God’s Timeline – Part 42 Death of Rachel and Isaac

 God’s Timeline – Part 42

Death of Rachel and Isaac

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

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SERMON TIMELINE (2021 A.D. = 5781 Jewish Calendar Year)

 -         Creation Week (Approximately B.C.)

o   Adam, Eve, and the Fall

-         Cain and Abel

o   Evil Fills the World

-         Noah Did All God Commanded Him

o   The Flood (B.C.)

o   God’s Covenant with Noah

o   Noah’s Sons and Ham’s Sin

o   Nations of Noah’s Sons

-         Tower of Babel

 -         God calls Abram (B.C.)

o   Abram and Lot part ways (B.C.)

o   Rescue of Lot (B.C.)

 

-         The Lord’s Covenant with Abram for Isaac

o   Hagar and Ishmael Born (B.C.) Abram 86 years old

o   Sarai and Isaac

o   The Three Visitors

o   Abraham Pleads for Sodom

 

-         Birth of Isaac (2066 B.C. Abraham 99 years old Sarah 90-Hagar and Ishmael sent away)

o   The Lord tests Abraham (B.C.)

o   Sarah Dies 127 years old (B.C. Abraham is 136)

 

-         Isaac marries Rebekah (B.C. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah)

 -         Jacob and Esau are born (B.C. Isaac was 60 Abraham 159)

o   Abraham dies at 175 (B.C. Isaac was 75)

o   Isaac receives the Birthright and his father’s blessing

o   Esau marries two Hittites at 40 (B.C.)

o   Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael

o   Jacob travels to his grandfather’s family to find a wife (B.C.)

o   Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

o   Jacob marries Leah then Rachel

§  Levi is born (B.C.)

§  Joseph is born (B.C.)

o   Jacob fled Laban and is pursued (B.C.)

o   Jacob Prepares to meet Esau

o   Jacob Wrestles with God & Becomes Israel

o   Jacob Meets with Esau after 20 Years

o   Jacob’s Daughter Raped by Shechem (B.C.)

o   Jacob Returns to Bethel

o   The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac (Isaac was 180 years old)

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

We read last week about Jacob finally returning as Israel to Bethel after struggling with the Lord and God’s Will. Before moving on to build nations and a community of nations, some things take place, and some birth records are recorded.

 

Firstly, in Genesis 35:16-29 all of Jacobs sons are recorded. Secondly, Genesis 36:1-29 Esau’s descendants are recorded.

  

SCRIPTURE READING

Genesis 35:16-29

“Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni. [meaning son of trouble] But his father named him Benjamin. [means son of my right hand]

 

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.

 

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.

 

Jacob had twelve sons:

 

23 The sons of Leah:

 

Reuben the firstborn of Jacob,

 

Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

 

24 The sons of Rachel:

 

Joseph and Benjamin.

 

25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:

 

Dan and Naphtali.

 

26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:

 

Gad and Asher.

 

These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

 

27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”

 

 

       I.         THE BEGINNING OF THE 12 TRIBES (COMMUNITY OF NATIONS)

a.      Remember the Lord said a nation & community of nations

                                     i.      Genesis 35:11 “And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.”

                                  ii.      This conversation between God and Jacob took place after Jacob had returned to Bethel where the Lord had given him the land and the covenant promise to Abraham, passed to Isaac and then to Jacob. Jacob’s sons would become his nation, and in turn, they would each become a nation.

                               iii.      Jacob’s sons order of birth and who their mother was;

1.      Reuben (who sees the son) – Leah

2.      Simeon (hears, or obeys) – Leah

3.      Levi (associated with him) – Leah

4.      Judah (praise of the Lord, confession) – Leah

5.      Dan (judgment, he that judges) – Bilhah (Rachel’s Maid)

6.      Naphtali (struggles, or fights) – Bilhah (Rachel’s Maid)

7.      Gad (a troop) – Zilpah (Leah’s Maid)

8.      Asher (happy, walks) – Zilpah (Leah’s Maid)

9.      Issachar (reward) – Leah

10. Zebulun (Zebulun) – Leah

11. Joseph (increase) – Rachel

12. Benjamin (son of the right hand) – Rachel

b.     Not all of the sons would become Tribes

                                     i.      Jacob's 12 sons (in order of birth), Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin, became the Patriarchs of the 12 Tribes of Israel, with the exception of Joseph and Levi

                                  ii.      Levi would be set aside by God to be the priests

                               iii.      Joseph is sold by his brothers, but Josephs two sons Manasseh and Ephraim, who were adopted by Jacob, become the Patriarchs of two tribes taking Levi and Josephs places. (Genesis 48).

 

c.      God’s promise and covenant with Abraham was coming together

                                     i.      Abraham’s nation was large, then adding Isaac and Ishmael’s nations, and on top of that, both Isaac and Ishmael had many sons, who also grew into large nations.

                                  ii.      God was fulfilling His convenient promise

 

   II.         THE DEATH OF RACHEL

a.      Rachel only had two sons

                                     i.      Joseph and lastly Benjamin

 

b.     We are never told if she repented of her father’s false gods

                                     i.      We do know that Jacob demanded all the false gods and symbols be buried before they returned to Bethel, however, she hid her idols from her father, and from Jacob, and may have done so again.

                                  ii.      Nothing is writ about confession or repentance on Rachel’s part

c.      Dying, she named her son Ben-Oni, Son of Trouble

                                     i.      More than likely because of the trouble she had giving birth.

                                  ii.      She did not survive

                               iii.      However, Jacob changed the name to Benjamin

                                iv.      No longer son of trouble, now son of my right hand

 

III.         THE DEATH OF ISAAC

a.      Isaac lived 180 years

                                     i.      We read in verse 27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac

                                  ii.      His father died at 180 years old and was buried

 

b.     Genesis 36 lists Esau’s descendants

                                     i.      The rest of Genesis 36 lists all the rulers of Edom. (Edom, meaning “red” which relates to Esau’s name), this is where the Edomites come from, they are the descendants of Esau. The Edomites are also the forefathers listed in the Egyptian pharaoh Seti I from 1215 B.C. as well as the chronicle of a campaign by Ramesses III (1186 – 1155 B.C.)

 

c.      They were the Edomites

                                     i.      The Edomites were defeated by King Saul of Israel in late 11th century B.C. (1 Samuel 14:47) Forty years later King David and his general Joab defeated the Edomites in the “Valley of Salt” (probably near the Dead Sea) 2 Samuel 8:13-14; 1 Kings 9:15-16.

                                  ii.      In the time of Nebuchadnezzar II, the Edomites may have helped plunder Jerusalem and slaughter the Judaeans in 587 or 586 BCE (Psalms 137:7; Obadiah 1:11–14). Some believe that it is for this reason the prophets denounced Edom (Isaiah 34:5–8; Jeremiah 49:7–22). Evidence also suggests that at that time Edom may have engaged in a treaty betrayal of Judah. Regarding Edom, the book of Jeremiah states that "no one will live there, nor will anyone of mankind reside in it".

 

                               iii.      The Edomites eventually become the Romans, and to a larger extent, all Europeans.

 

 

CONCLUSION –

 

Abraham’s nation became Isaac’s nation.

 

Isaac’s nation passed down to Jacob which was now a nation three generations strong.

 

From Jacob’s nation was born twelve more nations.

 

Thus, fulfilling the promise of God to Jacob of him becoming a nation and a community of nations.

 

Genesis 36 covering Esau’s lineage and the development of the Edomites and their kings, next week we will look at Genesis 37 and Joseph, Rachel and Jacob’s first son, and his dreams.

 

 

 

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