The Bible Passage for Our Sunday Service (Genesis 25:19-34)

We're going to spend the summer of 2023 with the Patriarchs. During eleven worship services, beginning on Father's Day, we'll use passages from the book of Genesis to look at Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, focusing on how the Lord was consistently and actively involved in their lives. And by the end of the summer, we should have a better understanding of the one whom they followed and on how that same God can lead us. During this series, we'll look at the stories and passages below:

• June 18 - The Lord Chooses Abram (Genesis 12:1-9)
• June 25 - The Lord Promises Abraham a Son (Genesis 18:1-15)
• July 2 - Abraham Sends Hagar and Ishmael Away (Genesis 21:8-21)
• July 9 - The Lord Tests Abraham (Genesis 22:1-14)
• July 16 - Abraham's Servant Finds Isaac a Wife (Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67)
• July 23 - Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:19-34)
• July 30 - Jacob's Dream at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-19a)
• August 6 - Jacob with Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:15-28)
• August 13 - Jacob Becomes Israel (Genesis 32:22-31)
• August 20 - Joseph and His Brothers (Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28)
• August 27 - Joseph Tells His Brothers Who He Is (Genesis 45:1-15)

On Sunday, we'll focus on what we can learn from the story of Jacob and Esau, Genesis 25:19-34. Below is the passage on which we'll focus.

Genesis 25:19-34 [Contemporary English Version]

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

Isaac was the son of Abraham, and he was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean from northern Syria.

Almost 20 years later, Rebekah still had no children. So Isaac asked the Lord to let her have a child, and the Lord answered his prayer.

Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, “Why is this happening to me?” Finally, she asked the Lord why her twins were fighting, and he told her:

“Your two sons will become

    two separate nations.

The younger of the two

    will be stronger,

and the older son

    will be his servant.”

When Rebekah gave birth, the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau.  The second baby grabbed on to his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob.[d] Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

Esau Sells His Rights as the First-Born Son

As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob lived the quiet life of a shepherd.  Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.

One day, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came home hungry and said, “I'm starving to death! Here and now give me some of that red stew!” That's how Esau got the name “Edom.”

Jacob replied, “Sell me your rights as the first-born son.”

“I'm about to die,” Esau answered. “What good will those rights do me?”

But Jacob said, “Promise me your birthrights, here and now!” And that's what Esau did. Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the first-born.