Genesis 26:18-33 The account 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. (36 min.)

Keywords Isaac, Abraham, Jacob, Esau, Blessing

Genesis 26:1-17 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? (62 min)

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Birthright, Blessing

Genesis 25:27-34 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? (56 min)

Keywords Jacob, Esau, Birthright