Sermon Tone Analysis

This Torah Portion:

Gen 25:19 - 28:9

Introduction

In the previous Torah portions we talked about God calling Abraham out of his country and family

We talked about the tests that Abraham faced - tests which are not passing or failing tests, but a benefit to us

We also heard last two weeks how Messiah appears to Abraham and therefore to us to help us “accept the Sovereignty of God” as the Goal of Man in this world

We also heard how God also uses his daughters to do this.

Last week: Sarah - Abraham’s wife

This week we will also examine the role of another daughter of the Lord and her impact on the Generations of God’s People

We before we do this we must consider the whole book of the Bible is about the generations that belong to the Lord

Toldot

Toldot

These Are the Generations

The account of the generations continues in our Torah portion for today.

This Torah Portion:

Gen 25:19 - 28:9

Presentation

According to the Law at the time, in that part of the world, a man could take on other wives if his first wife had not given him an offspring as an heir

This is what happened to Abraham with Sarah, one of the reasons for Sarah to allow him to have children with Hagar

In addition to the belief that if a man leaves his country, God will not give him an her

But Isaac, instead of looking for help from man, he turns to the Lord and presents his supplication to the Lord

This is only Torah Portion that starts with Isaac as an independent adult

It presents the descendants of Isaac

His Family History

These are the generations is a link to Messiah -

Parallel of the Hebrew of our Torah Portion

Matthew 1:1 does more than introducing Yeshua.

It introduces a family history

It was a common practice in ancient times for records to omit some family members in order to prove a point.

This is what Matthew does

Matthew builds the family history on the bases of the number 14

Why is the number repeated three dimes: 14 is the numeric value of David’s name.

14 spells the name of David

David = דןד (dalet, vov, dalet)

ד = value of 6

ו = value of 4

14 when added together

Proving the Yeshua was a descendant of David.

Yeshua was a legitimate son of David.

Not only a distant descendant but also Messiah

And one day He will sit in David’s thrown

Strong connection between this Torah portion and Messiah

Toldot establishes Isaac is the son of Abraham.

The Almighty assures us that the blood line of Abraham is pure for the sake of the covenant.

Many cynics of that generation have tried to assert Sarah conceived from Abimelech, the Philistine king, since he brought Sarah into his harem about a year before Isaac’s birth.

However, Toldot reaffirms Isaac was Abraham’s son.

There are records that indicate that he even looked like his father.

Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah.

After 10 years of marriage, still without a child.

Ancient practices required a man who was childless after 10 years to take a second wife to fulfill the commandment to be fruitful and multiply

But Isaac, instead of following this, he turned to the Most High and prayed fervently.

All matriarchs of Israel: Sarah, Rebekah and Rachael were barren at some point in their marriages.

This proves that the existence of Israel was a miracle.

God Almighty had to change the rules of nature for them.

He modified His creation - from barren to fruitful

Rebakah has not only one son but two.

And she asked: why me?

God said:

This is staggering because since then the world has been in the same struggle as Esau and Jacob

Two peoples

Two mentalities

Twins in the inner man

Let us consider first: Esau

Esau

Let’s trace the Generations from Esau

שֵׂעָר‎ (śē·ʿār):

Hair

8552 שֵׂעָר‎ (śē·ʿār): n.masc.; ≡ Str 8181; TWOT 2274a—LN 8.12 hair, i.e., a collective of slender, thread-like outgrowth on the skin of an animal or human (Ge 25:25; Lev 13:3, 4, 10, 20, 21, 25, 26, 30, 31, 32, 36, 37; 14:8, 9; Nu 6:5, 18; Jdg 16:22; 2Sa 14:26; 2Ki 1:8; Ezr 9:3; Ps 68:22[EB 21]; SS 4:1; 6:5; Isa 7:20; Eze 16:7; Zec 13:4+), note: for products of the body, see LN 8.70–8.771

1 James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

Red and Hairy (Seir) [seyer]

Word play because Seir also means Red

Esau is the same as Seir =

ESAU

עֵשָׂו‎ (ʿē·śāw)

6916 עֵשָׂו‎ (ʿē·śāw): n.pr.; ≡ Str 6215;—LN 93-pers.

1.(male) Esau: son of Isaac-Rebekah (Ge 25:22) 2. (gent.) a people descended from 1, inhabiting the area of Esau(Dt 2:4), see 6916.5

עֵשָׂו‎ (ʿē·śāw): n.pr.; ≡ Str 6215;—LN 93-place (loc.)

Esau: area S of the Dead Sea, also known as Edom or Seir (Jer 49:10), see also 121.5, 6916, 85411

1 James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

He was also called Edom = Red

137 אָדֹם‎ (ʾā·ḏōm): adj.; ≡ Str 122; TWOT 26b—LN 79.26–79.38 red, i.e., pertaining to the color which varies from deep wine-grape juice to a more brownish red dirt color, varying according to the object described (Ge 25:30; Nu 19:2; 2Ki 3:22; Isa 63:2; Zec 1:8; 6:2+); ruddy, i.e., a tone of the skin considered attractive and healthy (SS 5:10+)

אָדֹם‎ (ʾā·ḏōm) BDB: see 1311

1 James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

Esau was intensely drawn to red

The Talmud explains this is the day that Abraham died on that day and that Jacob was preparing a meal to mourn: with red lentils

Jacob did not steal Esau’s birth right

A birthright cannot be stolen - it can only be given

Esau exchanged the legacy of the generations for the comfort of food

There was no shortage of food for Esau - he was a hunter -something his father loved

GAME = צַיִד‎ (ṣǎ·yiḏ)

7473 I. צַיִד‎ (ṣǎ·yiḏ): n.masc.; ≡ Str 6718; TWOT 1885a, 1886a—1.

LN 4.1–4.37

wild game, i.e., animals, as the object of the hunter’s pursuit, which must be hunted in contrast to domestic animals (Ge 25:28; 27:3, 5, 7, 19, 25, 31, 33; Lev 17:13; Pr 12:27+), note: for Ge 27:3 Q, see 7476; 2. LN 44 hunting, i.e., the act. of pursuing wild game (Ge 10:9; 25:27; 27:30+)1

1 James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

Game does not mean meat.

It means prey.

Esau killed like Nimrod (rebellion)

He had blood in his hands

Affinity with blood

He settled in Edom - red soil