Memory Text: Genesis 28:3 NKJV “"May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That you may be an assembly of peoples.”

Sunday, July 15 The Arrangement
Genesis 24 God’s Word to the Nations “1 ¶ By now Abraham was old, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. 2 So Abraham said to the senior servant of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, "Take a solemn oath. 3 I want you to swear by the LORD God of heaven and earth that you will not get my son a wife from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I’m living. 4 Instead, you will go to the land of my relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac." 5 The servant asked him, "What if the woman doesn’t want to come back to this land with me? Should I take your son all the way back to the land you came from?" 6 "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said to him. 7 "The LORD God of heaven took me from my father’s home and the land of my family. He spoke to me and swore this oath: ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’"God will send his angel ahead of you, and you will get my son a wife from there. 8 If the woman doesn’t want to come back with you, then you’ll be free from this oath that you swear to me. But don’t take my son back there." 9 So the servant did as his master Abraham commanded and swore the oath to him concerning this.
10 ¶ Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and left, taking with him all of his master’s best things. He traveled to Aram Naharaim, Nahor’s city. 11 The servant had the camels kneel down outside the city by the well. It was evening, when the women would go out to draw water. 12 Then he prayed, "LORD, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today. Show your kindness to Abraham. 13 Here I am standing by the spring, and the girls of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 I will ask a girl, ‘May I please have a drink from your jar?’ If she answers, ‘Have a drink, and I’ll also water your camels,’ let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This way I’ll know that you’ve shown your kindness to my master." 15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 16 The girl was a very attractive virgin. No man had ever had sexual intercourse with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came back. 17 The servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a drink of water." 18 "Drink, sir," she said. She quickly lowered her jar to her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I’ll also keep drawing water for your camels until they’ve had enough to drink." 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the water trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. 21 The man was silently watching her to see whether or not the LORD had made his trip successful. 22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a fifth of an ounce and two gold bracelets weighing four ounces. 23 He asked, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me whether there is room in your father’s house for us to spend the night." 24 She answered him, "I’m the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah and Nahor. 25 We have plenty of straw and feed for your camels and room for you to spend the night." 26 The man knelt, bowing to the LORD with his face touching the ground. 27 He said, "Praise the LORD, the God of my master Abraham. The LORD hasn’t failed to be kind and faithful to my master. The LORD has led me on this trip to the home of my master’s relatives." 28 The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
29 ¶ Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. 30 He saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and heard her tell what the man had said to her. Immediately, Laban ran out to the man by the spring. He came to the man, who was standing with the camels by the spring. 31 He said, "Come in, you whom the LORD has blessed. Why are you standing out here? I have straightened up the house and made a place for the camels." 32 So the man went into the house. The camels were unloaded and given straw and feed. Then water was brought for him and his men to wash their feet. 33 When the food was put in front of him, he said, "I won’t eat until I’ve said what I have to say." "Speak up," Laban said. 34 "I am Abraham’s servant," he said. 35 "The LORD has blessed my master, and he has become wealthy. The LORD has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. 36 My master’s wife Sarah gave him a son in her old age, and my master has given that son everything he has. 37 My master made me swear this oath: ‘Don’t get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I’m living. 38 Instead, go to my father’s home and to my relatives, and get my son a wife.’ 39 "I asked my master, ‘What if the woman won’t come back with me?’ 40 "He answered me, ‘I have been living the way the LORD wants me to. The LORD will send his angel with you to make your trip successful. You will get my son a wife from my relatives and from my father’s family. 41 Then you will be free from your oath to me. You will also be free of your oath to me if my relatives are not willing to do this when you go to them.’ 42 "When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘LORD God of my master Abraham, please make my trip successful. 43 I’m standing by the spring. I’ll say to the young woman who comes out to draw water, "Please give me a drink of water." 44 If she says to me, "Not only may you have a drink, but I will also draw water for your camels," let her be the woman the LORD has chosen for my master’s son.’ 45 "Before I had finished praying, Rebekah came with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water." So I asked her, ‘May I have a drink?’ 46 She quickly lowered her jar and said, ‘Have a drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 "Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ "She answered, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor and Milcah.’ "I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 I knelt, bowing down to the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham. The LORD led me in the right direction to get the daughter of my master’s relative for his son. 49 Tell me whether or not you’re going to show my master true kindness so that I will know what to do." 50 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD. We can’t say anything to you one way or another. 51 Here’s Rebekah! Take her and go! She will become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has said." 52 When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the LORD. 53 The servant took out gold and silver jewelry and clothes and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother.
54 ¶ Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they got up in the morning, he said, "Let me go back to my master." 55 Her brother and mother replied, "Let the girl stay with us ten days or so. After that she may go." 56 He said to them, "Don’t delay me now that the LORD has made my trip successful. Let me go back to my master." 57 So they said, "We’ll call the girl and ask her." 58 They called for Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "Yes, I’ll go." 59 So they let their sister Rebekah and her nurse go with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 They gave Rebekah a blessing: "May you, our sister, become the mother of many thousands of children. May your descendants take possession of their enemies’ cities." 61 Then Rebekah and her maids left. Riding on camels, they followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and left.
62 ¶ Isaac had just come back from Beer Lahai Roi, since he was living in the Negev. 63 Toward evening Isaac went out into the field to meditate. When he looked up, he saw camels coming. 64 When Rebekah saw Isaac, she got down from her camel. 65 She asked the servant, "Who is that man over there coming through the field to meet us?" "That is my master," the servant answered. Then she took her veil and covered herself. 66 The servant reported to Isaac everything he had done. 67 Isaac took her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He married Rebekah. She became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”
Genesis 24:2 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Aware of the growing licentiousness and idolatry of the Canaanites, and of their impending doom, Abraham desired to preserve the purity of the promised seed. His own experience with Hagar, and the experiences of Lot and Ishmael, had taught him the danger of alliances with people of heathen background. Furthermore, God had already forbidden intermarriage with the Canaanites, a prohibition later incorporated into the Mosaic legislation.
Genesis 24:22 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN The ring was not for the ear, but the nose; the armlets, such as young women in Syria and Arabia still appear daily at wells decked in. They are worn from the elbow to the wrist, commonly made of silver, copper, brass, or horn.
Genesis 24:53 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN These are the usual articles, with money, that form a woman's dowry among the pastoral tribes. Rebekah was betrothed and accompanied the servant to Canaan.
Genesis 24:65 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Rebekah was eager with anticipation to greet Isaac, but the custom of her country did not allow the groom to see his bride’s face until the marriage had been concluded. Her modesty, furthermore, was revealed in yet another way. To meet her future husband for the first time she chose to descend from the camel to the ground.

Monday, July 16 Jacob and Esau
Genesis 25:19-34 KJ21 “19 ¶ And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac. 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah for a wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD was entreated by 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 inquire 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 body; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger." 24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bore 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 ate of his venison; but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 ¶ And Jacob boiled pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was faint. 30 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 of dying. And what profit shall this birthright be to me?" 33 And Jacob said, "Swear to me this day." And he swore unto him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he ate and drank, and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.”
Genesis 25:23 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY An angel revealed to Rebekah something of the future of the two sons soon to be. Already, it seemed, they were struggling for the supremacy. The angel’s prediction was fulfilled in the later history of Esau’s and Jacob’s descendants, the Edomites and the Israelites. These two brother nations were ever enemies, Israel usually proving to be the stronger of the two. David subjugated the Edomites (2 Sam. 8:14; 1 Kings 11:16), and King Amaziah later defeated them (2 Kings 14:7; 2 Chron. 25:11, 12). The Hasmonaean king John Hyrcanus I finally brought their independence to an end in the year 126 b.c., when he forced them to accept the rite of circumcision and the law of Moses, and to submit to a Jewish governor. God’s insight into the respective characters of Esau and Jacob and His foresight into their future made possible His selection of Jacob as inheritor of the birthright and progenitor of Christ even before his birth.

Tuesday, July 17 The Birthright Dispute
Promise Confirmed to Isaac – Genesis 26:4 “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,”
Similarities in Experience of Isaac & Rebekah and Abraham & Sarah:
Name of Place – Genesis 20:1 “And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar.”
Genesis 26:1 “There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.”
Name of the king – Gensis 20:2 MKJV “And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech the king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.”
Lying about: Genesis 26:7 MKJV “And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, She is my sister. For he feared to say, My wife; lest the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was beautiful of form.”
Explanation for the lie: Genesis 20:11 NRSV “Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.”
Genesis 26:9 NRSV “So Abimelech called for Isaac, and said, "So she is your wife! Why then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?" Isaac said to him, "Because I thought I might die because of her."”
Remonstrance because of the lie: Genesis 20:9 NRSV “Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that ought not to be done."”
Genesis 26:10 NKJV “And Abimelech said, "What [is] this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us."”
Genesis 26:10 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE It is likely that Abimelech might have had some knowledge of God's intentions concerning the family of Abraham, and that it must be kept free from all impure and alien mixtures; and that consequently, had he or any of his people taken Rebekah, the Divine judgment might have fallen upon the land. Abimelech was a good and holy man; and he appears to have considered adultery as a grievous and destructive crime.

Wednesday, July 18 Stealing the Blessing
Genesis 27 Holman “1 ¶ When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could not see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Look, I am old and do not know the day of my death. 3 Take your /hunting/ gear, your quiver and bow, and go out in the field to hunt some game for me. 4 Then make me the delicious food that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I can bless you before I die.” 5 Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac said to his son Esau. So while Esau went to the field to hunt some game to bring in,
6 ¶ Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Listen! I heard your father talking with your brother Esau. He said, 7 ‘Bring me some game and make some delicious food for me to eat so that I can bless you in the LORD’s presence before I die.’ 8 Now obey every order I give you, my son. 9 Go to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, and I will make them into a delicious meal for your father—the kind he loves. 10 Then take it to your father to eat so that he may bless you before he dies.” 11 Jacob answered Rebekah his mother, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am a man with smooth skin. 12 Suppose my father touches me. Then I will seem to be deceiving him, and I will bring a curse rather than a blessing on myself.” 13 His mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey me and go get them for me.” 14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother made the delicious food his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were there at the house, and had her younger son Jacob wear them. 16 She put the goatskins on his hands and the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she handed the delicious food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.
18 ¶ When he came to his father, he said, “My father.” And he answered, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob replied to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may bless me.” 20 But Isaac said to his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” He replied, “Because the LORD your God worked it out for me.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau, or not?” 22 So Jacob came closer to his father Isaac. When he touched him, he said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. 24 Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he replied, “I am.” 25 Then he said, “Serve me, and let me eat some of my son’s game so that I can bless you.” Jacob brought it to him, and he ate; he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come closer and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came closer and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he blessed him and said: Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. 28 May God give to you— from the dew of the sky and from the richness of the land— an abundance of grain and new wine. 29 May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brothers; may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Those who curse you will be cursed, and those who bless you will be blessed.
30 ¶ As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob had left the presence of his father Isaac, his brother Esau arrived from the hunt. 31 He had also made some delicious food and brought it to his father. Then he said to his father, “Let my father get up and eat some of his son’s game, so that you may bless me.” 32 But his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am Esau your firstborn son.” 33 Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. “Who was it then,” he said, “who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came in, and I blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed!” 34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he cried out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!” 35 But he replied, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” 36 So he said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?” 37 But Isaac answered Esau: “Look, I have made him a master over you, have given him all of his relatives as his servants, and have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Do you only have one blessing, my father? Bless me—me too, my father!” And Esau wept loudly. 39 Then his father Isaac answered him: Look, your dwelling place will be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of the sky above. 40 You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will break his yoke from your neck.
41 ¶ Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau determined in his heart: “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 When the words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she summoned her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Listen, your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. 43 So now, my son, listen to me. Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran, 44 and stay with him for a few days until your brother’s anger subsides— 45 until your brother’s rage turns away from you and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I lose you both in one day?” 46 So Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like one of them, what good is my life?””
Genesis 27:1 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE It is conjectured, on good grounds, that Isaac was now about one hundred and seventeen years of age, and Jacob about fifty-seven; though the commonly received opinion makes Isaac one hundred and thirty-seven, and Jacob seventy-seven.
Genesis 27:41 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY Esau aimed to prevent Jacob, or his seed, from having the dominion, by taking away his life before he was married; but who can disannul what God has spoken? Men may fret at God's counsels, but cannot change them… If Esau could have kept his design to himself his mother would not have suspected it; but men's impudence in sin is often their infatuation; and they cannot accomplish their wickedness because their rage is too violent to be concealed, and a bird of the air carries the voice.

Thursday, July 19 Where Jacob Was to Get His Wife and Why
Genesis 27:46-28:5 NLT “46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women. I’d rather die than see Jacob marry one of them." 28:1 ¶ So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, "Do not marry any of these Canaanite women. 2 Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. 3 May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants become a great assembly of nations! 4 May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where we now are foreigners, for God gave it to Abraham." 5 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.”
Genesis 27:46 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE She [Rebekah] is now afraid, or pretends to be afraid, that her son Jacob will marry among the Hittites, as Esau had done; and therefore makes this to Isaac the ostensible reason why Jacob should immediately go to Padan-aram, that he might get a wife there. Isaac, not knowing the true cause of sending him away, readily falls in with Rebekah's proposal, and immediately calls Jacob, gives him suitable directions and his blessing, and sends him away.
Blessings Given to Jacob: Genesis 28:3-4 Holman “3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you so that you become an assembly of peoples. 4 May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham.””