Lesson 4 – The Story of Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 25 to 50)

It is necessary that you read these chapters before continuing this lesson; otherwise you will not profit much from it. Five important points are to be raised:

Isaac’s two sons: Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25,19+)

Rebekah (Rivca), like Sarah her mother-in-law, was Syrian. Genesis 25,20 insists on the revelation of the “Aramaean” origins of Isaac’s wife: “Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramaean of Paddan-Aram, and sister of Laban the Aramaean.” (Genesis 25,20).

Rebekah, like Sarah, was sterile: “Isaac prayed to Yahweh on behalf of his wife, for she was barren. Yahweh heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.” (Genesis 25,21) She was carrying twins: Esau and Jacob. The first born was considered to be the eldest and it was customary for him to be privileged and to inherit paternal dignity. According to human tradition, it thus falls on Esau, the eldest, to inherit the spiritual mission of Abraham and Isaac, the Messiah having to come from his line, not that of his twin brother, Jacob.

But God does not let himself be bound by human customs and considerations, familial or tribal, as is the case here. They are too often racist and dictated by unjust prejudice. He thus established his Covenant with Jacob, not with Esau, although the elder. This “Covenant” meant that the Messiah was to come from the line of Jacob.

Indeed, when Rebekah went “to consult God”, He answered her: “There are two nations in your womb… and the elder shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25,23) This is a total upheaval of the mentality of the time and of ancient traditions. The reason -strictly human- for the passing of the birthright onto Jacob is that Rebekah “preferred Jacob” because he “was a quiet man, staying at home under the tents”, near his mother (Genesis 25,27-28). She thus plotted to rob the birthright and give it to her favorite. By cunning, she obtained that her husband blessed Jacob instead of Esau, although “Isaac preferred Esau, for he had a taste for wild game (cooked by Esau); but Rebekah preferred Jacob.” (Genesis 25,28) It was believed at that time that the blessing given was effective and irrevocable; it cannot pass to another, whether it is merited or not (Genesis 27,1-45). Note that “this consultation of God” was practiced by male or female seers who claimed to hold this power of “clairvoyance”. Even today, many claim to hold such power. The Bible reveals that the Israelites commonly practiced this custom (see Exodus 33,7 / 1 Samuel 14,41 etc…).

The attitudes of Rebekah and Jacob in this case are not examples of high morality. The prophets ultimately condemned Jacob’s ruse: Jeremy presents it as an example of deception: “Let each be on his guard against his friend, be mistrustful of your brother, for every brother is a very Jacob…” (Jeremiah 9,3-4) “Yahweh has a case against Israel, he will pay Jacob as his conduct merits… In the very womb he supplanted his brother…”, Hosea also says (Hosea 12,3-4).

But the scribes, wanting to justify Jacob and his mother, presented the story of the lentil dish to the detriment of Esau. The latter returned famished and “exhausted” from work in the countryside; he told his brother who had prepared a good soup of lentils: “‘Let me eat (as he was so hungry) the red soup, that red soup there (color of the lentils); I am exhausted’”. But Jacob, famished for the birthright, seized the occasion on the spot and exploited it to steal this right from his brother: “First give me your oath”, he retorted. Esau, probably not taking his brother’s covetousness seriously, acquiesced. “That was all Esau cared for his birthright”, the scribes cynically comment (Genesis 25,29-34).

This story however, deserves to shake us: it invites us, if we are attentive to it, to revolt before injustice. Isaac, indeed, note it well, tells his son Esau: “… you shall serve your brother. But when you win your freedom, you shall shake his yoke from your neck.” (Genesis 27,40) We must free ourselves from the yoke of fruitless religious traditions.

Another lesson to be drawn from this story: we must prefer the spiritual over the material, not “sell our birthright”, which is our right to Eternal life, for a temporal good. It is this teaching that Jesus gives us by refusing, at the devil’s request, to transform the rocks into bread, despite his hunger, because “Men do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4,4. See also Deuteronomy 8,3) We must be hungry and thirsty for the divine directives. If there is a choice between a material interest and a spiritual one, it is the latter to choose and the first one to sacrifice, without looking back, like Lot’s wife…

God promised Adam and Eve a progeny that will crush the devil’s head. This Savior is the Messiah. God’s Messianic plan commenced with Abraham, passed on to Isaac, and continued with Jacob.

After having started with Abraham and after having been passed on to Isaac, the progeny promised by God to Adam and Eve to crush the devil’s head, their tempter, passed on to Jacob, who became the third Patriarch. The story of the lentils comes to explain why this lineage did not pass through Esau, although the elder. But this human explanation does not reveal the true intention of God.

Jacob’s two wives (Genesis 28 & 29)

Esau married two Hittites, not Aramaean: this deplored his parents (Genesis 26,34-35) and was one more reason to resent him. Rebekah, who feared the same for Jacob, intervened next to her husband so that he gives Jacob this order: “You are not to choose a wife from the Canaanite women. Away now to Paddan-Aram (in Aram, Syria), the home of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and there choose a wife for yourself from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.” (Genesis 28,1-2) Notice that Isaac invokes on Jacob and his descendants “the blessing of Abraham”. In the divine intention, this blessing means that the Messiah comes from this line of descendants, not that of Esau. The scribes give this blessing a geographical interpretation, namely that Palestine belongs to Jacob’s (the Israelites) descendants, not that of Esau’s (the Arabs). This is evident from the following verse: “… so that you may take possession of the land in which you live now, which God gave to Abraham.” (Genesis 28,3-4).

On route to Syria, Jacob had a dream: God appeared to him at the summit of a ladder which goes up from the ground to Heaven to announce to him that his Covenant with Abraham would continue with him (Genesis 28,12-16). Jesus evoked this dream of the ladder, adapting it to his person and thereby revealing that, henceforth, he is himself the holder of the Divine Covenant, the successor and heir to the true promises made by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (John 1,51). He is this ladder which leads from earth to Heaven and permits those who believe in Him to mount toward Heaven.

Notice that the belief in the one God did not develop without difficulty. It took personal experiences and choices. Indeed, Jacob was not sufficed with his father’s words. He hesitated to believe in God and his faith was conditional: “If God goes with me… if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I return home safely to my father, then Yahweh (solely) shall be my God…” (Genesis 28,20-22).
The story of Jacob’s marriages begins in chapter 29,15. The frantic race between Lea and Rachel (Rahil) to have children seems odd to us. We should read these narrations whilst considering the mentality of that period: a husband’s esteem was measured according to the number of children, as the offspring was considered a sign of divine blessing.

This unrestrained race for procreation between the two wives, in which the maidservants Zilpah (of Leah) and Bilhah (of Rachel) were involved, gave Jacob 12 boys and a girl. These 12 sons of Jacob are the founding ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel, the first monotheistic community called to reveal to the world, with goodness, the one Creator. The prophets denounced the infidelity and mismanagement of this first group of believers.

Having enriched himself, Jacob wanted to be independent of Labban, his father-in-law. He therefore fled to his native country, Canaan. Note that, in the haste of the voyage, Rachel insisted on taking with her the idols of the gods whom she still worshipped despite her marriage to Jacob (Genesis 31,34). It should be noted then, that the belief in the one God grew gradually and over time in the hearts of the ancestors. We should not be surprised. Even today, 4000 years after Abraham, we find a great number of Jews, Christians, and Muslims who do not believe in God… or who believe in Him in the wrong way, in a fanatic way, with a fundamentalist, fetishist, non-renewable mentality.

Jacob’s “wrestling” against God (Genesis 32,24-33)

Jacob, on his return to Canaan, had another divine apparition: “There was one that wrestled with him until daybreak”. This “one” was God in human form, like the three “men” who appeared to Abraham (Genesis 18).

The “wrestling” between God and Jacob is symbolic: God wants to mold Jacob, to model him after his Holy Spirit, but man refuses to let himself be made so by his Creator. Seeing that Jacob resisted Him, God gave him the name “Israel”, which means “to wrestle against God” (Genesis 32,29).

In analyzing this fact, one concludes that unconsciously, Jacob wanted to equal himself to God, to pose in front of him as a rival. That is why his behavior was condemned by the prophets. Indeed, Hosea says: “Yahweh has a case against Israel, He will pay Jacob as his conduct merits… In the very womb he supplanted his brother, in maturity he wrestled against God… and beat Him”, concludes Hosea ironically (Hosea 12,3-4). It is by violence and personal interest, not by love and justice, that Jacob wanted to steal God’s blessing, exactly as he had done by robbing the blessing destined for Esau from his father.

After this incident, God gives Jacob another name: “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel (Isra=wrestle, and EL=God), since you have been strong against God, you shall prevail against men. (he ‘fought’ against his brother Esau, a man, and stole his birthright)”, God declared to him ironically (Genesis 32,29). This resistance applies to the scribes and Pharisees who always resist God and his prophets. The latter, before Jesus and the Apostles, did not fail to denounce the recalcitrant attitude of the religious chiefs to God (see Isaiah 1,2-3 / Micah 1,5 / Jeremiah 2,20 / Matthew 23 / 1 Thessalonians 2,14-16). We must see in Jacob’s “triumph” in his fight against God, the same divine irony as that addressed to Adam after his fall (Genesis 3,22).

The Biblical scribes claim that God “blessed him (Jacob) there” (Genesis 32,30). In this “blessing” there is a contradiction with the words of the prophets cited above: it is a supplement added by the “lying pen” of the scribes (Jeremiah 8,8) to justify their own resistance to God by presenting it as acceptable, even “blessed” by God. It is why God says to the Israeli community through Isaiah: “Your first father (Jacob-Israel) sinned, your mediators (the scribes and other religious chiefs who interpreted the Biblical texts) have rebelled against me. Your princes have profaned my sanctuary. So I have handed Jacob over to the ban, and Israel to insults.” (Isaiah 43,27-28) So where does this alleged blessing of Jacob come from? It comes from the interpreters and scribes, also rebels against God, like Jacob. He, because of his resistance against God, was named Israel. This name passed down to his descendants, heirs of the same resistance.

Till today, this fight against God is symbolized by the State of Israel. The Zionists pursue, by politicizing Judaism, Jacob’s fight against God and men: against God by the refusal to admit that the mission of Judaism is uniquely spiritual and universal and by their rejection of Jesus; and against men by the unjust and violent occupation of a land which does not belong to them, all while claiming to be the “chosen people”.

Many bad believers, from all sides, deserve to be called “Israel” because, while saying to God, “Thy will be done,” they stubbornly impose their own will against God and men, disregarding God and men.

The 12 sons of Jacob: The 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 35,22-26)

Jacob had 12 sons and one daughter from his two wives and their two maidservants.

Lea had 6 sons and one daughter:

• Ruben (the eldest): He slept with Bilhah (maidservant of Rachel: Genesis 35,22) and, because of that, did not obtain a blessing from his father (Genesis 49,3-4).
• Simeon and Levi: they committed a racist and treacherous crime (Genesis 34,25-31) which drew on them the curse of their father (Genesis 49,5-7). Moses and Aaron his brother descend from this cursed tribe of Levi, chosen by Moses to be the only sacerdotal tribe, ie the tribe that provides priests to sacrifice animals (Numbers 3,45).
• Judah: from his tribe comes the Messiah (not of the tribe of the eldest, Ruben). This is why Jacob praises Judah (Genesis 49,8-12).
• Issachar and Zebulun.
• Dinah, lastly is Jacob’s only daughter.

Rachel had 2 sons:

• Joseph: His half-brothers were jealous of him and sold him. He became very powerful in Egypt where he ended up accommodating his whole family.
• Benjamin: the last-born child of Jacob, the “Benjamin”.

Bilhah (maidservant of Rachel) had 2 sons:

• Dan
• Naphtali

Zilpah (maidservant of Leah) had 2 sons:

• Gad
• Asher

Chapter 49 of Genesis reports the prophecies of Jacob concerning each one of his children. The most important is that of Judah because it is from him that the Messiah will emerge. He is called “The Lion of Judah” because this prophecy qualifies Judah as “the lion cub” (Genesis 49,9). The Book of Revelation attributes this Messianic title to Jesus (Revelation 5,5).

The tribe of Judah has held the messianic role in Jewish history. It gave the kings who ruled in Judaea, David and his dynasty, where the Messiah came from. Genesis 38 indicates the descendant of the Messiah, through Judah and Tamar, by an extra marital union. Matthew 1,3 designates this genealogy. It was Judah who revolted against his brothers following the sale of Joseph. He had left his family and married a Canaanite, not a Jewess. He intervened with his brothers to save Joseph’s life (Genesis 37,26). This noble attitude earned him the praise of his father (Genesis 49,9) and the merit of being the ancestor of the Messiah.

According to the prophecy of Jacob concerning Judah (Genesis 49,9-12), the Messiah was to abolish the royalty in Israel, not to consolidate it as the Jews and the Apostles themselves believed (Acts 1,6). In fact, it says: “The scepter shall not pass from Judah, nor the mace from between his feet, until he come to whom it belongs (the Messiah), to whom the peoples shall render obedience.” (Genesis 49,10) The scepter, symbol of royalty, will thus remain until the arrival of the Messiah. He must seize the crown to proclaim the universal and spiritual reign, according to God, not a politico-military one, according to men.

The reason for the destruction of the Israeli kingdom -we shall see that later- is that it was established by the Jews against the Will of God. But if the Messiah comes to abolish the temporal kingship of an Israeli State, it is to build his spiritual and universal Kingdom according to Jacob’s prophetic words to his son Judah: “The scepter shall not pass from Judah… until he come to whom it belongs (the Messiah), to whom the peoples shall render obedience.” (Genesis 49,10) The kingship will therefore cease in Israel, but after the arrival of the Messiah who will proclaim himself spiritual King of all nations. In fact, after Jesus, the political Kingdom ceased in Israel when Titus invaded Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. Since then, the spiritual and universal Kingdom of the Messiah, Jesus, the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”, was finally established. To him belongs the “Scepter” forever.

The tribe of Judah (“Yehudah” in Hebrew) gave its name to the Jews (“Yehudim” in Hebrew, and “Yahoud” in Arabic). The English translation of the two words (“Yehudah” becoming “Judah” and “Yehudim” becoming “Jewish”) does not reveal, like in Hebrew and Arabic, this relation between the tribe of Judah and the Jews (Yehouda and Yehoudim). The words “Jew” and “Judaism” are derived from the name of this tribe which, because of its Messianic qualification, had great importance in all the community. The Jews claimed his name for themselves, becoming the “Yehudim”to present themselves as the people of the Messiah, issue of the tribe of “Yehudah”, just as they had adopted the name of Israel to mean that they are Jacob’s descendants, named “Israel”.

The disciples of Jesus called themselves “Christians” because they believe that He is the “Christ”. Thus, the Messiah, is at the centre of the two communities and their point of reference. In Him, they define themselves and find their identity. He is All-for-All in the Old and New Testaments.

So then, Judaism and Christianity speak of the Messiah: Judaism still awaiting his coming, and Christianity proclaiming this Advent in the person of Jesus. And so, a “Christian” is one who recognizes in Jesus the announced Christ. We should therefore no longer wait for another as the Jews do.

The Jewish community’s mission was to spread the knowledge of God and the future advent of the Messiah. The Christian community, on the contrary, bears witness to the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies through Jesus, presenting him as the awaited and unique Messiah, and that we must not wait for another (Matthew 11,2-3).

The 12 sons of Jacob therefore had no political mission. Their mission was uniquely spiritual and consisted of getting to know God and announcing the future advent of the Messiah in their community and the whole world. Also, the 12 tribes are not only the spiritual ancestors of the Jews, but of all who believe that Jesus is truly the one and only Christ of God.

It should be known that the word “Messiah” is derived from Hebrew “Meshiah”, which means “Anointed”, the One who receives the unction of God. The word “Christ” is derived from the Greek “Christos” which also means “The Anointed”, the chosen one of God. It is by the unction that kings were enthroned. Now, the Messiah is the King of both worlds and his unction comes directly from God.

The 12 tribes in Egypt (Genesis 37 to 50)

With the story of Joseph, we see how the “sons of Israel” end up in Egypt at around 1700 BC. They remained there for four centuries, growing in number. The account of the Covenant “of the halves” between God and Abraham “prophesied” this event (Genesis 15,13-15). We should not ignore that this story was put down in writing at around 1000 BC. Their stay in Egypt and exit from it had thus already taken place. The scribes added this “prophecy” later.

This stay in Egypt strongly marked the Israelite community which, with time, had forgotten God and let themselves be contaminated to practice Egyptian idol worshipping. This exposed the Messianic plan of God to danger.

In order to pursue this plan successfully, God charged Moses to get the Israelites out of Egypt four centuries after their entry. The Book of Exodus, which we will see in the fifth lesson, reports the narrative of this exit. With Jacob, 70 Israelites had taken refuge in Egypt (Genesis 46,27); with Moses 600,000 exited 400 years later (Exodus 12,37).

We should retain the two dreams of Joseph when he was 17 years old: that of the wreathes of his brothers which bowed to his and that of the sun, of the moon and the eleven stars which did the same before him (Genesis 37,2-11). Retain the two dreams of the Pharaoh too: that of the cows and that of the ears of grain (Genesis 41,1-7). God often speaks to men in dreams and reveals Himself to them in that manner.

The Creator announced the same message under two different forms: first to Joseph, then to Pharaoh. God therefore speaks through dreams. But it is also necessary to be prudent: there are some satanic sources in our dreams. It is thus necessary to discern the source and well-interpret the meaning of the messages thus received, and making sure that they come from God. We must pray well to understand them, and act wisely as a consequence. God has often employed this method in the Bible, and in the Book of Revelation in particular, where the same message is announced in repeated visions, but under various forms, like the dreams of Joseph and Pharaoh. The prophet Joel informs us, on behalf of God, that He manifests himself to his elect in dreams and visions: “After that, I shall pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old people will have dreams, and your young people see visions…” (Joel 3,1).

The Book of Genesis ends with the Israelites in Egypt, Jacob having been buried in Canaan (Palestine), in the current city of Hebron (in Arabic “El Khalil”), there where Abraham and Isaac are buried (Genesis 50,12-13). This place is, today, a mosque that the Jews want to retake.

Before dying, Joseph warned his brothers that “God will be sure to remember you kindly and take you back from this country to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” He demands that his bones are carried with them (Genesis 50,24-25). This is what Moses did when he left Egypt with the Israelites (Exodus 13,19).

The expression “God will visit you” is to be retained. It returns often in the Bible. God “visits” by an envoy, a prophet, to communicate a message, or by happy or unhappy events, to reward or to punish. This expression means that God is the cause of these events: “Suddenly, unexpectedly, you shall be visited by Yahweh Sabaoth with thunder, earthquake, mighty din…” Isaiah prophesied against Jerusalem the wicked (Isaiah 29,6 / also see Jeremiah 29,10 / Amos 3,2 / Luke 7,16 and 19,44). God visits you and solicits you through the Biblical study…

Questionnaire recap

1. Have you done your “de-conditioning” and “Become aware”?
2. Why do you study the Bible and not another holy book?
3. Are you sure that the biblical text that you are studying is authentic? Why?
4. Do you experience joy studying the Bible? What do you feel?
5. Explain the accounts of creation and oral traditions.
6. What does “God created man in his image” mean? Are you like this image?
7. How do you imagine the state of man was in Paradise before the fall? And after?
8. How do you understand the sin of Adam and Eve?
9. Explain Genesis 3,15. How does it relate to Abraham?
10. God accepted Abel’s offering, not that of Cain. Why?
11. Who was Abel’s successor?
12. What did you understand of the flood and of Noah’s descendants?
13. What do you know of the epic of Gilgamesh?
14. How do you understand Genesis 6,1-4? Genesis 10? Genesis 15? Genesis 18,1-15? Genesis 32,23-33? Genesis 49,8-12?
15. What was the purpose of God’s plan with Abraham?
16. Which of the two concepts is right: “chosen people” or “a formed community”? Why?
17. Sarah expelled Hagar and Ishmael. Comment.
18. Circumcision, baptism by holy water, are they divine requirements for the soul’s salvation?
19. What did you understand of Melchizedek?
20. What did you understand of Sodom and Gomorrah?
21. Lot’s wife was transformed into a statue of salt. Comment.
22. The 12 tribes of Israel. Explain.
23. Comment on the dreams of Joseph and of Pharaoh.
24. Who is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah”? Why this name?
25. Establish the Messianic line from Abraham to Judah.
26. Why do the Jews want to take back the Mosque of Hebron and that of Omar in Jerusalem? (The mosque of Hebron is built on the site where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried. The mosque of Omar, in Jerusalem, is built on the presumed site where Abraham was preparing the offering of Isaac in sacrifice. Solomon had built the 1st Temple there, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC, then again by Titus in 70 AD. In the VIIth century AD, the Caliph, Omar Ibn-el-Khattab built a mosque on this same site).