Questions:
3.
a.
20 years
b.
Yes
c.
Waiting on God’s timing for children. May have been a test to see if they would take matters into their own hands (e.g., Hagar)
d.
Wait on the Lord, trust in Him, pray for each other.
4.
Two nations: Twins will both form their own nations (Israelites and Edomites); and two peoples separated: they will form separate nationalities (Israel in promised land, Edomites at Mount Seir); one people stronger: strength of character and faith of one nation will be stronger than other (Obadiah 18 – House of Jacob=fire, Esau=Stubble; older serve ounger: The descendents of Esau serve Jacob. 1 Kings 11:15-16 King David, Joab smitten every male in Edom.
My Daily Journal:
Was it a problem that Isaac and Rebekah didn’t have children for 20 years? Many years ago I read an interesting article talking about our biases and thought processes in western culture. In large part the article talked about our predilection in the west to label something as broken or a problem so we can then fix it. This is evidently a very western attitude and in other cultures this doesn’t occur. Other cultures simply look at something and incrementally improve it, but we label it as a problem as broken as something that “needs fixin’.”
I discuss this because that attitude influences our thoughts about Isaac and Rebekah waiting 20 years. God was going to provide a child (ok, in this case, children) at exactly the moment that He knew to be right to provide them. Was this a test for Isaac and Rebekah? Was it difficult? Was it concerning? It may have been. But it doesn’t have to be broken for us to pray for others. It doesn’t have to be a problem for us to trust and rely on God.
I don’t have to put myself or my situation down or label it as a problem or broken to trust in God to improve it. I’m not a “home makeover” project, I’m a child of God. I’m being taught, fed and developed to be stronger and more saintly. God doesn’t need to label me as broken to make me better.
This may seem like semantics to some, but I hope it is helpful.
The Notes are Good 