Genesis 25:21 “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”
Rebekah came to meet her husband Isaac out in the field. It was springtime and he had just finished sowing his first batch of grains. He was surprised to see his wife in the middle of a workday. “What’s up?” he asked putting his sack of grains down and wiping his forehead. Rebekah’s broad smile gave her secret away. Searching her eyes Isaac stuttered, “Do you mean … Why you are smiling? Say it already! Are you? Are you?” – “I’m pregnant!” Rebekah interjected and squealed with delight, “We’re having a baby!” Isaac lifted up his wife and swirled her around. “God is good!” he said, “Didn’t I tell you not to give up hope!”
Rebekah’s pregnancy progressed and she quickly grew noticeably big. Soon she felt her baby move for the first time. “Women are indeed blessed to carry the next generation inside of them”, Rebekah mused. However, towards the end of her pregnancy the baby’s moves became more and more pronounced and occurred on a regular basis. Rebekah spent most nights awake because the jostling inside of her wouldn’t allow her to fall asleep for long. One morning she barged into Isaac’s tent unannounced and said: “Let me get this straight. I’m happy to be pregnant but I’m getting tired of this jostling inside of me.” She wiped some tears off her eyes and continued: “At night I cannot sleep and during the day I’m too exhausted to lift a finger. What is wrong with me?” Isaac rubbed his sleepy eyes while listening to his wife. He replied: “That sounds strange. Let me bring this to the Lord’s attention and see what He has to say.” He stood up and took her into his arms. “Don’t worry about a thing!” he consoled her, “Soon enough you will hold a healthy baby in your arms.”
After Isaac’s prayer the Lord spoke to Rebekah directly and said [Genesis 25:23]:
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
“O my God!” Isaac murmured. “We are going to have two babies?” Rebekah laughed. “What a gift! We’re doubly blessed. You’ve got to tell your father.” Isaac smiled and said, “How about we go visit him after the babies are born?”
Four Weeks later Rebekah went into labor. She had two boys. The firstborn was a redhead and had reddish fuzz all over his body. He came out with his brother grasping his heel, and so they named him “Jacob” – “heel-grabber” – while the firstborn with the fuzzy hair was named “Esau”, which means “hairy”. Eight days after their birth, the babies were circumcised according to the specifications of the established covenant with Abraham and his descendants.
The following month the family traveled to meet up with Abraham. They met under the old trees of Mamre, which was Abraham’s favorite place to meet and to pray. Touched, Abraham wiped his eyes: “What a family reunion!” he said and his voice broke. They hugged each other for a long time.
Keturah, Abraham’s wife, was preparing a meal for them while they sat down under the trees to talk. Abraham held Esau and Jacob in his arms and spoke a blessing over them. Before he handed them back to Rebekah and Isaac he asked a funny question: “How were things going for you during your pregnancy, Rebekah?”
The couple exchanged looks before Rebekah answered her father-in-law. She spoke reverently and described how they had asked the Lord why the baby was moving so ferociously in her womb.” Abraham listened intently to her story and gently asked: “And what did the Lord say?” Isaac said: “Well, this is when we found out from the Lord that Rebekah was pregnant with twins.” Rebekah mused: “Not only did he reveal that we are going to have twins. He also said there were two nations in my womb and that one people would be stronger than the other, and the older would serve the younger.” Abraham nodded and smiled. “That is indeed very interesting”, he said and added: “Remember this, Rebekah: God chooses with whom He is pleased with – regardless of rank or birth order.” Rebekah cherished Abraham’s words and would often ponder about their meaning in years to come.
Isaac and Esau were 15 years old when they received word that their grandfather had passed away. Ishmael, Isaac’s older half-brother was also notified. Together Isaac and Ishmael buried their father in the cave of Machpelah where Sarah, Abraham’s wife had been laid to rest. “175 years is an honorable age”, Ishmael observed. Isaac eyed his brother with caution. He hadn’t seen him after the family split. Ishmael had a regal appearance. In his eighties at the time of his father’s death, he still looked youthful in the way he moved. He proudly talked about his twelve sons who had settled in the Fertile Crescent, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea. “Yeah, your family’s reputation precedes you”, Isaac said, “You should be proud. You have lived to see your legacy.” Ishmael gave his half-brother a measured look and asked: “And what about you? You are father of twins, as I have heard.” Isaac nodded and smiled while inwardly he thought: “Always this family competition!” Abraham had left everything he owned to Isaac. As promised, he had given gifts to the children he had with Keturah before he died. He sent them away to the land of the east where his sons would grow into tribes and nations. Isaac was chosen to carry on Abraham’s family name and his legacy: to become a Chosen Nation under God who would bring the Messiah into the world.