Chapter summaries and commentaries for Genesis 23-29

Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Scripture Reference 

Lesson # 10 - Birthright Blessings: Marriage in the Covenant

Book Reference: The Old Testament Made Easier, by David J. Ridges
Publisher Cedar Fort, Springville, UT

Genesis 23—Sarah Dies

And when Abraham was 137 and Isaac was 37 (Ridges, p. 299), Sarah died in Hebron in Canaan. She was 127 years old.  And Abraham came to weep and mourn for her (vv. 1-2).  Then he bowed himself before the sons of Heth, saying, "I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." The children of Heth answered saying, "… thou art a mighty prince among us" and they told him he could have any sepulcher he wished.  And Abraham ask them to "intreat" with Ephron, the son Zohar the Hittite, for the cave of Machpelah as a burying place for Sarah (vv. 3-9).

And Ephron told Abraham that he would give him both the field and the cave but Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and insisted that he pay for them.  Ephron told him the land was worth four hundred shekels of silver, but said he was happy to give it to Abraham for free.  Now Abraham measured out the amount and paid for the field and the cave which he would have for a possession as witnessed by all the children of Heth of this city (vv. 10-18).

And Sarah was buried in the cave in the field of Machpelah (vv. 19-20). 

Ridges comments: Sarah was one of the greatest women in the scriptures.  Isaiah spoke of her when he told the people to look to their noble ancestors as an example of righteous living (see Isaiah 51:1-2) (p. 298).

Genesis 24—The love story of Isaac and Rebekah

Abraham was getting old "and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things."  And he, by the oath [promise, covenant] of his eldest servant, made him swear [before the Lord[ that he would not let Isaac take a wife from among the Canaanites where they lived in Beer-sheba (vv. 1-3).  To do so would prevent Isaac, as the covenant son, from receiving the blessings of the priesthood promised to Abraham  throughout all time (Ridges, pp. 300-301).  Thus, the servant was to be sent to Abraham’s kindred in Haran to find Isaac a wife (v. 4).  But the servant questions whether the woman would be willing to follow him back to Canaan. And Abraham told the servant that the Lord God would send his angel before him that he would find the right woman who would come with him to be a wife for Isaac (vv. 5,7). 

So the servant took ten camels loaded with Abraham's goods and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor [in the region of Haran--Syria].  As the servant neared Haran he stopped by a well of water in the evening where women go to get water.  And the servant prayed that the woman who came to the well and gave him a drink of water and gave drink to his camels would be the one appointed to be Isaac’s wife.  And before he finished praying, Rebekah came and did as the servant had prayed (vv. 10-14).  And Rebekah was "a virgin, very fair to look upon, such as the servant of Abraham had not seen" (JST Genesis 24:16)—she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.

The servant ran toward her and ask for a drink of water from her pitcher which she gave him and she also offered to draw water for his camels.  When the camels finished drinking, the man took a gold earring and two bracelets and asked, "Whose daughter art thou" and he inquired if they had lodging for them in her father's house.  She told him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah (Sarah's sister), which she bare unto Nahor (Abraham's brother) (Nahor’s granddaughter) (vv. 17-24).

And the servant thanked the Lord for being kind to Abraham in leading him to the house of his master's brethren. When Rebekah told her mother what had happened, her brother Laban, (see Genesis 29) after seeing the gold jewelry on his sister's hands, ran out to the man and invited him to stay in the house. After taking care of the camels, the servant said to Laban, "I am Abraham's servant" (vv. 27-34).

He told them how the Lord had blessed Abraham and Sarah with a son (when they were old) who would inherit everything Abraham had.   And the servant told them of Isaac and how he [the servant] had been sent to them [Abraham's kindred] to bring back a wife for Isaac as they didn't want him to marry a Canaanite.  He told them of his prayers and the miracle of meeting Rebekah at the well.  "And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment [clothing], and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her other precious things" (vv. 35-53). 

And they [her family] ask Rebekah if she would go back with the servant and she said, “I will go.”  They blessed Rebekah that she would be "the mother of thousands of millions"—that the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant would continue.  So Rebekah and her servants rode camels and followed the servant (vv. 54-61).

In the evening, Isaac went out to meditate in the field and saw camels coming toward him.  When Rebekah saw Isaac she got off her camel and asked the servant who it was walking to meet them.  The servant told her, "It is my master," and she covered herself with a veil.  The servant told Isaac "all things that he had done."  And Rebekah became Isaac’s wife and he loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death (vv. 62-67).

Genesis 25—Abraham dies; Isaac and Rebekah have twins

Abraham marries a woman named Keturah and she bare him six sons one of which is Midian through which Moses will receive the Priesthood (Ridges, p. 310) (vv. 1-2).  While Abraham lived, he gave gifts to all his sons of Keturah [considered a concubine] and sent them away.  But Abraham gave all he had to Isaac (v. 5-6).  And Abraham died at the age of 175 and was buried in the cave of Machpelah with his wife Sarah (vv. 7-10). 

After Abraham died God blessed Isaac and he dwelt by the well Lahai-roi (about 50-60 miles south of Jerusalem, Ridges, p. 311) (v. 11).  Now the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar the Egyptian, consisted of twelve princes who were leaders of tribes or nations.  And Ishmael died at 137 years.  And his people dwelt from Egypt to Assyria (Ridges, 312) (vv. 12-18).  Isaac married Rebekah when he was forty years old, and they were married for 20 years and were childless.  After praying fervently to the Lord, Rebekah conceived twins.  And the children struggled within her womb.  She prayed to the Lord and He told her that two nations were inside her and two manner of people—and one would be stronger than the other.  He also said the elder shall serve the younger (vv. 20-23).

 When they were delivered, their names were Esau (meaning hairy) and Jacob (meaning supplanter—one who takes the place of).  As they grew Esau became a cunning hunter and Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents (see footnote 27b).  Isaac loved [preferred] Esau because he ate his venison but Rebekah loved Jacob (vv. 24-28).  Esau’s story is that he sold his birthright to Jacob, when he was hungry, for a mess of pottage (soup).  And Jacob made Esau swear (as a covenant) that Esau’s birthright would go to him.  And Esau swore unto him and sold his birthright to Jacob (vv. 29-33).  Esau thus rejected the responsibility of living righteously and passing on the blessings and covenants of the priesthood (Ridges, p. 314).

Genesis 26—Sojourns of Isaac and Rebekah

Because there was famine in the land, Isaac went to the land of Abimelech the Philistine king in Gerar because the Lord told him not to go into Egypt (vv. 1-2).  The Lord reaffirmed the Abrahamic Covenant to Isaac that he will bless him and give him and his descendents this land and multiply his seed as the stars of heaven.  And he told Isaac that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed—all this because Abraham obeyed His charges, commandments, statutes and laws (vv. 3-5). 

Again, as with Sarah and Abraham, Isaac had Rebekah say that she was his sister.  But the king saw them together and ask Isaac why he said Rebekah was his sister.  Isaac explained that he was afraid someone would kill him so they could marry his wife.  King Abimelech told all his people that anyone who touched Isaac or his wife would be put to death (vv. 6-11).  Isaac was very blessed by the Lord with crops, flocks, herds and servants and the Philistines became jealous and stopped up the wells Abraham's servants had dug when he and Sarah lived in the land (see Genesis 20).  Abimelech told Isaac to leave them as “thou art much mightier than we”

(vv. 12-16).

So Isaac departed and went to the valley of Gerar.  Again there was strife with the people over the wells of water and they moved on to Beer-sheba.  There the Lord appeared to Isaac and said, "I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake."  Isaac built an altar there and "called upon the name of the Lord" (vv. 17-25).

Finally, because Isaac had become so strong and blessed of the Lord, Abimelech and Isaac made an oath and a covenant of peace between them that neither would do the other any harm (vv. 26-31).  And Esau (their son) was 40 years old when he married two Hittite women of Canaanite descent which caused much sorrow to Isaac and Rebekah (vv. 34-35).  Thus Esau’s posterity were not entitled to hold the priesthood or be blessed under the Abrahamic Covenant (Ridges, p. 319).

Genesis 27—The birthright blessing of Jacob

When Isaac was old, "and his eyes were dim," he called his son Esau and told him to go hunt with his bow and get venison and make him savoury meat to eat; “that my soul may bless thee before I die” (vv. 1-4). 

After Esau left to hunt, Rebekah, fearing that Isaac was about to give Esau the birthright blessing, told Jacob to take two young goats and she would make "savoury" meat for Isaac.  But Jacob knew that Isaac couldn't be fooled because Esau was a hairy man and Jacob was a smooth man.  Jacob was afraid Isaac would know he was a "deceiver" and curse him instead of blessing him (vv. 5-12).

Rebekah said to Jacob, "Upon me be thy curse my son: only obey my voice."  Then Jacob did as his mother asked and Rebekah prepared the meat.  Now Rebekah brought Jacob Esau's clothing to wear and put the skins of the goats on his hands and neck.  And Jacob took the meat to his father and when Isaac said, “Who art thou?”  Jacob said, “I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest [asked] me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me" (vv. 13-19).

 Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not." Then Isaac said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."  And Isaac ask him to kiss him so he could smell of his raiment [clothing].  Isaac is convinced by the "smell of the field" on his clothing that it is Esau and he gives Jacob the birthright blessing (vv. 21-27). 

And this is the blessing Isaac gives Jacob: "Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness  of the earth, and plenty of corn [food] and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee."  As soon as the blessing was given, Jacob left the presence of his father (vv. 28-30).

Shortly, Esau comes in to Isaac with his savory meat.  Isaac asks, “Who art thou?”  Esau said, “I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.” And Isaac knows that he has blessed Jacob not Esau and said, “he [Jacob] shall be blessed" [as is right].  And Esau cries that Jacob has taken his blessing and asks his father for a blessing for himself.  Isaac gives Esau a blessing and tells him that he will serve his brother.  And Isaac said, "Behold I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him:"… and Esau begs Isaac for a blessing also. Then, Esau "lifted up his voice, and wept." And Isaac gave Esau this blessing: "Behold thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck" (vv. 30-40).

And Esau, in his anger, hated his brother and vowed that when Isaac dies, he will slay Jacob.  Rebekah is told of Esau's words, and she informs Jacob that Esau has vowed to kill him and she said to Jacob, "flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away."  And, Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life [I am worried to death, Ridges, p. 326] because of the daughters of Heth [Canaanites].  If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?" (vv. 41-16).—This is another good reason for Jacob to leave and go to Haran.

Ridges lists the following reasons why Jacob was to receive the birthright blessing: "(1)  Rebekah was told by direct revelation from the Lord that Jacob was to be the covenant son (Genesis 25:22-23);  (2)  Esau did not respect or prove worthy of the birthright and the responsibility of perpetuating the Abrahamic Covenant;  (3)  Once the blessing had been given to Jacob…[Isaac] confirmed the blessing belonged to Jacob (Genesis 27:33);  (4)  It appears that Esau was not disputing the fact that Jacob had validly obtained the birthright from him (Genesis 27:26);  (5)  We know from modern revelation that Isaac and Jacob have become gods (D&C 132:37).  Thus Rebekah has also become a goddess (D&C 132:20)" (p. 319-320).

Genesis 28—Jacob leaves home; Jacob’s ladder vision

Isaac calls Jacob and blesses him and tells him not to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.  He sends him to Haran to the house of Bethuel, Rebekah’s father, to take a wife from the daughters of Laban, his mother’s brother (vv. 1-2). 

Isaac pronounces the blessings and responsibilities of the Abrahamic covenant on Jacob saying, "And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people.  And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham."  And Isaac sends Jacob on his journey to Haran; and Jacob obeys his father (vv. 3-5,7). 

As we learned in Genesis 26:34, Esau has already married two Hittite women.  Now he takes another wife which is the daughter of Ishmael [his grandfather Abraham's son] (vv. 6-9).  With this marriage Esau again marries "one through whom the priesthood cannot be perpetuated" (Ridges, p. 327).

On Jacob’s way to Haran from his home in Beer-sheba, he has a dream that he stood at the foot of a ladder set on the earth and the top reached to heaven.  He beheld angels of God ascending and descending on it and the Lord stood above it.  [Ridges explains: The Savior waits at the top of the ladder (in other words, in celestial glory) to welcome us into His Father's house, p. 328.]  And the Lord repeats the same promises made to Abraham namely possession of the land for Jacob and his seed; posterity as numerous as "the dust of the earth;" and "in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed"—through the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ (vv. 10-14).

And the Lord said: "And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land, for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of" (v. 15). 

When Jacob awoke he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not.”  And he said, "this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."  And in the morning, he took stones and made a pillar and consecrated it with oil and called the name of the place Beth-el [formerly Luz] “which shall be God’s house:” and he said, “of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee [tithing]” (vv. 16-22).

Ridges quotes President Marion G. Romney of the First Presidency: "[In his dream] Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord there were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord.

"Because he had met the Lord and entered into covenants with him there, Jacob considered the site so sacred that he named the place Bethel, a contraction of Beth-Elohim, which means literally 'the House of the Lord.'  He said of it:…'This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'

"…Of him [Jacob] and his forebears Abraham and Isaac, the Lord has said, …'because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods'" (D&C 132:37) (Temples—The Gates to Heaven, Ensign, March 1971, page 16) (Ridges, p. 329).

Genesis 29—Jacob serves Laban fourteen years; Marries Rachel and Leah

Jacob comes to the land of his relatives where he sees a stone on the mouth of a well of water where flocks of sheep were gathered.  And Jacob asks the men there where they came from.  They say "Haran."  He asks them, “Know ye Laban of Nahor?” and they replied, "We know him."  They told him that Laban was well and that his daughter Rachel was coming toward them with Laban’s sheep.  Jacob went and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of sheep.  And Jacob kissed Rachel [customary greeting] and lifted his voice in thanks to God and wept—the Lord had guided him right to his relatives (Ridges, p. 332) (vv. 1-11).

Jacob told Rachel he was her father’s brother [relative] and Rebekah’s (her father’s sister's) son.  After Rachel ran and told her family, Laban went to meet Jacob and invited him to stay in his house. When Jacob had been there for a month, Laban suggested an agreement on wages for Jacob’s work.  Now Laban had two daughters, the oldest was Leah and Rachel was younger.  Jacob loved Rachel.  He told Laban he would serve him for seven years for Rachel and Laban agreed (vv. 12-19). 

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel which "seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her."  Now Jacob said to Laban, "Give unto me my wife, that I may go and take her, for my days of serving thee are fulfilled;" and Laban agreed.  But first, Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast (JST Genesis 29:21-22). 

 And in the evening Laban took Leah, his oldest daughter, to Jacob and she went in and slept with him (JST Genesis 29:23).  In the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah and he asked Laban why he deceived him.  Laban said it was not the custom in his country to give the younger before the firstborn. Then Laban proposed that after a week he will also give him Rachel for another seven years service.  And Jacob "went in also unto Rachel and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him [Laban] yet seven other years" (vv. 23-30).

When the Lord saw that Leah was hated [loved less], he opened her womb and she bare four sons; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.  But Rachel was barren (vv. 31-35).  And Laban gave to his daughter Leah, Zilpah, for a handmaid (v. 24) and to Rachel, his daughter, he gave Bilhah to be her maid (v. 29).

Ridges comments:  "Leah and Rachel later give their maid servants to Jacob for wives (Genesis 30:3, 4, and 9)."

And from the Old Testament Student Manual, "The gift of the handmaidens to each daughter made the servants the direct property of each wife, not of Jacob.  Thus, later, when the handmaids had children, the children were viewed legally as the children of Rachel and Leah" (Student Manual, page 87, quoted by Ridges, p. 334).