OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS

Genesis 25:19-34 is the story of the birth of Jacob and Esau. Psalm 119:105-112 praises divine instruction.

Genesis 25:19-34 - "A Story Without Heroes"
Setting.  The Old Testament lesson for this Sunday begins a four week series of lessons from the stories of Jacob in  Genesis 25:19-36:43. In the present form of Genesis, the cycle of stories about Jacob can be interpreted as continuing the divine promise of progeny that was introduced in  Genesis 12:1-4a  and that provided organization to the stories of Abraham and Isaac. Thus there is unity in Genesis around the theme of the divine promise of progeny, but we must also see that new motifs are introduced as different ancestral figures become the central characters. Even though Jacob carries on the divine promise, he is…