King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Chapters: Genesis 25-26
Message: Genesis: Jacob and Esau
Hello My Friend,
As we continue in the reading of Genesis, we learn that after Sarah’s death, Abraham took another wife named Keturah, and through her had several children. He lived to be one hundred and seventy-five years old. It had been one hundred years since God first called him to leave his homeland and family to follow Him. Though he did not live to see the full unfolding of God’s promise, Abraham died a man richly blessed.
[Genesis 25:1-7 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. 7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.]
The concubines—namely Keturah and Hagar—though married to Abraham, were bound to him in what we might consider a common-law union. Notice that the children born to Keturah are recognized only as hers, not as legal heirs of Abraham. This distinction is significant: first, because they were not granted the birthright of being Abraham’s sons in the covenant sense; and second, because only Isaac was the son through whom God had promised to establish His covenant. We may not all be heirs of promise, but all who are saved and born again through their faith in Christ are recognized as children of Abraham, [Galatians 3:7-8 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.]
Birthright is very important to God, and we are about to see why. Isaac and Rebekah had been married for many years, yet they remained without children. Isaac prayed earnestly for the Lord to bless them with a child, and although we do not know how long he prayed that prayer, God eventually granted his request. However, the pregnancy that followed was anything but easy.
[Genesis 25:20-23 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.]
If Rebekah went to the Lord and asked Him what was wrong, then we can be certain that her pregnancy was exceedingly difficult. What she felt within her seemed like more than ordinary movement; it was as though the two children were struggling with one another even before they were born. Yet in the midst of her distress, God gave Rebekah a striking and prophetic answer. These two nations would become the nation of Edom (Esau) and Israel (Jacob). And when they were born, evidence of the struggle was quite clear as Jacob was holding on to Esau’s heel as Esau was born.
[Genesis 25:25-28 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. 27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.]
You can see right here where the favoritism and sibling rivalry began. When one parent favors one child over the other, conflict inevitably follows—not only between the children, but within the family as a whole. As the firstborn, Esau would have rightfully received the greater portion of the inheritance and the father’s blessing, including all that Abraham had passed down to Isaac. Yet Rebekah never forgot what God had revealed to her and made sure to remind Jacob of that fact. Jacob, determined that nothing would stand in the way of what God had spoken, devised a plan to persuade Esau to surrender his birthright.
[Genesis 25:30-34 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.]
Think about it. For nothing more than a bowl of soup, Esau surrendered his birthright. In that moment, the privilege that should have meant everything to him meant absolutely nothing. As long as he felt he had nothing to lose, he treated the birthright as something cheap and disposable. Jacob, however, understood its value. He knew exactly what was at stake. This is why it is recorded that God hated Esau, [Malachi 1:2-3 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.]
Why was this so important? Because the birthright was not merely about property or family position. It carried the spiritual inheritance of the covenant itself—the promise God had given to Abraham, passed to Isaac, and destined to continue through one son. God would not allow any of them to shape the covenant according to their own preferences. To bring His purpose into clear view and to test their hearts, God sent a famine.
[Genesis 26:1-5 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.]
Right here, God, confirms that He will fulfill the covenant that He made with his father,. Do you see why God continued the covenant with Isaac? God honored the covenant because of Abraham’s faith and faithfulness. Abraham’s obedience was the outward evidence of an inward trust. Though he was a sinner like you and me, he was justified before God because his genuine faith was counted to him as righteousness, [Romans 4:3-5 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.]
We must realize that God does not keep His promises to us based on our “good” works because we always fall short. He keeps them because He never goes back on His promises, which can always be traced back to one faithful person. Abimelech, was definitely also aware of Abraham and his father’s covenant not to mention God and the blessing and curses that come just from knowing them. However, we will soon see how the Philistines would become Israels most fierce enemies. Isaac, stayed in Gerar for about a year and became very prosperous while the Philistines did not and that brought on a great deal of envy between the two.
[Genesis 26:12-16 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. 15 For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.]
When we follow God’s will, we receive blessings far beyond eternal life, and the world takes notice. Isaac obeyed God, and the Lord blessed him abundantly. Those blessings became so evident that the Philistines grew threatened and envious of him. Everywhere Isaac’s household moved, strife followed. The Philistines quarreled with his servants over the wells they dug, and even the surrounding land became a point of contention. At last, Isaac received a word from God, and the true reason behind the Philistines’ continual opposition was revealed.
[Genesis 26:23-27 And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake. 25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well. 26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. 27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?]
Did you ever wonder why they dwelt in tents and moved around so much back then? God, always left them ready to pick up and leave when things got stale. In fact, He still does this today, although most of us do dwell in houses or apartments.
The world often envies the blessings that God gives while we are present in the world, and for that reason they are always in opposition to us no matter where we go. There will come a time when God will take us to a place where we can be at peace with no opposition. When Abimelech saw how Isaac prospered and became respected, and knowing it was God that was blessing them, he thought it best to stop fighting him and come up with some kind of treaty.
[Genesis 26:28-31,34-35 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; 29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD. 30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. 31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: 35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.]
You are not only blessed with everlasting life when you call upon the name of the LORD, you are the blessed with peace that passes all understanding, [Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.]
Today’s Prayer: God, When we put our faith and trust in Your Son we never fully comprehend just how merciful You are until we are faced with a situation that cries for mercy. Thank You, for Your mercies and grace, it is infinite and given freely to Your blessed children. We have found favor from You through our faith in Your Son alone, let us not come to despise our birthright, rather rejoice in it, knowing that You have more than a double portion, You are giving us eternal life. Lord, be with us in all that we do, lead us and guide us through the mercy and grace that only You can provide, while others mock us, remind us that Your grace is sufficient enough to keep our heads up high no matter how many times we fall. I ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/ready-to-follow-jesus/
Read Previous Devotions: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Read The Bible: http://kingjamesbible.imfollowingjesus.com/
Visit I’m Following Jesus: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/welcome/
I’m Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2026 I’m Following Jesus, All rights reserved.