Bible Study Online Article
Although Rebekah could have told Isaac about the vow Esau had made when it came to killing Jacob after their father had passed, she did not mention to her husband. Rebekah knew that this would not have made much of a difference and could perhaps have placed Jacob in the path of a more immediate danger from his brother. Instead she addressed the issues that concerned the type of wife that Jacob was going to marry later on down the line. "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living." (Genesis 27: 46) Now remember that Isaac and Rebekah were not happy with the fact that Esau had married two women from that country who were in fact Hittite women, also known as - The Daughters of Heth. "When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah." (Genesis 26:34-35) Now after hearing of his wife concerns, Isaac would concur. After all he knew first hand about how important it was for Jacob to be yoked (united) with a woman who fears the Lord just as much as he did, if not more. So he called for his son Jacob. Once Jacob had arrived he would bless his son and give him some very important instructions. Now this blessing is pretty much a reminder of what Jacob had already acquired when it came to the former blessing that Isaac had already spoken into his life. Isaac had wished his son Jacob a prosperous and successful journey and that he was to be adherent to the purpose that God had placed on his life as well. "Do not marry a Canaanite woman. Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother's father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother," Isaac would continue to instruct his son. "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May He give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham," Isaac would tell his son. Actually, these blessings were in fact in reference to the two great promises that God had swore to Abraham. Being that Jacob was now the rightful heir to the Abrahamic Covenant, it was only fitting. "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." (Genesis 13: 14-17) So Isaac had sent his son away, in which Jacob would head to Paddan Aram (Syria) where he was to meet, Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean (Syrian) who was also the brother of his mother Rebekah. Now Esau would learn of Jacob's departure, in which he knew where his brother was headed. He also learned about the conversation that Jacob had with his father before the departure. But Esau would not follow and pursue Jacob at this point, instead it would seem that perhaps he would try to position himself to possibly receive a better blessing from his father Isaac. I make this assumption because of the mere fact that after Esau had learned about his father's concerns when it came to the type of woman that he was suppose to have married. Esau had indeed married himself two Canaanite women which was very displeasing in his father's eyes. In order for him to make amends, Esau heads to uncles family, the household of Ishmael. While there he would marry once again in addition to the two wives he already had. The name of his third wife was called Mahalath who was also known as Bashemath. She was Ishmael daughter and the sister of Nebajoth the eldest son of Ishmael. Thinking that he would make things better, Esau would in fact make things worse. For one he had already had one too many wives in the first place, now he takes a third. His first two wives were from a civilization that had been previously cursed by God, and had gained a reputation of being known as a wicked and sinful people who doesn't fear the Lord. Now he goes and takes a third wife from the household of Ishmael the son of the bond-woman Hagar. Although he was Abraham's oldest son, Ishmael was not the promise seed that God had promised to the prophet. In fact, Ishmael was cast out of Abraham's household along with his mother Hagar, and although he would himself become a great nation, he was excluded from the divine Abrahamic Covenant that was inherited by his brother Isaac at the time. He has his brother's vengeful anger following behind him and with the path of uncertainty lying before him. Will Jacob have the faith to stay true to his newly discovered purpose, or will he waver and try to take his destiny into his own hands?
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