GENESIS 27:1-17 One faithless act leads to another. Having schemed to secure the birthright, Jacob deceived his father in order to secure the blessing, which was a vital part of the birthright. Jacob needed not only the birthright from Esau but also the blessing from his father. One was of...

GENESIS 25:34; HEBREWS 12:14-17 After Esau had sold the birthright to Jacob and had finished eating and drinking, he “rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:34). The word “despise” means “to look down on with contempt or aversion.” It also means “to regard as...

GENESIS 25:27-34 Jacob had been waiting for an opportunity to get the birthright from Esau. Jacob could have rightfully expected the birthright since God had promised that the elder would serve the younger, but Jacob’s methods of obtaining it were entirely wrong. Jacob sought the right thing in the wrong...

GENESIS 25:21-26 Jacob was a miracle child. Abraham and Sarah had waited 25 years for Isaac to be born, and Isaac and Rebekah waited 20 years for the birth of Jacob. Genesis 25:21-22 says, “Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated...

GENESIS 17:9-21 God did not refuse to bless Ishmael, but He caused Abraham to clearly understand that the covenant would be established with Isaac, who was not yet born. Ishmael was not to be an heir with Isaac. The Scriptures build on this principle in showing that the flesh (Ishmael)...

GENESIS 26:30-33 When we are abused by the unbelieving world, we need to remember the words of Psalm 37:5-6: "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as...

GENESIS 26:21-22 Isaac sought for satisfaction without a complete return, so he dug wells. However, there could be no real spiritual satisfaction until he completely returned to the Lord. God was forcing Isaac back to his homeland by permitting the Philistines to close up the wells he reopened. However, even...

GENESIS 22:9-12 This was the triumph of both Abraham and Isaac. Faith was now a proven fact. God said, "Now I know that thou fearest God" (Gen. 22:12). Abraham had passed the supreme test, and God's voice broke into the awful silence and said, "Now I know." Faith is always...

GENESIS 22:3; GALATIANS 1:11-17 Even though Abraham could not understand why God would command him to offer his son, he was not slow in responding. Genesis 22:3 says, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and...

GENESIS 22:1-2; 1 PETER 1:3-7 God wanted Abraham to prove that he loved Him more than the things of this life and more than any other person. For this test God chose the person who was the dearest object of Abraham's life— Isaac. God may sometimes test you this way...