Bereans of Trinity

It turns out to be a very close call as Jacob leaves his father's presence and Esau returns from the hunt. What is Scripture saying to us in recording this? When Isaac discovers he has been deceived by Jacob and given the blessing to Jacob instead of Esau, he begins trembling violently. What has upset Isaac so severely? Esau repeatedly in tears pleads with his father to bless him anyway. But each request is rebuffed with a more severe denial. Why? Hebrews 12 uses Esau's story as an illustration to us of a certain principle. What is it? How is what is at stake in Hebrews different from what is at stake in Genesis? What does it mean that Esau could find no room for repentance? (62 min)

The old blind father encounters the deceiving son. The picture is not a pretty one. Spiritual blind spots in our lives can have disastrous consequences. How is spiritual blindness different from other faults? How do we avoid spiritual blindness? The lies and deceptions roll off Jacob's tongue like water. By what sophistry does he justify such cold, calculated deception, especially of his father? All the parties in this event behave wrongly. So, what will the outcome be? We see a remarkable turn of events when Isaac prophesies the future, even the future of our salvation.

Returning to the story on the struggle between Esau and Jacob, we encounter the account of the stealing of the birthright from Esau. We find in this passage four different individuals who represent to us four ploys which Satan uses to counter God's spiritual purposes in our lives. Which one of these individuals am I most like? For what is the blindness of Isaac a metaphor? What were Rebekah's strength and weakness? What is wrong with Jacob's response to his mother's proposal. This was an urgent situation. What other options did Rebekah and Jacob have by which they may have prevented Isaac's impending blunder?

The story of the conflict between Isaac and the people of Gerar continues. As the herdsmen of Gerar continue to claim the wells Isaac's people dig, he moves on, eschewing conflict. Why does Isaac decline to fight for what seems rightfully his? Eventually Isaac ends up in a "broad place." How did God get him from Gerar to this broad place? Moving on from Rehoboth, he then goes to Beersheba. What is the significance of this place? Who does he encounter immediately upon his arrival? One wonders how Jacob and Esau would have reacted to this scene. Abimelech comes suing for peace. What influences Isaac's ultimate response? We consider again the significance of this whole chapter in the ongoing saga of Jacob and Esau.

Our story line returns in this chapter to the story of Isaac. Why does the narrator interrupt his story of the conflict between Jacob and Esau to tell us these stories about their father Isaac? There is a striking theme in this chapter of the continuity between the lives of Isaac and his father Abraham. What are those continuities, and why are they important to our understanding? How did God want Isaac to think about his stay in the land of Gerar? Why is God’s reference to His oath so important to Isaac? How was it that Abraham so thoroughly obeyed God? Why did Isaac engage in the ruse concerning Rebekah? What precious gleaming gem of truth about Isaac and Rebekah do we find in this mud hole of his deception? How did the remarkable prosperity of Isaac affect his neighbors, the Philistines? Why did Isaac not stand his ground and insist on his rights?

The twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah, born under such unusual circumstances, have now grown to young adulthood. They are strikingly different personalities, but far more importantly, they have dramatic differences in what they value. What influence might Abraham have had on his new grandsons? How did the favoritism of Isaac and Rebekah influence their sons? What was the nagging issue the stalked Jacob's mind as he grew up? What was he thinking about when Esau came in famished from the field? What, if any, was the distinction between the birthright and the blessing? How must the heart of God felt when Esau despised his birthright? Why is thankfulness so heavily stressed in Scripture?

We are moving on into the next section or "toledot" of Genesis. Why does Isaac get so much less of his story told than his father Abraham, or his son Jacob? Is there a lesson there for us? How does Isaac respond to his wife's inability to conceive a child? The pregnancy that finally occurs turns out to be very difficult. Why? A new major theme surfaces in Genesis. What is it? What is God's explanation to Rebekah for the violent struggle she is feeling? Is it O.K. for us to ask God "why?" How should we respond to His answer?

We come finally to the end of the story of Abraham. What is this about another wife? What lessons are there for us in the other sons of Abraham? Why does God give Ishmael his own toledot in the book of Genesis? At the end of Abraham's life we learn he was fully satisfied with life. How did this happen? How does this compare to the end of his grandson Jacob's life? Though satisfied with life, Abraham ends his life still longing for something else. What was that? Why does Hebrews say that God was not ashamed to be called Abraham's God?

In his search for a wife for Isaac, Abraham's servant arrives in the home of Laban. Much of this passage is a repetition of the story we've already read. Why is this repetition important to us? Why is Laban so eager to invite this stranger into his house? As the servant tells the story about his prayer at the well, what is Rebekah thinking? By the time we reach the end of this passage Rebekah knows that she is being called to be the "second Abraham." What does that mean? Do you recall what it was like to discover God's intimate concern about you, and His involvement in your life?

Abraham's servant asks for God's help in finding a wife for Isaac. In doing so he asks God for a sign. What does God think about our asking for signs in seeking His will? What is the significance of the particular sign the servant selected? What did the servant discover about Rebekah by her response to his request for a drink. What do the characters in the narrative know at each step in the story. What things did Rebekah discover when she saw and heard the servant in worship?