Torah portion: Genesis 25:19-28:9

Toldot: ‘This is the account of…These are the generations of…This is what follows from…’

The title of this Torah portion is a word that punctuates the history book that we know as Genesis. In this case, it is the account of Abraham’s son, Isaac, and what followed from him. But, if you meditate on the word toldot, you could be thinking about what is going to follow from your life. Isaac was the child of promise, the one whose line would lead to the Messiah and Saviour of all mankind. What is your life leading to?

Divided Destinies

It was after 20 years, and in answer to his prayer, that Isaac’s sons were born. Rebekah, too, was driven to pray as she experienced the painful jostling in her womb: “Why is this happening to me?” How often do we say this to the Lord? He answered her and spoke about the destiny of her sons.

From their birth Jacob and Esau, destined to father two nations, were so different. They divided their parents so that Rebekah encouraged Jacob to deceive Isaac in order that he could inherit his father’s blessing. Rebekah determined to promote Jacob knowing that the Lord had said that Esau’s people would serve Jacob’s. It is sad to read of an old man being deceived in his blindness by his own son at the instigation of his wife.

How often do we act as if we need to help God fulfil His plans? Will we trust God to work things out in his way, in His time?

Striving vs. Compromising

Jacob was born grasping his brother’s heel – reaching out to take hold of the position that was his destiny. Throughout his life he would be striving for position, family and wealth until he wrestled to be blessed by God Himself.

If Isaac had not been blind, Jacob could not have come in disguise as Esau. If Isaac had not been blind, his preference may have led him to bless Esau, not Jacob, blinding Isaac to God’s purposes.

Jacob was always striving for more, whereas Esau was willing to let go of what he had in return for a simple meal. He despised his birthright. Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the open country, and yet he returned home famished. He had failed to find food so he had nothing to offer Jacob in return for the meal. There must have been servants to cook for him, yet he wanted what was ready immediately – the now, regardless of the cost and his future. That was all that mattered. He took two wives from the people around them – the women who were available.

Learning God’s Ways

We think of Jacob as a ‘quiet’ man in contrast to the active hunter, Esau, along with the ways that Jacob lived up to his name as a deceiver or supplanter. Yet it is Jacob who was the one loved by God and chosen before his birth (Mal 1:2; Rom 9:11-13).

This is less surprising if we realise that the word tam that gives us ‘quiet’ or ‘plain’ in reference to Jacob (Gen 25:27) also means ‘perfect’ or ‘complete’ and so can be translated ‘blameless’, as in describing Noah (Gen 6:9) and Job (Job 1:1). God saw Jacob’s potential and what he would become. It is a reminder that the Lord’s perspective may be very different from ours. Perhaps we should be challenged to see Jacob in a different light?
God’s ways are higher than our ways – will we take the time and persevere to learn His ways?

Author: Catharine Pakington