Journey through the Book of Genesis with me.  The plan is simple. Read ONE chapter a day. Blog or journal 5* things you learned that you previously didn't know and ask 5* questions about the chapter that you'll ponder all week. Let's go!

** You'll probably learn way more than 5 things and have more than 5 questions about each chapter. That's totally fine. The more the merrier! 

Genesis 25:1-34

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1: When verse 6 says Abraham sent away the "sons of his concubines", who are the concubines being referred to? Certainly it includes Keturah, but who else? Hagar? (But Abraham already sent her away in Genesis 21:8-21. Did Abraham maintain a long distance relationship with her in the wilderness of Beersheba?)

QUESTION 2: Why is Ishmael back in the picture? Did Abraham not already make a clean break from both he and Hagar in Genesis 21? (Further proof that Abraham still maintained a long distance marriage relationship with Hagar?)

QUESTION 3: Why did Isaac choose to settle at Beer-Lahai-Roi? This seems like a strange location for him to settle in considering it was the same place Hagar fled to (Genesis 17:16) when Sarah mistreated her in Genesis 16. 

QUESTION 4: Why is barrenness a struggle for Abraham's household? (Sarah - 16:1; Rebekah - 25:21; and later, Rachel - 29:31), especially considering the fact that the promise of God's blessing has everything to do with a multiplication of offsprings. Perhaps this was as attack from Satan to keep the fulfillment of the promise being realized (the whole earth being blessed... an offspring who would crush Satan's head?). Either way, prayer overruled each instance of barrenness! 

QUESTION 5: Why did Esau so easily dismiss his birthright (over a bowl of soup!!)? Was his disregard for this position of forerunner to inherit Abraham's promise part of what "disqualified" him from being the heir of the promise? 

WHAT I LEARNED

INSIGHT 1: Perhaps trying to avoid another situation that that of Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16: & Genesis 21:8-20), Abraham sends away his sons and concubines.

INSIGHT 2: Abraham dies at age of 175 years after living a rich (literally) and fulfilling life. Isaac was 40 years old (v.20) when he married Rebekah and was 60 years old (v.26) when they had twins.

INSIGHT 3: The solution to barrens is ALWAYS prayer! Verse 21 - "And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived"

INSIGHT 4: Family conflict sometimes start in the womb. In this case, both Isaac and Esau's destinies had been preordained in the womb. Esau would end up as a servant to Isaac. Isaac would be loved, Esau was "hated" [as in, compared to the favor Isaac received, Esau would appear as hated - Romans 9:13]. 

INSIGHT 5: Isaac set an unhealthy tone in his household by publicly favoring one child over the other (v.28). This clearly affected Jacob all his life, evidenced by his deceptive behavior he would later exhibit. Jacob desperately longed for dad's approval, so much so that he was willing to manipulate and deceive his brother for it.