Genesis 35:11 - Adam, Noah, and Jacob

And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

God appeared and made himself known as God Almighty only to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 17:1, Genesis 48.3, Exodus 6:3) ; but of the three, only Jacob (joining the company of Adam and Noah Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1) received the blessing: be fruitful and multiply.

Genesis 27:46 - More chicanery by Rebekah.

And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Rebekah is trying to get Isaac to support her idea of having Jacob flee to her homeland in Padanaram (Genesis 27:43). Esau already grieved Isaac by marrying Hittite women (Genesis 26:34, 35) so Rebekah is hoping that Isaac will advise Jacob to follow his own footsteps in finding a wife in Padanaram (Genesis 25:20).

Genesis 27:37 - Too late to change.

And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

Isaac initiated the blessing but it's God that fulfills the blessing (The source of all true blessings). Apparently, once the blessing is in God's hands, the blessing is irrevocable. Therefore, there was nothing Isaac could do to change what God had already ordained for Jacob (Genesis 27:28).

Genesis 27:36 - We live by the decisions we make.

And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

Esau has no one to blame but himself for the decision he made in the past (Genesis 25:33). Joseph (meaning to take the place of another) was rightly named because the LORD told Rebekah that the elder shall serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). I don't believe that this was preordained; instead, I believe that God told Rebekah this because God knew that Esau would give away his birthright.

Genesis 27:33 - The source of all true blessings.

And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

After blessing Jacob, Isaac states yea, and he shall be blessed because all true blessings come only from God. Isaac acknowledges the source of all true blessings in Genesis 28:3.

Genesis 27:31 - Too little, too late.

And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.

By following his father's instructions (Genesis 27:4), Esau was hoping to regain his birthright as the first-born (Genesis 25:34).

Genesis 27:23 - Bringing good out of evil.

And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

Through the providence of God, this deception (Genesis 27:16) was part of the divine plan (Job 12:16) to preserve Abraham's seed for Esau had sold his birthright and had married strange wives (Genesis 25:34; 26:34). In addition, the LORD told Rebekah that Esau shall serve Jacob, Genesis 25:23.

Genesis 26:5 - The way to pleasing God.

Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

It's not enough to just follow God's laws; to please God, you must also do the will of God by obeying his voice. Abraham obeyed God's voice by showing that he was willing to offer his only son as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:16).

Genesis 25:27 - Favoring the ordinary over the extraordinary.

And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

As a man of the field, Esau relied on his extraordinary hunting skills to provide as needed; on the contrary, as a tent dweller, Jacob was an ordinary shepherd (Genesis 46:34) having the faith that God would provide as needed. Jacob's way of life was like that of Isaac, the heir of God's promise to Abraham (Hebrews 11:9).

Genesis 24:56 - Business before pleasure.

And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

An angle was sent forth with Eliezer to accomplish God's will of finding a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac (Genesis 24:40). Eliezer said Hinder me not because he was putting God's business before the pleasure that he was enjoying as Laban's guest of honor.

Genesis 24:45 - While they were yet speaking.

And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

Just as Eliezer found Isaac's wife, Joseph also found his wife by a well while on his way to Padamaram to find a wife of the daughters of Laban. And just as Rebekah appeared, Rachel also appeared at the same time she was being spoke of (Genesis 29:9).

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear, Isaiah 65:24.

Genesis 24:14 - A wife appointed by God.

And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

This is Eliezer's prayer to determine the wife for Isaac. let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac: indicates that Eliezer was cognizant of the fact that a prudent wife is a wife that is appointed by God (Proverbs 19:14).

Genesis 24:4 - Staying within the family.

But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

In following God's command, Abraham lived in Canaan outside the country of his homeland (Genesis 12:1). And just as Abraham sought a wife for his son Isaac from the country of his kindred, Isaac also instructed Jacob to find his wife from the same place, from Padanaram (Genesis 28:2).

Genesis 23:17 - The cave of Machpelah.

And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

This cave within the field of Machpelah was purchased by Abraham as a family sepulchre. It is the resting place for Abraham and his wife Sarah, his son Isaac and his wife Rebekah, his grandson Jacob and his wife Leah (Genesis 25:9; 49:31; 50:13), and perhaps others. The location of the cave is believed to be below the Haram el Khalil mosque, also called Abraham's mosque.

Genesis 22:12 - Why God favored Abraham.

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

What does the LORD require of thee? Abraham is the perfect example of what the LORD expects. God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac as commanded because Abraham proved that he would obey God's commandments at any cost, even if it required killing is only son (Genesis 26:5).

Genesis 17:19 - Laugh but Isaac's no joke.

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

This establishes with certainty of whom the heir of the everlasting covenant. Before this confirmation, Abraham already had a son named Ishmael with his second wife Hagar and he laughed at the thought of Sarah bearing a child at such an old age. This confirmation, however, clearly states that Sarah should bear the child and that the child's name should be called Isaac.

The importance of knowing that Sarah would bear the promised seed was exemplified when tree angels took time out before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah to confirm with Abraham that Sarah would bear a son, Genesis 18:10.