RETIREMENT LIVING - I

Genesis 26:34-27:14
Bob Bonner
November 12, 2006

Dr. Bruce Waltke is one of the foremost Hebrew scholars in the world. Providentially, I had the privilege of sitting under this man as a student for four semesters in seminary. Dr. Waltke has been gifted with one of the most brilliant minds ever. But unlike many who have been gifted so, Dr. Waltke is one of the most open, humble scholars I have witnessed. His passion for God runs deep. While in school, I would arrive at his classes early just so I would not miss his leading us into the throne room of God through his prayers at the beginning of each class.

Dr. Waltke is pushing his eighties now. He recently has finished two lifetime projects. One is his commentary on the book of Proverbs and the other, five years ago, his commentary on the book of Genesis. Both have been long awaited and their anticipation has been worth it. His contemporaries have already deemed them to be classics and volumes that should be in every scholar’s library.

When Dr. Waltke wrote his commentary on Genesis, he was facing retirement. During this period in his life, he sought the Lord, asking God how he should approach these latter years of his life. Should he face them as so many in this world do with the philosophy of “I have been slaving at the plow for so long, now it’s time to take a break. I deserve to relax;”or should he view it differently? Should it be all play and no more work? Pass the baton to the younger folks and retire from the race?

It was at this very time in his personal searching, that Dr. Waltke was also finishing up his notes on Genesis 26-28. God used Dr. Waltke’s study of these chapters in Genesis to teach him and us, through him, many outstanding lessons and warnings about living at the retirement age. Sadly, from these chapters, we learn mostly lessons about how not to finish our lives.

Today, we begin a study of the drama of Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing from their retired father Isaac. In this drama, made up of seven scenes, we witness this believer, who began with so much promise, finish his life having failed miserably as the patriarch of his family. How did this happen?

Considering how wondrously Isaac's life began, it is shocking to find that his story is passed over in the narrative. Isaac began as the long expected and prayed for child of Abraham and Sarah...the miracle child of promise. He was loved beyond comprehension by both Mom and Dad. In return, this passive compliant, never-cause-you-problems child, loved his parents. How could such a bright beginning end with such a thud? Even more frustrating is the fact that Moses does not clearly state why this happened. Instead, we are left with the challenge to solve this compelling mystery of failure.

What little we know of Isaac’s 180-year life suggests a serious problem that dwelt deep in this man. He loved God, but his sensual appetites controlled him. As a result of having a divided heart toward God, he ended up with a divided family and a divided marriage. The present drama that begins with 26:34 and ends with 28:9, gives us the clearest picture we have of what led to this man’s failure. Allow me to share with you an outline of this family drama that we will be looking at this week and next.

The following seven scenes are a dialogue between pairs of conflicting family members. These dialogues, these separate meetings and the manner of each meeting between the different pairs of individuals highlight the deep division within the family. This conflicted family is further accentuated when you notice that not once in this drama is the whole family together at the same time.

On either side of these seven scenes we find this drama framed by a prologue and epilogue. Lets begin our study by looking in 26:34-35. There we read, “When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.”

The Hittites lived northeast of Sea of Galilee; Damascus was in the center of their territory. Both Isaac and Rebekah realized the seriousness of this move on Esau’s part in that he seeks two foreign wives. It deeply grieved both of them because they understood that their son knowingly had realized the seriousness of this move on Esau’s part in that he abandoned their family’s beliefs and that he had blatantly rejected God and His instruction that one man was to be married to only one woman. With having said this, fast-forward to the epilogue, 28:6-9, which takes place 55 years later.

This information about Esau’s marriage and his parents’ disapproval seems intrusive at the very beginning of this drama point, until you recognize that this subject of marrying foreign women frames this entire drama. Look ahead with me at 28:6-9. It reads, “Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he charged him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. So Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac; and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.”

When we read this epilogue that concludes this unfolding drama, we learn that it was not until Isaac and Rebekah had sent Jacob off to get married that Esau had any idea that his parents were upset with his having run off and married two foreign women. Note: He had left home to make a life for himself and married these two foreign women 55 years earlier and no one had said “boo!” to him about it. Hence, in anger, frustration and spite, he deliberately goes off again to marry another foreign woman.

Question: Where was Dad!!!? Why had he not said anything for 55 years? The answer is revealed in the drama framed by the prologue and epilogue. Briefly, the answer to Isaac’s being absentee as a father is that Isaac so loved his son, Esau’s cooking, that rather than risk confronting Esau about his marriages to foreign women, and possibly lose his son’s cooking, Isaac chose to remain silent about his son’s wrongdoing.

There are three terms used repeatedly through this drama that underscore Isaac’s love for food that led to his spiritual failure. Eight times we find the mentioning of wild “game;” six times a “savory dish” is referred to; and three times the term “love” for food, a term typically used for intimate personal relationships. This word “love” speaks of his deep passionate affections, once given for his wife, but were now reserved for his food. It’s not true for all men, but the old axiom was certainly true of Isaac. “ The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

This very important drama is recorded so that we will see why Isaac failed as a patriarch, parent and husband. This information also helps us understand why Rebekah would have done anything she could to make sure that Jacob, the chosen and promised patriarch to come, received the blessing and married correctly. By the way, even though Rebekah had a greater spiritual heart than Isaac, when Rebekah dies she is given no memorial statement in Genesis. When we finish this drama, Rebekah is never heard from again. She disappears from the scene, which is unusual for such an important biblical character. I presume the, reason for this is that her actions, although meaning well, were determined to be so wrong in her deceiving of her husband, that she is left with no eulogy or closing history. We learn from this the correctness of the proverb, “The ends don’t justify the means.”

In addition, we must also recognize that this drama contrasts Isaac against his father, Abraham. His father, Abraham made sure that God’s promised son, Isaac, Abraham’s second, not first, son was made the future patriarch. Abraham obeyed God’s will and choice even though Abraham’s first beloved son, Ishmael, had to be turned away. Isaac, on the other hand, tried to thwart God’s choice of the second son, Jacob to be God’s next patriarch, by turning the reins of the family over to Esau, a man of no faith.

Beginning with 27:1, our drama begins. “Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”

Here Isaac is portrayed as an old man who is practically blind—a telling detail of his spiritual condition. Though he will live another 25 years he uses the excuse of his aging to have another celebration around a meal cooked by his favored son. Let’s understand that there is nothing wrong with fine food and choice wine. It is wrong when these appetites become the controlling force of our lives, overruling the spiritual sensitivities of the heart. In Isaac's old age so desirous is he that his son feed his palate, he will reverse divine choices and bless what God has cursed. This is the height of evil. The train wreck that followed such a decision was the total dysfunction of the family...the sins of the father were carried down from one generation to the next. And he started out so well!!!!

Notice also, that in calling Esau to himself, Isaac was turning what was normally an open and public affair, a time of celebration, the passing on of the family blessing, into a private affair. In doing this, Isaac was probably trying to get away with continuing to show Esau favor and have his meals. There is every sense here that Isaac was trying to be just as deceptive as Rebekah was, as we will see in a moment. By this time their marriage is fractured and they are barely speaking to one another.

By the way, let’s see if we can’t clear up some possible confusion in some people’s minds. In their economy there were two important ingredients concerning family inheritances: the birthright and the blessing. To Isaac and his son, Esau, there appeared to be a difference between the “birthright” and the “blessing.” What they thought that difference was is unclear. However, to the inspired writer of Hebrews, and thus to God, the birthright and the blessing, although different, were ultimately inseparable (Hebrews 12:17).

The birthright had a spiritual and material aspect to it. Material aspect demanded that the oldest son gets two portions of the family’s inheritance. If there were only two sons, the oldest son would then get it all. If there were five sons, the oldest would get two portions and the other four would divide the remaining three portions among themselves. If you have nine sons, the oldest would get two and the remaining eight would get seven.

The material inheritance was given to the oldest because he became the family leader, the bearer of the family tradition. As the oldest son, he was to use this inheritance to make sure the spiritual lifeblood and seed passed on. The holder of the birthright also became the family protector. If someone was murdered, you had to avenge the murder, or if someone was kidnaped or sold into slavery you were to go and redeem that family member. Basically, the “birthright” points to the material property necessary to lead the family well.

The blessing, on the other hand, did not pertain to the material or property rights of the future leader of the family, but to the divine right to rule over the property, and the right to have dominion over the family. Hence, only with the birthright and blessing together, did the patriarch become the economic, social and religious leader, protector of the family.

Having lost his claim on the birthright, Isaac wants Esau to have the blessing, the power to rule or to tell Jacob what to do with the property. This was something never done before in their or the surrounding cultures. Furthermore, Esau never wanted the prerequisite lifestyle, the spiritual responsibility that went along with the job of being head of the family. All of this didn’t matter to Isaac, he just wanted his physical desires filled.

Providentially, Rebekah, whose spiritual values are sound, but her methods deplorable enters, at verse 5, the beginning of scene 2. God allows Rebekah to overhear Isaac’s plan to bless Esau. We read, “Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau.” Notice the emphasis is Rebekah’s overhearing, listening to Isaac. This couple is not conferring together, like Abraham and Sarah did on such important issues. Something is wrong in this marriage, but Isaac is too spiritually out of it to recognize this.

So why didn’t Rebekah just confront Isaac at this point? Answer: The family had not been close or communicating for some time now and favoritism had been the rule of the day. Rebekah realizing that her husband is offering no spiritual leadership takes matters into her own hands. We read, “So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, ‘Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’”

Rather than waiting on God, or asking God what to do, Rebekah steps in, and in one sense, rescues the situation, but in another, she makes matters worse for everybody. We will never know what could have been, had she sought out God first before jumping into this scene.

Moses, in verses 5-6, highlights the family rivalry by his use of the pronouns, “his son...her son.” Isaac is considering Esau his son, and Rebekah considering Jacob her son.

If you look closely, you will notice that Rebekah adds the phrase “in the presence of the Lord” to Isaac’s previous statement in verse 4 to impress upon Jacob the critical nature of the moment in the family’s history. They must act now, or forever hold their peace.

“Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you. Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves. Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”

Jacob is not against his mother’s plan, but he sees a flaw in it. “Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, ‘Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.’ But his mother said to him, ‘Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.’ So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved.”

Jacob’s hesitancy was not based on moral grounds but on fear of being detected. But the constant pressuring and sales job by his mother sets his fears at ease.

Rebekah stakes her life on her convictions, knowing that Jacob was promised by God to be the next patriarch. Although she is not struck dead as most curses are fulfilled, she does experience godly discipline for her ruse. Up to this point, all of her life, as a mother, her whole world for 95 years was made up of caring for her beloved son Jacob. But from the point of Jacob eventually receiving Isaac’s blessing and subsequently being sent away to find a wife, never sees her son again. The loss she suffers as a result of her sin pains my heart to even contemplate.

Many spiritual catastrophes in leadership occur when people lose control emotionally, panic and believe time is of the essence, “I must do something right now!” and they do something that violates God’s prescribed instructions laid out in His word. Rebekah did this and so did Jacob, getting caught up in the emotional pressure to perform, only to do so wrongly and cause greater problems.

If only we can learn to stop, wait, rest in the Lord and pray...then we can gain a better perspective of the true urgency and the godly manner in which we are to function.

But let’s be honest. That is a lesson few of us will ever learn overnight. That’s one of those veteran-of-the-faith lessons we learn through having made several mistakes along the way. Jacob got caught up in his mother’s panic this time. But later in life, after having failed several panic situations, he learns when to wait and when to act.

When I have made this mistake in the past, and allowed the urgency of the moment and the pressure of others to determine the action I should take, it has often come because I have viewed myself to be God’s independent agent rather than His dependent instrument. As an independent agent, I get caught up thinking that God cannot possibly work this out, without my immediate help. The world will collapse if I don’t ride to the rescue and do something. That is nothing but my fleshly arrogance and foolishness showing itself. When I wait upon Him, as His dependent instrument, He will show me what to do in due time.

Let’s stop to take a moment to think about our own lives. What drives our decision-making process? What envy was to Cain; what wine was to Noah; what lewdness was to Ham; what wealth was to Lot; what arrogance, pride and impatience was to Sarah; food was to Isaac. Isaac made decisions based on his selfish indulgences. Are we any different? Or, do we make decisions based on prescribed instructions and principles founded upon God’s Word? Do we decide to do what we do because our spirits, in accordance with God’s Word, tell us this is right? Or, do we respond to a situation based upon external pressures, or selfish desires to take or be in control? Do I make decisions on the basis of what will make me look good or based upon what God says is right?

What motivates your decisions: external pressures or the desire to do what is right in accordance with God’s Word? Godliness or the level of one’s spiritual maturity is truly revealed when the pressure is on to make a decision. What moves or empowers your decision process?

Here’s another question raised from this passage about decision making. Isaac was secretive in his motive and manner of decision making. He was not open and honest. Is my decision making open and honest or secretive and wrong? How do I decide to spend my free time or the time that I should be faithfully about my job? Am I secretively sloughing off or am I openly and honestly giving it my best effort? Am I faithful to God and following His biblical principles in my decisions to give and spend monies He has placed in my possession?

Rebekah did whatever she had to, to get the job done. Sometimes we worship people like that. But before we embrace people of her ilk we should learn from her negative example. Or, to copy someone else’s line, “Let us not do evil that good may come!” Stop being a pious fraud, claiming that God has been behind your decision, when it was your manipulating of the situation that got you to where you are. Follow biblical instructions without rationalization! Be open and honest in all of your deliberations.

Lastly, in his old age, Isaac has become sedentary, stubborn and unwilling to lead his family through conflict and unwilling to submit to the plans of God, which differ from his own desires. This is a picture of a man who fails to remain faithful to the end, through that period we in the West call, “retirement.”

Over approximately the past 30 years, I have had the unique opportunity to observe many finish their lives and finish their ministries. For some, all they want to do is finish. Is that your goal in life, to simply finish as a Christian? Or, Is your goal to “finish well?” I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. Besides the obvious failure of highly publicized religious figures being forced out of ministry due to financial or sexual sin, there are many other ways ministers and Christians in general can fail to finish well. One is selfish indulgence, like Isaac exhibited in his retirement. He forgot whose creation and servant he was. He forgot that he was bought with a price, and therefore, his loyalty and service to God did not cease on this planet until he died. What does finishing well look like for the believer? Let me close and answer that question with these haunting or encouraging words from Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul as they both faced their imminent deaths. Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane declared, “Father,..remove this cup from me...yet, not my will, but thine be done.” The Apostle Paul, in his farewell to his beloved disciple Timothy, wrote, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:6-8)

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