“and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.””
Genesis 25:23
BSBGo deeper on this verse (5)
- Jacob and Esau: God Spoke Before the Twins Were Born (Genesis 25:19–26)
- Why Jacob's Name Was a Warning Israel Had to Hear (Genesis 25:19–26)
Connection with Isaac's blessing of Esau
Before the twins were born, God told Rebekah that "the older will serve the younger." Years later Isaac planned the blessing of his life around his appetite for wild game, and nobody in the tent mentioned what God had said.
Read the whole studyConnection with Rebekah's plan for Jacob
Rebekah heard this answer from the LORD after she went to inquire of Him (Genesis 25:22). Years later, in Genesis 27, she planned, persuaded and sent Jacob away, and she never once went back to ask Him.
Read the whole studyConnection with Isaac's blessing of Jacob
At first Isaac meant his blessing for the son he preferred. When he later blessed Jacob, he made the blessing agree with what God said here before the twins were born: "the older will serve the younger." In his old age Isaac wanted what God had said, above anything of his own, in his son's hands.
Read the whole study
Read Genesis 25:23 and keep notes on it in Doxa's Daily Faith Steps.
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Cross-References
The older will serve the younger — Jacob and Esau
“not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.””
Read next
How to Hear God’s Voice: A Practical Guide for BelieversScripture is the record of a God who speaks. This guide covers how to hear Him today and keep what He says.Engage with Genesis 25:23 in a fresh way
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