Toldot “the generations”
Descargar Toldot porción de la torá
It is customary for religiously practicing Jews to read from an annual cycle of weekly Old Testament readings called Torah Portions. This is said to be the same reading schedule that was taught every Sabbath in the Synagogues during the times of Jesus in the first century.
As Christians exploring the Torah portion cycle we must maintain a balance of including the Old Testament, the prophets, and the gospels in our weekly bible study.
Torah Portion Name and Readings-
Toldot is the Hebrew word for “the generations”, this is the name for the weekly Torah Portion reading for the Genesis starting in chapter 25 verse 19 and going through chapter 28 and verse 9.
Prophets and New Testament-
It is also important to point out that along with the Torah portion readings and teachings, there are what are called Haftarah portions which are readings from the Bible in the books of the prophets. This week’s haftarah readings come from the book of Malachi in chapter 1 verse 1 through chapter 2 verse 7.
The gospel readings incorporated with the weekly Torah portion readings come from the book of Matthew in chapter 10 with verses 21 through 38.
Torah Portion Overview-
In this Torah portion we see the birth of Esau and Jacob, the third generation of our covenant fathers. The Torah portion leads up to Esau selling his birthright for a meal, despising the blessing his father Isaac wanted to give him and thus bringing shame to the family. Jacob to brings shame by exposing the shame of his brother. The covenant of Abraham is passed on to Isaac, and Isaac walks in the blessing of Abraham. Isaac has some conflict with the Philistines over his wife because he says he is her brother. This escalates and grows as the philistines quarrel over wells. Esau takes Hittite wives further increasing shame. Jacob tricks Isaac into giving him the blessing which leaves Esau with the desire and intent to murder him (think of Cain and Abel). Fearing for his life Jacob gives up the safety of his family and fleas to his relative Laban. With Jacob gone, perhaps to try to appease his mother and father and save face Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael.
Today I want to focus on Esau trading or selling his birthright to Jacob. Here is what Scripture says,
Genesis 25:29-34 (ESV)
“Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.”
The Hebrew here is that Jacob is “stewing a stew”, possibly a word play about his coming interaction with Esau. Was he deep in contemplation, thinking of the promise that the younger would one day rule over the stronger? Was he upset with Esau for something? We do not know. When speaking of Jacob it says he was a man who lived in tents, which was in contrast to Esau who was a hunter, a man of the fields. A modern way to say this would be to say Esau was a “manly man”, or a “man’s man” and Jacob was a peaceful and quiet man. Here we find him cooking, which quite interesting. Why was his servants not cooking? Did he take pleasure in cooking? Perhaps for him it was a time to relax and think. Here we see another difference, whereas Esau would have planned to eat fresh game, something he killed, Jacob is eating something he grew, lentils.
Think of the hunt, how much physical exertion this would have taken. Esau had to track game for miles, probably often running and looking for something to shoot or spear. The fact that Esau had no one to cook for him answers our question as to why Jacob is cooking for himself. Yet Esau did not prepare ahead and is famished. Esau goes into his brothers tent looking for food, perhaps drawn by the enticing aroma. Exhausted from his hunt and hungry he tells his brother that he is going to die of hunger (v32) and asks for some of the “red stuff” Jacob is making.
What was this stew? As George E. Post explains in the LENTILS entry in the A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology
“The seeds are lenticular, with a reddish outer coat. They are cultivated everywhere in the East. They are usually stewed with onions, rice, and oil, or small bits of meat and fat, and seasoned to the taste. This dish, which is known as mujedderah, is universal among the poor. It is by no means unpalatable, and is common enough on the tables of the rich also. The colour of it is a darkish-brown. It would seem that it was red in Esau’s day (Gn 25:30). The term red, however, is a somewhat indefinite one in the East, and applies to a number of shades of red and brown. It was ‘pottage’ of lentils, similar to if not identical with mujedderah, for which Esau sold his birthright (v. 34).”
Jacob, deals shrewdly with his brother. He demands that Esau swear to him in an oath that he would give him his birthright, the double portion inheritance but also the spiritual “headship” of the family. Esau, seeing his birthright as having no value if he is going to “die” willingly trades it for a bowel of lentil stew. Thus, Jacob secured the firstborn status and begins to fulfill the promise that had been given to his mother.
Genesis 25:23 (ESV)
“And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”
This is more though than just the status of the firstborn, it is also the blessing of Abraham. From here out, the blessing of Abraham and Isaac would pass to Jacob. This was met, not with weeping or anger, but with silence. Esau gave up a spiritual and financial blessing without any anguish or regret. This is truly a sad story!
But how does this apply to us today? What birthright have we been given? Well, this is a bit of a trick question, because the Messiah is the firstborn and has received the birthright.
Colossians 1:15 (ESV)
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
In fact, Him being firstborn is connected to the resurrection from the dead, because He was the firstborn to be raised to eternal life!
Colossians 1:18 (ESV)
“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”
Revelation 1:5 (ESV)
“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood”
Thus the birthright is, in my opinion, eternal life! This is our promised inheritance, because it is not just for Him but was promised for us also! We do not get the double portion, but we do get a portion! We are promised to inherit eternal life!
Romans 8:29 (ESV)
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
1 John 2:25 (ESV)
“And this is the promise that he made to us--eternal life.”
And so we wait for our resurrection and hope in eternal life! This is our hope! We do not fear death, because our life is in Christ! We can never die, because our life is eternal. And so we have this hope which can never be destroyed!
This is what I have to say. Esau looked to this world to save his life, a little food, and so gave up his birthright. Do not look to the world for life, look to the source of eternal life, Jesus Christ, our savior! The world wants you to fear death, but we know that death for us is not the end, it is just the beginning.
Torah Portion Scriptural Highlights-
Genesis 25:19 Esau and Jacob are born
Genesis 25:29 Esau sells his birthright for a meal
Genesis 26:1 The covenant of Abraham continues with Isaac
Genesis 26:6 Isaac lies to Abimelech about his wife and Abimelech finds out
Genesis 26:12 Isaac is blessed and the Philistines are jealous but they make a pact
Genesis 26:34 Esau takes Hittite wives
Genesis 27:1 Isaac wants to bless Esau but Jacob tricks him and is blessed instead and Esau wants to kill him
Genesis 28:1 Isaac blesses Jacob again and he fleas to Laban
Genesis 28:6 Esau marries an Ishmaelite woman
Haftarah (Prophets) Scriptural Highlights-
Malachi 1:1 Yahweh has loved Jacob
Malachi 1:6 Priests have despised His name but it will be honored among the nations
Malachi 2:1 The covenant of Levi has been corrupted
Brit (Gospel) Scriptural Highlights-
Matthew 10:21 Persecution will come to His disciples but fear not and do not deny Him
Matthew 10:34 Jesus did not come to bring peace
Bibliography
Douglas Mangum, Miles Custis, and Wendy Widder, Genesis 12–50, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013), Ge 25:1–34.
John Skinner 1851-1925, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis, International Critical Commentary (New York: Scribner, 1910), 361–362.
George E. Post, “LENTILS,” in A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, ed. James Hastings et al. (New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912) 95.
E. A. Speiser, Genesis: Introduction, Translation, and Notes, vol. 1 of Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 195.
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