Posted on 10/15/2013 9:54:39 AM PDT by Jan_Sobieski
Genesis 25 - The First Wrestling Match in Recorded History
In Biblical History, which is arguably the most accurate history in the world, a woman named Rebekah was pregnant with two boys; Jacob and Esau. While in the womb the two boys moved and kicked very often, almost seeming to wrestle with each other. Like many historical stories in the Bible, all of us are like one of these two little wrestlers.
Rebekah prayed and asked God why this was happening. The Lord answered her and said that she was pregnant with two great nations. The older would serve the younger.
As two boys grew into adulthood, Esau became a man of the world who paid little heed to his parents, or the God of his parents. From a worldly, temporal perspective, Esau was successful and mighty. He was going places. Esau's twin Jacob, however was not as successful or mighty. But he listened to his parents and feared God.
When Isaac was old and was going to hand out his blessing on who was to inherit his estate, his personal pride for his virile, successful, son Easu caused him to disregard the prophesy the Lord gave to his wife. Isaac was going to give his son Esau the blessing and family estate. Isaac's wife Rebekah remembered God’s word and had Jacob go to his father in disguise and receive the blessing in Esau’s place, fulfilling God's word.
As God prophesied, Jacob would get the blessing and the older would serve the younger. That would explain Isaac's strange reaction when he learned that Jacob received the blessing in disguise. He did not curse Jacob for the deception, rather, he accepted that it must have been the Lord.
Esau's response, however, says everything. He cried of being cheated and begged his father for a blessing. Then, instead of seeking God and repenting of his sins, he decided in his heart to kill his brother Jacob. Esau, or Edom, is alive and well today in the Islamic world. They claim that Jacob (Israel) stole their inheritance, when it was actually God who gave it to Jacob. Instead of seeking God, and repenting, they vow to drink the blood of Jacob (Israel). That is why God says in many places, Jacob have I loved, Esau have a Hated (Malachi 1, Hebrews 12, etc.)
Esau is also alive and well in the Western World. It is the spirit that says, “we do not need God, we can do it ourselves.” It says, “Don’t tell us what God says about sin, we will decide what is right and wrong.”
But Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Who are the meek? Those who humbly accept God’s righteous indictment against sin. Those who receive God's Word and believe it in faith. Those who believe in what Jesus did to delivery us from sin and judgment. Those who have no confidence in self or our own abilities to save ourselves, but put all confidence in Jesus Christ.
Very soon, an inheritance will be handed out. Jesus Christ is coming soon to judge the world in Righteousness. Esau has the upper hand in the world right now. God's Word is disregarded by most and outlawed by some. But be assured, Revelation 19 and Zechariah 14 show us that the proud and worldly will not stand in Judgment. Only the meek who listen to their parents and fear God will inherit the earth!
.
For a long time, I wished I had a macho, jock son who'd I'd love to watch playing sports and loved to hunt. However, I'm glad he is the way he is.
Esau will reap his just fruits.
Obadiah
I don’t think Jacob was as successful as his brother, however I do not believe that he was a wimp. In fact, I suspect that on his night of great anguish he was preparing to fight his brother. But the Lord showed up and changed his plans a little.
I might have thought when Jacob wrestled with God and became Israel.
Clarification Please:
I thought the Israel/Muslim divergence originated between Abraham’s sons, Isac and Ishmael?
Here we have it occuring between Isac’s sons, Esau and Jacob.
Where is it that Esau was Islamic?
Maybe they were both 'Tweeners???
The Arabs are descended from Yishma`'el, the rival of Isaac. But the Romans (and the western, chrstian world) are descended from Esau, the rival of Jacob. The Roman Exile is called Galut 'Edom, the exile of Edom.
You need to read your Bible a little more closely.
Both of my sons wrestled. During my youngest son’s senior year, I made a trophy case for them. It was backlit and when lighted, it showed many of the versus of the Bible that touched on wrestling.
I don’t know how to post a picture so here is a link.
http://theliechtys.com/images/P4180031b.jpg
“[T]the struggle in Rivka’s womb between Yaakov and Esav was not at all influenced by their personal inclinations of good and evil, as these inclinations could not exist before birth. Rather, Yaakov and Esav represent cosmic forces in Creation - forces that transcend the normal course of personality development and existed within them even in the womb.
“Rivka, anxious that the struggle inside her could have resulted from some iniquity on her part, went to Shem (son of Noach) in order to inquire of G-d. Through Shem, G-d informed Rivka that the unborn infants represent not only two nations, but two conflicting ideologies - Israel and Edom - and that the struggle in the womb was the irreconcilable conflict already raging between them.
“Our sages explain (Megillah 6a) that Israel and Edom cannot be simultaneously dominant in the world. When one nation rises, the other must fall. History has shown that not only the nations, but also the cultures of Israel and Edom have forever been in conflict. But ultimately one will succeed in completely eclipsing the other.
“During the early Hebrew kingdoms, when Israel was counted as a major world power, Esav’s offspring were of no major significance to the political or cultural developments of Man (they were even subjugated under the Israeli kingdom for many years).
“It was not until the Second Temple period that Esav’s descendants, the Roman Empire, appeared on the scene as a central world player.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/9156
Cain vs Abel, first MMA.
The Edomites are Semitic (from Shem). The Romans are Japhethites and Indo-European. I know Edomites from Jordan that are one generation removed from riding camels in Southern Jordan.
Very Cool!
I believe your sages need to go back to the Word of G-d and the Table of Nations in Genesis Chapters 10-11. The Edomites are clearly shown as Semitic, and the Romans, Greeks, and other Indo-Europeans are Japhethites.
Thank you!
This was the more complete answer to my confusion.
Rabbi Elie Munk, zt’l, briefly discusses the subject in his commentary, The Call of The Torah:
“In Talmudic sources and in Midrashic literature, the names Esav- Edom are often identified with Rome...Later, when Rome adopted Christianity, the same appelation was conferred upon the whole of the Christian world. Flavius Josephus [famous Jewish general and historian] records that Tz’fo, a grandson of Esav, was the founder of Rome, which eventually became the center of Christianity. Since then, it has become traditional to consider the Christians as representative of Esav’s off- spring and the Jews as descendants of Yaakov. The antagonism between Jacob and Esav is thus symbolic of that between Rome and Jerusalem....” (I, p. 337)
It would seem, then, that the parsha could be giving us an insight into the Jewish relationship with Christianity. Yaakov’s prayer, “Rescue me from my brother, from Esav,” is a siman, a sign, for us. We must be wary of the “friendliness” of Esav no less than of his hostility.
http://www.ou.org/torah/savannah/5758/vayishlach58.htm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.