cave. It's empty. They enter the second one, also empty. Finally I reach the third, with six tombs. On the tombs you can read Jewish inscriptions: “This is the tomb of Abraham our father,” “May peace rest on him,” etc. A fire is kept in this cave day and night. On the floor are boxes with bones of Jews brought by their relatives for burial in a sacred place” (Stanley, Cave of Machpelah).
Abraham (through Ishmael and the children of Keturah), Isaac (through Esau), in addition to the Jewish people, were the ancestors of many other nations (); Israel is only Jews, which is why the latter adopted the name not of Abraham and Isaac, but of their third great patriarch - Israel ().
Biblical stories are always interesting because we, ordinary people, open our eyes to the truth thanks to the great wisdom encrypted in them. Thus, God teaches us the main truth of life, through the comprehension of which a person will find salvation in eternity.
And now, before we analyze the Old Testament story about Isaac and Rebekah, who will give birth to twin boys, let us immediately focus on the fact that the name Isaac is translated as “laughter.” He was the son of the prophet Abraham and was born when he was 100 years old. His mother Sarah was 90 years old at that time and had no children. One day she couldn’t help but laugh when she heard God’s prophecy about the birth of her son. And he was born, eight days later he was circumcised, and three years later he was weaned. Abraham was very happy about this event and even threw a big feast, at which Abraham’s other son, born from Sarah’s (Hagar’s) maid Ishmael, mocked Isaac, after which Hagar and her son were kicked out of the house.
Sacrifice and Faith
Thus, God testified to Abraham that the Messiah, the Savior of the world, should come from Isaac. Isaac grew up and was already 25 years old, but before his sons were born - two twin brothers, his father Abraham received a command from God that he should offer his only son to Him as a burnt offering. So the Lord tested Abraham’s faith, and he passed this test with dignity, because he was confident that his God was omnipotent and would raise Isaac from the dead.
When Isaac was 37 years old, his mother Sarah died; she was 127 years old at the time. Abraham was a righteous man, and the Lord gave him long years of life. When he grew old, he called his senior servant Eliezer to him and gave him instructions to find a wife for his son Isaac in Mesopotamia. The servant loaded ten camels with various riches for the bride and went to Mesopotamia to the city where Nahor, Abraham's brother, lived.
Rebekah
When Eliezer stopped near the well, he immediately began to pray to God to show him a bride for Isaac. And he immediately decided for himself that whichever girl would tilt the jug and let him drink, and then water his camels, she would be Isaac’s wife.
After some time, a very beautiful girl, whose name was Rebekah, came to the well. She gave the traveler water to drink from her jug, and then began to draw water for his camels. After this, the servant gave her a gold earring and placed two precious wrists on her hands.
Rebekah, running home, told her family about everything that had happened to her. Then her brother Laban went to the source and invited the guest into the house. He invited him to rest from the road, and then unsaddled the camels and gave them straw. The servant Eliezer, before tasting the food offered to him, did not waste time and told why he had come to their region. And then he asked Rebekah’s parents to let her go with him. The girl agreed. Before letting her go, they asked him to let her stay with them for at least ten more days.
Shortly before the meeting, Isaac went out into the field to think and suddenly saw his father’s servant and a beautiful girl next to him. This is how Isaac met his wife Rebekah, whom he fell in love with and who was able to console him in his grief over his deceased mother.
Abraham was 175 years old when he died. His body was buried next to his wife Sarah in the field of Ephron. After the death of pious Abraham, God blessed Isaac.
Children of Isaac and Rebekah
Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, who had been barren for a long time (about twenty years). Then Isaac began to pray earnestly to his Lord, and He heard his prayers, and his wife became pregnant. There were two babies huddled in it at once. God told her that twin boys would emerge from her womb, from whom two nations would emerge, one nation would be stronger than the other, the larger would serve the smaller.
During the birth, Esau came out first - shaggy and red. And then his brother Jacob came out holding Esau by the heel. This is how the twins Esau and Jacob were born. Their father Isaac was then 60 years old.
Birthright
The first son of Isaac and Rebekah, Esau, became a skilled hunter and trapper. Unlike his brother, Jacob was a meek man and lived in tents.
One day Jacob was cooking and at the same time Esau returned from hunting, who began to ask his brother to eat “red.” In exchange for lentil stew, Jacob asked to sell his birthright. Esau was so hungry that he almost died, and therefore he easily agreed.
Isaac and Rebekah's son Jacob
Esau was forty years old when he took two Hittite women as wives, and they were a burden to Isaac and Rebekah. The time came, and Isaac grew old, his eyesight became greatly weakened. Then he called his eldest son Esau and asked him to catch game and prepare a delicious meal in order to bless him before his approaching death. Rebekah heard everything, but she wanted her husband to bless Jacob. And she told her youngest son, while the eldest was not in the house, to bring two kids from the herd, from which she would prepare food.
The son of Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, said that he was a smooth man, and Esau was shaggy. If his father touches his hand, he will immediately understand who it is, and instead of a blessing he will receive a curse. The mother reassured her son, saying that his curse would fall on her. And then, putting Esau’s fine clothes on Jacob and tying the skin of kids around his hands and neck, she sent him with food to his father. He, having tasted the prepared food with pleasure, blessed his son with the words that God would give him plenty of bread and wine, and the tribes bowed down, so that he would be lord over his brothers, and the sons of his mother bowed down to him, those who curse him will be cursed, and those who bless him will be blessed .
Hatred and reconciliation
At the same time, the first son of Isaac and Rebekah, Esau, returned from hunting, prepared food, came to his father, and then, learning that Jacob had received a blessing by cunning, was indignant and hated him for it. It was then that he decided that he would kill his brother as soon as his father died. Rebekah, having learned about this, invited Jacob to run to her brother Laban in Haran and live with him for a while until his brother’s rage passed. And when he forgets the insult, she will send for Jacob. Rebekah was afraid of losing both sons at once.
A lot will happen during this time, but in the end the brothers Esau and Jacob will meet with tears in their eyes and reconcile.
And his wife Sarah. Everyone knows the story about sacrifice of Isaac, when Abraham, obeying God, was ready to sacrifice his son to him. God, seeing Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his child, sent an angel who stopped Abraham’s hand with a knife raised over the young man.
When Abraham grew old, he decided to marry Isaac to a girl not from the lands of Canaan, where Abraham lived with his family for a long time, but from his native lands - Mesopotamia. Abraham sent his faithful servant - the steward of his house - to find a suitable bride for Isaac.
The slave took 10 camels, loaded them with goods and went to Haran, where Nahor, Abraham's brother, lived. Arriving in Haran, the slave stopped the camels at the well where the women were drawing water. The slave began to ask the Lord to send him a sign.
... and the girl to whom I will say, “Tilt down your pitcher, I will drink,” and who will say [to me], “Drink, I will also give your camels a drink [until they drink,”]—this is the one whom You appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I know that You show kindness to my lord [Abraham]. ()
Rebekah came out of the city carrying a jug on her shoulder; she not only gave the slave something to drink, but also helped him draw water for the camels. The slave inquired about Rebekah's genealogy and learned that she was the granddaughter of Abraham's brother. The slave decided to stay the night at Rebekah's father's house. Rebekah's brother Laban helped the slave unsaddle and feed the camels. The slave was received cordially and fed.
The servant told about what events happened in the life of Abraham after he left his native lands, spoke about his son Isaac and about Abraham’s desire to marry his son to a girl from the clan of Nahor, his brother. The slave asked to give Rebekah for Isaac.
Rebekah's parents decided that the Lord had arranged this matter, and they had no right to oppose His will. Rebekah's parents, having blessed their daughter, released her along with her maids. Isaac met them on the way. Isaac was delighted at the arrival of his bride and fell in love with her very much. Rebekah became Isaac's wife when he was 40 years old.
Isaac and Rebekah lived at Beer-lahai-roi.
Children of Isaac and Rebekah
Rebekah was barren, then Isaac turned to the Lord with a request to send him children. The Lord heard Isaac's request and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. The pregnancy was difficult, then Rebekah asked the Lord why such torment was sent to her.
The Lord replied:
…two nations are in thy womb, and two different nations shall come forth from thy womb; one people will become stronger than the other, and the greater will serve the lesser. ()
The first of the twins was born Esau, he was, according to the Bible, red and shaggy. Jacob was born second, and during the birth he held Esau's heel. Despite the fact that the brothers were twins, as they grew up they became completely different people: Esau was tireless, he was a “man of the fields”, a skilled hunter, while Jacob was meek and preferred to stay at home.
Isaac loved the older Esau more, and Rebekah loved the younger Jacob. One day, coming from a hunt hungry, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for bread and food that he had prepared.
There was a famine in the lands where Isaac and Rebekah lived. Isaac was about to leave for Egypt, but the Lord appeared to him and said:
...do not go to Egypt; live in the land that I will tell you about...
The Lord ordered Isaac to wander around his native land and promised to fulfill the oath given to Abraham, to multiply his descendants and give him all the strength, to make Abraham’s descendants the seed of all nations.
Isaac settled in Gerar in southern Canaan near the Egyptian border. Isaac was afraid that he might be killed because of the beauty of his wife Rebekah and married her off to his sister. Here we find a parallel with the story of Abraham and Sarah. However, unlike the story where Pharaoh took Sarah as his wife, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, guessed that Rebekah was Isaac’s wife. Abimelech called Isaac and asked why he called Rebekah his sister, and thereby could have committed sin. Isaac admitted to fear for his life. Abimelech commanded his people not to touch either Isaac or Rebekah on pain of death.
The Lord sent Isaac a good harvest. Isaac's cattle began to multiply. The Philistines began to envy him and filled up the wells that Abraham's servants had dug. King Abimelech, seeing the rise of Isaac, ordered him to leave, fearing his strength. Isaac moved to the Valley of Gerar and restored the wells dug in the days of Abraham. By restoring the wells, Isaac's slaves found a source of living water. Local residents argued with Isaac's people over water. Isaac wandered around the valley, finding more and more sources, and everywhere he was faced with disputes with the local residents.
From the Valley of Gerar, Isaac went to Beersheba. Here the Lord appeared to him with a blessing and Isaac erected an altar.
Soon King Abimelech and his military leaders came to Isaac, and Isaac and Abimelech entered into an alliance and decided not to do harm to each other.
Soon, the firstborn of Isaac and Rebekah, Esau, took himself two wives, Yehudith and Basematha.
Isaac was already old and practically blind. He called Esau and told him to catch game and prepare food for him so that he could enjoy before he died.
Rebekah, having overheard the conversation between Isaac and Esau, retold it to her favorite Jacob, her youngest son. She told Jacob to take two young goats and bring them to her so that she could prepare Isaac’s favorite dish, and he, in his blindness, blessed Jacob, not Esau. Then Jacob asked his mother how he could pass for Esau if he was shaggy and he was smooth. Rebekah said that in this case she would take Isaac’s curse upon herself.
Having prepared the food, Rebekah dressed Jacob in the rich clothes of Esau, placed the skin of a goat over Jacob's smooth skin and sent the youngest son to his father. Isaac blessed Jacob, mistaking him for Esau, and gave him the right to be lord over his brothers.
Soon Esau came to his father with food. Esau prayed to his father to give him a blessing as well. Jacob said that Esau must now serve Jacob with the sword. However, Isaac predicted to the eldest son that one day the time would come when the eldest son would overthrow the younger one.
Esau hated Jacob for the blessing he received through cunning, and promised to kill him. Rebekah heard this and ordered Jacob to flee to Mesopotamia to his uncle and hide there until Esau’s rage subsided. The cunning Rebekah told Isaac that she had sent Jacob to look for a wife in the homeland of Abraham, where Abraham’s servant had once found Rebekah for Isaac.
A lot will happen, but in the end, brothers Esau and Jacob will meet and make peace with tears in their eyes.
Further, there is practically no mention of the fate of Isaac and Rebekah in the Bible. It is only reported that Isaac died at the age of 180, “old and full of days.” Isaac and Rebekah are buried side by side in the crypt of the Cave of Machpelah.
Even before he was born, because Abraham laughed, not believing in God's promise of a son. It is further said that Sarah also laughed, who also did not believe God’s promise, but I.’s name is not mentioned (). After the birth of I. Sarah said: “God made me laugh; whoever hears about me will laugh" (). Thus, this name speaks of the incredible and miraculous birth of I.: when he was born, Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 (; ). acc. chronology of the era of the patriarchs (⇒ Chronicle), I. was born approx. in 1900 B.C. near Gerar or Bathsheba (see;). On the eighth day after the birth of the child, Abraham performed the rite of circumcision on him. The day when I. was weaned (probably at two or three years old) was marked by a feast. Sarah noticed that Ishmael, the son of Hagar, who was 16 years old at the time, was mocking I.. And she insisted that Abraham drive Hagar and her son out of the house. Abraham obeyed because God, in His revelation, commanded Abraham to obey Sarah (cf.). God, testing Abraham, demanded that he sacrifice his son as a burnt offering. On the way to Mount Moriah, where the sacrifice was to take place, I. carried firewood, showing obedience and trust (). But at that moment, when Abraham raised the knife over his son, who was lying bound on the altar, an angel stopped the father’s hand, for Abraham had passed the test. Seeing a ram “tangled in a thicket,” Abraham sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of I., who, thus, became a prototype of the death and resurrection of Christ. When I. was 40 years old, he married ⇒ Rebekah, whom Abraham's servant brought for him from Mesopotamia. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah, and the sister of Laban (;). By this time, Sarah had already died (;). I.'s first meeting with Rebekah took place in the field. I. gives the impression of a calm and less active person than Abraham. For 20 years his marriage to Rebekah remained childless. Then 60-year-old I. gave birth to twin sons ⇒ Esau and ⇒ Jacob (etc.). At that time Abraham was 160 years old. When he died, at the age of 175, Ishmael and Ishmael buried their father in the cave of Machpeleh (). After the death of Abraham, God blessed I., who lived at Beer-lahai-roi (“well of the Living One who sees me”). When the famine began, I. arrived in Gerar to the Philistines. King Abimelech (etc.). Here he gave his wife away as his sister, fearing that the people of Gerar might kill him for Rebekah, because... she was “beautiful in appearance” (). Abimelech discovered the deception after “he saw that Isaac was playing with Rebekah his wife” (). This happened before the birth of Esau and Jacob. Earlier, I. had the appearance of the Lord, who promised him many things. offspring(). Apparently, I. asked the Lord for a blessing for his wife, and Rebekah became a mother (
