Genesis 25:19-21 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac.
20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
It is not unusual for barrenness to be the lot of God's chosen. In fact, it is most important for it to be that way. We must understand that we cannot produce that which is in the will of God. We cannot produce what God wants with our own energies, education, and smarts. God must be the producer. Any time we have accomplished the will of God concerning His Kingdom, it was accomplished by Him through us and we cannot take credit for what the Spirit of God works through us. This is the Word of the Lord … Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6. Therefore, it was most necessary for that which was to be born of Isaac and Rebekah to be wrought by God.
Genesis 25:22-23 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Two children will be born: Esau and Jacob. But God said they would be two nations. Two nations are in your womb, and one nation will be stronger than the other nation, and the elder nation will serve the younger.
Let's first look at Esau and Jacob as representing the "natural" man and the "spiritual" man. There exists, so to speak, two men in each one of us. The natural man which stands apparent and the spiritual man of the heart which is hidden. The natural man is born first and is stronger, but it is prophesied that the stronger shall serve the younger. The Apostle Paul speaks of this in Ephesians 4:22-24: That you put off concerning the former behavior of the old man (the one stronger and born first), which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Genesis 25:24-27 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was three score years old when she bare them.
27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
God had revealed to Rebekah that two nations were in her womb, so now we want to see how Esau and Jacob represent two nations or two peoples. One nation would be stronger than the other, and the older would serve the younger. Esau was the older and the stronger; Jacob was the younger. Therefore, Esau represents the older Jewish nation that will serve the younger nation of Christianity represented by Jacob.
Esau came out red all over, like a hairy garment. The hair was mentioned when God spoke of the growth and strength of the nation of Israel. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. Ezekiel 16:7.
As Jacob was being born his hand took hold of Esau's heel. For this reason he was named Jacob, that is, supplanter, one who grasps in his hand his adversary’s heel to obtain the victory. In that sense, Jacob prefigured Christ who went forth conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:2).
Jacob received the rights of the first born when Esau looked on him with contempt and rejected his birthright for a bowl of soup (Genesis 25:30-34). And so it was with the Jews. They looked upon Christ with contempt and rejected Him, while the younger nation of the Church received Him and snatched away the right of the firstborn.
The twelve tribes of Israel were born in the foreign country of Egypt. Likewise, Christ was in a strange country to bring forth the twelve apostles who became the foundation of the Church. Jacob was given various colored sheep as his wages (Genesis 30:28-33), and the wages of Christ were believers from various countries into one flock.
The two nations that derived from Esau and Jacob do not remain divided. They will become one nation under the Lord Jesus Christ. How does that take place? Do the Jews become Christians or do the Christians become Jews?
Ephesians 2:11-13 Wherefore remember, that you being in time passed Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
This is speaking of the two nations: the nation of the Jewish religion (the Circumcision) and the nation of the Christian religion (the Uncircumcision). The Gentiles were "far off," but have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Yet, there is a vast difference in the Jewish religion and the Christian religion.
Ephesians 2:14-16 For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];
15 Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.
The words "between us" in verse 14 are not in the original text. They were added by the translators. Those words make it seem like the separation is between Jew and Gentile. There is a separation between the two, but that is not the "middle wall of partition" spoken of here. The "middle wall of partition" is the wall between man and God. The reason there is any separation between Jewish and Christian is because of the wall between the Jew and God and the wall between the Christian and God. Once that wall is removed, then the Jew and the Christian "might be reconciled unto God in one body." God is making "one new man." The Jew does not become Christian and the Christian does not become Jewish. Rather they are both reconciled to God making one new man.
The "middle wall of partition" has been removed. It only remains for us to accept it. Do you understand what we are saying here? The Jewish religion is a separation between the Jew and God. The Christian religion is a separation between the Christian and God. Pride in religion is the separator. The Jew in his pride separates himself from the Christian. The Christian in his pride separates himself from the Jew. And both are separated from God. Cease being a Jew and become a man of God. Cease being a Christian and become a man of God. In that way, we become one new man. We are both reconciled to God in one body through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.
Copyright © 2011 by Henry DuBose